5 Best VPNs for Pennsylvania

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NordVPN is the best VPN for Pennsylvania, despite lacking a Penn State server.

It makes up for that with robust torrent download support, public Wi-Fi security, and reliably unblocking blacked-out Phillies’ and Pirates’ games.

But if you want a Pennsylvania server, grab Private Internet Access (PIA).

PIA is also impressive for having servers in all US states, granting access to local content anywhere.

Sandwiching PIA is PrivateVPN, making the top three for its robust torrent support, secure torrent seeding, and improved online privacy.

Surprise Offer: Guess which VPNs for Pennsylvania have unlimited simultaneous connections?

You no longer have to endure sports blackouts or worry about copyright trolls when torrenting on any network in Pennsylvania.

And suppose you’re skeptical about that public Wi-Fi network at Mad Mex in Pittsburgh, Perfumania in Philadelphia, or Grille 3501 in Allentown. In that case, my top VPN services are equipped to give you peace of mind.

Download & Seed Torrents and Get Local IPs With These VPNs

Securely access The Pirate Bay to download torrents without letting T-Mobile, Verizon, or your Pennsylvania ISP know, or stream all-season-long sports with these VPNs:

  1. NordVPN – 5800+ Servers for Streaming & Torrenting in Pennsylvania
  2. PIA – Pennsylvania IP Address + Secure Torrent Downloads & Seeding
  3. PrivateVPN – Free Dedicated IP Addresses for Secure Torrenting in PSU
  4. Surfshark – Avoid Pennsylvania Sports Blackouts on Unlimited Devices
  5. PureVPN – Robust Public Wi-Fi Security + Secure Torrent Seeding

If you want to learn how these VPNs compare against one another, how to set up the VPNs for Pennsylvania, and what server is best to connect to, keep reading the rest of this guide.

Best VPNs for Pennsylvania: How They Compare

These top VPNs for Pennsylvania were chosen after testing 23 VPN service providers for local/global servers, speed, privacy, torrent download/seeding support, and public Wi-Fi protection.

While some shone more than others, they all performed excellently overall.

Here’s how they fared.

BEST OVERALL

NordVPN - 5800+ Servers for Streaming & Torrenting in Pennsylvania

streaming ant1 tv with nordvpn on cyprus server
NordVPN unblocks geo-restricted international content from Pennsylvania

NordVPN boasts 5800+ servers for content unblocking, secure torrenting, and public Wi-Fi security in places like The Hamilton Kitchen & Bar, Lady Di, and LA Fitness. I’ve used some VPN servers to access BBC iPlayer, CBC, and France TV from Café and the Frick in Pittsburgh.

However, unlike PIA, NordVPN lacks a Pennsylvania server.

So, I couldn’t connect to NordVPN for public Wi-Fi security while still accessing to ABC 27, FOX 29, or FOX 43. But you can set up NordVPN’s Meshnet with another device in Pennsylvania to browse the web using the device’s IP address!

So, even if you travel out of Will Smith’s home state, you can always connect to that Meshnet device to get a Pennsylvania IP address anywhere! Neat!

Besides this innovative and exclusive Meshnet feature, NordVPN is the only listed Virtual Private Network (VPN) with an exclusive protocol, NordLynx. It is the fastest and best suited for torrenting and buffer-free streaming.

And it doesn’t sacrifice security either, given that Xfinity is yet to serve me their signature notice even after all the Deluge torrenting I did on its network in Pennsylvania.

Another big plus to NordVPN is its automatic public Wi-Fi security.

You can set this to auto-enable once your NordVPN-protected smartphones or PCs connect to a strange/public/open Wi-Fi network.

Surfshark and PIA offer something similar, and they beat NordVPN by providing it on unlimited devices.

For all these goodies, though, NordVPN is slightly more expensive than the rest.

nordvpn speed test results on us server
NordVPN's speed on a 50Mbps network

So, grab these one-time discounts to save on your subscription.

Pros

Cons

LOCAL IPS

PIA - Pennsylvania IP Address + Secure Torrent Downloads & Seeding

streaming mlb.tv with pia on pennsylvania server

Private Internet Access is the best Pennsylvania VPN to get a local IP address. It may lack a Meshnet functionality like NordVPN, but you won’t need it if you only want standard Philadelphia servers or other Penn IPs.

Hence, you can connect to this server while on the Penn State Wi-Fi network to keep your school’s nosy admins out of your VPN usage while also watching local content. Likewise, students will like PIA’s port forwarding support to securely download and seed torrents faster.

Of course, you have to log in to use the Wi-Fi. But PIA’s AES 256-bit encryption ensures no one sees the torrent websites you visit, the files you downloaded, or even knows what you’re doing online overall.

The same works for non-students who want to grab a game update, non-copyrighted movie, or other files off The Pirate Bay, 1337x, or other piracy websites without getting nasty copyright notices.

