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Private Internet Access alternative · Honest take · No activity logs
Private Internet Access does plenty right, and we will not pretend otherwise. If you want a free way in, modern stealth protocols and a clear no-activity-logs promise, here is how ROOT VPN compares, trade-offs included.
Free forever plan. No card, unlimited data, up to 10 devices.
Private Internet Access is a capable VPN. PIA has done the one thing most VPNs only promise: its no-logs claim has held up when courts actually asked for data. The apps are open-source, endlessly configurable, cover unlimited devices and cost very little on a long plan. But it is not for everyone, and the usual reasons people go looking elsewhere are clear: the US jurisdiction, uneven streaming, or wanting a free tier and modern stealth protocols.
In plain terms, the sticking point is often this: It is US-based, its huge server list is uneven in quality, and streaming can be hit or miss compared with the streaming specialists. If that is what pushed you here, it is worth seeing what a different approach looks like.
Not more features for the sake of it, a different set of priorities.
Unlimited data and time on the free plan, no card and no trial countdown. It is funded by an optional community program you can switch off, not by logging you.
REALITY, Shadowsocks and Hysteria2 look like ordinary web traffic, so ROOT connects on school, office and country networks that block Private Internet Access and most other VPNs.
ROOT keeps no record of the sites you visit or what you stream, across a growing server network. Nothing stored, nothing to hand over, nothing to sell.
The honest side by side. For the full breakdown, see ROOT VPN vs Private Internet Access.
| ROOT VPN | Private Internet Access | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, then £3.99/mo | From £1.69 |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| No activity logs | Yes | Yes |
| Protocols | WireGuard, REALITY, Shadowsocks, Hysteria2 | WireGuard, OpenVPN |
| Devices | 10 | Unlimited |
| Streaming | Good | Mixed |
| Jurisdiction | Independent, no activity logs | USA |
PIA has done the one thing most VPNs only promise: its no-logs claim has held up when courts actually asked for data. The apps are open-source, endlessly configurable, cover unlimited devices and cost very little on a long plan. If that is central to how you use a VPN, it may still be the right call.
Free to start with unlimited data, four protocols including REALITY and Hysteria2 for restrictive networks, and no activity logs. For a free start, restrictive networks and a simple privacy promise, ROOT is the easier yes.
Browse more, or see every option on the alternatives hub and the comparison hub.
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