The Best VPNs for Australia 2024

You can use a virtual private network (VPN) to access Australian servers or to stay anonymous while browsing in Australia. A VPN is a powerful tool for privacy, and this holds true regardless of the country you’re in — or the country you want to look like you’re in. If you need a VPN service to encrypt your traffic in Australia, the best choices are ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and Proton VPN.

ExpressVPN provides a great (albeit pricey) all-around package, NordVPN offers a more affordable alternative, and Proton VPN is best for privacy-minded users. Any of these three will serve you well, whether you want to access geo-restricted Aussie streaming content or browse privately.

The best VPNs for Australia 2024

The best VPN provider for Australia should have at least one dedicated Australian server (so you can get an Australia IP address and unblock geo-restrictions), unlimited bandwidth for streaming or file sharing, and unlimited connections for large households. 

Additional premium features like split tunneling, specialty servers, and robust encryption can't hurt. And suppose your internet service provider (ISP) is notorious for ISP throttling or limiting your bandwidth. In that case, a secure VPN can help bypass data caps to access streaming content from anywhere.

Our top picks are all outside intelligence-sharing alliances. If you need a VPN to bypass censorship, you don't have to worry about the Five Eyes, Nine Eyes, or Fourteen Eyes alliance spying on you. 

• ExpressVPN: Best overall
• NordVPN: Best for affordability
• Proton VPN: Best for privacy

Top 3 VPN services for Australia compared

VPN
Starting price	Starts at $6.25/mo (billed annually)	Starts at $2.99/mo (billed every two years)	Starts at $2.99/mo (billed every two years)
Free version
Streaming support	Yes — Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and more	Yes — Hulu, Netflix (unofficially), Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and more	Yes — Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+
Learn more	Get ExpressVPN Read ExpressVPN Review	Get NordVPN Read NordVPN Review	Get Proton VPN Read Proton VPN Review

ExpressVPN: Best overall

Who it’s best for

ExpressVPN is our pick for the best VPN for Australia. It’s a fantastic VPN with excellent performance, compatibility with many devices and operating systems, and a robust feature set. Plus, ExpressVPN has the most advertised Australian servers, so you have a more extensive in-country network to choose from. 

What we liked

ExpressVPN is compatible with a wide range of devices, including Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux, router software, and smart devices. It also comes with the intelligent DNS MediaStreamer feature, which enables you to connect to the service on devices that aren’t otherwise compatible with VPNs, like smart TVs. This makes ExpressVPN ideal for users who need cross-platform capabilities.

ExpressVPN did well on our performance tests. We run each VPN we review through a series of speed tests and compare the results to our plain internet connection (without a VPN) to see how the service impacts speeds and latency. ExpressVPN saw relatively little change compared to other VPNs.

ExpressVPN’s privacy and no-logs policies are solid as well. It supports streaming from various platforms, including Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+. Overall, it’s just a solid VPN with few significant faults.

Finally, ExpressVPN offers outstanding customer support, a top priority for many customers. In our testing, we received a quick and helpful response to our questions, and the agent seemed to go out of their way to help us. Additionally, the support site is thorough and easy to use.

What we didn’t like

Our biggest complaint with ExpressVPN is the price. It’s one of the more expensive options on the market. Now, while the price is high, the upshot is that you only need to agree to a one-year plan, whereas most other VPN providers with lower prices require two (or even three) year commitments to get that price. The price difference is much less pronounced when comparing other VPN providers' monthly or even one-year options.

Our other main complaint with ExpressVPN is that it doesn’t publish an official server count — only stating that it offers VPN servers in 105 countries. While this isn’t a huge problem in practice, we would appreciate the additional transparency.

ExpressVPN specs

Price range	$4.99–$12.95/mo
Free version	No
Number of servers	Unlisted in 105 countries
Server locations in Australia	Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney, Woolloomooloo
Number of connected devices	8
VPN protocol	Lightway, OpenVPN, IKEv2
No-logs policy	No logs
Unblocks Netflix AU?	Yes
Torrenting support	Yes
Learn more	Get ExpressVPN Read Our ExpressVPN Review

NordVPN: Best for affordability

Who it’s best for

NordVPN is an excellent option for users who want a strong VPN but don’t want to pay too much. It’s affordable, but it still packs enough features and performance that you don’t feel you’re sacrificing for the price.

What we liked

There’s a lot to like about NordVPN, starting with the price — you can get plans as low as $2.99/mo (billed every two years). In addition to robust security features, such as military-grade AES-256-GCM encryption and a variety of VPN protocols. It also offers comprehensive streaming support, specialty servers, and advanced Threat Protection.

• Kill switch: This tool automatically cuts your internet connection when disconnecting from the VPN. It ensures you don’t accidentally leak your online activities through an unencrypted connection.
• Ad blocker: NordVPN’s built-in ad blocker can help remove ads from sites around the web. This doesn't just keep your annoyance level down — ads can be vectors for malware and scams, so it’s also about safety.
• Multi-hop: Multi-hop, also known as double VPN, is a feature that routes your internet traffic through two VPN servers. This enhances your online privacy in a few ways. It encrypts your data twice, hides your IP address, and provides extra masking of your activity. Even if someone sees your activity at the destination, all it’ll be able to determine is that you’re using a VPN.

NordVPN is also user-friendly, which is an easy feature to overlook. It won’t necessarily top a feature list, but it makes a huge difference when you use a VPN daily.

