7 Best VPN Services For Australia In 2022 [Speed & Features Tested]

What is the best VPN service in Australia?

We’ve rounded up the best VPNs for Australia in this guide. We tested these Australian VPNs based on robust security and fast speeds and concluded ExpressVPN as the #1 VPN for Australia.

Do you think that with strict anti-piracy laws, meta-data collection, and heavy fines on freedom of speech (with a hint of misinformation), you can stay secure in Australia without a VPN?

The answer is No!

With Australia being a founding member of the 5 Eyes, snooping on your online activities shouldn’t be a surprise. The country’s laws demand ISPs track and store your data, along with heavy blocking of various websites.

This is why you must grab a VPN as soon as possible for safety. The best VPN services in Australia protect your data and provide incredible connection speed while browsing the internet.

Apart from that, the best VPN Australia also helps you access various live or video-on-demand streaming services securely and anonymously. That also, at a reasonable price point.

Just in case you are not fully aware; of how a VPN works, we suggest you take a look at our comprehensive VPN guide.

Best VPN Services for 2022 (In-Depth Analysis)

We extensively evaluated a set of over 70 VPN services. We assessed their ability to download torrents and unblock popular streaming services, whether they maintained privacy over the web, and how many operational servers they had in Australia compared to what they claimed.

Based on the criteria mentioned above, we compiled our ultimate list of the seven best VPN services for Australia for 2022 so you know which VPN is best for Australia:

1) ExpressVPN – Best Premieum VPN in Australia

ExpressVPN is the best VPN for Australia. This VPN has fast, stable, reliable servers, robust security features, and excellent unblocking capabilities to work with online streaming services. When tested, the VPN delivered an average download speed of 89.42 Mbps and an upload speed of 84.64 Mbps.

This VPN hails from the British Virgin Islands and operates 3000+ servers in 94+ countries, including multiple servers in 5 Australian locations: Sydney, Perth, Sydney – 2, Melbourne, and Brisbane.

ExpressVPN offers five live server locations in Australia.

It employs OpenVPN, IKEv2, and IPSec tunnelling protocols to protect users and their data from constant surveillance. ExpressVPN also equips Lightway, which offers faster speeds and more security while using less battery.

Its no-logging policy confirms that the VPN will not log your data. A kill switch ensures that your online activities are not leaked to your ISP in case your VPN connection becomes unstable.

ExpressVPN offers dedicated apps for various operating systems, including Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Furthermore, it offers unlimited bandwidth and supports five simultaneous connections on a single account. With these multi-logins, you can enjoy ExpressVPN’s connection on various devices, including Roku, FireStick, Apple TV, PS4, Xbox, and more.

ExpressVPN Test Findings

ExpressVPN provides a smooth streaming experience for services like accessing Hulu and BBC iPlayer in Australia. When streaming, we found the following servers as stand-out performers with a few streaming services:

Streaming service	Best performing servers
US Netflix	New York, Washington DC, Dallas, Miami, and Denver
Hulu	Miami, New Jersey – 1, New York, and Washington DC – 2
HBO Max	New York, Washington DC, Los Angeles, and Santa Monica
BBC iPlayer	Docklands and London

Along with that, it’s also reliable for accessing Australian libraries of international streaming services like accessing Netflix Australia and Disney Plus in Australia if you are an Aussie residing abroad for work or studies.

We tested the rates of this VPN by connecting to its AU – Sydney server and received an average download speed of 89.42 Mbps and an upload speed of 84.64 Mbps on a 100 Mbps connection. Such speed easily unblocks Amazon Prime Video in Australia.

ExpressVPN’s speeds were quite fast while streaming Netflix AU.

For conducting a DNS leak test, we randomly picked four VPN servers in the US and Italy for the leak tests. As a result, ExpressVPN did not report any IP, DNS, or WebRTC leaks on any tested servers, thus keeping our online anonymity intact.

Connected to ExpressVPN US server and found no IP, DNS, or WebRTC leaks.

ExpressVPN had no problems unblocking torrents from Australia. While downloading torrent files, we did not notice any significant drop in speed either. Based on our test, the best-performing torrenting servers for the VPN service were Switzerland and Netherlands – Amsterdam.

