Best VPNs for Australia in 2023
Australia is a country that has a few issues concerning the cyber world. Apart from the fact that it’s a member of the 5-Eyes surveillance alliance, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are also known to keep track of user data or block certain sites.
Also, Australia has mandatory data retention laws, meaning that all web companies must retain user data for at least two years and allow law enforcement to access it without a warrant at any time.
However, there’s a simple solution – getting an Australian VPN. Making you anonymous and preventing prying eyes from looking at your online activities is not the only thing a VPN is useful for. It can also let you access various streaming services that are geo-restricted in your area or when you’re traveling abroad and want to access Australian television and shows (TenPlay, 9Now, and more) from the land Down Under.
Choosing the right VPN can be time-consuming. So, to help you out, we made a list of the best VPNs for Australia in 2023. You’ll learn about their privacy, security, features, and more.
Top 5 best Australia VPNs
- NordVPN – best VPN for Australia in 2023
- Surfshark – cheapest VPN with Australian servers
- Atlas VPN – inexpensive Australia VPN for mobile users
- IPVanish – Australian VPN with all-rounded protection
- PureVPN – always-on audit VPN for online anonymity
How to choose the best Australia VPN
Seeing all the available options, it might be intimidating at first to choose the best Australian VPN. However, you can make this process a lot easier – just follow a few key rules, and you'll narrow the list right down.
Here are some things to consider when looking for the best Australian VPN:
- Australian servers. It’s important that your VPN has servers in the country you’re physically located in. That’s because the closer the servers, the better the speeds. Plus, connecting to Australian servers won’t change website language to one that you don’t understand.
- Security features. Does it have a no-logging policy? Is there a kill switch to protect your data in case VPN connection drops? Check what other features you might benefit from a VPN service and choose accordingly.
- Streaming capabilities. If you’re not interested in streaming, you can skip this step. However, if you’re a movie fanatic, make sure the VPN can unblock your desired streaming services. For this, we’d recommend NordVPN.
- Strong performance. Great speeds are crucial, especially if you’re into watching movies or torrenting. You can choose from the fastest VPNs or test some of them out with a free trial or a money-back guarantee.
The best VPNs for Australia – our detailed list
When compiling this list, we put loads of providers to the test to find the best VPNs for Australia. Every VPN that made it onto our list has a healthy fleet of Australian servers, along with strong security measures. Read on to find the best Australian VPNs and their benefits.
1. NordVPN – best VPN for Australia
| Based in: | Panama |
| Australian servers in: | Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth, and Melbourne |
| Unblocks: | Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, and more |
| Current deal: | 🔥Get NordVPN with 63% OFF🔥 |
NordVPN is the best VPN for Australia with around 200 servers in five Australian cities, including Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth, and Melbourne. Not only does it offer advanced security solutions, it’s also a great pick for streaming and torrenting.
Security: NordVPN is the most secure VPN we’ve tested. It uses AES-256 encryption and includes a kill switch for DNS leak protection. Even better, NordVPN operates a no-logs policy and is independently audited.
Performance: For the best possible performance, NordVPN uses NordLynx protocol, their own upgraded version of WireGuard. It provides you with super fast speeds and a lagging-free streaming experience.
Features: In terms of features, there are a lot. First off, this provider blocks annoying ads. There are obfuscated servers that make it look like you’re not using a VPN. Then, there’s also a free SOCKS5 proxy for torrenting. And the best part – you can use the SmartPlay feature on devices that don’t support VPNs. It helps with accessing all major streaming services.
Streaming: With NordVPN, you’ll be able to access all of the most popular streaming services and their global libraries, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, HBO Max, and more. As NordVPN has servers in many different Australian cities, you will have plenty of selection while streaming – whether it’d be shows or TV channels.
Compatibility: This provider works with all the major operating systems (OS) – Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS. Plus, you’ll get 6 simultaneous connections to protect all of your devices and connect them in Australia.
Overall, this provider is one of the best VPNs for Australian servers. It offers great value for your money, delivering high-quality services for just $3.49/month. And if you want to try it risk-free, there’s a 30-day money-back guarantee.
To find out everything you need to know, read our detailed NordVPN review.
