Winner: Surfshark
Securing your digital whereabouts has become much important than protecting your physical footprints.
You might be wondering, why did I have to disclose this bitter truth? Because learning about an appropriate VPN service has become the need of an hour for both new and pro-privacy seekers in New Zealand.
Therefore, I would suggest you go through my comprehensive review of PIA VPN in New Zealand vs Surfshark in New Zealand in order to determine which VPN is better for you while staying in New Zealand. I have also prepared a detailed VPN comparison chart that provides insights into 60+ providers.
PIA vs Surfshark in New Zealand: Head-to-Head Comparison
Surfshark is the winner!
Completing my analysis and detailed comparison of PIA vs Surfshark in New Zealand, I concluded that Surfshark is the winner on the basis of the following:
- Speed: 27.91 Mbps
- Consistent support for Netflix
- Lower price: NZ$ 3.85/mo (US$ 2.30/mo) (Get 84% + 2 Months FREE on 2-Year Plan)
- Strict zero-logs policy
- Jurisdiction: British Virgin Islands (one of the safest VPN jurisdictions)
- Advanced privacy features
A Quick Comparison of PIA and Surfshark in New Zealand
Surfshark despite being a new entrant in the privacy industry has surpassed PIA on some important factors. For a quick summary of the comparison between PIA vs Surfshark in New Zealand, see the table below:
| Factors | PIA | Surfshark |
|---|---|---|
| Ease of Use | Yes | Yes |
| Price | $2.03/mo | NZ$3.85/mo (US$ 2.30/mo) |
| Features | Good | Excellent |
| Help & Support | Good | Excellent |
| Value for Money | Yes | Yes |
| Privacy | Yes | Yes |
| Torrenting Support | Yes | Yes |
| Money Back Guarantee | 30 days | 30 days |
| Social Media Presence | Strong | Strong |
| Logging Policy | Vague | Retain no logs |
| USP | Physical servers only | Unlimited multi-logins |
| Trustpilot score | 4.1 | 4.3 |
Detailed Comparison of PIA vs Surfshark in New Zealand
Result: Surfshark is a standout performer in terms of jurisdiction, Netflix unblocking, and extra features
| PIA VPN | Surfshark |
|---|---|
| Jurisdiction: US | Jurisdiction: British Virgin Island |
| Offers 256-bit military grade encryption | Delivers 256-bit military grade encryption |
| 3,300+ servers in 48+ countries | 3200 servers in 100 countries |
| Users can avail multi-login feature | Unlimited multi-login |
| 7 days money back guarantee | 30 days money back guarantee |
| Netflix unblocking: No | Netflix Unblocking: Yes |
Private Internet Access is a US based VPN service. Conversely, Surfshark is a British Virgin Island based product. Both providers are extremely competitive and provide users with excellent features in the privacy and security niche.
Jurisdiction is very important when you are deciding on a VPN for yourself. For example, you wouldn’t want to purchase PIA, because it is operating from US and your online privacy and data will always remain at risk. Even though PIA is a competitive VPN provider on many levels with a top-tier VPN provider like ExpressVPN, due to its jurisdiction, it is not a favorite. Check out how it performs against it in PIA and ExpressVPN comparison.
1. Pricing Plans: PIA vs Surfshark in New Zealand
Result: Surfshark is 40.24% cheaper than PIA VPN in New Zealand
Surfshark is one of the cheapest VPN services in New Zealand with itsNZ$ 3.85/mo (US$ 2.30/mo) (Get 84% + 2 Months FREE on 2-Year Plan) price tag. On the other hand, PIA is one of the higher priced VPNs with its 3-year plan costing $2.03/mo.
Surprisingly, both private network providers do not offer three-year pricing plans to their users.
View our detailed VPN comparison chart to check out other budget-friendly VPNs in New Zealand.
2. Refund Policy
Result: Both Surfshark & PIA have similar refund period (30 days)
Surfshark offers a clear advantage in terms of money-back guarantee also let you cancel Surfshark subscription anytime you want within the 30 days free trial tenure in New Zealand. The newest privacy brand allows the users to claim Surfshark free trial for 7 Days through its Android & iOS App.
You may search its terms of service section for better understanding. Surprisingly, you will be astonished to know that PIA only offers 30 days money-back guarantee. This is the reason Surfshark becomes an exciting choice for newbies as they can avail 7 Days Trial.
