If there was a country for which you needed one of the best VPN services in, then Australia is certainly up there.
But finding the ‘best’ VPN is difficult these days with so many providers to choose from.
I hear you and it’s the reason I’ve put this article together.
In this article, I’m going to take a look at the best VPNs for Australia and showing you precisely the ones you should be considering.
I’ve listed seven of the best providers and given a rundown of why some aspects stand out over others.
VPN use in Australia is now a necessity. With metadata logging in full operation, the privacy of citizens has all but been eroded and with Australia often getting a poor deal on online prices and content from everything from Netflix to Steam, there is every reason to tunnel out.
Let’s take a look at the top VPNs for Australia to help you choose the service that will give you the best deal for your money.
Top VPN services for Australia
| RANK | PROVIDER | PRICE | COUNTRY LOCATIONS | SIMULTANEOUS CONNECTIONS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | $6.49 /mo | 61 | ∞ | VISIT |
| 2 |  | $6.67 /mo | 94 | 5 | VISIT |
| 3 |  | $5.00 /mo | 64 | 5 | VISIT |
| 4 |  | $4.80 /mo | 20 | 6 | VISIT |
| 5 |  | $2.99 /mo | 62 | 6 | VISIT |
| 6 |  | $2.75 /mo | 60 | 7 | VISIT |
| 7 |  | $8.32 /mo | 48 | 2 | VISIT |
1. IPVanish
IPVanish is the leading VPN for Australia without a doubt. They have 78 VPN servers in Australia alone in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane & Perth, making them one of the largest presences.
These Australian based VPN servers are great if you’re concerned about your privacy either at home or when out and about in public. Having localized Australian servers allows you to get the best possible speeds while protecting your internet access privacy.
If you want to avoid Australian metadata retention laws, then IPVanish has a good selection of servers in nearby locations. With 5 servers in Auckland, New Zealand, and servers in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, and throughout most of Asia you’re spoilt for choice with offshore locations.
If you’re buying digital services, you might want to look to other marketplaces due to the high costs at home. With worldwide VPN locations in over 60 countries including large parts of North America and Europe it allows you to grab discounted prices for services and access more content that you might otherwise have been able to.
IPVanish support Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS devices with custom software and apps making connection open to beginners and experts alike.
At less than $5 per month when taking an annual package, IPVanish won’t break the bank either.
Our #1 Choice for Australia
2. ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN, based in the British Virgin Islands, is a mammoth when it comes to VPN server locations with over 94 countries available to connect to.
This is great news for Aussies because not only is the country covered with servers in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth & Brisbane but also New Zealand, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, and a whole host of other countries in Asia are available to connect to.
The extensive network will allow you to unblock and access a range of entertainment content and access cheaper marketplaces.
The service stands out for its privacy features. With 256-bit encryption and a no-log policy, security and privacy are at the forefront of their service.
You also get access to 24/7 support, in case you need help with something. With it, you can easily access US Netflix, cover up to 5 devices thanks to simultaneous connections and it even has a kill switch to keep you safe if a connection breaks.
Unfortunately, ExpressVPN is one of the most expensive providers at $12.95 (US) per month but can be brought down to $6.67 with their annual account. They do offer a 30-day money-back guarantee which is more than most but the prices can be a little off-putting.
If you’re happy to stump up the dollars, then you’ll be well supported with Windows and Mac software and apps for Android and iOS devices meaning your iPhone, iPad, or other tablet or phone types are covered.
3. VyprVPN
VyprVPN might not be the number 1 VPN for Oz, but they are certainly one of them due to the broadest spread of servers across the country.
Currently offering servers in Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth. This makes VyprVPN an ideal choice if you live in Perth or on the west coast of Australia.
Most providers concentrate on east coast locations and due to the size of the country, this can introduce some lag. Providing a Perth VPN server will benefit west coast Australians.
If you’re new to VPN services, then VyprVPN will be one of the easiest to get the hang of because their software and apps are really simplistic and also uniform across devices. Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS are supported.
They also have a dedicated router set-up guide section and a command-line interface for Linux users.
