Private Internet Access

ApplicationKape

Also called pia vpn, private internet access, pia-client

KapeSecurity

A consumer VPN with an older open-source client story. The window is pia-client.exe. It is not ExpressVPN, even though Kape owns both.

What you need to know

pia-client.exe is PIA. ExpressVPN.exe is the sister Kape VPN.

Private Internet Access is a consumer VPN under Kape. The desktop client has a public source repo. ExpressVPN is a different Kape product. NordVPN is a competitor. Tailscale is a mesh.

What is it?: Kape VPN with a public client repo
Same as ExpressVPN?: No. Sister brand, different exe
Same as Tailscale?: No. Consumer VPN

Feex says

If pia-client.exe is the window, this is PIA, not ExpressVPN. I would not run both Kape VPNs at once. The open-source client repo is PIA's story, not Lightway.

What is Private Internet Access?

Private Internet Access is a Kape consumer VPN. pia-client.exe is the Windows client. ExpressVPN is a sister brand with a different exe.

If you have never used it

If you paid Private Internet Access, this is PIA, not ExpressVPN. Download it from privateinternetaccess.com/download. pia-client.exe is the Windows app. Kape owns PIA and ExpressVPN. They remain different clients. PIA published desktop client source. That is their story, not ExpressVPN Lightway. This is not Tailscale.

What is it used for?

Consumer VPN tunnel

Country servers in pia-client.exe. Not ExpressVPN.exe and not a Tailscale tailnet.

Open-source client checkout

PIA publishes desktop client code. ExpressVPN does not sell you Lightway that way.

SOCKS and port extras

Older PIA features people still search. They live in this client, not in NordVPN.

Who is it for?

People who bought PIA years before the Kape deal
Users who also have ExpressVPN on the same parent receipt
Anyone who wants the published client source story

Current status

Actively sold by Kape. This article is the Windows PIA client, not ExpressVPN.

How old is it?

PIA launched in 2010 and later joined Kape. The open-source desktop client is a PIA talking point. Current Windows builds are pia-client.exe, not a 2011 OpenVPN GUI only.

Versions

Major channels first. Exact build numbers are not all verified here.

Windows client

Published desktop source

System requirements

Values follow the publisher's public guidance. Workload still changes the real need.

Minimum

Minimum system requirements
Operating system	Windows 10 or Windows 11, per PIA download
RAM	Light client

Resource profile

CPU demand: Tunnel encryption
Network demand: All traffic while connected

Installed processes

These executables belong to this product when it is installed.

Installed processes
pia-client.exe	PIA desktop client

Startup components

pia-client.exe can connect at logon from its settings.

File locations

Common Private Internet Access locations
Typical install	C:\Program Files\Private Internet Access\

Common problems

PIA plus ExpressVPN both live

Two Kape tunnels. Pick one.

Old OpenVPN config next to the new app

The modern path is pia-client.exe. A leftover .ovpn in OpenVPN GUI is a second tunnel you forgot.

Getting unstuck

Install from privateinternetaccess.com/download

expressvpn.com is the sister. A "PIA crack" host is not the vendor.

Sign in with the PIA account

An ExpressVPN code will not unlock pia-client.exe.

Disconnect other VPNs before a leak test

Two clients make the test meaningless.

Alternatives

ExpressVPN if you already pay that Kape brand. Mullvad or NordVPN for another vendor. OpenVPN GUI if you were handed a raw .ovpn.

Official help and downloads

Start with the vendor. Random exe sites are not a support channel.

Official contacts
Download	www.privateinternetaccess.com/download Official installer or vendor page
Help	helpdesk.privateinternetaccess.com/ Vendor support
Official site	www.privateinternetaccess.com/ Start here, not a random exe host
Desktop client source	github.com/pia-foss/desktop PIA's published desktop client repo

Related hardware

The client is light. Encryption uses CPU while connected.

Technical details

Vendor version numbers change. This article does not pin a build.

Sources and verification

Reviewed by Feex editorial. Last verified August 2026 Status: Feex Reviewed. How we research.

Private Internet Access official site · Vendor product page
Private Internet Access help · Vendor support
Foxhole process map · First-party samples on Windows PCs. Not a lab benchmark.

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