3. Features – PIA vs Surfshark in New Zealand
Result: Surfshark has better jurisdiction, refund period, and logging policy than PIA
| Features | PIA | Surfshark |
|---|---|---|
| Jurisdiction | United States of America | British Virgin Island |
| Servers | 35500+ servers 78 countries |
3200 servers
100 countries |
| Customer Support | Live chat/tutorial | Live chat/tutorial |
| Protocols | OpenVPN, PPTP and IPSEC/L2TP |
OpenVPN & IKEv2 |
| Encryption | 256-bit encryption | 256-bit encryption |
| Internet Kill Switch | Yes | Yes |
| Compatibility | Windows, Mac, Android, iOS | Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Smart TVs |
| Torrenting | Supported | Supported |
| Logging Policy | Vague policy | No logs retained |
| Money Back Guarantee | 7 days | 30 days |
| Payment Options | Numerous options including Bitcoin | Numerous options including Bitcoin |
4. Payment Methods – PIA vs Surfshark in New Zealand
Result: Both providers offer multiple payment options
| PIA VPN | Surfshark |
|---|---|
| PayPal | PayPal |
| Bitcoin | Bitcoin |
| Discover | Discover |
| Credit card | Credit card |
If a VPN service offers multiple payment methods then you can use it with complete freedom.
Both Surfshark and Private Internet Access have provided different payment options in New Zealand to their subscribers. Hence, you are free to pay your subscriptions from Australia or anywhere without any hassle.
5. Servers in Countries
Result: It’s A Tie.
| PIA VPN | Surfshark |
|---|---|
| 35500+ servers 78 countries |
3200 servers
100 countries |
Servers’ network availability plays a crucial role in the success of any VPN service. PIA in this regard has done all the hard work. They have catered their user’s privacy requirements with 35500+ servers globally and 1 server in New Zealand.
Surfshark is a new comer in an online privacy industry. It will take ample time to increase its server network.
Still, keep your fingers crossed to see some drastic improvements in terms of its servers’ presence. At present, you can connect to any server of your choice from 3200 servers worldwide and 1 server in New Zealand.
6. Performance – PIA vs Surfshark in New Zealand
Result: Surfshark offers better performance and reliability than PIA in New Zealand
| PIA VPN | Surfshark |
|---|---|
| Unappealing app design | Well-designed apps |
| Average connectivity | Excellent connectivity |
I found Surfshark apps to be highly responsive. It delivers excellent connectivity in New Zealand.
PIA, on the other hand, has a very basic-looking app that lives within the taskbar. However, it does function well enough even if the UI isn’t anything to write home about. You can also check out our PureVPN vs PIA (Private Internet Access) comparison for more details about how this VPN service performs against other premium VPNs.
7. Compatibility – PIA vs Surfshark in New Zealand
Result: Surfshark offers better performance and reliability than PIA in New Zealand
| PIA VPN | Surfshark |
|---|---|
| Windows, Mac, Android, iOS and Firestick | Compatible with Windows, Mac, Android, iOS and Firestick |
Both PIA and Surfshark have literally won hearts of their subscribers in terms of compatibility with different OS and devices in New Zealand. But Surfshark on Firestick and Surfshark on Apple tv are more famous amongst the users due to easy installation process and Surfshark different streaming features. You are free to download and install these privacy providers on multiple operating systems and devices. Due to its free trial, Surfshark is considered the best free VPN for PC with unlimited bandwidth in New Zealand.
Furthermore, you can install these brands on Smart TVs and routers too. Surfshark also offers unlimited simultaneous connections so you can use it on multiple devices at the same time. IPVanish is another VPN that allows unlimited multi-logins. Check out our latest IPVanish vs. PureVPN comparison to see which one is more compatible with a wide range of devices in New Zealand.
8. Security and Privacy – PIA vs Surfshark in New Zealand
Result: Surfshark offers wider security features than PIA in New Zealand
| PIA VPN | Surfshark |
|---|---|
| MACE | WhiteLister |
| 10 multi-logins | CleanWeb |
| SOCKS5 | Killswitch |
Surfshark provides excellent privacy and security features including WhiteLister (split-tunneling), CleanWeb (malware and ad blocker), Killswitch, Multi-hop, and unlimited multi-logins.
PIA doesn’t offer a lot of extra features, but it does offer an ad blocker (MACE), 10 simultaneous connections, and SOCKS5 protocol.
9. Protocols
Result: Both providers offer a good number of protocols in New Zealand
| PIA VPN | Surfshark |
|---|---|
| OpenVPN, PPTP, & L2TP/IPsec | OpenVPN & IKEv2 |
Surfshark only offers OpenVPN and IKEv2 protocols to its subscribers because of security reasons. Older VPN protocols are no longer deemed secure enough to be in use and have thus been discontinued by Surfshark. It supports newer protocols including WireGuard as it offers higher speed and security. This was also the case in TorGuard and NordVPN comparison as NordVPN has also stopped supporting older protocols and has moved towards newer ones that are more efficient.
