Introduction
In today’s online world, privacy and security have become major concerns. Whether you’re scraping websites for data, trying to access content from different countries, or simply aiming to stay anonymous online, proxies are essential tools. But with so many options, finding the right proxy provider can be overwhelming. One provider that has caught the attention of many users is PIA Proxy, also known as PIA S5. Based in Hong Kong, PIA S5 aims to offer affordable and reliable residential proxies to those who need them most.
PIA S5 claims to deliver a solution for web scraping, privacy protection, and geo-block bypassing—all at an attractive price point. Whether you’re an entrepreneur looking to collect data, a digital marketer wanting to target specific locations, or simply someone who values online anonymity, PIA Proxy might seem promising. But how does it measure up against well-established competitors like 911 S5?
In this review, we’ll explore PIA S5’s offerings, including its range of products, pricing models, and residential proxy performance. We’ll also explore the PIA Proxy Manager, which helps users manage and integrate proxies easily. Finally, we’ll consider the user experience and the level of customer support PIA S5 provides.
By the end of this article, you’ll have a clear picture of whether PIA S5 is the right choice for your proxy needs. Whether you’re just starting out or are looking to switch providers, this review will help you make an informed decision. Let’s get started!
General Overview
PIA Proxy, founded in 2022, is a newer player in the proxy market. Based in Hong Kong, it offers a range of proxy services, primarily focusing on residential proxies. PIA S5 positions itself as a cheaper alternative to other high-end proxy providers, like Bright Data. Its key selling points include the affordability and scalability of its services, making it an attractive option for both small and large-scale users.
Despite its relatively short time in the market, PIA S5 has expanded its offerings, introducing several types of residential and ISP (Internet Service Provider) proxies. The company also provides access to tools like the PIA Proxy Manager, which enhances user experience by simplifying proxy management. However, some aspects of the service, such as transparency and ethical sourcing of proxies, remain unclear.
PIA Proxy does not offer a trial period, which could deter some potential users. However, the pricing is notably competitive, especially for residential proxies, making it an appealing choice for users on a budget. The platform’s ease of use and large IP pool are other key factors that help it compete in the highly competitive proxy market.
Products and Pricing
PIA S5 offers two primary types of proxy networks: residential and ISP-based (static residential). Each of these comes with different variations and pricing models, depending on the features you require.
Residential Proxies
PIA S5’s residential proxies are its flagship product and the most widely used option among its customers. These proxies operate on a SOCKS5 network, giving users access to a large pool of real home IP addresses worldwide. The service is designed for users who need accuracy and control, offering advanced filtering options like country, state, city, ISP, and even ZIP code. This allows for precise location targeting—down to the street level—which is extremely useful for tasks like localized web scraping, ad verification, market research, SEO tracking, and accessing geo-restricted content.
Once a user selects a proxy, the connection is made directly to a real residential device. The session remains active for as long as the source device stays online, up to 12 hours. Even if the IP goes offline, the credit remains valid for the entire session. There’s no traffic limit, but overusing a single IP can lead to performance issues or bans on target sites.
The pricing for these proxies follows a pay-per-IP credit model. The entry-level package costs $50 for 200 IP credits, which breaks down to $0.25 per IP. Each credit grants access to one residential IP for a 12-hour session. For users with larger needs, PIA S5 offers bulk packages with significant discounts—prices can drop to as low as $0.045 per IP when purchasing tens of thousands of credits.
While there’s no subscription or expiration for unused credits, the upfront cost can still be high for those who need thousands of IPs regularly. However, the flexibility, targeting precision, and unlimited traffic make this a solid choice for serious users.
ISP Proxies
PIA S5 offers ISP proxies designed for users who require more stability and longer-lasting sessions. These proxies are sourced from consumer internet service providers (ISPs) but are hosted on physical servers rather than real residential devices. This hybrid setup combines the legitimacy and trust level of residential IPs with the performance and reliability of data center infrastructure.
One of the main advantages of ISP proxies is their stability. While residential proxies can go offline anytime (depending on the source device), ISP proxies can stay active for up to 24 hours. This makes them ideal for tasks that require consistent, uninterrupted connections such as managing multiple social media accounts, running e-commerce automation tools, ad verification, and accessing websites with strict session requirements.
