5 Best VPNs for Australia in 2023

Truth be told, you need a reliable and capable VPN no matter which country you live in. That's because a VPN protects you from hackers and scammers conspiring to steal your sensitive information. As Australia falls under the 5-Eyes alliance, you can expect surveillance of web activities and censorship that limits what content you can access. Hence, it's imperative to use the best Australia VPN available to help you overcome these challenges.

Internet service providers in Australia are obliged to store up to 2 years of your data and hand it over to the authorities upon request. Furthermore, public Wi-Fi is a perfect place for hackers to set up fake access points to steal users’ data. If you want to avoid these issues, the best VPN for Australia is exactly what you need. And yes, we do mean the best because not every VPN is the same.

That said, we've done the hard work for you with all the research. We’ll show you the best VPNs we recommend for Australia, how to connect to a VPN in Australia, and why you should rely on a VPN to secure your online activities.

How to Get an Australian VPN

Getting an Australian VPN is easy. Simply subscribe to a VPN that offers servers in Australia and then connect to one of them. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Subscribe to a VPN with servers in Australia (we recommend ExpressVPN).
2. Download and install the VPN app on your device(s).
3. Log in to the VPN service using your credentials.
4. Connect to a server in Australia.
5. Now you can browse the web privately with VPN protection!

If you want to access Aussie-exclusive content, then you need to obtain an Australian IP address by connecting to a VPN server based in the country. On the other hand, if you are in Australia and want to access global content, connect to a VPN server outside of the country.

Best Australia VPN

Finding the best Australia VPN requires keeping a few criteria in mind. First, the VPN provider must have plenty of servers inside and outside Australia, which is how you will access Australian content while traveling as well as unblock global geo-restricted services.

Security must be on point to protect your Internet activities from surveillance, so the VPN must use AES 256-bit encryption. A no-logs policy is also a must to ensure that the VPN provider will not keep records of your data. Other important features include unlimited bandwidth and high connection speeds.

Based on the criteria above, here are the top 5 Australia VPNs:

1. ExpressVPN – Our #1-Rated VPN for Australia
2. NordVPN – Top Australia VPN for Enhanced Security Features
3. CyberGhost VPN – Highest Number of Australian VPN Servers 
4. Surfshark – Best VPN for Unlimited Connections
5. Private Internet Access – Best Australian VPN for Advanced Users

1. ExpressVPN – Our #1-Rated VPN for Australia

We have tested enough VPN services to know that ExpressVPN is the best VPN for Australia, simply because it checks all the right boxes. It's ahead of its competition in almost every way, so let's take a closer look at this VPN.

Since Australia is a member of the 5-Eyes surveillance network, this country shares intelligence with partners around the world. Hence, you should be glad that ExpressVPN offers a strict no-logs policy that quickly eradicates this problem. You can sleep easy knowing your data is not recorded anywhere to be handed over. 

Still worried about your privacy? Perhaps this will help: ExpressVPN has robust encryption protocols like Lightway and OpenVPN. Built in-house, Lightway offers faster speeds and better energy efficiency than its competition. And on top of that, ExpressVPN utilizes the industry-leading AES 256-bit standard for encryption.

If your next big concern is whether this VPN has enough servers in Australia, let us inform you that it has 3,000+ servers worldwide in 160 locations, including 5 cities in Australia (Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, and Adelaide). 

ExpressVPN is the best Australia VPN because it’s also the fastest VPN on the market. It consistently outpaced the competition in our tests. Its 10 Gbps servers deliver high bandwidth for certain activities like gaming and streaming. 

Furthermore, perhaps you are traveling from the US, and you discover your TV show is restricted in Australia. Instead, you can only access the Australian Netflix library. What do you do then? 

You guessed it! ExpressVPN swoops in with its "Smart DNS" and helps you spoof your location. This feature will trick streaming websites into believing you are in the US when you are actually in Australia. As a result, your US Netflix library is now open for viewing your favorite TV shows and movies.

The icing on the cake: you don’t have to worry about whether you'll like the VPN after purchase. ExpressVPN offers an impressive 30-day money-back guarantee. You can always get your money back if you aren’t satisfied with the service.