On the other hand, PIA VPN offers some older protocols like L2TP and PPTP in addition to OpenVPN.
10. Torrenting / P2P
Result: Surfshark is safer for torrenting in New Zealand
| PIA VPN | Surfshark |
|---|---|
| Unsafe jurisdiction for torrents | Safe jurisdiction for torrents |
Surfshark supports P2P activities on selected servers and as we tested torrenting with Surfshark in New Zealand was the great combo. In addition, Surfshark has the advantage of being headquartered in British Virgin Islands that doesn’t have to comply with DMCA.
PIA also supports torrenting on its servers. However, since it is based in the US, it might not be a good idea to use this VPN for torrenting. Nonetheless, many users do use PIA for torrenting and they haven’t experienced any serious troubles with it.
11. Speed Test – PIA vs Surfshark in New Zealand
Result: Surfshark is faster than PIA in New Zealand
| PIA VPN | Surfshark |
|---|---|
| 80.16 Mbps | 92.11 Mbps |
Surfshark has surprised to its users to certain degree. Yes, you have read it accurately. It’s one of the fastest VPN service and you can enjoy decent streaming speeds while watching your favorite media stuff in New Zealand.
12. Logging Policy
Result: Surfshark has a better logging policy in New Zealand
| PIA VPN | Surfshark |
|---|---|
| Vague logging policy | Keeps no logs |
PIA has set itself apart from other VPN services by some long distance. Yes, you read it correctly. Recently, the US based service had to prove its innocence against its no logging claims.
It becomes clear that you cannot associate online activities with users’ identities in case they use VPNs. However, the privacy policy of PIA is not as clear, as they don’t specify what kind of logs they keep.
On the other hand, Surfshark has an excellent logging policy and keeps no logs of user information.
13. Customer Support – PIA vs Surfshark in New Zealand
Result: Surfshark has better customer support (live chat) in New Zealand
| PIA VPN | Surfshark |
|---|---|
| Tutorials/FAQs/Knowledgebase | Tutorials/FAQs/Knowledgebase |
| Form-based complaint system | Email ticketing |
| None | Live chat |
Surfshark has added an impressive customer support feature in its armory. Likewise, you can contact its live chat to solve all your queries timely.
PIA also provides an efficient customer assistance to their users. However, it lacks live chat support.
14. Netflix Streaming – PIA vs Surfshark in New Zealand
Result: Surfshark works better with Netflix in New Zealand
| PIA VPN | Surfshark |
|---|---|
| Does not unblock Netflix | Unblocks Netflix |
As I already said, you will have to rely on Surfshark to unblock Netflix US content. Unfortunately, PIA does not offer such kind of luxury to its users at present.
Previously, PIA was able to unblock US Netflix but it cannot do the same for users anymore. This was also the same in Private Internet Access vs TunnelBear, and Private Internet Access vs IPVanish, where PIA managed to unblock only Netflix US and no other regional library. We had to try several servers before actually finding the one that works with Netflix.
15. Overall Ratings – Surfshark vs PIA in New Zealand
Result: Surfshark has a better overall rating when it comes to being an all-rounder in New Zealand
| Categories | PIA | Surfshark |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | 8.5 | 9.5 |
| Servers | 9.5 | 8 |
| Features | 10 | 10 |
| Netflix Streaming | 0 | 7 |
| Workable in China | 0 | 8 |
| Apps & Functionality | 9 | 9 |
| Torrenting | 7 | 8 |
| Total Points (70) | 44 | 59.5 |
I expect you would be now in a better state to make a wise decision about your privacy. I invested time and efforts to provide a realistic comparison between PIA vs Surfshark in New Zealand.
Trustpilot Score: Surfshark vs PIA in New Zealand
Trustpilot is one of the most popular customer review sites that offer unbiased review about distinct products and services. Surfshark is far from being perfect product.
However, it has received positive reviews from users mostly.
If I compare PIA with Surfshark, I was able to found positive reviews from PIA users as well.
Winner: PIA is an obvious victor as it has more than 5800+ reviews on Trustpilot. Besides, numerous users have raised their voices in favor of Private Internet Access in New Zealand.
Final Verdict – PIA vs Surfshark in New Zealand
Surfshark is the winner in this comparison with PIA in New Zealand.
The provider managed to outperform PIA in many critical areas such as Netflix unblocking, speed, jurisdiction, and logging policy.
So if you’re looking for the VPN in New Zealand with better privacy, compatibility with VoDs like Netflix, speed, and affordability in New Zealand, Surfshark is much the better choice in this comparison PIA vs Surfshark in New Zealand.
Although PIA is a renowned VPN service in New Zealand that is rated among the best, it lacks some of the extra oomph that Surfshark so effortlessly delivers.