ExpressVPN reviews and ratings on Trustpilot Australia

On Trustpilot AU, ExpressVPN has been rated 4.7 and has more than 9,600 reviews. Of these 9600+ reviews, 85% are scored as excellent.

Price (AUD)

You can subscribe to its 1-year + 3 free months plan for AU$9.53/mo (US$ 6.67/mo) . Plus, its 30-day money-back guarantee gives you the comfort of knowing you’ll get your full payment back if you don’t like the service. For more details about this VPN, go through our ExpressVPN review.

Pros and Cons of ExpressVPN

2) Surfshark – Best Cheap VPN in Australia

Surfshark is the most affordable VPN in Australia. It starts from just AU$3.56/mo (US$ 2.49/mo) . It ensures effortlessly torrenting, streaming, anonymous browsing, and a wide range of other activities in Australia.

The service operates 3200+ servers in 65+ countries, including 91 servers in 5 server Australian locations, including Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney.

Surfshark offers five live server locations in Australia.

Surfshark equips multiple tunneling protocols, including WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2, IPSec, and Shadowshocks, to encrypt users’ web traffic in all Aussie regions.

It also comes with a MultHop feature that passes your traffic through multiple servers before connecting to the site you desire to access. The VPN further offers RAM-only servers that wipe out all your information as soon as your disconnect from the server.

Surfshark is compatible with multiple operating systems, including Android, macOS, Windows, iOS, and more. In addition, it offers unlimited bandwidth and practices a strict no-log policy.

Surfshark Test Findings

As for unblocking streaming services, some Surfshark servers performed better than others, while some failed to bypass the respective geo-restrictions altogether.

Below, we’ve highlighted the recommended servers for watching US Netflix in Australia on Surfshark.

Streaming service	Best performing servers
US Netflix	Seattle, Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Denver
Hulu	Denver, Orlando, Seattle, and New York
HBO Max	Seattle, Latham, Boston, and Kansas City
BBC iPlayer	Manchester and London

Surfshark’s speeds are fast for enjoying all your favourite streaming services. To confirm this, we conducted a Surfshark speed test on its AU – Melbourne server and received an average download speed of 85.48 Mbps and an upload speed of 48.42 Mbps on a 100 Mbps connection:

Surfshark’s speeds were fast on its Australian servers.

Based on the random testing of four Surfshark servers across the UK and Canada, no IP, DNS, or WebRTC leaks were detected.

Connected to Surfshark servers in Canada; no IP, DNS, or WebRTC leaks found.

Surfshark did an overall decent job with torrent requests. We can’t say the download speed was blazing fast, but it wasn’t slow, either. The US, Canada, and the Netherlands were the best-performing torrenting servers for Surfshark.

Surfshark reviews and ratings on Trustpilot Australia

On Trustpilot AU, Surfshark is rated 4.3 and has more than 13,000 reviews. Of these 13000+ reviews, 66% are scored as excellent.

Price (AUD)

Being the cheapest VPN in Australia, its 2-year + 2 months free plan can be purchased at just AU$3.56/mo (US$ 2.49/mo) . It also offers a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee for testing the VPN service. For more details about this VPN, go through our Surfshark review.

3) NordVPN – Best Australian VPN for Torrenting

NordVPN is one of the best VPNs for downloading torrents in Australia. This torrent-friendly VPN offers 4400+ P2P-optimized servers (including 164 in Australia) and OpenVPN protocol for secure torrenting.

The service operates 5500+ servers in 60+ countries. In Australia, the VPN provides 190+ servers in 5 locations that you can connect to. These include Perth, Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne, and Brisbane.

NordVPN offers five live server locations in Australia.

NordVPN uses advanced tunneling protocols like IKEv2, Nordlynx, and IPSec to maintain users’ online privacy. In addition, it encrypts its entire connection using military-grade AES 256-bit encryption.

Its Double VPN feature routes traffic twice before connecting you to your desired site. In addition, the Onion over VPN uses the Tor browser and VPN connection together for the ultimate security and anonymity while torrenting, so you never get in trouble.

You also get support for six simultaneous connections using this VPN. With these connections, you can secure the devices mentioned above and various operating systems, including Android, macOS, iOS, Windows, and Linux.

