NordVPN is the best VPN for Australia, especially if you’re interested in online privacy, content unblocking, and unparalleled security. This VPN provides numerous servers in Australia and abroad, offers a suite of security tools and protocols, and is based outside Oz’s jurisdiction.
If NordVPN isn’t your cup of tea, other reliable alternative VPNs for Australia include PureVPN, CyberGhost, PrivateVPN, and ExpressVPN.
These VPNs also raise the bar regarding privacy, security, and bypassing censorship.
Guess which gives you the fastest and most beginner-friendly features at a low price?
Top 3 VPNs for Australia
PureVPN
Best for secure Australian access
- Quantum-resistant servers
- AES 256-bit encryption
- 6,000+ global servers
NordVPN
Best for speed and privacy
- In-house secure protocol
- Advanced Threat Protection
- 7,000+ global servers
CyberGhost
Best for gaming and streaming
- Gaming-optimized servers
- Streaming and torrenting servers
- 9,000+ global servers
The Australian government blocks websites like The Pirate Bay and Kickass Torrents behind the power of court orders. It also has laws allowing unrestricted access to your data, which it mandates Australian and non-Australian companies to collect.
Fortunately, you can beat all that with these VPN services.
Download P2P Files and Browse Securely in Australia With These VPNs
Unblock P2P websites to download files securely, bypass censorship on Australian ISPs and prevent the government from collecting data about what you do online.
Here’s how these VPNs ensure that:
- NordVPN – Get P2P Support, Australian IPs, and Reliable Online Privacy
- PureVPN – Livestream Australian or Global Content & Get Robust Online Security
- CyberGhost – 9000+ Servers Optimized for Streaming and Torrent Downloads
- PrivateVPN – Four Australian Cities, Torrent-Friendly Extras, and a Low Price
- ExpressVPN – Hide Your VPN Usage in Australia and Get Public Wi-Fi Security
The juicy details of how these VPNs improve your internet experience in Australia are in my in-depth reviews and comparisons below.
Best VPNs for Australia: Comparisons & In-Depth Reviews
I tested these VPNs for Australia on security, privacy, P2P support, encryption, and other relevant features for Australia. Some perform better than others in some areas, while they’re similar in other instances.
Discover the uniqueness of each Virtual Private Network (VPN) to make a better buying decision.
NordVPN - Get P2P Support, Australian IPs, and Reliable Online Privacy
NordVPN has 190+ Australian servers across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide to unblock Australian content like Kayo and Netflix Australia from abroad.
I also tested its Australian servers for torrenting, and there’s no special server to hunt for: NordVPN now allows P2P on all its standard servers.
Speaking of torrenting, NordVPN’s servers are capable of bypassing blocks to The Pirate Bay, 1337x, Kickass Torrents, and other torrent websites blocked in Australia. The best part is that Optus, Vodafone, or Telstra won’t know you’re accessing torrent sites, and copyright trolls can’t see the files you download.
On top of that, NordVPN offers 7,000+ servers in 150 countries to unblock content abroad from Australia. I’ve used these VPN servers to access BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix US, and other content from the land of Oz.
But this VPN provider shines best in the privacy aspect.
For starters, the audited no-logs provider is based in Panama.
Thus, the Australian government can’t invoke its “Telecommunications Legislation Amendment” to force NordVPN to hand over your VPN traffic and activity.
NordVPN also provides an automatic public Wi-Fi protection feature on its mobile and PC apps. I enabled this on my iOS device and was automatically protected against hackers/data leaks on Sydney’s Quay Bar, Just Chicken, and Darling Quarter public networks.
It might not be the cheapest provider listed, but it’s good value for money.
Grab these NordVPN discounts to save more and enjoy a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Pros
- 190+ Australian VPN servers across five cities to access Oz content anywhere
- 7,000+ secure VPN servers to unblock content in 150 countries
- Offers automatic public Wi-Fi security on PC and mobile devices
- P2P on all standard servers for secure torrent website unblocking and file downloads
- Audited no-logs provider based in Panama
Cons
- Costlier than PureVPN and CyberGhost
- One fewer Australian city than ExpressVPN
PureVPN - Livestream Australian or Global Content & Get Robust Online Security
PureVPN is the best bet for live streaming content in Australia and beyond, thanks to its 87Mbps speeds on a 100Mbps network. That made it the fastest VPN I tested for this list.
This provider also offers 59 servers in four Australian cities (Melbourne, Perth, Sydney, and Brisbane). I used these servers to live stream sports on 10 Play and CBS 10 All Access news content.
And if you want to stream international content, you get 6,000+ servers in 65+ countries – fewer than NordVPN, but still plenty!
PureVPN also offers P2P-optimized servers in Australia.
I didn’t need to connect to these to get the fastest speeds, but they’re there for the taking.
You can also grab its port forwarding add-on to seed torrents and get faster torrent downloads. In fact, it supports port forwarding on its Brisbane server in Australia.
