5 Best VPNs for Australia in 2023:  Fast Streaming, Privacy, Pricing & More Compared

Cloudwards Editor’s Choice: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN offers enough Australian servers in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Perth and Brisbane to minimize overcrowding and boost speeds. For Australians who want to watch global content, there are over 3,000 servers that can access geo-restricted sites like fuboTV. They all stream without buffering with ExpressVPN’s fast connection speeds. 

How to Choose the Best Australia VPN

We focused on four main factors when narrowing down our list of the best VPNs for Australia. 

• Streaming: The ability to unblock geo-restricted content from abroad and access Australian content from anywhere using Aussie IPs.
• Security: The ideal VPN should counter surveillance with secure encryption to hide your online activities. It should also have a reliable kill switch to prevent your IP address from leaking.
• Speed: The VPN should be fast. This is important if you want to stream, torrent or play video games without lags. Having specialized protocols optimized for speed is a big bonus.
• Platform Support: The VPN should be compatible with mobile devices and PCs running on Android, iOS, Windows, macOS and Linux.

Australia recently passed the Identify and Disrupt bill, giving the government new surveillance powers. The aim of the bill was to deal with criminals who use the dark web to buy and sell stolen identities. Other targeted activities include dealing in child abuse material and child trafficking, so the law has a very wide surveillance scope.

While it was drafted to deal with criminals, there’s no telling how much the Australian government will monitor regular citizens.

The 5 Best Australian VPN Services

Out of the many VPNs we tested, these five excelled in unblocking geo-restricted content in Australia. They offer excellent streaming speeds, are secure and provide good value for money. 

1. ExpressVPN

More information about ExpressVPN:

• Pricing: $6.66 per month (15-months plan)
• Free plan: None; 30-day money-back guarantee
• Provider Website: expressvpn.com

ExpressVPN has over 3,000 servers you can use to unblock content that’s not available in Australia. This includes U.S. servers that can unblock U.S.-only content, like American Netflix, Sling TV and DirecTV. Plus, the VPN offers servers in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide. You can use these to access Australian TV and radio from anywhere. 

ExpressVPN Hands-On Testing

Using ExpressVPN is easy. The server list is accessible across Android, iOS, macOS and Windows apps with a maximum of eight simultaneous device connections. You can also use the search button to find an Australian VPN server quickly.

Notes From the Lab: ExpressVPN Speed Test Results

ExpressVPN scored average speeds of 69.95 Mbps, a 30% drop on our unprotected speeds of 100 Mbps. The VPN is usually faster, and you can read all about that in our ExpressVPN review. 

However, in this case, connecting to physically far servers increases latencies since your encrypted traffic covers greater distances. Always choose the Australian server closest to your physical location for better speeds. Ensure you use the Lightway UDP protocol.

Notes From the Lab: ExpressVPN Security Analysis

Through encryption, ExpressVPN secures your internet traffic and prevents accidental IP address leaks with a Network Lock kill switch. Additionally, you can choose from three protocols: Lightway (UDP & TCP), OpenVPN (UDP & TCP) and IKEv2.

ExpressVPN offers split tunneling on Windows, macOS, Android and some routers. This lets you route specific traffic you want protected through the VPN while excluding everything else.

ExpressVPN Pricing & Value

ExpressVPN is one of the most expensive VPNs and doesn’t come with a free plan. However, you can use its 30-day money-back guarantee to try it out before committing. Of the three price options ExpressVPN offers, the yearly plan is the best deal at $6.66 per month when counting the free three months.

ExpressVPN Plans

• Unlimited GB
• 8
• Yes

30-days money-back guarantee

1-month plan

$12.95/month

6-months plan

$9.99/month

$59.94 billed every 6 month

Save 22%

15-months plan

$6.66/month

$99.95 billed first 15 months and 12 months thereafter

Save 48%

2. NordVPN

More information about NordVPN:

• Pricing: $3.19 per month (two-year plan + three months)
• Free plan: None; 30-day money-back guarantee
• Provider website: nordvpn.com

NordVPN has over 190 servers in Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney, Perth and Melbourne. Accessing Australian content is smoother. Additionally, NordVPN offers over 5,000 global servers in locations like the U.S. and the U.K. for unblocking platforms like DirecTV, BBC iPlayer and many more. You can read more on NordVPN’s great unblocking features in our detailed NordVPN review.