NordVPN Test Findings

NordVPN is one of the best VPNs for torrenting in Australia. You can choose from its list of P2P servers across the globe to download your favorite torrents. In our experience, we found Switzerland and US VPN servers as the most reliable.

In terms of unblocking streaming services, NordVPN didn’t disappoint either. We could access YouTube TV without significant problems. We’ve listed down the recommended servers for each of the tested streaming services in the table below:

Streaming service	Best performing servers
US Netflix	Buffalo, Salt Lake City, Phoenix, and Miami
Hulu	New York, Buffalo, Manassas, and Salt Lake City
HBO Max	Charlotte, Denver, New York, and Dallas
YouTube TV	Atlanta, New York, Miami, and Chicago
BBC iPlayer	London

NordVPN offers incredible speeds as well, be it streaming or torrenting. We conducted a speed test of NordVPN’s AU – Brisbane server and received an average downloading speed of 86.18 Mbps and an uploading speed of 42.13 Mbps on a 100 Mbps connection.

NordVPN Australia is a good combo for streaming international content.

No IP, DNS, or WebRTC leaks were detected during the random testing of NordVPN servers. The tested VPN servers were in the US, Sweden, Spain, and France.

Connected to NordVPN US server; no IP, DNS, or WebRTC leaks found.

NordVPN Trustpilot rating and reviews

On Trustpilot AU, NordVPN is rated 4.4 and has more than 18,000 reviews. Of these 18000+ reviews, 73% are scored as excellent.

Price (AUD)

NordVPN is available at a price of only AU$4.99/mo (US$ 3.49/mo) on its 2-year plan. You also get a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee and a VPN-free trial.

For more details about this VPN, go through our NordVPN review.

4) CyberGhost – Best User-friendly VPN for Australia

CyberGhost is an easy-to-use VPN for Australia. It boasts an intuitive interface on its device apps, along with a great user experience. It further offers specially-optimized servers for torrenting, streaming, and gaming.

It operates 6800+ servers in 85+ countries. For Australia, CyberGhost VPN offers 150 servers in 2 server locations, Melbourne and Sydney.

CyberGhost VPN offers two server locations in Australia.

CyberGhost uses robust tunnelling protocols like IPSec, IKEv2, WireGuard, and OpenVPN to protect users from monitoring their ISPs and authorities. It also offers a built-in kill switch that disconnects you from the internet if your VPN connection becomes unstable. It also provides a no-logging policy that ensures the VPN will not collect user logs.

It supports up to 7 multi-logins. In addition, you can quickly secure your devices like FireStick, Roku, Xbox, iPhones, and PS4 with CyberGhost.

CyberGhost Test Findings

In terms of accessing geo-restricted content, CyberGhost did a decent job of unblocking popular streaming services such as you can watch Channel 4, and Voot in Australia. We’ve noted down the best-performing servers for each tested streaming service in the table below:

When tested CyberGhost for speeds, it seemed to be quite average than all the VPNs above. For example, in our CyberGhost speed test on its AU – Melbourne server, the VPN delivered an average downloading speed of 73.12 Mbps and an uploading speed of 37.48 Mbps on a 100 Mbps connection.

We received the following speeds when tested on our 100 Mbps connection.

No IP, DNS, or WebRTC leaks were detected on the four randomly tested CyberGhost VPN servers. These servers were located in the UK and Belgium.

Connected to CyberGhost UK – Lambeth server; no IP, DNS, or WebRTC leaks found.

We faced difficulties connecting to torrent sites through different CyberGhost servers, especially those in the US. However, the problem was resolved as soon as we switched our location to Germany.

CyberGhost reviews and ratings on Trustpilot Australia

On au.trustpilot.com, CyberGhost is rated 4.7and has more than 14,000 reviews. Of these 14,000+ reviews, 86% are scored as excellent.

Price (AUD)

You can get its 3-year + 3-month free plan for AU$3.27/mo (US$ 2.29/mo) . This VPN also offers an exclusive 45-day money-back guarantee, making it worth a try.

For more details about this VPN, go through our CyberGhost review.

Pros and Cons of CyberGhost

5) Private Internet Access – VPN with Extensive Server Network

Private Internet Access is one of the best VPNs in Australia, with a vast server network. This VPN offers 2597 servers in 47 countries across the world.

