The Best VPN for Australia in 2023 | Paid and Free Australian VPNs

The best VPN for Australia will help you bypass the government’s restrictions on several websites and safeguard your personal information from being accessed by third parties and hackers. However, with no shortage of options, finding the #1 Australia VPN is a challenge.

In this guide, we’ve rounded up and reviewed the top 10 Australia VPNs across key buying considerations, such as affordability, speed, privacy, security, and more. Read on to find the one best suited to your needs and to see how the likes of big names like NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and PIA compare against each other.

The Best Australian VPN in 2023 | Quick Answer

Our testing concluded that NordVPN is the best VPN for Australia, primarily because of its large fleet of servers, easy-to-use software, uncompromised security, and detailed tutorials and guides for beginners. But with names like these, the competition is tough:

1. NordVPN — The Best Overall VPN for Australia. Try it Now With the 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
2. ExpressVPN — The Most Beginner-Friendly Australia VPN. Put it to the Test With a 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
3. Private Internet Access — The Best Cheap VPN for Australia. Leverage PIA’s 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
4. Surfshark — The Best Australian VPN for Data Security
5. PrivadoVPN — Without a Doubt, the Best Free Australia VPN
6. CyberGhost — Popular Australian VPN with the Longest Money-Back Guarantee
7. PrivateVPN — A Secure and Affordable Australia VPN
8. IPVanish — A Good Mid-Tier VPN With Unlimited Device Coverage
9. ProtonVPN — A Fast VPN for Australians. Try the Freemium Plan Before Committing
10. VyprVPN — One of the Cheapest VPNs for Australia

The Best Australia VPNs in 2023 | In-Depth Reviews

Here, we tell you everything you need to know about the best Australian VPNs, including their best features, pricing, pros, and cons. However, if you’re pressed for time, check out the comparison table below our reviews for a neat overview.

1. NordVPN — The Best Overall VPN for Australia

NordVPN is the best value-for-money VPN service, offering phenomenal browsing speed thanks to its 5,000+ servers in over 59 countries, plus, you’ll have access to secure internet, irrespective of your location.

NordVPN’s premium feature, Threat Detection, ensures that all websites and apps you access are automatically scanned for threats, even if you’re not connected to a VPN server.

Another standout feature is the dark web monitor, which instantly notifies you if any piece of your personal information is leaked into the dark web so that you can take necessary actions in time. All this, paired with its obfuscated servers that mask your online traffic, makes NordVPN a solid option for top-notch security.

Overall, it’s easy to see why NordVPN carries the trust of over 14 million users. Besides the above, NordVPN also offers features like IP masking, a no-log policy, simultaneous connections (6), and prompt customer support.

Pricing: 

The Standard plan at $3.69/month is more than enough to cover all your VPN needs, and it offers insane value for money. For added functionality, you can opt for the Plus or Complete plan — both of which are competitively priced.

Thanks to NordVPN’s 30-day money-back guarantee, you can try the service without risking any money. If you don’t like it, get a full refund.

2. ExpressVPN — The Most Beginner-Friendly Australia VPN

ExpressVPN is available in over 94 countries and it’s a frontrunner in the industry thanks to its hefty server count around the world, particularly in Australia, amounting to faster speeds and unrestricted access to content for Australians.

The service stands out for its integrated password manager that keeps your passwords safe from malicious hackers and notorious online users.

Besides covering almost all device types and operating systems, ExpressVPN also comes with a smooth UI, detailed how-to guides, and an active blog that continues to share insightful digital security tips and internet privacy news from all over the world, making it a must-have for beginners.

Other notable features include 24/7 live chat, five simultaneous connections, a no-log policy, and a built-in speed tester — a feature that allows you to pinpoint the server location that offers the highest speed before connecting to it.

Backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee, simple installation, a kill switch, powerful AES encryption, and DNS and IPv6 leak protection, ExpressVPN is the cream of the crop for anyone after the best VPN in Australia.

You can read our in-depth ExpressVPN review for more information on this mammoth of a VPN.

Pricing: 

ExpressVPN offers one of the largest networks of servers, the widest reach, and impeccable customer support. Keeping that in mind, the pricing is pretty reasonable.

Plus, all ExpressVPN plans come with a generous 30-day money-back guarantee, the best of which is the 1-year plan at $8.32/month. Try it today — you have nothing to lose, and complete online freedom and security to gain.

3. Private Internet Access — The Best Cheap VPN for Australia

PIA is the best cheap VPN and should be your pick if you’re after a trusted and experienced VPN with decades of experience and millions of users — although cheap, PIA certainly doesn’t skimp on features, performance, or security.

There’s no Australian VPN service quite like PIA as far as server count is concerned. With over 29,000 servers, PIA gives you a dedicated unique IP address for your online activities so that you can access geo-restricted content with fewer CAPTCHAS and have more stability for your online gaming, banking, or browsing activities.

PIA is also one of the most transparent VPNs on our list — its open-source configuration means you can have a sneak peek into its various encryption processes anytime you want.