NordVPN Hands-On Testing

NordVPN has apps for Android, iOS, Windows and macOS. They’re all easy to use, with a search function for locating the servers you need. Plus, you can connect up to six simultaneous devices using the same account.

Notes From the Lab: NordVPN Speed Test Results

As is customary, we ran speed tests using NordLynx, the fastest but slightly less secure NordVPN protocol. We got average speeds of 92.05 Mbps on our unprotected speeds of 100 Mbps, a 7.5% speed drop. This was the fastest VPN, ideal for streaming 4K content without any buffering.

Notes From the Lab: NordVPN Security Analysis

If you’re concerned about your privacy in Australia, NordVPN’s Double VPN servers should put your mind at ease. They encrypt your traffic twice, effectively shutting down any remote chance of surveillance being successful. You can read our double VPN breakdown for more information. 

The kill switch offers DNS leak protection by cutting off your internet whenever your VPN connection drops. NordVPN’s protocols include NordLynx, OpenVPN and IKEv2. Additionally, you can activate NordVPN’s Threat Protection to block trackers, malware and ads on torrenting sites. 

NordVPN Pricing & Value

NordVPN is reasonably priced and comes with three price plans. For all your VPN needs, the Standard two-year plan is the cheapest at $3.19 per month, including the 3 extra months like with ExpressVPN.

Standard

• Unlimited GB
• 6
• Yes

30-days money-back guarantee

1-month plan

$12.99/month

1-year plan

$4.99/month

$59.88 billed every year

Save 61%

2-year plan + 3 month

$3.19/month

$86.13 billed every 2 years

Save 75%

3. Surfshark

More information about Surfshark:

• Pricing: $2.49 per month (two-year plan)
• Free plan: None; 30-day money-back guarantee
• Provider website: surfshark.com

Surfshark has over 40 Australian servers in Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. These can unblock Australia-only shows and websites. On top of this, Surfshark has over 3,200 servers in 100 countries. No matter where you may be in Australia, you can watch U.S. platforms like Peacock by connecting to multiple U.S. servers.

Additionally, Surfshark servers are also 100% RAM-only, which means no data is ever stored. Therefore, even if Australian authorities get a warrant for your browsing history, there won’t be anything to be retrieved. Our Surfshark review explains the no-log policy in more detail.

Surfshark Hands-On Testing

The Surfshark VPN app is very easy to use. It’s available for Android, iOS, macOS and Windows, complete with a VPN server search button. Surfshark is the only VPN on this list that allows unlimited simultaneous device connections, perfect if you have a large family.

Notes From the Lab: Surfshark Speed Test Results

Surfshark was the second fastest VPN, averaging 93.38 Mbps, a 6.62% speed drop on our unprotected speeds of 100 Mbps. This makes Surfshark one of the best VPNs for streaming that can handle 4K content without buffering. 

Notes From the Lab: Surfshark Security Analysis

You can use MultiHop servers, Surfshark’s version of double VPN, for an extra layer of encryption if you don’t mind slower speeds. Available protocols include OpenVPN, IKEv2 and WireGuard.

The VPN also offers Camouflage Mode for bypassing VPN blocks in restricted school and work networks in Australia. Additionally, there’s an ad and malware blocker called CleanWeb that stops ads and malware from loading when you visit compromised websites.

Surfshark Pricing & Value

Surfshark offers the best value for money on the two-year plan. The unlimited simultaneous device connection is particularly handy for large groups. All you need to get things rolling is the Surfshark Starter plan, which is the best deal at $2.49 per month. You also get an extra two free months to boot.