The service is perfectly safe thanks to its no-logs policy, and support for numerous devices, such as Android, iOS and more. Also, it offers 24/7 support if you ever have a problem that you can’t figure out yourself. And, of course, it allows you to access Netflix.
4. VPN.ac
VPN.ac is a privacy champion located in Romania. Last year they expanded to offer Australian servers and are already located in Sydney and Melbourne.
They’re a lesser-known company but have been around a good few years and have a dedicated team of privacy experts behind them. Server locations cover Singapore, Hong Kong, and Japan, so if you want to tunnel out, there are options available.
The Syndey VPN server also has an added SecureProxy function which is a separate browser add-on from VPN.ac that allows you to browse securely in your web browser only while you retain your normal internet connection for your other tasks such as email etc.
If you’re visiting mainland China, then VPN.ac are an excellent choice as they have dedicated servers for Chinese use and accept some more obscure payment methods such as Alipay.
VPN.ac are one of the cheapest providers available if taking an annual package and work out at only $4.80 /mo so you not only get a decent service, but you also save money too.
5. NordVPN
The sixth spot on my list of the best VPNs for Australia goes to NordVPN, a VPN service based in Panama.
Thanks to the fact that it is headquartered in a privacy-friendly country, NordVPN can promise a no-logging policy, and deliver on that promise, unlike most VPNs located in the 5/9/4 Eyes Alliance’s jurisdiction.
NordVPN offers high speeds, as well as a lot of top-notch security features that will help you maintain data privacy and secure your internet access. That includes things like AES 256-bit encryption, the mentioned no-logs policy, and strong security protocols like OpenVPN.
On top of that, it has excellent customer service with live chat support, DNS leak protection, and massive server coverage.
Its network of servers spans through 59 different countries, with a total of 5485 servers.
By connecting to these servers, you can unblock all kinds of streaming sites like BBC iPlayer, Netflix, and more, watch your favorite TV shows, and become anonymous on many different devices that NordVPN can protect.
6. CyberGhost VPN
Our last Virtual Private Network for today is CyberGhost VPN, a service headquartered in Romania. However, don’t let that make you think that this cannot be the best VPN in Australia.
CyberGhost offers just as strong protection features as any other VPN on this list, and it even exceeds most of them in some areas.
As far as its security features are concerned, it has everything you could ever need, strong encryption, top-notch security protocols, a kill switch, DNS leak protection, and much more.
Its server network alone makes it one of the best VPNs out there, as it allows you to unblock pretty much all streaming services.
It has over 6600 servers in over 90 different countries, which means that you could use it for years and never connect to the same server twice.
However, the real reason why CyberGhost stands out from other VPN providers is its money-back guarantee, which lasts for as long as 45 days.
Most VPNs offer the industry standard, which is a 30-day money-back guarantee, while CyberGhost lets you use it for a month and a half before its guarantee expires. So, if you need a VPN in Australia, this is definitely an excellent service to consider.
7. Overplay
Overplay doesn’t quite live up to the number of servers IPVanish has, which is why it makes them my final choice VPN provider.
If you need a selection of nearby servers, then New Zealand is also available. With a handful of servers in Asia including Singapore and Hong Kong amongst others, there is certainly enough local connection points to get ideal speeds.
A total of 48+ different countries are available to connect to including the most requested like the USA, Canada, and the UK so you’ll be able to access entertainment services such as Hulu, BBC iPlayer, and a host of others from around the world.
Overplay doesn’t have mobile or tablet apps which is a bit disappointing so if you’re a beginner and don’t fancy manual set-up, then it’s probably best to stick with IPVanish.
Overplay is also a little more expensive at $8.32 (US) per month when taking an annual account.
Why you need a VPN for Australia
It is essential now to use a VPN service in Australia for a multitude of different reasons and purposes.
Below are a few of the many reasons why you’ll want to use a VPN service in Australia.
Metadata retention
In 2015 Australia introduced their Retention bill, which became one of the most intrusive in the western world. Since then, many data retention laws followed around the world, and which brought quite a lot of concern for internet users.
Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) is now required to store a set of records on your usage for two years. Metadata is information on who and when rather than actual content details.
So for example if you sent an email then the time the email was sent, the email address of who you sent it, and other such details are recorded.
While on the surface it may sound like non-identifiable information if you were emailing ‘info@sexualhealth.au‘ then you are potentially pointing in the direction of why you’re making contact.
Metadata is important and using a VPN will allow you to tunnel out of Australia to avoid this retention.
Cheaper markets
Australia is a country that often gets screwed on prices, not only physical but also in the online world.
It has some of the highest digital media costs in the developed world and it’s not unusual for games and movies to cost a considerable amount more than elsewhere in the world.
When accessing digital marketplaces, websites check your IP Address which is a unique combination of numbers that can help determine your location. When accessing international sites, it helps them push you towards a localized Australian site with highly inflated prices.
VPN allows you to get an IP Address from another country and access other countries’ marketplaces that often have lower prices.
Access content earlier
Not only are prices often higher in Australia but it’s also a country that gets content later than elsewhere. Usually games and movies are released in North America, then Europe first.
For new big releases, this can mean a few days delay, especially in the gaming world.
If you want to activate your products earlier or get access to content before it is officially available in Australia, then a VPN can definitely help you achieve this.
Stream content from overseas
VPNs are also useful for streaming content from overseas.
Many streaming sites, such as Netflix, either offer a limited library of content for each country in which they operate (Netflix does this) or they do not even serve other countries, which is something that BBC iPlayer does.
As a result, people use Virtual Private Networks to mask their devices and their IP addresses.
By connecting to servers in different countries, you can appear to be located in those countries, and gain access to the content that you wish to stream.
Just make sure that the VPN of your choice also has fast speeds to avoid buffering.
What is the best free VPN for Australia?
All the VPNs we recommended are premium services, and many of them do not offer free VPN services.
The best you can get is a 30-day money-back guarantee, as these VPNs need to pay for expenses of obtaining and managing software, maintaining and installing servers, and more.
But, with many people not wanting an extra expense, they seek out free VPNs. However, free VPN services are not something we recommend.
They often secretly steal and sell your data to advertisers, the government, and others, since they also have the same expenses, but they do not get their money from you.
These VPN companies are best to avoid, and you should go to premium services such as ExpressVPN, whose privacy policy reveals precisely what data it takes and what it does with it.
If you really cannot afford one, you can use free plans of premium VPNs like ProtonVPN or Tunnelbear.
However, keep in mind that they are severely limiting.
For example, ProtonVPN only lets you use a few servers, while Tunnelbear lets you use 500MB of data per month for free.
Compare that to Express VPN which lets you connect to over 3,000 servers and use unlimited bandwidth for $8 per month or less, and you see why premium VPN is clearly a better choice.
Is using a VPN legal in Australia?
Fortunately, yes. VPN is completely legal technology in Australia, and you can use VPNs to protect your privacy as much as you want.
Although keep in mind that using a VPN service isn’t a good excuse to do illegal things.
Also, if you have a VPN to access streaming services, doing that might be against their terms of service. This might result in them terminating your account.
However, using a VPN itself is considered protecting your privacy, which is something you have a right to do on all your devices and systems, such as Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, and others.
How much does a VPN cost in Australia?
The price of a VPN depends on which VPN you decide to choose. Next, it will also depend on the plan that you decide upon.
For example, ExpressVPN has three plans:
- 1-month plan for $12.95 (AUD18.43) per month.
- 6-months plan for $9.99 (AUD14.22) per month or $59.96 (AUD85.35) paid once in six months.
- 12-month plan (currently with 3 free months) for $6.67 (AUD9.49) per month or $99.95 (AUD142.28) annually.
Another good example is NordVPN, which has the following plans:
- 1-month plan for €10.16 (AUD16.92) per month.
- 1-year plan for €4.18 (AUD6.96) per month (save 58%).
- 2-year plan for €3.15 (AUD5.25) per month (save 68%).