2. NordVPN – Top Australia VPN for Enhanced Security Features

If you’re looking for a service that balances features and affordability, NordVPN is the right fit. It is an excellent addition to this article because it is located in Panama, which stands outside the jurisdiction of the 5-Eyes intelligence alliance.

The VPN's no-logs policy has recently been audited (as well as multiple times in the past), which proves that it maintains a strict no-logs policy. They insist their users' data is private and kept away from NordVPN's servers at any moment. Therefore, no one should have access to it.

For added security, you can use NordVPN's "Double VPN" feature, which will re-route your connection through two VPN servers before connecting you to the Internet, giving you double the encryption so no hackers can steal your data. Furthermore, it offers obfuscated servers to bypass firewalls by making VPN traffic look like regular Internet traffic.

With this VPN, you get above-average Internet speeds thanks to its 5,500+ servers worldwide, 190+ of which are located in Australia (Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Perth). In other words, say goodbye to poor connectivity and slow Internet speed once you start using this VPN.

Lastly, the best part of this VPN is its 30-day money-back guarantee, allowing you to try the service without any commitment. Coupled with a customer support team that is prompt and available round the clock (you can chat live 24/7), assistance will always be within your reach.

3. CyberGhost VPN – Highest Number of Australian VPN Servers

CyberGhost strikes a nice balance between having enough security features and an affordable price point among the best Australian VPN services. It's one of those VPNs you can recommend without second-guessing - thanks to a slew of features that are tried and tested.

For example, it’s easy to recommend a VPN with an ad-blocker, anti-malware, and AES 256-bit encryption that can protect you from scammers and online eavesdroppers in Australia.

Similarly, you won’t have to second-guess when you know CyberGhost VPN has 9,000+ servers in 90 locations, 4 of them being in Australia (Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Brisbane). While it falls behind some of its competitors in terms of server locations, what it lacks in quantity, it makes up for in quality. 

This VPN has specialized servers for P2P sharing, which makes torrenting possible in Australia and anywhere else. There are servers for gaming, ensuring you get a low ping, which you'll appreciate if you like to play online multiplayer games. It also has dedicated servers for streaming that are clearly marked in the VPN app.

Moreover, the support system of this VPN isn’t half bad either. They have a list of well-curated articles containing information on how to troubleshoot your problems regarding the VPN. Of course, you can also count on this VPN's 24/7 live chat, as well as on its 45-day money-back guarantee.

The only drawback is CyberGhost's performance. This VPN does perform smoothly, but it comes behind ExpressVPN and NordVPN in terms of its download and upload speeds.

4. Surfshark – Best VPN for Unlimited Connections

Surfshark operates 20 Australian servers in 5 locations in the country. It also has 3,200+ servers globally, making it one of the best VPN providers for accessing geo-restricted content in Australia and around the world.

However, the number of servers can only take you so far if they can’t deliver fast speeds. Surfshark offers up to 10 Gbps speeds for users with powerful Internet connections. The servers run entirely off RAM, meaning that data gets wiped every time the server restarts to prevent law enforcement from seizing your sensitive information.

Surfshark fully supports streaming, so you can look forward to unblocking streaming services like Hulu, Peacock TV, and more that are not yet available in Australia. Surfshark backs its streaming capabilities with an unlimited bandwidth policy. It is also one of the few services in the market that offers unlimited simultaneous connections. You’ll have absolute freedom when it comes to connecting any number of devices with your subscription.

Surfshark uses AES 256-bit encryption on all servers, and its list of protocols includes OpenVPN, IKEv2, and Wireguard. Selecting OpenVPN automatically enables what Surfshark calls Camouflage Mode, which is an obfuscation technique to hide VPN traffic. It helps evade online surveillance and bypass firewalls. 

Thanks to its safe jurisdiction in the Netherlands, Surfshark’s no-logs policy has been externally audited. You can rest easy if you have concerns about your privacy. 

Surfshark is available to download for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. The VPN also supports routers for extended compatibility with platforms such as Roku and video game consoles.