Surfshark Starter

• Unlimited GB bandwidth, Unlimited devices, Secure VPN, Ad blocker, Cookie pop-up blocker.
• Unlimited GB
• Unlimited
• Yes

30-days money-back guarantee

1-month plan

$15.45/month

1-year plan

$3.99/month

$47.88 billed every year

Save 74%

2-year plan

$2.49/month

$59.76 billed every 2 years

Save 83%

4. Proton VPN

More information about Proton VPN:

• Pricing: $4.99 per month (two-year plan)
• Free plan: Yes, but access limited to servers in three countries
• Provider Website: protonvpn.com

Proton VPN has over 80 servers in Perth, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide for unblocking your favorite Australian movies and shows from abroad. You also get over 3,000 servers in 69 countries for accessing global content from Australia, be it football on BBC iPlayer or live basketball games on fuboTV.

While Proton VPN has a strict no-logs policy like the other alternatives here, it’s also bound by Swiss privacy laws, which are among the best. Switzerland prides itself on being one of the first countries to enshrine a right to privacy in its constitution. You can read more about that in our Proton VPN review.

Proton VPN Hands-On Testing

Proton VPN has apps for iOS, Android, Windows and macOS, and all are easy to use. You can find Australian servers by using the search function or scrolling through the extensive VPN server list.

Notes From the Lab: Proton VPN Speed Test Results

Proton VPN clocked average speeds of 25 Mbps in our speed tests, a 58% drop on unprotected speeds of 60 Mbps. That’s huge, and we barely pushed through 4K streaming. Again, though, you may get better results if you’re in or closer to Australia.

Notes From the Lab: Proton VPN Security Analysis

As for protocols, Proton VPN has IKEv2, OpenVPN, WireGuard and Stealth (obfuscation). For the extra paranoid, you get Secure Core servers that give you double the encryption, similar to NordVPN’s Double VPN servers and Surfshark’s MultiHop.

Proton VPN also comes with NetShield Ad-Blocker that uses DNS filtering to block ads, malware and trackers when you’re browsing in Australia.

Proton VPN Pricing & Value

Proton VPN is not as expensive as ExpressVPN, but the monthly plan is still very costly. That said, the two-year plan offers the best deal at $4.99 per month, but there’s no extra free months. Additionally, it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Proton VPN has a free plan and no data limits. Sadly, there are no free servers in Australia.

30-days money-back guarantee

Free

• Unlimited GB
• 1
• Yes

FREE

Plus

• Unlimited GB
• 5
• Yes

1-month plan

$9.99/month

1-year plan

$5.99/month

$71.88 billed every year

Save 40%

2-year plan

$4.99/month

$119.75 billed every 2 years

Save 50%

5. hide.me VPN

More information about hide.me:

• Pricing: $2.50 per month (two-year plan)
• Free plan: Yes, but access is limited to 8 locations
• Provider Website: hide.me

If you’re traveling outside Australia and feel homesick, hide.me VPN allows you to access any Australian show, movie or website from anywhere. The VPN has servers in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney and Auckland.

hide.me VPN offers multiple servers in 85 locations worldwide, including the U.S., the U.K., and other major European locations. Unblocking geo-restricted platforms like Hulu, which has amazing channels, shouldn’t be a problem. Like Proton VPN, hide.me has a free plan with eight free locations.

You even get streaming-optimized servers for multiple countries, including Australia. They are easier to connect to and give you better streaming speeds. Read our hide.me VPN review to know what this virtual private network service is capable of. 

Hide.me VPN Hands-On Testing

hide.me VPN is compatible with Android, iOS, macOS and Windows, among others, and you can connect up to 10 devices simultaneously. The overall user interface is easy to use, and all the features are right there for you to pick and tweak to your liking.

Notes From the Lab: Hide.me Speed Test Results

A quick speed test using the WireGuard protocol and a Perth server averaged 16 Mbps, a whopping 73% speed drop on unprotected speeds of 60 Mbps. This makes hide.me VPN the slowest on this list. Streaming 4K content was an uphill task, and our downloads took a little while. You may have to limit yourself to HD and SD movies and shows.