Like NordVPN, PIA, too, houses a rich knowledge base and solutions to common VPN issues. Its help center, guides, and tutorials make it an absolute breeze to get started, even for the non-tech-savvy.

Pricing: 

All PIA plans are a bargain. If you want the best piece of the pie, go for the 3-year (+ 3 months free) package at just $2.03/month.

Plus, any money you spend will be at zero risk because of PIA’s generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

4. Surfshark — The Best Australian VPN for Data Security

Surfshark is easily the most intuitive VPN in Australia. It’ll automatically connect your device to one of its many VPN servers as soon as you go online, so you don’t have to waste a couple of minutes manually doing it.

Then there’s its intuitive kill switch that protects your internet traffic and data in case the VPN unexpectedly fails or glitches.

To give you an idea of how high data security and privacy are on Surfshark’s list of priorities, it instantly notifies you when any piece of your personal information is leaked online so that you can control things before it’s too late.

With that said, Surfshark strives to avoid such incidents in the first place by telling you about your password’s strength and how many times it has been breached so that you know if you need to change it.

Another commendable feature of Surfshark that’ll make your life easier is its diverse, secure payment options. From credit cards and Paypal to Google Pay and Crypto, pay with whatever works best for you.

Pricing: 

Unlimited simultaneous connections at just $2.49 per month is a fabulous offer. Besides plenty of payment options — Amazon Pay or Bitcoins — a 30-day money-back guarantee will allow you to try the service risk-free. If you don’t like it, get a full refund.

5. PrivadoVPN — Without a Doubt, the Best Free Australia VPN

PrivadoVPN is the best free VPN. Unlike other free VPNs that are shady and sell your data to third parties for a profit, PrivadoVPN stands to gain nothing from its free users on the free plan — their only goal is to have users try it out.

The free plan offers a compelling package with a zero-log policy, multi-device compatibility, servers across 12 cities, and 10Gb of data per month.

If you feel the free plan is restricted in terms of the number of locations and amount of data you get, which is true — it is — you can always upgrade to one of PrivadoVPN’s paid plans for extra benefits like unlimited data, more servers, and up to 10 simultaneous connections.

At $0, you’ll have access to a zero-log server network protected by Swiss laws — as secure as a VPN can be.

Pricing: 

As a free VPN, Privado sells itself. Its free plan is more than enough for an individual user, but if you stay with your family, the paid plans, especially the $4.99/month plan, with support for multiple device connections and access to more servers, might be a better match for you.

Try it today, what have you got to lose?

6. CyberGhost — Popular Australian VPN with the Longest Money-Back Guarantee

CyberGhost is a perfect pick for you if you need ample time to decide before investing in a VPN service — it comes with a money-back guarantee of 45 days, depending on the plan you choose.

As one of the top 3 VPN providers in terms of server count, CyberGhost is a champion of unlocking access to all streaming services, including the ones that are blocked in Australia.

Besides being one of the best Netflix VPNs for Australia, CyberGhost comes with a whole slew of features, including protection from malware on public WiFi, ad blocking, and a reliable kill switch to protect your privacy if the VPN malfunctions.

CyberGhost is pretty big on providing money-back guarantees — even its monthly plan comes with a 14-day money-back guarantee, which is important to note considering that most VPNs don’t offer a guarantee on their 1-month plans.

Pricing:

Keep an eye out for discounts that CyberGhost keeps coming out with. Besides no renewal hikes, CyberGhost’s 45-day money-back guarantee makes the service as sweet a deal as any.

Secure. Powerful. Cheap. And Reliable. All for a mere $2.19/month. Try it today, completely risk-free.

7. PrivateVPN — A Secure and Affordable Australia VPN

PrivateVPN is a beast in terms of data encryption and overall security. While other VPN services settle for 256-bit AES encryption, PrivateVPN uses a whopping 2048-bit military-grade encryption, making data leaks and cyber attacks virtually impossible.

We also love how PrivateVPN’s customer support stands out from that of its competitors — you’ll be connected to its in-house developers and not incompetent call center agents.

Although PrivateVPN has a small fleet of 200 active servers, these are spread across 63 locations, so you’ll still have ample connection options, but you might not attain the same speeds you would with a fleet of over 1,000 servers.

Nevertheless, overall, you should experience consistent speeds for buffer-free browsing and streaming. Plus, whether it’s social media or streaming platforms, you can access any geo-restricted content within minutes with PrivateVPN.

Pricing:

PrivateVPN’s 3-year plan at $2/month is one of the best deals going around in the industry right now. Add to that a generous 30-day money-back guarantee and multiple safe payment options, and you have a lottery to encash.

8. IPVanish — A Good Mid-Tier VPN With Unlimited Device Coverage

IPVanish may be a mid-tier VPN, but it impresses with its large database of over 40,000 IP addresses.

How do thousands of IP addresses help you mask your true identity online? Well, all the 40,000+ IP addresses are shared by IPVanish users, making it impossible to trace a particular internet activity back to a single user — anonymity.