Like the residential options, PIA S5’s ISP proxies are sold using a pay-per-IP credit model. Each credit grants access to a single ISP proxy for up to 24 hours. While exact pricing may vary based on quantity and promotions, the entry-level pricing is similar to residential proxies—starting around $0.25 per IP. Bulk purchases reduce costs, allowing high-volume users to access these proxies at significantly lower rates.
Though not as widely used as residential proxies, ISP proxies serve a distinct and valuable purpose. They provide a good middle ground between the dynamic nature of residential IPs and the raw power of data center proxies—without the high detection risk often associated with the latter. For users who need longer sessions with high stability, PIA S5’s ISP proxies are a reliable and cost-effective option.
Proxy Manager
PIA S5 provides its Proxy Manager app, which is available for Windows, macOS, and Debian-based Linux systems. This user-friendly tool is designed to help users manage residential proxies with ease. It allows you to filter proxies by country, city, ISP, and other parameters, making it ideal for tasks that require precise targeting. Once you select your desired IPs, the app binds them to local ports on your device (e.g., 127.0.0.1:40000), which you can use with browsers or third-party tools. The Proxy Manager simplifies handling large numbers of proxies, making it a powerful feature for advanced users such as web scrapers, marketers, and researchers who need full control and flexibility.
Pricing
| Plan Type | Number of IPs | Price | Cost per IP |
| Residential /GB | Unlimited | Varies | N/A |
| Residential SOCKS5 | 80 GB | $128 | $1.6 |
| ISP Proxies (Static) | 15000 IPs | $750 | $0.05 |
| Bulk Plan | 40,000+ IPs | Varies | $0.045 |
Performance
When it comes to performance, PIA S5 does well in certain areas but falls short in others. The provider emphasizes uptime and download speed as its key metrics. During testing in November 2024, PIA S5’s proxies delivered reasonable speeds for residential proxies. The average download speed recorded was 2.15 MB/s, typical for residential proxies. However, it is considerably slower compared to premium competitors.
Download Speed
PIA S5 claims that its proxies can handle speeds of up to 50 MB/s, but our tests didn’t verify this. We found the speeds typical of residential proxies, slower than dedicated data center proxies.
Uptime
When testing uptime, PIA S5 showed promising results. The average uptime of proxies was 4 hours 39 minutes, with the longest being 5 hours 55 minutes. This performance is significantly better than expected from a typical residential proxy, indicating that the network is relatively stable.
Connection Method
PIA S5’s proxies are configured using the Proxy Manager, which allows users to select IPs and assign them to different ports. This is ideal for users who need precise control over their proxy settings and want to avoid rotation.
User Experience
The user interface of PIA S5’s dashboard and Proxy Manager leaves room for improvement. While the dashboard provides the basic functionality to manage subscriptions and track usage, it is not intuitive. Some users have reported difficulty accessing basic information, such as subscription details, due to the lack of a responsive design.
However, the Proxy Manager itself is a valuable tool. It is available for multiple platforms and simplifies the process of managing proxies. The ability to filter IPs by location, ISP, and ping makes it easy for users to select the most suitable proxies.
Customer Support
PIA S5 provides customer support via email and a live chat feature on its website. While the live chat function is automated and often unhelpful, email support is more reliable, albeit with slow response times. Users can typically expect a reply within 24 hours during business hours, but support can take up to 48 hours outside of those hours.
Conclusion
PIA Proxy is a solid choice for affordable residential proxies, especially if you want to replace services like 911 S5. It offers a wide selection of IPs, including a decent mix of global and local options, and its pricing is competitive, particularly for bulk purchases. The Proxy Manager tool further adds value by streamlining the management of proxies, making it easy to filter and assign IPs.
However, PIA S5 does have its drawbacks. The lack of transparency regarding the sourcing of proxies and the absence of a trial period may make some users hesitant. The provider’s user interface could also improve, as it can sometimes be difficult to navigate. Still, if you’re looking for a budget-friendly option with a reasonably strong performance, PIA S5 could be the right fit.
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