As far as this US-based VPN’s server availability in Australia is concerned, it offers multiple servers in different Australian cities such as Sydney, Perth, and Melbourne.

PIA offers three server locations in Australia.

PIA does not store its users’ information thanks to its no-logging policy. In terms of privacy and security, you can use an internet kill switch, OpenVPN protocol, ad blocker, 256-bit military-grade encryption, and more to stay protected in Australia.

The internet kill switch feature helps you stay safe from cybercriminals if the VPN app suddenly stops working for any reason. In addition, you can use a dedicated IP feature to overcome slow download and upload speeds.

Regarding dedicated IPs, the VPN offers dedicated apps for various operating systems, including Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, and Linux.

The VPN offersten0 simultaneous connections to users. It also supports multiple devices, including Xbox, PS4, FireStick, Roku, and Kodi if you own the media player.

PIA Test Findings

Like any other good Australian VPN, the service becomes a reliable option when unblocking your favourite streaming services like unblocking UKTV Play, and US Paramount+ in Australia.

Here is the table that includes different servers that helped us unblock Channel 5 and other streaming services:

We conducted a PIA speed test on its AU – Sydney server and got an average downloading speed of 70.02 Mbps and an uploading speed of 34.42 Mbps on a 100 Mbps connection.

The speeds were quite average on a connection of 100 Mbps.

As expected, PIA did not expose our actual whereabouts when we tested its IP leak, DNS leak, and WebRTC leak protection features in detail.

The above image showed no sign of IP, DNS, and WebRTC leaks when connected to its Singaporean server.

PIA offers SOCKS5 support for torrenting, a great feature for torrent fans in Australia. It also allows port forwarding on specific servers.

PIA reviews and ratings on Trustpilot Australia

Private Internet Access has received more than 8000+ reviews on Trustpilot Australia, of which 68% of users rated the service excellent. The service has earned a good 4.6 rating overall.

Price (AUD)

You can obtain its 2-year + 2 Free Months package at the cost of AU$3.13/mo (US$ 2.19/mo) . It also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee to test out its service.

For more details about this VPN, go through our PIA review.

Pros and Cons of PIA

6) PureVPN – Best Streaming-friendly VPN for Australia

PureVPN is the best VPN for accessing blocked streaming sites in Australia. It offers dedicated streaming servers that unblock 30+ OTT streaming platforms, including Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, and more.

Based in Hong Kong, PureVPNclaims the sixth position in our list of the best VPN s Australia. It operates 6500+ servers in 75+ countries worldwide, including 56 servers in 4 Australian cities: Perth, Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane.

We found all four server locations to be working.

PureVPN employs several tunneling protocols to encrypt users’ internet traffic data. These include PPTP, IPSec, SSTP, IKEv2, and OpenVPN. In addition, it equips DNS leak protection, ensuring that your IP address isn’t leaked to your ISP, streaming services, and hackers.

You can get all of PureVPN’s security features, zero-logging, and unlimited bandwidth support on various devices, including iPhones, Roku, FireStick, PS4, and more.

The VPN also offersten0 multi-logins on a single account that you can use on the devices above, along with operating systems like Windows, Android, macOS, and Linux.

PureVPN Test Findings

Streaming was one of the most vital points of PureVPN. This is why it can be easily called the best VPN in Australia for Eurosport, BT Sport and more.

The VPN service offered a decent number of servers that unblocked Rai TV and HBO Max in Australia. It also allowed you to enjoy the best shows on Disney+ Hotstar in Australia.

Furthermore, it has dedicated streaming servers to allow users to watch shows and movies in HD quality. We’ve listed down the best-performing servers for each tested streaming service in the table below:

Streaming service	Best performing servers
US Netflix	Columbus, New York, Chicago, and New Jersey
Hulu	Chicago, Miami, Los Angeles, and New York
HBO Max	Columbus, Los Angeles, Miami, and Washington DC
BBC iPlayer	London and Manchester
Hotstar	Chennai

In our speed test conducted on PureVPN’s AU – Brisbane server, the VPN delivered an average downloading speed of 74.12 Mbps and an uploading speed of 38.48 Mbps on a 100 Mbps connection.

The speed drop was quite significant on PureVPN’s AU server.

No IP, DNS, or WebRTC leaks were reported during the random testing of four PureVPN servers in the US and the UK.