Read More: How Do I Hide My IP Address?

Your online traffic isn’t something you’ll have to worry about with IPVanish. Be it snoopers, hackers, or advertisers, IPVanish’s powerful encryption system will ward them all off.

2,000 servers aren’t the most, and nor is it the least — a comfortable fleet that’s sure to give you ample option for the best server to connect to, plus they span a whopping 75+ locations around the world.

Pricing:

Yes, IPVanish’s renewal costs are quite high, but given its diverse features, unparalleled security, and seamless user experience, it’s still a solid deal.

Its yearly plan at $3.99/month offers the best value-for-money proposition, which also comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

9. ProtonVPN — A Fast VPN for Australians + A Free Option

ProtonVPN is a Swiss-based VPN service heavily governed by their privacy laws, making it one of the industry’s best in terms of data privacy and security.

A good reason for that is ProtonVPN’s NetShield. It’s an advanced DNS filtering feature keeps ad trackers, website trackers, and malware at bay.

Besides this, ProtonVPN is only the second VPN on our list with a truly free plan. This gives you access to over 1,755 servers in 64 countries — an open-source, independently audited VPN that churns up speeds of up to 10Gbps.

Also, remember that ProtonVPN’s speed can be further amped up by around 400% thanks to its unique VPN accelerator technologies.

Besides all this, we also like how beginner-friendly ProtonVPN is. The interface is easy to understand and navigate; the tool is easy to download, install, and set up, and last, but not least, help is always just a click away — even on the free plan.

Pricing:

ProtonVPN’s free plan comes with 100+ servers and a no-log policy — try its paid plans for more features. The cream of the crop is the 2-year plan at $4.99/month.

Put it to the test today with the 30-day money-back guarantee, and get a full refund if you don’t like it.

10. VyprVPN — One of the Cheapest VPNs for Australia

VyprVPN is as straightforwardly priced as VPNs can be — $10 for a month and $5/month for 12 months. The plans, although not the cheapest, are pretty reasonably priced, especially considering how feature-rich VyprVPN is.

For starters, VyprVPN does not hire any third party — everything is done in-house and even then, it keeps no track of your activities, plus, unlike most, VyprVPN has over 300,000 IP addresses in rotation — need we say more?

A total of 10 simultaneous connections are allowed, which is more than some of the most popular VPNs. Plus, the device type won’t be an issue, whether it be Androids, Mac, iOS, routers, or anything else.

VyprVPN is also renowned for being one of few that can unblock just about anything — consistently and securely — in fact, it’s a popular VPN in China and other areas that limit online freedom for its top-notch security and masking capabilities.

Other advanced VPN features that tag along with VyprVPN include split tunneling, DNS leak protection, a kill switch, strong data encryption, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Pricing:

Yes, VyprVPN is not the cheapest — the best deal is its 1-year plan at $5/month — its simple three-step signup and 30-day money-back guarantee make it worth a try. You’ll get your money back if it’s not up to the mark for you.

Best VPNs for Australia Comparison Table

Here’s a simple side-by-side comparison of all the top VPNs for Australia, highlighting only their main differences to help you arrive at a decision faster:

How We Chose the Best Australian VPN

Here are 4 crucial things we looked at and contemplated before preparing our list of the top ten VPNs for Australia:

1. Servers 

The first thing you need to do when looking for a VPN service is the number of servers it has and the server locations. A VPN provider with a large server fleet will have a lower crowd in individual units and offer better speed. Also, VPNs with servers in multiple locations will help you access diverse content from streaming platforms.

2. Speeds

Another important factor when choosing a VPN provider is the speed. Just because you get the protection of the VPN doesn’t mean your internet speed has to be sacrificed. Services like NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and CyberGhost offer high-speed and stable connections without compromising on data encryption and security.

3. Unlocking Content

Unlocking content and server distribution go hand in hand. So if you’re using a VPN service to access Netflix or other streaming services, you need a VPN with multiple server locations and dedicated service towards unblocking Geo-restricted content, just like NordVPN and ExpessVPN.

4. Security

No one wants their personal business to be exposed to the world, let alone hackers, ISPs, and ad trackers. If you want complete anonymity each time you go online, make sure your VPN provider is blocking all sources of a data leak.

Whatever service you choose, it should at least have 256-bit AES encryption, DNS leak protection, IP masking, and a kill switch to prevent data leaks in case the VPN accidentally fails.

How to Set Up a VPN

Setting up a VPN is pretty easy. If you have an Android, all you have to do is log into your account, choose a server of your choice, and connect.

But if you’re using an iPhone, there are a few more steps:

• Open the Settings app and tap on “General”
• Next, select “VPN” and head over to “Add VPN Configuration”
• Next, choose the network type among “IKEv2, IPSec, or L2TP”
• Fill in the description, pick a server and fill in remote fields
• Next, move on to the Authentication Section, fill in your password and username, and tap “Done”

Australia VPN FAQs