Beyond that, PureVPN’s AES 256-bit encryption ensures any information you transmit over internet service providers (ISPs) like Vodafone or Optus remains scrambled. I even connected to a PureVPN server and tested the encryption successfully over Wireshark. Better to be sure than sorry!
This translates into public Wi-Fi protection too. However, PureVPN lacks an automatic option for public Wi-Fi security.
Its saving grace is that it’s based in the British Virgin Islands, outside Australia’s reach, and has a twice-audited no-logs policy.
Finally, PureVPN costs less than most of the other listed VPNs and allows ten simultaneous device connections.
Grab these PureVPN discounts to enjoy lower prices.
Pros
- 59 Australian servers in 4 cities to unblock 10 Play, CBS 10 Access, and other local content
- 6,000+ servers to unblock content in 65+ countries
- 87Mbps speeds make it ideal for unblocking steady global content streams
- Offers P2P-optimized servers with port forwarding for torrent downloads and seeding
- Uses AES 256-bit encryption to keep ISPs, the government, hackers, and third parties out
- Twice-audited no-logs provider based in the BVI
Cons
- Not as many Oz servers or cities as NordVPN
- Lacks automatic public Wi-Fi protection
CyberGhost - 9000+ Servers Optimized for Streaming and Torrent Downloads
CyberGhost’s biggest strength during my tests is its ease of use, underlined by its provision of servers optimized for gaming, torrenting, and streaming.
Its streaming servers are optimized to unblock DAZN Canada, Hotstar, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix Japan, BBC iPlayer, etc., from Australia. Interestingly, I once used the Netflix US server to unblock Hulu US, so they’re not restricted to a single platform.
Furthermore, this VPN provider offers 209+ Australian servers and the largest overall server count on this list (9000+ servers in 100 countries).
However, I observed that the majority of its Australian servers are blocked on 9Now, Foxtel GO, and other Aussie streaming sites. In these cases, only the streaming-optimized AU servers worked.
Like NordVPN, it also features an easy-to-use automatic Wi-Fi protection feature, enhanced by the industry-standard AES 256-bit encryption to scramble your online data.
My Wireshark tests on this encryption showed nothing intelligible (good news), even though I was connected to a CyberGhost server for a long time.
This encryption also works on the torrenting servers, ensuring you can quickly unblock and download torrents on The Pirate Bay or other torrent websites restricted in Australia. However, it’s slower than PureVPN and lacks port forwarding for torrent seeding.
Thankfully, this recently-audited provider is based in Romania, a privacy-friendly EU region. So, Australia can’t leverage its alliances in the EU to impose on CyberGhost to release data on your internet activities.
For all that, CyberGhost doesn’t break the bank.
Get those juicy prices with these mouth-watering discounts.
Pros
- 209+ servers to access local Australian content at home and abroad
- 9000+ servers to unblock content, connect to gaming peers or get IPs in 100 countries
- P2P support on torrent-optimized servers to securely unblock and download torrent files
- AES 256-bit encryption + public Wi-Fi protection to ensure online privacy on all networks
- Audited no-logs provider based in the privacy-friendly Romania
- Affordable VPN provider
Cons
- Not as fast as PureVPN
- Lacks port forwarding for torrent seeding
- Most Australian servers are blocked on Foxtel, 9Now, 10Play, etc.
PrivateVPN - Four Australian Cities, Torrent-Friendly Extras, and a Low Price
PrivateVPN runs the smallest network on this list – 200+ servers in 63 countries – yet four of its locations are Australian: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth.
When I set it up for my PrivateVPN ABC iview guide, the Sydney server streamed ABC iview in top quality without buffering. I’ve also unblocked 9Now over its Australian servers.
What makes it worth a look for Oz, though, is its torrenting toolkit:
- A SOCKS5 proxy (and an HTTP proxy) comes with every subscription, so you can point your torrent client at it directly.
- Port forwarding is available on selected protocols and locations for faster seeding.
- Shared static IPs are standard, and some locations also offer dynamic dedicated IPs (over OpenVPN).
Just keep the VPN switched on while you use the proxy. A proxy changes your IP address, but it doesn’t encrypt your downloads, and encryption is what keeps Optus or Telstra from seeing your torrent traffic.
On the privacy side, PrivateVPN is based in Sweden. That’s outside Australian jurisdiction, but Sweden sits in the same Fourteen Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance as Australia, and PrivateVPN’s no-logs claim hasn’t been independently audited.
I didn’t include it in my speed tests for this list, though, so I have no figure to compare with PureVPN’s 87Mbps.
Where it shines is price: $72 covers 36 months (a year plus 24 bonus months), which works out at $2.00 a month for 10 devices, with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Lock in that price with this PrivateVPN deal.
