Are you looking for the best VPN for Australia? If so then you’ve clicked on the right link as today I’ll show you seven of the very best providers that work here in Australia and offer servers around the world for fast geo-bypass and other services.
Until a few years ago, VPN’s were mostly used by businesses to stop unauthorised access to their internal networks or files and prevent data breaches which would be a costly process.
In order to access the work network you needed to validate yourself using a VPN software package on the computer or smartphone, ensuring data is encrypted and free from preying eyes.
It was tech savvy entrepreneurs who decided to start offering VPN access to the general public to help them bypass local geo restrictions and stay anonymous online, while keeping their files and data secure.
We've put every VPN through a variety of speed tests, security hacks and real world geo-bypassing. We look at the privacy policy, whether they keep logs and where they are actually based.
Each VPN we reviewed looks at:
- Security and privacy
- Speed of servers
- Ability to bypass geo-blocks
- Usability
- Customer support
- Price and special offers
- Apps and device compatibility.
Contents
Short on time? Best VPNs In Australia For 2020
- PureVPN: Our top choice. Does everything, is fast and affordable.
- Surfshark: Best budget VPN with good variety of servers
- ExpressVPN: Popular VPN but comes at a cost. Works great with Netflix USA
- NordVPN: Best VPN for torrenting and strong security
- AstrillVPN: A VIP provider with fast servers and less users
- CyberGhost: Another good budget VPN provider with fast speeds
- IPVanish: Security focused VPN provider recommended by many.
Table of Contents
Why You Need a VPN Provider
In many countries, internet usage is tracked or monitored and likely subject to a court order, local law enforcement and spy agencies can access your data without your knowledge.
By using a VPN your data is not publicly visible, instead your internet connection is routed through their own servers before accessing websites, thus keeping your real life identity a secret.
Using a VPN can be a great way to protect your identity and stay anonymous on the internet. While most people use it for this, others use it for pretending to be in another country to watch local television there such as BBC iPlayer or Hulu Plus. We call this geo-unlocking.
While most VPN’s are truly secretive and they’ll never share your details with enforcement agencies or Governments, if you’re going to use a VPN to commit a fraudulent or criminal offence you probably can’t guarantee your anonymity.
Using a VPN in Australia is perfectly legal.
There are no laws prohibiting the use of VPN's for geo-unlocking
The Best VPN Services - Our Reviews
1. PureVPN
"Safe, Inexpensive, 142 Countries+"
In a nutshell, PureVPN is the perfect blend between the most features at the most affordable price. Over the years, I’ve used my fair share of providers and ultimately their services are unbeatable.
They currently offer over 2000+ servers from 140+ countries which is one of the largest coverage areas offered by any provider. In Australia alone they have over 50 different servers, to keep their service online 24/7/365.
If you’re looking for content in countries that other providers wouldn’t cover, Pure has got your back. For example they have servers in Russia, China and Iraq.
PureVPN claims to offer the fastest VPN service in the world, whether it’s high-speed streaming, browsing, security, file sharing or privacy, they offer everything you need in one simple plan.
Some of the unbeatable features on offer include an internet kill switch which allows you to kill your internet if the VPN connection drops, to maintain your anonymity.
Another awesome feature is their split tunnelling which allows you to route some data through your ISP as per normal and the data you wish to keep secure through PureVPN.
For the security conscious they are based in Hong Kong where they are not required to keep or store any data, thus no access logs are ever taken. This allows you to stay away from 5, 9 and 14 eyes jurisdiction. They hold a zero logs policy as of 2016.
A standard account offers multiple logins for five simultaneous devices so you can share with friends and family, all accounts getting the same great protection.
Should you run into any issues they offer 24/7 technical support via live chat and if you do require a refund they have the second highest length at 31 days money back.
Pure also some of the best apps for various devices including: Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Microsoft Surface, Kodi, Roku, Boxee, Now TV, Raspberry Pi, Chromecast, Playstation, Xbox and of course Windows, Mac OS, iOS, Linux and Blackberry.
Premium extras you can add should you wish include port forwarding, dedicated IP and P2P protection which identifies and blocks viruses and malware.
