A piston pump for a high-pressure cleaning appliance is provided, including a pump block having a plurality of pump chambers, into each of which one piston plunges, and including a pump head having a suction inlet and a pressure outlet, each pump chamber in flow connection via a suction valve with the suction inlet and via a pressure valve with the pressure outlet, and including a clamping bracket engaging around the pump head. The piston pump can have a single U-shaped clamping bracket oriented symmetrically in relation to the longitudinal pump axis, and the pump head and the pump block form between them downstream of the pressure valves a pressure chamber in which a central, piston-like insert part is arranged, the insert part being surrounded by a sealing element and having a passage, and a pressure line oriented coaxially with the longitudinal pump axis being arranged downstream of the passage.