You get a 30-day money-back guarantee when you subscribe to this Australian VPN. Moreover, Surfshark’s customer support is ready to serve you 24/7 via live chat and email.

5. Private Internet Access – Best Australian VPN for Advanced Users

Just looking at the fact that Private Internet Access (PIA) has been in the market for 10+ years promises a strong sense of reliability. As part of its server network spanning 84 countries globally, PIA has Australian servers in six cities.

PIA slowly built its presence in the industry by introducing features such as split tunneling, a malware blocker, dedicated IP addresses, and the Wireguard protocol, which has become popular owing to its faster performance compared to existing VPN protocols. In that regard, PIA also supports OpenVPN, L2TP/IPsec, and IKEv2 protocols. Its VPN app gives you convenient access to all these options. As you would expect from a top VPN service, PIA utilizes AES 256-bit keys for encrypting Internet traffic.

It is worth mentioning that PIA’s advanced set of features also includes SOCKS5 proxy and Shadowsocks servers. These are specialized servers aimed at making VPN traffic look like regular traffic to bypass firewalls.

PIA recently upgraded its simultaneous connections policy from 10 devices to an unlimited number of devices. You can take advantage of this newly-upgraded feature to use PIA on supported platforms such as Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and even routers. A browser extension is also available for Firefox and Chrome. 

It will probably make you happy to hear that PIA has an unlimited bandwidth policy, so you don’t need to worry about streaming ultra-HD content. You won’t experience any buffering while trying to watch your favorite shows and movies.

Despite being headquartered in the United States, there is some comfort in knowing that PIA can deliver on its promise of privacy thanks to an external audit verifying its no-logs policy.

You can pick up this VPN for Australia and get a 30-day money-back guarantee with your purchase. And if you run into any issues, PIA’s team of support specialists is available 24/7 via live chat and email to assist you.

Why Do I Need a VPN for Australia?

You need a VPN for Australia because the country is part of the 5-Eyes alliance, which exists to share signals intelligence by spying on its citizens. ISPs in Australia are legally bound to monitor and log your online activities and share them with law enforcement authorities upon request. Here’s a breakdown of the reasons why using a VPN is a must:

• Avoiding Online Surveillance – The Australian government has passed laws that allow them to use ISPs to monitor web activities. They can even compel electronic messenger service providers like WhatsApp to provide access to encrypted communications. As part of the 5-Eyes alliance, there is no doubt that Australia has many systems in place to track user activities on the Internet.
• Bypassing Censorship – A VPN can help you bypass censorship put in place by the government to block access to content that it deems unlawful or anti-national. Your ISP actively monitors web traffic against a list of blocked websites and drops the request when it sees a match. VPN encryption lets users hide the DNS queries and go unnoticed by the ISP’s firewall.
• Unblocking Geo-Restricted Content – The Internet is free, but the content on the Internet is often locked behind a geo-restricted barrier. Streaming services like Hulu are unavailable in Australia, and some websites may not be accessible in every region. A VPN opens up that access by changing your IP address to spoof your location to a region where the content is available.

Can I Use a Free VPN for Australia? 

Yes, you can use a free VPN for Australia, but we strongly recommend against it. We say this because free VPN services do not guarantee proper security features.

In our experience, free VPNs easily leak sensitive data and leave IP addresses unprotected. Also, even the best free VPN services aren't effective when it comes to website unblocking. They also bring limited performance and capped bandwidth.

Instead, you should opt to use a premium VPN service that offers a risk-free trial and money-back policy so that you get to test the VPN and understand how it works. You can try ExpressVPN for 30 days, which is the best Australia VPN available today.

Final Thoughts

With digital surveillance in Australia putting your privacy at risk, only a VPN with strong encryption, a verified no-logs policy, and plenty of servers (both in Australia and globally) can give you true freedom while browsing the Internet. 

ExpressVPN is our recommendation for the best VPN for Australia because it is a complete package of speed, security, reliability, and value. It has tons of VPN servers in Australia, as well as in 94 countries worldwide. Furthermore, ExpresVPN’s 30-day money-back guarantee and audited zero-logs policy should give you enough confidence to try out the service.