And to crown it off, PIA offers such promises on unlimited devices with unlimited bandwidth. This is only matched by Surfshark, edging out the limited connections on NordVPN (six devices), PureVPN (ten devices), and PrivateVPN (ten devices).

If you use public Wi-Fi often, set up PIA’s automation to trigger the VPN’s protection whenever your device connects to an untrusted network.

That way, your internet interactions are always secure, even in the background.

All these are why I wonder how PIA manages to remain so cheap.

pia speed test results on new york server
PIA's speed on a 100 Mbps network

Grab these PIA discounts to save more before the provider hikes its prices.

Pros

Cons

SECURE PORTS

PrivateVPN - Free Dedicated IP Addresses for Secure Torrenting in Pennsylvania

streaming bilibili with privatevpn on hong kong server
PrivateVPN unblocks free foreign content like Bilibili from PA

Whether in the American Helicopter Museum or using your Xfinity Wi-Fi network from your couch in Pittsburgh, PrivateVPN’s dedicated IP servers offer top-shelf torrent download support.

These servers are never-before-used IP addresses that can never get traced back to you once used. So, connect to one, and start downloading via BitTorrent, qBitTorrent, Vuze, Deluge, or your preferred torrent clients.

The best part is that these (dynamic) dedicated IPs are free, rivaling the static paid options on the rest.

Furthermore, PrivateVPN offers free port forwarding (like PIA) on these servers for secure seeding. If you’re unaware, most copyright trolls catch piracy website users once their torrents start seeding.

The VPN service is also equipped against public Wi-Fi dangers like man-in-the-middle attacks and session sniffing. However, it doesn’t offer the robust network security automation you get with NordVPN, PIA, or Surfshark. Thus, making it less desirable for this use case.

So, always remember to manually connect to a PrivateVPN server location when out with friends at the Dormont Pool, Taco Bell, McDonald’s, or anywhere else in Pennsylvania where you use their free Wi-Fi connection.

Streamers will also love to know that PrivateVPN is fast, despite using the (usually slow) OpenVPN protocols as its default. 

I almost couldn’t believe this VPN unlocked the 1080p HD quality of Gin Tama via Netflix Japan on my first try!

But does that make PrivateVPN expensive? Quite the opposite.

privatevpn speed test results on belgium server
PrivateVPN's impressive speeds on a 60 Mbps network!

You even save more with these discount offers.

Pros

Cons

Surfshark - Avoid Pennsylvania Sports Blackouts on Unlimited Devices

watching global news with surfshark on ukraine server
Watch global news from Pennsylvania with Surfshark

Surfshark ensures you never have to endure one more Phillies, Philadelphia Eagles, Flyers, or Penguins game blackout for as long as you’re in Pennsylvania. It might lack a local IP like PIA, but its servers in 25 US cities give you options to bypass these game blackouts.

This top-quality VPN continues to draw comparisons to PIA with its unlimited device connections. You can secure as many devices from one account and don’t even have to share your bandwidth to access this promise!

I’ve had my PC downloading heavy torrent files while my smart TV maintained a buffer-free CBC HD stream, both over a Surfshark connection, at the same time!

Speaking of torrenting, Surfshark doesn’t offer port forwarding.

Hence, it lacks torrent seeding capabilities like NordVPN.

Even so, you don’t have to worry about getting exposed to copyright trolls after your torrent downloads are complete. The VPN provider keeps torrents from seeding after helping me download them.

Another advantage of Surfshark in Pennsylvania is its server spread to 100 countries. That’s the most of all the VPNs I tested, and it gave me some uncommon servers (like India) to unblock niche content like JioCinema.

Finally, this affordable VPN service provider matches NordVPN’s automatic Wi-Fi/network protection in ease of use and setup.

I’m sure you’ll also be torn between which to stick with once you try both.

But Surfshark is cheaper than NordVPN, making it the best budget VPN for Pennsylvania.

surfshark speed test results on canada server
Surfshark's server speed on a 45Mbps network

Buy it the cheapest with these discounts.

Pros

Cons

PureVPN - Robust Public Wi-Fi Security + Secure Torrent Seeding

streaming fox with purepvn on houston server
Stream local news outside Pennsylvania with PureVPN

PureVPN segregates its quantum-resistance servers to resist advanced live traffic hacks from big ISPs like T-Mobile, Verizon, and Xfinity in Pennsylvania. So, even if they used next-gen quantum computers, PureVPN assures no one would see what you do over its servers.

Besides this exclusive feature, it’s the only VPN listed here that neatly presents its port-forwarding servers. That makes connecting to the correct servers for torrent downloads and seeding or creating a secure multiplayer gaming channel with your Penn. State mates easier.

However, PureVPN charges you extra for this port forwarding.