- 200 Australian servers
- Blazing fast speeds
- Massive server fleet
- Unblocks most streaming services
- 6 simultaneous connections
- Free 7-day trial
- No router app
2. Surfshark – cheapest VPN with Australian servers
| Based in: | The Netherlands |
| Australian servers in: | Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide |
| Unblocks: | Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, and more |
| Current deal: | 🔥Get 82% OFF Surfshark + 2 months FREE🔥 |
If you want a cheap VPN with plenty of Australian servers, Surfshark is an obvious choice. It has approximately 70 Australian servers in five cities (not as many as NordVPN), including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide.
Security: Surfshark ensures your safety with 256-bit encryption and a reliable kill switch. This means even if your VPN connection accidentally disconnects, your data will be protected from your DNS leaking. RAM-only servers guarantee that your data is unrecoverable after each reboot. And since their zero-logs policy is independently-audited, you can be sure that your data is in safe hands.
Performance: The WireGuard offers fast connections and no noticeable speed issues, making Surfshark one of the fastest VPNs out there.
Features: This provider offers a malware blocker to keep you safe from threats online. Plus, there’s traffic obfuscation to hide the fact you’re using a VPN. For extra security, you’ll also benefit from the double VPN feature which creates a VPN-VPN connection.
Streaming: Surfshark is one of the most suitable ones for streaming. Whether it’s Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, HBO Max, or other services – you’ll never run out of things to watch. Stream effortlessly in Australia or abroad.
Compatibility: The provider has apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS systems. And with unlimited simultaneous connections, you’ll be able to use it on all your devices.
Overall, this provider is one of the best VPN for Australian servers. Surfshark is also one of the cheapest VPN providers. The price starts from $2.30/month, and there’s a 30-day money-back guarantee if you'd like to try out the service first.
For more information, read our Surfshark VPN review.
- 70 Australian servers
- Blazing fast speeds
- Massive server fleet
- Unblocks most streaming services
- Unlimited simultaneous connections
- Free 7-day trial
- No free version
3. Atlas VPN – best mobile Australian VPN that is affordable
| Based in: | United States |
| Australian servers in: | Sydney |
| Unblocks: | Netflix, BBC iPlayer, YouTube |
| Current deal: | 🔥Get Atlas VPN, now 81% OFF!🔥 |
Atlas VPN is an affordable VPN provider for Australia. It has plenty of servers in Sydney, provides great protection, fast speeds, and has some of the best mobile apps out there.
Security: Like other best VPN providers, Atlas VPN ensures your safety with AES-256 encryption, a strict privacy policy, and a reliable kill switch to prevent data leaks.
Performance: When it comes to speed, the provider doesn’t disappoint either, thanks to the WireGuard protocol. It delivers great performance, ensuring a great gaming or streaming experience.
Features: With Atlas VPN, you’ll also get a SafeBrowser feature that will block malicious websites. Additionally, the SafeSwap feature will automatically rotate your IP address. And if you’re concerned about data breaches, the data hack detection feature will monitor and notify you as soon as possible. This way, you can instantly take steps to secure your information.
Streaming: If you’re seeking a VPN for streaming purposes, then Atlas VPN will be a good option for Netflix, YouTube, and BBC iPlayer watchers. Besides, you’re going to be able to connect to all Australian libraries and TV channels.
Compatibility: This VPN has apps for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS devices. The best developed apps are mobile, but you won’t experience issues with desktop ones either. Not to mention that with unlimited simultaneous connections, you’ll be able to try out all of Atlas VPN’s apps.
There is a limited free Atlas VPN version, but a paid subscription is always better. The starting price is $2.05/month. And if you don’t enjoy this provider, there’s a 30-day money-back guarantee.
To learn more, check out our detailed Atlas VPN review.
- Australian servers
- Fast speeds
- Unblocks many streaming services
- Unlimited simultaneous connections
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Based in the US
- Small server fleet
4. IPVanish – Australian VPN for all-rounded protection
| Based in: | United States |
| Australian servers in: | Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide |
| Unblocks: | Netflix, BBC iPlayer, YouTube |
| Current deal: | 🔥Get 72% OFF IPVanish!🔥 |
With over 50 servers in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide, IPVanish is a great Australian VPN option.
Security: IPVanish keeps your data safe with one of the strongest encryptions out there – AES. Plus, there’s the kill switch feature that prevents accidental data leaks by shutting your internet off if your VPN connection drops.