2. Surfshark
"Cheapest VPN, Use on Unlimited Devices"
Surfshark is one of the most affordable VPN providers here in Australia. You do need to purchase a longer subscription though, but you'll get it for as low as $1.99 per month.
They offer over 1,000+ servers across 61 countries worldwide. Most of these servers are high speed and there's plenty of Australian servers to choose from.
They pride themselves on offering super fast servers and they offer a China VPN service via their NoBorders mode which is available to all users.
Unlike other providers, they offer a camouflage mode which allows you to conceal the fact you're actually using a VPN which is good for Netflix USA streaming.
They offer a high level of security and encryption with AES 256bit. There's also a kill switch and DNS leak protection available too.
While you won't find split tunnelling with Surfshark, you will be able to use their MultiHop feature which allows you to randomly change your location at certain times, to be even more discreet.
Surfshark claims to offer a zero data logging policy and they are located outside the 5 eyes jurisdiction. All data stored such as connection logs is wiped after ending your session.
One of the major advantages is the ability to use Surfshark on unlimited devices at the same time. You'll also have a wide variety of apps for iOS, Android, Windows, Mac OS, Chrome, Firefox, routers as well as Android TV and Linux.
Lastly, like most providers they offer a full 30-day money back guarantee. If you need support they offer a 24/7 live chat facility.
3. ExpressVPN
"Most Popular VPN for Streaming"
If you’re looking for one of the world’s most popular VPN providers that ‘just works’ then you can look no further. This does come at a cost though with the average monthly price being $8.33 on a 12 month subscription.
ExpressVPN is well known as the #1 Netflix VPN for accessing foreign Netflix content such as the USA, UK and Canada with a large inventory of servers that are always online and unlocking the platform.
They offer servers in 160 locations across 94 countries worldwide including Australia and New Zealand. They also have locations across the Americas, Asia and Africa.
Some of the unbeatable features on offer include an internet kill switch which allows you to kill your internet if the VPN connection drops, to maintain your anonymity.
Another awesome feature is their split tunnelling which allows you to route some data through your ISP as per normal and the data you wish to keep secure through ExpressVPN.
Express runs their own DNS on every server ensuring there is no third parties involved, no activity logs, no connection logs and no DNS blocking, across a 256-bit encryption. With that said there should be no DNS leaking and they offer a do it yourself test to confirm this.
For the security conscious they are based in British Virgin Islands where they are not required to keep or store any data, thus no access logs are ever taken. This allows you to stay away from 5, 9 and 14 eyes jurisdiction.
A single subscription offers multiple logins for five devices so you can share with friends and family, all accounts getting the same great features.
Should you run into any issues they offer 24/7 technical support and if you do require a refund they offer a 30 day no questions asked money back guarantee.
They also offer some of the best apps for various devices including: Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Microsoft Surface, Kodi, Roku, Boxee, Now TV, Raspberry Pi, Chromecast, Playstation, Xbox and of course Windows, Mac OS, iOS, Linux and Blackberry.
Premium extras you can top up your plan with should you wish include port forwarding, dedicated IP and P2P protection which identifies and blocks viruses and malware.
4. NordVPN
"Lots of Servers, Good For Torrenting"
NordVPN is another provider that works extremely well with foreign versions of Netflix. They also offer complete privacy, advanced security and unlimited internet freedom.
Recommended highly by international publications such as PC Editor and Cnet, you can get very affordable yearly, bi-yearly and tri-yearly plans through this VPN provider.
One of the best features is their hack proof tunnel that gives you peace of mind when you use public Wi-Fi or access personal or work files on the road and securing your browsing.
They offer the largest collection of servers among all the companies we’ve discussed today, with over 5700 servers located worldwide. However with all these servers, they have only 60 countries which is less than half what PureVPN has.
One bonus is that more servers = less load across all those users so you can be sure they probably have the fastest most stable connection available.
Like all the other providers NordVPN offers military grade encryption (AES 2048 bit) and offers an automatic kill switch. Other features include DNS leak protection and a strict no logs policy.
NordVPN offers two services which are unique to them including Double VPN and Onion Over VPN for even more anonymity online. The double VPN routes your connection to location 1 and then location 2 before reaching your internet destination.