Connected to PureVPN US server – Virginia; no IP, DNS, or WebRTC leaks found.

PureVPN provided a relatively slow torrent download speed compared to other VPNs on this list. We found Norway and the Netherlands as the top torrenting servers for PureVPN.

PureVPN Trustpilot ratings and reviews

On au.trustpilot.com, PureVPN is rated 4.6 and has more than 14,000 reviews. Of these 14,000+ reviews, 86% are scored as excellent.

Price (AUD)

Its 2-year + 3-month free plan is available for just AU$4.76/mo (US$ 3.33/mo) 2-year plan. Moreover, it comes with a generous 31-day money-back guarantee.

For more details about this VPN, go through our PureVPN review.

7) IPVanish – Best VPN with Unlimited Multi-logins

IPVanish is the best Australian VPN offering unlimited multi-logins. Using this VPN, you can connect to as many devices as possible and share your connection with your friends and family.

It is a US-based VPN service that offers 2000+ VPN servers in 75+ locations worldwide. Out of these, 69 servers in the present in 5 different cities in Australia, such as Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth.

All IPVanish’s servers worked significantly while testing.

Apart from this, you can use various security and privacy features depending on your online privacy need. These privacy and security features are an internet kill switch, OpenVPN protocol, DNS leak protection, WebRTC leak protection, and 256-bit military-grade encryption that, when combined, will keep you safe in Australia.

IPVanish can be set up on multiple devices, including Roku, FireStick, PS4, Xbox, Apple TV, Android TVs, and more. In addition, since the VPN supports unlimited multi-logins, you can also connect all your operating systems with the VPN, including Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and Linux.

IPVanish Test Findings

IPVanish is quite efficient in unblocking various streaming services across the world. This VPN could unblock multiple on-demand platforms, including Sling TV, Comedy Central, and Peacock TV in Australia.

Here is the table that consists of servers you can connect to unblock BBC iPlayer, Netflix, and other streaming platforms hassle-free:

IPVanish’s speeds are fast when connected to any server in Australia. In this VPN’s speed test on our 100 Mbps connection, we got an average downloading speed of 78.53 Mbps and an uploading speed of 41.55 Mbps on its AU – Perth server.

The speeds were fast on IPVanish’s Australian server.

In addition, you can trust IPVanish when protecting your actual IP address against various cyberattacks like hacking, phishing, malware, etc. The provider offers much-needed IP leak, DNS leak, and WebRTC leak protection features. Here is the proof:

We found no DNS/IP leaks on the US server of this VPN.

What makes IPVanish VPN different from other VPN providers is its impressive SOCKS5 proxy server feature that comprehensively secures users’ torrenting activities.

Through this feature, the service supports famous BitTorrent clients like Vuze, Deluge, and uTorrent. It means you can safely download your favourite torrent files while in Australia.

IPVanish reviews and ratings on Trustpilot Australia

Regarded as one of the best Australian VPNs, IPVanish has managed an excellent 4.6 rating on Trustpilot Australia after being reviewed by 7700+ people. According to 82% of users, the US-based service is a reliable online privacy option for Australian netizens.

Price (AUD)

On the pricing front, you can subscribe to its yearly pricing plan at the cost of AU$5.36/mo (US$ 3.75/mo) . Lastly, IPVanish offers an attractive 30-day refund policy that enables new users to examine its different features per their preferences.

For more details about this VPN, go through our IPVanish review.

Australian VPNs – Comparison Chart

VPNs	Servers in Australia	Speeds	Offer
	Multiple servers in 5 locations	Download speed of 89.42 Mbps and upload speed of 84.64 Mbps on 100 Mbps	AU $9.28/mo
	91 servers in 5 locations	Download speed of 85.48 Mbps and upload speed of 48.42 Mbps on 100 Mbps	AU $3.32/mo
	190+ servers in 5 locations	Download speed of 86.18 Mbps and upload speed of 42.13 Mbps on 100 Mbps	AU $4.88/mo
	150 servers in 2 locations	Download speed of 73.12 Mbps and upload speed of 37.48 Mbps on 100 Mbps	AU $3.06/mo
	Multiple servers in 3 locations	Download speed of 70.02 Mbps and upload speed of 34.42 Mbps on 100 Mbps	AU $2.92/mo
	Multiple servers in 4 locations	Download speed of 74.12 Mbps and upload speed of 38.48 Mbps on 100 Mbps	AU $2.66/mo
	69 servers in 5 locations	Download speed of 78.53 Mbps and an uploading speed of 41.55 Mbps	AU $5.22/mo

How we tested the Best VPNs for Australia?