Notes From the Lab: Hide.me VPN Security Analysis

Outside of that, hide.me VPN does a stellar job of keeping Australian authorities out of your online business by encrypting your traffic. You don’t have to worry about your anonymity getting exposed through IP address leaks either; a kill switch disconnects your internet when your VPN connection drops.

This VPN provider also has multi-hop servers that route you through two servers for double the protection. hide.me offers multiple protocols, including WireGuard, IKEv2 and OpenVPN.

Hide.me VPN Pricing & Value

hide.me VPN‘s best deal is the two-year plan that costs $2.50 per month. This plan comes with an extra three free months. Every plan comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

30-days money-back guarantee

Free

• 5 servers
• 10GB
• 1

FREE

Premium

• The 2-year plan comes with 3 extra months free.
• Unlimited GB
• 10
• Yes

1-month plan

$9.99/month

6-months plan

$5.83/month

$34.99 billed every 6 month

Save 41%

2-year plan

$2.50/month

$59.95 billed every 2 years

Save 74%

Can You Use a Free VPN for Australia?

You can use a free VPN for Australia, but we don’t recommend them because of how many free VPNs aren’t safe. Plenty of free VPN services sell user data because that’s the only way they make money, which puts you at great risk. They also have limited features that make them useless when dealing with government surveillance. There are good free VPN services, but most should be avoided.

The Best Free Australia VPN: Proton VPN

Proton VPN is the best free VPN for Australia because it offers over 100 free servers in Japan, the Netherlands and the U.S. While it doesn’t provide Australian IP addresses, Aussies can still get full protection against surveillance. There are no data or speed limits and the free version isn’t ad supported. Read our breakdown of free vs premium VPNs to learn more.

How to Use a VPN for Australia

You can set up a VPN for Australia with the following quick steps. In the screenshots, ExpressVPN serves as an example.

1. Subscribe to a VPN

   Open the VPN website and select the plan that’s within your budget.

   

2. Download and Install the VPN

   Download a compatible version of the VPN for the device you’re using.

   

3. Launch the VPN and Connect to an Australian Server

   Open the VPN server list, locate the Australia servers and connect.

   

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Why You Need a VPN in Australia

An Australian VPN keeps you safe from government surveillance. The Identify and Disrupt bill gives the government broad powers to access your online data if they have probable cause. A VPN prevents that by hiding your online activities.

Using a VPN in Australia is the best way to access some of the top streaming services that are geo-restricted, like Peacock, Sling TV or BBC iPlayer. For example, Modern Family is now available on Peacock after being removed from the global Netflix library.

If you want to maintain access to geo-restricted content and keep the government’s nose out of your business, a VPN is the best route.

Final Thoughts

ExpressVPN is the best Australia VPN, whether you’re living abroad or a resident of the Land Down Under. It offers Australian servers, it’s fast, it secures your online traffic against surveillance and censorship and it can unblock almost any content worldwide.

NordVPN comes close with dependable user privacy, while Surfshark is budget-friendly. Proton VPN has a good free plan, and hide.me is a good backup option. Each of these VPNs brings something unique to the table.

Has any of these five VPN services caught your eye? What feature stands out the most for you when choosing an Australian VPN? Have you run into servers that don’t work? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below, and keep reading our content!

FAQ: Best VPN For Australia

• What Is the Best VPN to Use in Australia?

  ExpressVPN is the best Australia VPN, providing servers in Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Woolloomooloo. It has over 3,000 servers worldwide that can unblock any geo-restricted content, and it keeps your online traffic private by hiding your IP address.

• What Is the Best VPN for Australia for Free?

  Proton VPN is the best free VPN for Australia because it offers over 100 free servers in the Netherlands, the U.S., and Japan. It has no data or speed limits and no advertisements.

• Which VPN Has the Most Servers in Australia?

  NordVPN has a large server network in Australia, with over 190. These servers are distributed across five Sydney, Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide and Melbourne locations.

• How Do I Get an Australian VPN?

  You can get an Australian VPN by finding one that offers Australian IP addresses, subscribing to it, installing it on your device and connecting to an Australian location.

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