For the security conscious they are based in Panama where they are not required to keep or store any data, thus no access logs
or usage logs are ever taken. This allows you to stay away from 5, 9 and 14 eyes jurisdiction. An independent audit by PwC confirmed this to be accurate.
A single subscription offers multiple logins for six devices (one of the largest device count) so you can share with friends and family, all accounts getting the same great features.
Should you run into any issues they offer 24/7 technical support and if you do require your money back they offer a 30 day no questions asked money back guarantee.
They also offer some of the best apps for various devices including: Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Microsoft Surface, Kodi, Roku, Boxee, Now TV, Raspberry Pi, Chromecast, Playstation, Xbox and of course Windows, Mac OS, iOS, Linux and Blackberry.
Premium extras you can top up your plan with should you wish include port forwarding, dedicated IP and P2P protection which identifies and blocks viruses and malware.
5. AstrillVPN
"Minimal Latency, VIP Provider"
AstrillVPN has long been the go to provider of the elites, who want fast servers with minimal latency, thanks to their lower user base and lower server loads.
They offer a modest 300 servers in 62 countries worldwide, with around 111 cities. They are one of the pioneers in China VPN's so if you're looking to bypass the Great Firewall, it's a good option.
They offer a few features that other providers rarely do well. The first is their smart mode which allows you to tunnel international websites via your VPN while keeping your local country specific websites (i.e. Australian ones) running via your normal ISP connection.
They also offer a VPN sharing tool which lets you share your virtual private network with devices that may not be able to download a VPN client they can download.
You can also take advantage of their app guard and kill switch that will automatically disconnect your connection should their be any leaking of your real IP, which of course there shouldn't.
Astrill is also one of the only Onion supported VPN's which will allow you to visit any .Onion website directly in your browser, without the need for installing ToR.
AstrillVPN additionally offers port forwarding and MultiHop, allowing you to change servers randomly to avoid anyone keeping an eye on your usage.
There's zero logs kept when it comes to your usage on Astrill, and this has been tested on many occasions. Any access logs to servers are wiped after ending your session.
AstrillVPN offers two plans, there's a VIP plan which is great for getting faster connection speeds, limited load on servers and minimal latency plus faster support when you need it most.
They offer a 10 day money back guarantee along with a 7 day free trial. This should be more than enough time to test their services out.
They also offer some of the best apps for various devices including: Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Microsoft Surface, Kodi, Roku, Boxee, Now TV, Raspberry Pi, Chromecast, Playstation, Xbox and of course Windows, Mac OS, iOS, Linux and Blackberry.
Plus if you can beat the 2048 game, you could get a free account!
6. CyberGhost
"Lots of Servers, Good For Netflix"
CyberGhost is another popular VPN provider but far less known than the previous three providers. They do however have one of the best looking websites and offer regular deals and discounts.
They are another highly recommended Netflix VPN provider for USA, Canada and UK geo-blocking.
They’ve been highly recommended by smaller publications such as TechRadar and Cloudwards for their exceptional fast servers located around the world.
They currently offer 3900 servers in 61 countries worldwide to give you blazing fast speeds and unlimited bandwidth with limited load.
Some of their features include an automatic kill switch, DNS and IP leak protection with 256 AES Encryption.
For the security conscious they are based in Romania where they are not required to keep or store any data, thus no access logs are ever taken.
This allows you to stay away from 5 and 14 eyes jurisdiction. However, you must buy their ‘NoSPY’ package which costs more per month. Without this you’ll not have access to the no logs service.
A single subscription offers multiple logins for seven devices (one of the highest device count from any provider) so you can share with friends and family.
Should you run into any issues they offer high level technical support and if you do require your money back they offer the industries longest refund period of 45 days!
They also offer some of the best apps for various devices including: Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Microsoft Surface, Kodi, Roku, Boxee, Now TV, Raspberry Pi, Chromecast, Playstation, Xbox and of course Windows, Mac OS, iOS, Linux and Blackberry.
7. IP Vanish
"Strong Focus On Security"
One of the most popular VPN providers and highly rated by Mashable, CNN and Lifehacker is IPVanish, offering great service to new customers all over the world.
While they are well known for their Netflix VPN, they can have some issues unlocking content at times compared with other VPN providers.
