Private Internet Access vs Surfshark Pricing | Costbench
Compare / Private Internet Access vs Surfshark
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Team size
25 seats

Private Internet Access vs Surfshark

VPN pricing comparison · 2026

Private Internet Access pricing ranges from $1.59–$11.95/month, while Surfshark ranges from $2.49–$20.85/month. Private Internet Access is typically 42% more affordable, though your actual cost depends on tier and team size.

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See pricing on each vendor's site
Above-the-fold path — each link opens the vendor's pricing page in a new tab.
Visit Private pricing
Discount programs →
Visit Surfshark pricing
Free plan limits → Discount programs →
Affiliate partner — does not affect ranking.
Compare
2 products · VPN
Side-by-side · live
P
Private Internet Access
Private Internet Access pricing starts at custom pricing.
verified 9w ago
$180 $292
View pricing →
Surfshark
Surfshark is a consumer VPN service now owned by Nord Security (the same parent company as
verified 9d ago
$180 $292
View pricing →
Verdict · Vendr median · year 1
Surfshark saves $112 vs Private · 25 seats
Cheapest $180
Spread 38%
Estimated license cost
at 25 seats
List price × seats. Click a tier below to lock it.
1 Year
$999/yr
year 1 license · $3/seat
Starter (1-Year)
$957/yr
year 1 license · $3/seat
What buyers actually pay
median, annual
Vendr deal-flow data. The real benchmark, not list price.
Median annual
$292/yr
Vendr · n=156
↓ Lowest median
Median annual
$180/yr
Vendr · n=53
REF · 01

Sources & confidence

Every dollar amount and contract clause below traces back to a sourced fact. We don't manufacture composite scores.

Where this data comes from
Vendr · TrustRadius · Reddit · BBB · official docs
Sources 6 sourced facts
3 hidden-cost · 1 contract · Vendr median · 1 review platform
Last verified 2mo ago
Confidence Limited confidence
Sources 7 sourced facts
3 hidden-cost · 2 contract · Vendr median · 1 review platform
Last verified 1w ago
Confidence High confidence
REF · 02

Plans at a glance

Every tier per product. Lock one to drive the cost row above and reveal a tier-specific outbound CTA.

Tier ladder
Click a tier to lock the cost row to it. Locking surfaces a tier-specific Visit CTA.
REF · 03

Hidden costs

Each cost is severity-ranked, with the dollar range quoted from its source (Vendr, Reddit, TrustRadius, BBB, official docs) — never our estimate.

Beyond the sticker
Severity-ranked, sourced
3 documented
  • Dedicated IP Address
    $5 per month
    1 source
  • Antivirus Software
    $4.50 per month
    1 source
  • pCloud Storage
    1 source
2 documented
  • Renewal Price Increases
    50-80% of initial subscription cost
    2 sources
  • Monthly Plan Premium
    $13-$19/month vs $2-$4/month on long-term plans
    1 source
REF · 04

Contract terms

The fine print, surfaced. Green = buyer-friendly. Each clause backed by a quoted source.

Private
Surfshark
Auto-renewal
Yes
Yes
Cancellation
Users can cancel auto-renewal at any time through their Client Control Panel.
30 days for money-back guarantee
Commitment
✓ PIA offers various subscription lengths, including one-month, six-month, and two-year plans, with longer commitments generally resulting in lower average monthly costs.
✓ Monthly, 1-year, or 2-year options available
Price escalation
116.89%
Promotional pricing applies only to first term; renewal at standard rates
Can downgrade
—
No
Based on 3 verified sources (Vendr · TrustRadius · BBB)
REF · 05

What users say

Aggregated, with sample sizes. We use whichever review platform has data.

User reviews
TrustRadius · Trustpilot · G2
Trustpilot
4.5out of 5 (11,000)
Best for
Short-term users wanting flexibility
Watch out
Slow Speeds
TrustRadius
8out of 5 (1)
Best for
Users who want month-to-month VPN flexibility
Watch out
Compatibility issues with some websites
Decide
Get a quote from each vendor
Each link opens the vendor's pricing page in a new tab.
Visit Private pricing
Discount programs →
Visit Surfshark pricing
Free plan limits → Discount programs →
Affiliate partner — does not affect ranking.
License cost is computed from publicly listed plans (real math, list price × seats). Median annual cost is from Vendr's deal flow when available — see source badges. Hidden costs and contract terms each cite their own sources. We do not invent composite scores.
VPN

Private Internet Access

$1.59–$11.95
/month
3 plans
Full pricing breakdown →
VS
VPN

Surfshark

$2.49–$20.85
/month
9 plans
Full pricing breakdown →

Plan-by-Plan Pricing

Plan Private Internet Access Surfshark
1 Month $11.95 /user/month $15.45 /user/month
1 Year $3.33 /user/month $3.19 /user/month
3 Years + 3 Months $1.59 /user/month $2.49 /user/month
One (Monthly) — $17.95 /user/month
One (1-Year) — $3.39 /user/month
One (2-Year) — $2.79 /user/month
One+ (Monthly) — $20.85 /user/month
One+ (1-Year) — $5.09 /user/month
One+ (2-Year) — $4.49 /user/month

Market Intelligence

Private Internet Access

Median annual cost
$292
Based on
156 deals

Surfshark

Median annual cost
$180
Based on
53 deals

Hidden Costs

Beyond the sticker price — what catches buyers off guard.

Private Internet Access 3 hidden costs

medium
Dedicated IP Address $5 per month
medium
Antivirus Software $4.50 per month
low
pCloud Storage
See all Private Internet Access hidden costs →

Surfshark 2 hidden costs

medium
Renewal Price Increases 50-80% of initial subscription cost
medium
Monthly Plan Premium $13-$19/month vs $2-$4/month on long-term plans
See all Surfshark hidden costs →

Contract Terms

Term Private Internet Access Surfshark
Auto-renewal Yes Yes
Cancellation Users can cancel auto-renewal at any time through their Client Control Panel. 30 days for money-back guarantee
Minimum commitment PIA offers various subscription lengths, including one-month, six-month, and two-year plans, with longer commitments generally resulting in lower average monthly costs. Monthly, 1-year, or 2-year options available
Price escalation 116.89% Promotional pricing applies only to first term; renewal at standard rates
Can downgrade — No

Continue researching

Private Internet Access

Surfshark

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