Performance: Thanks to the WireGuard protocol, that’s a great combo of security and speed, IPVanish provides you with excellent speeds.
Features: With IPVanish, you get 500GB of encrypted storage. There’s also a free SOCKS5 proxy that hides your IP address. And if you want to hide the fact that you’re using a VPN, traffic obfuscation will help with that. Lastly, there’s the split tunneling feature, letting you choose which apps connect through a VPN and which don’t.
Streaming: IPVanish is one of the better VPNs for streaming in Australia or abroad. It lets you access streaming services such as Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and YouTube.
Compatibility: Whether you have Windows, macOS, IPVanish has apps for all. There’s no graphical Linux app, but it works through the terminal. In terms of phones, there are apps for both Android and iOS as well. You’ll be able to protect all of your devices thanks to Unlimited simultaneous connections.
The prices of IPVanish start from $3.33/month. You can try it out using the 30-day money-back guarantee.
To find out everything there is to know, check out our IPVanish review.
- 50 Australian servers
- Fast speeds
- Huge server fleet
- Unblocks many streaming services
- Unlimited simultaneous connections
- Based in the US, which isn’t privacy-friendly
- Prices increase after a year
5. PureVPN – solid VPN for staying private in Australia
| Based in: | British Virgin Islands |
| Australian servers in: | Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, and Brisbane |
| Unblocks: | Netflix, BBC iPlayer, YouTube |
| Current deal: | 🔥Get PureVPN, now 81% OFF + 3 months FREE!🔥 |
PureVPN is a great VPN choice for Australians with 56 servers distributed across the country. This includes Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, and Brisbane. And since the service is always-on audit, privacy and online anonymity is a guarantee that comes with this VPN.
Security: Just like other providers on this list, PureVPN secures your data with AES-256 encryption. Since there’s a reliable kill switch available, even if your VPN shuts off for some reason, your data won’t leak.
Performance: PureVPN has the WireGuard protocol implemented, which means that you’re promised impressive speeds that don’t limit your browsing experience.
Features: This provider offers the port forwarding feature that’s really useful for remote device access or setting up gaming servers. Also, Android users get the split tunneling feature which means you can choose specific apps that you want to use a VPN connection with.
Streaming: PureVPN has no issues when used for streaming Netflix, YouTube, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, and more. And if you’d like to stream Australian content, you’ll be able to unblock Australian libraries and TV channels.
Compatibility: No matter if you’re using Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, or Linux, PureVPN has compatible apps for all of them. And it can cover up to 10 devices simultaneously.
This is one of the cheaper VPN providers – the price starts from $2.08/month and you get a 31-day money-back guarantee.
For more information, check out the PureVPN review.
- 56 Australian servers
- Fast speeds
- Massive server fleet
- Unblocks many streaming services
- 10 simultaneous connections
- No free version
- Connection issues
Australian VPNs compared
| NordVPN | Surfshark | AtlasVPN | IPVanish | PureVPN | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand |  |  |  |  |  |
| Rating |
|
| |||
| Price starting from | $3.49/month | $2.30/month | $2.05/month | $3.33/month | $2.08/month |
| Australian servers | Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth, and Melbourne | Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide | Sydney | Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide | Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, and Brisbane |
| Simultaneous connections | 6 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | 10 |
| Streaming services | Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, and more | Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, and more | Netflix, BBC iPlayer, YouTube | Netflix, BBC iPlayer, YouTube | Netflix, BBC iPlayer, YouTube |
| Country | Panama | The Netherlands | United States | United States | British Virgin Islands |
| Review | NordVPN review | Surfshark VPN review | Atlas VPN review | IPVanish review | PureVPN review |
How we selected and tested these VPNs
To find the best VPN in Australia depends on your needs. Do you want a VPN for streaming or are you more concerned about security and privacy? To help you figure out which VPN is the best in Australia, we tested dozens of products, focusing on the following criteria:
- Australian servers. When looking for an Australian VPN services, you want to make sure you have plenty of servers in that country to choose from. Every VPN we included provides you with loads of servers across the country.
- Security and privacy. Using a high-quality VPN helps you secure your data from prying eyes and lets you remain anonymous online. That’s why encryption, a no-logs policy, and a kill switch are crucial for protection.
- Speed. No one wants to sit behind a constantly buffering screen that gets on their last nerves. That’s why you won’t find slow VPN providers on this list.