Pros
- 4 Australian server locations (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth)
- Streamed ABC iview and unblocked 9Now over its Australian servers
- SOCKS5 proxy plus port forwarding on selected locations for torrenting
- 10 simultaneous device connections
- $2.00/month on the 36-month plan
Cons
- Smallest server network on this list
- No independent audit of its no-logs claim
- Not included in my speed tests
ExpressVPN - Hide Your VPN Usage in Australia and Get Public Wi-Fi Security
ExpressVPN leads this list on reliable and fast obfuscation. In fact, it’s the only listed VPN provider that automatically enables obfuscation on all servers and protocols.
Thus, you can bypass censorship blocks put in place by your Australian ISP/employer/school/government while hiding your VPN usage simultaneously.
On top of that, ExpressVPN offers the best option to get an Australian server closest to you. It provides servers in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Woolloomooloo – one more location than NordVPN.
These servers granted me access to Foxtel Now, Foxtel Go, and 10Play’s trending videos, even though ExpressVPN wasn’t the fastest VPN in my tests.
Goes to show that speed isn’t everything sometimes.
Besides the Oz servers, ExpressVPN’s server spread to 113 countries is second only to NordVPN’s on this list. I had no issues unblocking BBC iPlayer (UK servers), Crave TV (Canada servers), France TV (French servers), and anything else from anywhere!
While the VPN also uses AES 256-bit encryption to bolster its public Wi-Fi protection offering, there’s no automatic Wi-Fi setting, like PureVPN.
So, always manually connect to ExpressVPN when you’re at the Point Cook Library, Dimattina’s, or Dan Murphy’s in Melbourne. Or choose one of the other providers for automatic Wi-Fi protection.
Fortunately, ExpressVPN is an independently audited provider based in the BVI, like PureVPN. In fact, it had proven its no-logs policy once when Turkish authorities seized some of its servers and found ZERO user data on them.
However, it isn’t the cheapest option here, even though it backs up that price with value.
You can get it cheaper with these ExpressVPN discounts and enjoy a 30-day refund period.
Pros
- Servers in 6 Australian cities to unblock local content and get low-latency gaming options
- Automatic and fast obfuscation on all servers and protocols
- Massive server library to unblock content and get IP addresses in 113 countries
- Audited no-logs VPN provider based in the BVI
- AES 256-bit encryption on all servers and protocols for online privacy across all networks
Cons
- Costs more than PureVPN and CyberGhost
- Not as fast as PureVPN in my speed tests
- Lacks automatic public Wi-Fi protection across PCs and mobile devices
How to Set up a VPN for Australia?
Follow the straightforward 7-step guide below to set up your VPN for Australia like a pro in less than five minutes:
- Get a reliable VPN for Australia. NordVPN (grab discounts) is recommended for top-notch security and privacy.
- Download the VPN app for your preferred device. I’ll use my iOS device for this example, but you can also get its Android and PC apps.
- Launch the app and log in with your account credentials. The username/email and password details were created in step #1 above.
- Choose a VPN connection protocol. I recommend NordVPN’s NordLynx or IKEV2 for speed and security.
- Tap the “QUICK CONNECT” button to automatically get the nearest/faster server location. This is best for secure web browsing, public Wi-Fi protection, and gaming.
- OR search for a preferred server location and tap to connect. This is best to unblock content in a select region.
- You’ll get a connection confirmation at the top of your screen. You can now enjoy NordVPN’s online privacy, security, and unblocking features.
How to Get an Australian IP Address?
Do you want to connect to gaming peers in Australia, unblock Netflix Australia from outside the Oz, or encrypt your public Wi-Fi connection at the Tudor Hotel Redfern?
Here’s how to get a local IP address:
- Choose a VPN with an Australian IP address. I recommend NordVPN.
- Follow steps 2-4 from above. I’ll download the Windows PC app for this demonstration.
- Search for “Australia” to bring up local servers.
- Click on the main country to get the fastest server in the fastest city. Or click on a preferred city to get an IP address there.
- Wait for the successful confirmation, then test for leaks. I use ipleak.net.
- Enjoy your new Australian IP address.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can You Use a Free VPN in Australia?
You can use a free VPN in Australia, but they’ll expose you to data leaks, slow internet speeds, poor data encryption, unreliable content unblocking, and irregular public Wi-Fi protection.
Thus, your government, copyright trolls, ISPs like Optus, and hackers can still deanonymize you and collect information about your online activity.
Are VPNs Legal in Australia?
VPNs are legal in Australia, especially if you’re using one to unblock content abroad, download torrents securely, encrypt your data over public Wi-Fi, or ensure online privacy. However, it’s illegal to use a VPN to perpetrate cyberattacks which is both a breach of Australian laws and a reliable VPN provider’s terms of use.
Become a Privacy Wizard in Oz!
You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to prevent the Australian government, ISPs, copyright trolls, and network admins from digging their noses into your online activity. Thanks to these reliable VPN providers, you’ll enjoy better online privacy and security.
NordVPN leads the charge in Australia, offering content-unblocking capabilities with its robust security base.
Remember to grab these first-time discounts to save more on your subscription.
