ExpressVPN vs Private Internet Access Pricing | Costbench
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25 seats

ExpressVPN vs Private Internet Access

VPN pricing comparison · 2026

ExpressVPN pricing ranges from $2.49–$22.99/month, while Private Internet Access ranges from $1.59–$11.95/month. ExpressVPN is typically 19% 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 ExpressVPN pricing Affiliate partner — does not affect ranking.
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2 products · VPN
Side-by-side · live
ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is a premium VPN service owned by Kape Technologies, known for its speed, relia
verified 9w ago
$180 $292
View pricing →
P
Private Internet Access
Private Internet Access pricing starts at custom pricing.
verified 5w ago
$180 $292
View pricing →
Recorded annual contract medians
ExpressVPN median is $112 less than Private · different customer contracts; not a quote
Cheapest $180
Spread 38%
Estimated license cost
at 25 seats
List price × seats. Click a tier below to lock it.
Basic (1-Year)
$48/yr
year 1 license · flat plan price
1 Year
$999/yr
year 1 license · $3/seat
What buyers actually pay
median, annual
Vendr deal-flow data. The real benchmark, not list price.
↓ Lowest median
Median annual
$180/yr
Vendr · n=35
Median annual
$292/yr
Vendr · n=156
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 14 sourced facts
8 hidden-cost · 3 contract · Vendr median · 2 review platforms
Last verified 2mo ago
Confidence Medium confidence
Sources 6 sourced facts
3 hidden-cost · 1 contract · Vendr median · 1 review platform
Last verified 1mo ago
Confidence Limited 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
4 documented
  • Renewal Price Increases
    15-30% of license costs
    1 source
  • Auto-Renewal Billing Without Adequate Notice
    $47.88-$191.76
    4 sources
  • Dedicated IP Add-on at Increased Cost
    5-15% of license costs
    1 source
  • Strict 30-Day Refund Window With Partial Settlements Only
    60-80% of remaining subscription value forfeited
    2 sources
3 documented
  • Dedicated IP Address
    $5 per month
    1 source
  • Antivirus Software
    $4.50 per month
    1 source
  • pCloud Storage
    1 source
REF · 04

Contract terms

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

ExpressVPN
Private
Auto-renewal
Yes
Yes
Cancellation
30-day money-back guarantee; cancellations after that take effect at end of current subscription period with no pro-rata refund
Users can cancel auto-renewal at any time through their Client Control Panel.
Commitment
Monthly (no lock-in required, but 1-year and 2-year plans require upfront payment)
PIA offers various subscription lengths, including one-month, six-month, and two-year plans, with longer commitments generally resulting in lower average monthly costs.
Price escalation
No published uplift schedule; add-on prices (e.g., dedicated IP) have reportedly doubled for existing multi-year subscribers
116.89%
Can downgrade
REF · 05

What users say

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

User reviews
TrustRadius · Trustpilot · G2
TrustRadius
8.8out of 5 (22)
Trustpilot
1.9out of 5 (24)
Best for
Users who want to try ExpressVPN's core VPN protection with no long-term commitment
Watch out
Unauthorized or unexpected billing charges and difficulty obtaining refunds
Trustpilot
4.5out of 5 (11,000)
Best for
Short-term users wanting flexibility
Watch out
Slow Speeds
Decide
Get a quote from each vendor
Each link opens the vendor's pricing page in a new tab.
Visit ExpressVPN pricing 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

ExpressVPN

$2.49–$22.99
/month
9 plans
Full pricing breakdown →
VS
VPN

Private Internet Access

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

Plan-by-Plan Pricing

Plan ExpressVPN Private Internet Access
Basic (Monthly) $15.99 /month $11.95 /user/month
Basic (1-Year) $3.99 /month $3.33 /user/month
Basic (2-Year) $2.49 /month $1.59 /user/month
Advanced (Monthly) $16.99 /month
Advanced (1-Year) $4.99 /month
Advanced (2-Year) $2.99 /month
Express Pro (Monthly) $22.99 /month
Express Pro (1-Year) $6.99 /month
Express Pro (2-Year) $5.49 /month

Market Intelligence

ExpressVPN

Median annual cost
$180
Based on
35 deals

Private Internet Access

Median annual cost
$292
Based on
156 deals

What Users Say

ExpressVPN

Trustpilot
1.9out of 5 (24)
TrustRadius
8.8out of 10 (22)
Top complaints
  • Unauthorized or unexpected billing charges and difficulty obtaining refunds
  • No phone support; chat-only support described as unhelpful, rude, or dismissive
  • Shared IP addresses frequently blacklisted by websites, rendering the VPN ineffective

Private Internet Access

Trustpilot
4.5out of 5 (11,000)
Top complaints
  • Slow Speeds
  • Connection Issues and Disconnections
  • Streaming Limitations

Hidden Costs

Beyond the sticker price — what catches buyers off guard.

ExpressVPN 4 hidden costs

medium
Renewal Price Increases 15-30% of license costs
high
Auto-Renewal Billing Without Adequate Notice $47.88-$191.76
medium
Dedicated IP Add-on at Increased Cost 5-15% of license costs
medium
Strict 30-Day Refund Window With Partial Settlements Only 60-80% of remaining subscription value forfeited
See all ExpressVPN hidden costs →

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 →

Contract Terms

Term ExpressVPN Private Internet Access
Auto-renewal Yes Yes
Cancellation 30-day money-back guarantee; cancellations after that take effect at end of current subscription period with no pro-rata refund Users can cancel auto-renewal at any time through their Client Control Panel.
Minimum commitment Monthly (no lock-in required, but 1-year and 2-year plans require upfront payment) PIA offers various subscription lengths, including one-month, six-month, and two-year plans, with longer commitments generally resulting in lower average monthly costs.
Price escalation No published uplift schedule; add-on prices (e.g., dedicated IP) have reportedly doubled for existing multi-year subscribers 116.89%

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