Finally, NordVPN has a solid number of Australian servers, which gives users various VPN location choices, including Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne. NordVPN can also unblock Australian Netflix, making it ideal for streaming.

What we didn’t like

While NordVPN is affordable, it’s not the lowest price for a VPN provider. Surfshark, for example, is about a dollar per month cheaper. NordVPN also has a more limited count for simultaneous connections than providers like Surfshark or Private Internet Access, which offer unlimited simultaneous connections. You can only connect 10 devices at a time, which can be limiting for large households. 

Finally, while there’s a 30-day money-back guarantee, there’s no free plan with NordVPN, which would be nice to see.

NordVPN specs

Price range	$2.99–$17.99/mo
Free version	No
Number of servers	6,800+ servers in 111 countries
Server locations in Australia	Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide
Number of connected devices	10
VPN protocol	OpenVPN, NordLynx, IKEv2/IPsec
No-logs policy	No logs
Unblocks Netflix AU?	Yes
Torrenting support	Yes
Learn more	Get NordVPN Read Our NordVPN Review

Proton VPN: Best for privacy

Who it’s best for

Proton VPN is ideal for users who prioritize privacy over other features. It's based in Switzerland, a country not part of any global information-sharing alliances. The company is also known for its focus on privacy — it’s the maker of the highly secure Proton Mail. Although VPNs are legal, they aim to hide your activity, so maximum privacy and a neutral headquarters location are ideal.

What we liked

We appreciate Proton VPN's heavy focus on privacy. From its neutral home base in Switzerland to its strict no-logs policy, Proton is designed to keep your browsing secure.

In fact, Proton’s no-logs policy has been tested in court. It’s also subject to regular audits, which it passes with flying colors. The headquarters in Switzerland doesn’t hurt—Swiss privacy laws are among the best in the world from a user’s perspective.

Proton VPN also offers a custom VPN protocol aptly named Stealth, which is explicitly geared towards privacy. The protocol is designed to overcome internet censorship and VPN blocks so you can surf privately, no matter your location.

Finally, on the security feature front, Proton offers a built-in kill switch, Always-on VPN (automatically reconnects if the VPN connection drops), and Tor over VPN, which enables you to connect to the Tor network without installing additional browsers or other software.

Proton VPN isn’t a one-trick pony, though. It’s got excellent streaming support, several Australian servers, and even a free plan with no data limit. None of the other options offer free plans — just free trials. 

The Proton VPN free plan lets you use the VPN on a single device with servers in the Netherlands, the U.S., and Japan. The free plan has no data limit, so you can use it as much as you like.

What we didn’t like

The biggest downside of Proton VPN is its cost — it’s definitely on the pricier side, especially compared to NordVPN. Its starting price is Free compared to Nord's $2.99/mo (billed every two years).

Proton's free plan also has its limits. Although there are five server locations, they're selected automatically. It also doesn't have the same capabilities as the premium version, as it lacks streaming and additional features like NetShield. 

Proton VPN specs

Price range	Free–$9.99/mo
Free version	Yes
Number of servers	9,100+ servers in 112 countries
Server locations in Australia	Perth, Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne, Brisbane
Number of connected devices	10
VPN protocol	OpenVPN, IKEv2, WireGuard, Stealth
No-logs policy	No logs
Unblocks Netflix AU?	Yes
Torrenting support	Yes
Learn more	Get Proton VPN Read Our Proton VPN Review

Honorable mentions

The VPN market is packed with excellent options. Based on our testing and research, we can recommend three more VPNs for Australia.

• Surfshark: Surfshark VPN is another extremely affordable option. It offers fast speeds, unlimited simultaneous connections, and 3,200+ servers in 100 countries. All Surfshark plans include CleanWeb (a premium ad blocker), a seven-day free trial for Android, iOS, and macOS devices, and a 30-day money-back guarantee. 
  
  Get Surfshark | Read Our Surfshark Review

• CyberGhost: CyberGhost is one of the most affordable VPN options. It offers a no-logs policy, has a vast VPN server network across 100 countries, and performs well on our speed and performance tests.
  
  Get CyberGhost | Read Our CyberGhost Review
• Private Internet Access: Private Internet Access, or PIA, is an affordable VPN (cheaper than Nord, in fact!) that offers an impressive feature set for security, streaming, and surfing. PIA didn’t make the top three because it’s headquartered in the U.S., which can be problematic because it is a Five Eyes Alliance country. However, with PIA, you can connect unlimited devices so that each family member can access streaming sites from anywhere around the globe.
  
  Get Private Internet Access | Read Our Private Internet Access Review

How to use a VPN in Australia

Using a VPN in Australia is as simple as using one in most countries.

1. Install and launch the VPN of your choice.
2. Head to the VPN server selection screen in the VPN app and select one of the Australian servers.
3. Click the connect button and enjoy.

It doesn’t get much simpler than that!

FAQs

Bottom line: The best VPNs for Australia

Our picks for the best VPNs for Australia are ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and Proton VPN. ExpressVPN offers a fantastic all-around experience, NordVPN is better for the budget-conscious, and Proton VPN is for those who value privacy above all else. Any of these three will make for an excellent day-to-day VPN experience in Australia (and anywhere else, too).

If none of these options work for you, consider our runners-up: CyberGhost, Surfshark, and Private Internet Access. Although they didn’t make the top three, they still have much to offer.