That’s unlike PIA and PrivateVPN, which have it as free add-ons. 

And if you want to use PureVPN’s port forwarding for gaming in Pennsylvania, you won’t get DDoS protection.

For some reason, it doesn’t offer this – not even as a paid service – while the others provide you automatic DDoS protection on all servers.

That’s discouraging, but PureVPN offers a P2P server category for fast streaming, torrent downloads, and gaming. Only NordVPN and Surfshark have segregated P2P servers like this too.

I prefer connecting to these servers for live streaming as they provide buffer-free experiences. Just ensure to connect through PureVPN’s WireGuard, its fastest protocol, for optimal speeds.

While PureVPN only supports ten simultaneous device connections, you can expand your device limit by paying for more slots.

But why do that when you can get Surfshark or PIA for their unlimited connections?

purevpn speed test results on new york server
PureVPN's speed on a 100 Mbps network

Here are some PureVPN discounts for savings and a 31-day money-back guarantee.

Pros

Cons

How to Set up a VPN in Pennsylvania?

It’s easy to get your VPN up and running in Pennsylvania, and I’ll show you how in 7 steps:

  1. Subscribe to a VPN service. I recommend NordVPN (discounts here) in Pennsylvania.
NordVPN pricing
Image for illustration only. Design, deals, and details may differ. Click on the image for current info.
  1. Download the VPN on your smartphone (via your app store) or PC. I’ll get the NordVPN Windows PC app from its download page for this demo.
  2. Install and launch the VPN app.
  3. Login with your account credentials.
  4. Click “Quick Connect” to automatically get the fastest or nearest NordVPN server.
locating quick connect button on nordvpn
  1. Or click the dropdown menu to search for a preferred server, then click it to connect.
selecting dropdown menu icon on nordvpn
  1. Enjoy secure internet experiences, stream foreign content, and download torrents securely from Pennsylvania.

How to Get a Pennsylvania IP Address?

Pennsylvania servers are scarce across reliable VPNs, making it challenging to get a Penn IP address to stream local content, connect to regional peers, or get the best torrenting experience.

Fortunately, you’re not without an option:

  1. Get a VPN with a Pennsylvania IP address. I recommend PIA (best offers).
Private Internet Access Plans & Price
Image for illustration only. Design, deals, and details may differ. Click on the image for current info.
  1. Download the PIA app. I’ll use its PC app for this example, but the setup is similar across other devices.
  2. Launch the PIA app and log in with your username and password.
  3. Go to PIA’s settings.
locating protocol in pia settings
  1. Click “Protocols,” then toggle the “Protocol” to “WireGuard.”
  2. Return to the VPN homepage. Then click the arrow icon in front of the selected server.
  1. Search for “Pennsylvania.”
  1. Click the Penn server to select it.
  2. Click the big power button to connect.
  1. Test for leaks. I use www.ipleak.net to ensure I’m getting the PIA-assigned IP address.
pia ip leak test results on pennsylvania server
  1. Enjoy your ABC 27, FOX 29, FOX 43, or other local Pennsylvania content securely from home and abroad.
streaming mlb.tv with pia on us pennsylvania server

What’s the Best VPN Server to Use in Pennsylvania?

You can connect to any reliable VPN server for secure torrenting and gaming in Pennsylvania. After all, standard VPNs like NordVPN employ AES 256-bit encryption on all servers, so users are equally protected, no matter what server they’re connected to.

playing online game with nordvpn on uk server

However, when available, connecting to specialized P2P servers is best for a better streaming/torrenting/gaming experience. Since these servers are optimized for high-speed activities, they’ll allow much more data to pass through without buffering or lag.

Furthermore, non-Pennsylvania US servers can bypass Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Steelers, 76ers, or other Pennsylvania sports teams’ game blackouts in the USA.

Since blackouts are locally-enforced, connecting to any other US location grants you access to the content. This time, the sports streaming service will believe you’re not in the market where the game is supposed to be blacked out.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

There aren’t any trustworthy free VPN service providers with a Pennsylvania server. Thus, they can’t get you an IP address in the state.

Furthermore, you shouldn’t use free VPNs in Pennsylvania.

Otherwise, you risk getting caught during torrent downloads or leaving sensitive details like bank login passwords open to public Wi-Fi hackers.

Enjoy Unlimited Sports and Downloads

Pennsylvania is home to sporting greats like Mike Powell, Jack Kelly, and Paul Costello. But if local marketers want to stop you from watching the next great via blackouts, grab one of my VPNs to help you.

NordVPN remains my top pick for how it combines fun with torrent downloads and security.

However, other alternatives offer a local IP, more connections, and port forwarding.

You can try NordVPN risk-free for 30 days before deciding whether you want it. Otherwise, explore what my alternative picks for Ohio offer.

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