Most VPNs will charge you in the currency they are displaying on their website, so make sure to note which currency it is.
How we picked the Best VPNs
In order to select the best VPN service, we looked into various aspects that VPNs have to offer. We focused on things such as:
- Features – Our main focus here was on what the VPN has to offer, whether they can access Netflix, how many simultaneous connections the service provides, what devices it protects, how many servers it has, where they are located, and alike.
- Security – Here, we focused on things like the quality of VPNs’ security, whether they had a kill switch, whether they offer split tunneling, and of course, whether or not the service keeps logs.
- Ease of Use – A lot of people who are looking for a VPN are newcomers, who need their VPN to be capable, but easy to use, as well. This is why we considered ease of use when choosing the services to present, as well.
- Price – While we stand by our claim that you should only use premium services, that doesn’t mean that we want you to pay major prices just to be protected. This is why the price was our focus, as well.
- Support – Lastly, we wanted to recommend VPNs that will be there for you when you need help, which is why we also only recommended services with proper customer support.
Can I get faster download speeds with a VPN?
Unfortunately, no. A VPN cannot make your speeds better than they already are.
However, it can potentially remove some issues that might be slowing you down if there are any.
For example, issues like bad routing or speed throttling by your internet provider are common problems everywhere in the world, and VPNs can help you avoid those.
However, if you wish to obtain a faster internet speed than the one that your plan offers, you will have to go to your ISP and ask to change the plan.
Top reasons to use a VPN in Australia
Having a VPN is a must in Australia, not only so that you could access foreign Netflix. Of course, that can be taken as a reason as well, but there is also a number of other reasons.
For example:
- You need a VPN to protect your online privacy, as many online entities are monitoring your traffic.
- You need a VPN to bypass geo-restrictions and access content from other countries – overseas Netflix included.
- You need a VPN to reach websites that your own country has censored.
- You need a VPN to protect yourself from hackers and malware when using Wi-Fi.
- You need a VPN to protect your identity while torrenting, as sharing files via torrents is mostly in a gray area, and you may or may not share something that can lead to you being punished.
But, the most important thing to remember is always to choose a VPN that is based in a privacy-friendly country. Since Australia is not such a nation, never choose a local VPN.
How to get a VPN for Australia
If you have never used a VPN before, do not worry – we will explain how you can get one.
The process is simple, just follow these steps:
1) Sign up
The first thing to do is to choose a VPN – let’s say IPVanish and go to its website to sign up. Account creation is easy, and all you need to provide is your email address.
2) Choose a plan
After creating an account, you will have to choose a plan you wish to take. There are three different ones each coming in at a different price.
Also, you will have to choose a payment method and enter your payment details.
3) Get the app
The next step is to decide which devices you wish to use IPVanish on, and then download an app for that device.
You can do it from the website or an appropriate app store. After that, install it like any other app.
4) Log in and connect
The next step will be to log in with the password that IPVanish provided you with, and then, simply select a server you wish to connect to. Double-click it, and wait for the network to be established.
That is all there is to it.
You can now switch servers as much as you like, and access pretty much anything on the internet.
Final Thoughts
There are plenty of reasons to use a VPN service in Australia from the usual like protecting yourself on public Wi-Fi to the Australian specific above.
I hope this guide has given you something to consider in your quest to find a VPN for your Australia use and made your decision a little easier.
I recommend checking out IPVanish first, but the choice is yours.
If you want to recap the top options and see the choices again, then check out the table below.
| RANK | PROVIDER | PRICE | COUNTRY LOCATIONS | SIMULTANEOUS CONNECTIONS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | $6.49 /mo | 61 | ∞ | VISIT |
| 2 | | $6.67 /mo | 94 | 5 | VISIT |
| 3 | | $5.00 /mo | 64 | 5 | VISIT |
| 4 | | $4.80 /mo | 20 | 6 | VISIT |
| 5 | | $2.99 /mo | 62 | 6 | VISIT |
| 6 | | $2.75 /mo | 60 | 7 | VISIT |
| 7 | | $8.32 /mo | 48 | 2 | VISIT |