As far as our research methodology is concerned, we have tested all these VPNs mentioned above services in terms of security, privacy, torrenting, simultaneous connections, unblocking capability, and money-back guarantee.

1. Speed and Stability:

Speed is a significant criterion to look for when choosing a VPN. A good VPN should not reduce your speeds by more than 20-25%, and you should be able to get more than 70% of your actual speed at the very minimum.

2. Security:

All the VPN providers described above are secure and do not compromise their users’ anonymity. Moreover, you can use them within Australian territory as and when required without exposing your actual whereabouts.

3. Privacy:

Unfortunately, Australia is one of the major partner countries of the Five Eyes Alliance. Therefore, you should not take your online privacy lightly while residing in Australia.

Luckily, all the VPN services explained in this guide offer users a great mix of privacy features. Besides, they have cleared all our DNS leak tests hassle-free.

4. Torrenting:

Torrenting is an area where many VPN services usually do not come up to their users’ expectations. Fortunately, you can use any VPN service from the above list to protect your P2P tasks from the prying eyes of ISPs and other surveillance agencies as they provide P2P-optimized servers.

5. Simultaneous connections:

The multi-logins feature helps users protect their digital footprints on various devices. Furthermore, all our chosen best VPNs allow users to avail of simultaneous connection features ideal for securing multiple devices simultaneously.

6. Unblocking capability:

All the VPN services described in this guide help you unblock and watch numerous video-on-demand streaming services like Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Prime Video, etc., at impressive connection speeds without hassle.

7. Money-back guarantee:

Fortunately, all VPNs mentioned above come with lengthy money-back guarantees that enable you to test their various features thoroughly. All these features allow these top-notch VPN services and answer your query of ‘What is the best VPN to use in Australia.’

How Does a VPN Work in Australia?

A VPN is an online privacy tool that allows computers or networks to connect securely and anonymously over the internet. It hides your IP address and encrypts your web traffic, keeping you safe online from hackers, spoofers, and other unwanted personnel.

A VPN encrypts a device’s internet traffic and passes it through an intermediary server in the location the user chose for himself. This can allow Australians to circumvent geo-restrictions and access locked content in their country.

Every VPN set-up has a server (often located remotely) and a client app. You download the client app on your internet device and connect to the remote server. The remote server does two things:

• It replaces your IP address with its own – thus making your online identity anonymous.
• It creates an end-to-end tunnel between your device and the web, protecting and encrypting any web traffic that passes through it.

What Makes a Good VPN in Australia?

An ideal VPN should have a blend of security and privacy features that allow you to protect your online activities from the eyes of ISPs (Internet Service Providers) and other surveillance actors.

Hence, we have compiled a list of different factors for your convenience to let you make a better decision while selecting the best VPN in Australia. These factors are:

Availability of servers

Your chosen VPN service should offer many servers in all major countries. This feature will help you unblock the number of streaming services on multiple devices accordingly.

By doing so, you can bypass ISP throttling and other related issues that can spoil your streaming activities to a certain extent.

Compatibility

A VPN service should support all the leading operating systems, including Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, and devices like Android phones, Apple TV, Smart TVs, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, and Gaming Consoles.

Geolocation spoofing

Unfortunately, many VPN services cannot circumvent your IP address to unblock streaming services. The best VPN for Australia should allow fast access to unlimited geo-restricted content worldwide.

Speed and stability

No one wants to pay for a service that starts buffering during streaming. VPNs may slow down with the addition of external servers and encryption, but the slowdown should not exceed 20-25%.

Why is a Virtual Private Network (VPN) Required in Australia?

Due to the Australian regulations regarding the metadata of users, everyone living in Australia should use a VPN at all costs. A VPN encrypts your connection and keeps your data private. It further creates a tunnel and offers users absolute anonymity, making them untraceable.