They offer 40,000+ shared IP’s across 1300 servers in 75 countries worldwide. That makes them the third largest provider after Pure and Express VPN.
Some of their stand out features include 256 AES encryption and SOCKS5 web proxy. They also offer unlimited bandwidth as well as torrenting and P2P traffic support.
IP Vanish also include an automatic kill switch, DNS and IP leak protection and unlimited server switching via their app.
Take note, if you want to remain 100% anonymous then IPVanish might not be the best provider for you as they are based in the United States and although they claim to have a no logs policy, they are subject to laws in the United States. In 2018 they were caught handing over personal information to homeland security.
A single subscription offers multiple logins for ten devices (the highest of all providers) so you can share with friends and family, all accounts getting the same great features.
Should you run into any issues they offer high level technical support and if you do require your money back they offer a 7 day money back guarantee which is actually quite short!
They also offer some of the best apps for various devices including: Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Kodi and of course Windows, Mac OS, iOS, Linux. There is far less apps than other providers.
VPNs We Tested & How We Did It
There are well over 100 providers in the market, however there's only really a dozen worth testing. We looked at the top rated VPN providers from other news websites and then went out to test them based on our own industry-expertise.
This was our eight stage testing process, pretty simple.
1. Buy Software
We buy all our VPN subscriptions using our own money. There's many bloggers and news websites out there that simply promote the company prepared to pay the biggest commissions.
We actually use all the providers on this list. We download their app to our clean install of Windows 10, using Google Chrome and a standard Australian Fibre connection.
So you guys bought 12 VPN subscriptions? is a question we get asked a lot? And the answer is Yes of course we did. We couldn't give an honest opinion by using a free trial.
2. Speed Test
We choose nine locations worldwide and test each VPN with a standard speed test using Speedtest.net. We also attempt to watch video from various websites to test load times.
3. Leak Testing
There are a few sources of leaks such as WebRTC which will reveal your true identity so leak testing is a good way to see if a VPN is a good or bad provider. A good kill switch that detects leaks is also required and we check to see if they work as intended.
4. Geo Bypass Ability
We look at the ability to unlock Netflix USA which is the most requested service from those looking to geo-unblock with their connection. We check to see if any restrictions are in place and if you can access popular sites such as iPlayer, Hulu and HBO.
5. Additional Features
We look at the additional features such as split tunnelling, VPN sharing, MultiHop, camouflage mode as well as any unique features.
6. Cost vs Value
We look at the cost of the VPN including the monthly fee as well as any special offers for subscribing for one, two or three years. We compare this to other providers to determine the value of each VPN provider.
7. Privacy, Encryption & Security
We look at the level of encryption and if it can be broken, as well as any special features.
8. Customer Support
Lastly we look at the level of support and how fast they respond to support requests via their live chat. Is it 24/7? How willing are they to honour the money back guarantee?
How To Choose Best VPN Provider
When it comes to choosing the best VPN it can be confusing as most providers shove information that may or may not be relevant to you in your face.
After years of using VPN’s I’ve decided to create this short buyers guide that will help you make the best decision.
Servers & Locations
Don’t be fooled into thinking that more servers is a good thing. It’s true having more servers can lower the server load thus making your connection faster, but it all depends on your own internet connection and the location you’re connecting too.
If you have slow internet, using a VPN will make your connection even slower. You should ensure the provider has servers located close to your geographical location. If you live in Australia then you should ensure they have Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane or Perth servers.
If you want to unlock worldwide content such as Netflix Canada then you should ensure they offer Canadian servers. Likewise if you wanted Japanese football then you’d ensure they have a Tokyo server. Most providers let you switch countries within seconds.
It’s true, having more locations can be beneficial to you. For example if you want to watch TV from smaller countries then a provider with over 150+ locations might be your best bet as they’d have a server there.
VPN That Works With Netflix
In 2017 Netflix started to target VPN providers who were offering services to bypass the geoblocks to watch Netflix USA while living in Australia. Due to licensing, they can’t show the same content to everyone at the same time, but this is super annoying for Aussies.
Since then, VPN providers have had to change how they let customers unblock Netflix, offering a service called Netflix VPN which has rotating IP’s to stay one step ahead of the techs at Netflix.
