Technical Specifications
- Primary Protocol
- WireGuard / OpenVPN — Blocked
- Success Rate
- 0-5% (Inconsistent)
- GFW Resistance
- Failed (IP Blacklisted)
- Infrastructure
- Large Static Data Centers
- Price
- $2.03/month (2yr plan)
- Refund Policy
- 30-Day Guarantee
Why PIA Fails in China
Private Internet Access is an excellent budget VPN for Western users, offering great value at $2-3/month. However, it fails completely in China due to a fundamental architectural problem: static, well-known IP ranges.
PIA operates large data center clusters with IP addresses that don't rotate. The Great Firewall has catalogued and blacklisted the majority of these ranges, meaning connections are dropped before they even begin.
The Static IP Blacklisting Problem
PIA's strength—a massive server network—becomes its weakness in China. The GFW maintains continuously updated blacklists of known VPN provider IP ranges. PIA's predictable infrastructure makes it an easy target.
Shadowsocks Mode Also Fails
Even PIA's "Shadowsocks" proxy mode fails because the entry nodes are identified within minutes of connection. The static infrastructure means the GFW can preemptively block servers before users even try to connect.
Strengths and Limitations
Strengths (Outside China)
- ✓ Budget price: Excellent value at $2-3/month
- ✓ Large network: Servers in 80+ countries
- ✓ Torrent-friendly: No port restrictions
- ✓ Open source apps: Transparent client software
Limitations (China)
- ✗ IPs blacklisted: Data center ranges catalogued
- ✗ WireGuard blocked: Protocol instantly detected
- ✗ No obfuscation: Standard protocols only
- ✗ Static infrastructure: No dynamic IP rotation
Better Alternatives
If you were considering PIA for its low price, there are better budget options that actually work in China:
Budget Recommendation
LetsVPN offers similar pricing with ephemeral cloud infrastructure that evades GFW blacklisting. For guaranteed reliability, Astrill VPN is the professional standard.