Not convinced? Let’s look at all the reasons why a VPN is required in Australia:

1. Copyright Laws:

Australia has some of the most brutal anti-piracy regulations on Earth. Users caught getting involved in pirated content can face a fine of $99 000 and imprisonment of up to five years.

The Communications Alliance of Australia (an alliance of the government and all major Australian ISPs) has been actively pursuing a crackdown on what seems to them as unlawful file-sharing.

Australia’s Federal Court ordered 50 Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to ban various sites in 2016 to curb copyright infringement after 20th Century Fox, Disney, and Paramount filed a lawsuit.

In 2021, the Australian New Channel of News Corps took iSentia to court for them to stop offering the content of Sky News Australia to their clients without a license.

2. Online Censorship:

The ACMA (Australian Communications and Media Authority) uses filtering technology to block selected websites. Simply put, Australia is guilty of online censorship.

Simple activities such as streaming licensed movies and TV shows or sharing posts on Facebook have various limitations. As you can see, you cannot access hundreds of sites in Australia.

A VPN hides your IP address and connects you to a server in another country, allowing you to bypass geoblocks and access various restricted websites.

3. ISPs Data Collection and Surveillance:

The Internet Service Providers (ISPs) log all users’ browsing data. The Telecommunications Interception and Access Act of 2015 legally obligates them to log your metadata.

Let’s not forget that Australia is a member of the infamous 5 Eyes Alliance, a global alliance that records and shares surveillance data in mass amounts, calling it national security.

This is why you need a VPN. A virtual private network encrypts all your internet traffic, making your online traffic inaccessible to your ISP and the authorities. However, you’d require a premium VPN like ExpressVPN for this.

4. Unblocking Geo-Restricted Streaming Sites:

Various streaming services are restricted to one country (Kayo Sports, BBC iPlayer, Hulu) or offer region-based content (Netflix and Amazon Prime).

With the best VPN for streaming, you can bypass these geo-restrictions and enjoy a wider range of streaming services.

VPNs to Avoid Using in Australia

There are many things you expect a VPN to d. The most important of them is keeping your online privacy intact while increasing your security over the web. Unfortunately, the VPNs that we are going to list below fail to do this:

HideMyAss

HideMyAss explicitly states on its website that they log some data as part of its policy. This includes bandwidth usage, time of connecting and disconnecting, and total log duration.

However, what the company claims here is not entirely true.

HideMyAss also keeps your actual IP address in its record. This was witnessed when the VPN provider collaborated with law enforcement agencies to get Cody Kretsinger—a LulzSec hacker—arrested by sharing the details of his IP address.

Hola VPN

You have probably heard of Hola VPN. They are based in IsraeHowever, this VPN doesn’t work like every traditional VPN where a user connects to a VPN service’s centralized server network. Instead, the users of Hola connect, using the idle bandwidth of other users on the internet as part of a vast peer-to-peer network.

This comes with substantial security concerns. A user can use someone else’s internet to perform illegal activities. In 2015, the VPN used its users’ PCs to form a botnet and serve a massive DDoS (Distributed Denial-of-Service) attack without the users’ knowledge.

With the best VPN for streaming, you can bypass these geo-restrictions and enjoy a wider range of streaming services.

Which Is the Best Free VPN?

In essence, you could connect to Australia using a free VPN, but we highly urge against it. For instance, free VPN providers are known to gather and sell surfing information to advertising and other third parties as they do not profit from paid services.

And if that has still not turned you off, realize that they also lack funds for software updates. As a result, the free antivirus quickly becomes out of date. Just do not forget that it can also have malware on it.

However, if you are certain that you do not want to pay for a VPN, a freemium VPN service would be a much better option. They typically contain fewer features and data limits, making them restricted.

But choosing a free premium VPN, like ExpressVPN, the trial is the best option if you want a genuine and comprehensive VPN experience.

Which Is the Fastest VPN?

Basically, encryption slow downs the VPN. In this process, the data travels throughout your internet connection and slow down everything.

When in use, the majority of providers offer completely enough internet speed and can even handle HD video streaming. But 4K video and other data-heavy activities like VPN gaming are a different matter.

Thus, to evaluate the fastest VPN, our test shows ExpressVPN as the best among all other VPNs carrying 89.42 Mbps download speed and 84.64 Mbps of upload. 

Best VPN for Australia – FAQs