Most providers offer poor support for Netflix and for others it simply does not work. There’s nothing worse than signing up with the expectation to watch and then find you’ve been duped.
You’ll find a lot of free providers and cheap providers fall victim to this issue. Choose a premium provider who has confirmed Netflix is supported and working.
All the providers mentioned here today offer Netflix support.
No Logs, 100% Anonymous
A lot of providers promote their no logs policy. This means when you connect to a server they don’t record your IP or DNS details which would personally identify you to someone such as local law enforcement.
While many companies claim to offer no logs, as you read deeper into the terms and conditions there are safe guards to protect themselves and actually do keep some logs.
If you’re planning on doing something illegal with a VPN then you’d probably want to think twice before using a VPN as you can’t be 100% sure those providers aren’t actually keeping some logs.
Choosing a provider based overseas and out of the 5, 9 or 14 eyes juristiction is a good start. Places such as Hong Kong, British Virgin Islands and Panama are good providers to choose.
Personally I’d never choose a US based company as they will fold to FBI or Homeland security the second a court order is sent their way.
Another way to stay 100% anonymous is to use a dual VPN such as that offered by NordVPN which routes your connection through two servers before you go out to the internet.
Supported Apps
Do you know how you plan on using your VPN? The traditional way was to download software program to your Windows, Linux or Mac device and connect. Now there are now many additional ways to connect to a VPN:
Chrome/Firefox Extension: Use any device web browser to connect to your VPN. This feature is offered by nearly all providers. There’s no app for Safari, IE or Edge.
Fire TV/Roku/Mi Box: These are the three biggest media streaming devices and you can download apps from their app stores for most providers. Then you can install geo-blocked apps such as Hulu, iPlayer.
Smart TV: Most providers offer apps for Smart TV’s running Android operating systems. In Australia brands such as Kogan, Sony and Samsung use Android OS. Other large providers have apps for Samsung marketplace and Sony Store.
Smartphone: There are apps for nearly every smartphone operating system including Android, iOS, Blackberry, Windows and Symbian OS.
Kodi App: Many providers are now turning to Kodi and creating an app that can be downloaded and installed on the platform. This can be used when watching questionable Kodi addons.
Router: Many providers are now offering an app or integration with your wireless router at home so all your devices can connect to the VPN before accessing the internet, protecting your identity and avoiding any leaks.
Leak Testing
When using your VPN you might not be 100% secure, especially if your VPN provider is leaking your DNS or WebRTC details.
If you are leaking those details your ISP could still be tracking your movements and what you’re up to online. The collected data can also be used to serve you targeted ads and profiling you.
When using a VPN, you’re using their DNS and this should stop any leaks from occuring. However this doesn’t always happen.
Most VPN providers offer DNS leak testing tools which we recommend you use once you’re running the VPN. If there’s no issues then great. If you experience issues then I’d recommend contacting their support who can help you fix the issue.
How To Watch Geo-Blocked TV With A VPN?
One of the best ways to use a VPN is to unlock geo-blocked content. Geo restricted content includes websites which are available for locals in one country but not another.
The best examples of these include BBC iPlayer, ITV Player, Hulu, Netflix USA.
Most VPN providers provide servers in all the main countries where these free and premium channels exist. By connecting to a UK based server, you’re routing your internet connection via their server, thus fooling the local website into thinking you reside there, unlocking the service.
If you try to visit one of these platforms without a VPN it will say ‘sorry access denied,’ or ‘it appears you’re outside the UK and Ireland.’
Most VPN providers offer servers all over the world, so whether you’re an Australian living abroad trying to watch local TV here, or a British expat living in Australia trying to watch British TV, you can simply switch the geo server you’re using instantly.
How To Use A VPN?
In simple terms VPN providers provide an application that you download and install on your computer, smartphone, television or router. Once enabled, you’ll then try to access the site that’s blocked.
You can usually download the player app once the VPN is running. For example you could download the iPlayer app to your phone and then cast to the TV. Likewise you could download the app to your TV. Alternatively you can just watch through your web browser.
Nearly all providers now offer a wide variety of software for Mac, iOS, Android, Windows and Linux alongside a Chrome, Firefox, Fire TV, Apple TV and Kodi app’s.
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Last Updated: July 14, 2020 by Rhys
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