- Streaming. Many people are looking for VPNs for streaming purposes. We made sure that the ones we offer let you access at least some streaming platforms, such as Netflix.
- Price. As with any long-term purchase, price matters. The VPNs we included bring the best value for your money. There are options for every budget.
Why do I need a VPN in Australia?
There are several reasons why you really should get a VPN if you’re living in Australia. Here are some of them:
- Australia is a part of the 5-Eyes alliance. This means that the government can participate in spying, collecting your personal data, and sharing it within the members of the alliance.
- The country’s laws allow police to access your device. In September 2021, the Australian government pushed a Surveillance Legislation Amendment (Identify and Disrupt) bill, allowing police to hack your device and access all your private and public data.
- Australian internet data is heavily monitored by the country’s ISPs. In turn, it can restrict you from accessing P2P (peer-to-peer) data or sites.
- There’s always a risk of cyberattacks. Even if you’re not concerned about your ISP logging your data, you should still want protection from cybercriminals and other third parties.
How to use a VPN for Australia?
As in any other location, the process of using a VPN is generally the same and very simple. Just follow this step-by-step guide:
- Choose a VPN and download it. We recommend NordVPN, which is now 63% OFF!
- Follow the installation instructions and log in.
- Find Australia in the country list, click on it, and that’s it. You’re connected!
Can I use a free VPN for Australia?
Technically, you could use a free VPN for Australia, but we’d strongly advise against it. For one thing, free VPN providers don’t make money from paid services, so they’re known to collect and sell browsing data to advertisers and other third parties.
And if that hasn’t put you off, just know that they also don’t have money for updating software. This results in the free antivirus becoming outdated quickly. Not to mention that it could also be infected with malware.
However, if you definitely don’t want to pay for a VPN, you’d be much better off using a freemium VPN service. Typically, they’re limited as they have fewer features and usually come with a data cap.
But if you want a true and full VPN experience, opting for a free premium VPN, such as NordVPN, trial is the way to go.
Conclusion
Australia isn’t a very privacy-concerned country. That’s because their ISPs are known to monitor data and their laws allow police to access your device. So, if you want to keep your information safe from your ISP and other online snoops, an Australian VPN is vital.
A VPN can protect your online activity from cybercriminals, even if you’re connected to unsecured public wifi hotspots. Plus, it will grant you access to content from anywhere in the world.
Our best VPN choice to use in Australia is NordVPN. It has the most (over 200) servers in Australia, provides you with some of the fastest speeds, and lets you access all of the most popular streaming services.
More VPN guides from Cybernews:
Best VPNs for UK: unblock UK content and keep your data safe
Best VPNs for the USA: watch your favorite shows all across the world
Best VPNs for Canada: unblock Canadian streaming content
Best VPNs for Japan: access Japanese content from anywhere
Best VPNs for Kazakhstan: unblock messaging and video calling apps
Best VPNs for Singapore: get around content restrictions in Singapore
Best VPNs for Ukraine: get a Ukrainian IP address
FAQs
What is the best VPN to use in Australia?
The best VPN to use in Australia is the one with the widest range of Australian servers and strong security. NordVPN is a great option for that – with over 200 servers in Australia alone, it has reliable security measures and some of the best speed results. Not to mention that it unblocks all of the popular streaming services and Australian content.
Does NordVPN have an Australian server?
Yes. In fact, NordVPN has almost 200 servers in five different cities across Australia: Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth, and Melbourne.
How much does a VPN cost in Australia?
Prices for VPNs vary depending on the provider and the plan you choose. But for a decent VPN with good security features, you can expect to pay somewhere between around $2AUD and $10AUD a month.
Are VPNs legal in Australia?
Yes, VPNs are legal in Australia – there are currently no laws that prevent you from using them. However, it goes without saying that you should only use a VPN for legal activities. It’s also worth noting that streaming platforms are getting better at identifying and blocking VPN traffic. However, your account is not likely to be banned, so you’ll just need to try out a different server to access the wanted content.
Is there a free Australian VPN?
Generally speaking – yes. Unfortunately, free VPN providers are limited in their services and are known to collect and sell browsing data to advertisers and other third parties. Alternatively, we recommend using freemium services – free versions of premium VPNs, such as NordVPN with a 7-day free trial or a 30-day money-back guarantee.
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