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Best VPN for Australia (October 2026)

We pick the best VPN for Australia by testing VPNs ourselves on a home NBN connection in Melbourne. Since October 2026 we have put 7 VPNs through the same checks. We measure speed on Australian and overseas servers, try to stream Netflix, BBC iPlayer, SBS On Demand and ABC iview, and watch whether your real address leaks when the app switches servers.

Laurence Deer

Who tests these VPNs

Laurence DeerFounder and reviewer, Melbourne. Testing VPNs since 2019.

When we test a VPN, we install the provider's own app on a home NBN connection in Melbourne, measure our download speed with the VPN off and then on Australian and overseas servers, and check for DNS leaks and which streaming services open. Every result shows the date we ran it.

At a glance

From our data checked 15–25 Oct 2026

Best VPN Australia: the top 10

Each entry has its current price, with the date we checked it, the key facts, who it suits best, and what independent testers and our own dated tests found. Follow the link for the full review.

  1. 1SurfsharkHouseholds with lots of devices, on a budgetA$3.49/mo
  2. 2NordVPNMost people who want one VPN that does everything wellA$4.79/mo
  3. 3Proton VPNTrying a VPN for free first, and privacy-minded usersabout A$4.97/mo
  4. 4Mysterium VPNStreaming Netflix UK or Netflix Japan from Australiaabout A$3.26/mo
  5. 5PureVPNA low price and US streaming, if you accept a mixed recordabout A$3.06/mo
  6. 6AdGuard VPNWatching BBC iPlayer, Channel 4 and ITVX from AustraliaA$4.25/mo
  7. 7Intego VPNMac owners who want a security suite with a VPN built inabout A$5.78/mo
  8. 8Private Internet AccessTorrenting and tinkering, on unlimited devicesA$2.79/mo
  9. 9CyberGhostStreaming on a tight budget, with a long refund windowA$3.27/mo
  10. 10IPVanishUnlimited devices with servers right across Australiaabout A$3.12/mo
  1. 1

    Surfshark

    Price checked 25 OctTested 25 Oct

    From A$3.49 a month
    on the Starter plan (27 months), A$94.23 upfront.

    • 30-day money-back guarantee
    • 4,500+ servers
    • 100 countries
    • Unlimited devices

    Best for: Households with lots of devices, on a budget

    Surfshark is one of the lowest-priced big names in Australian dollars, covers unlimited devices at once and lists servers in 5 Australian cities. It says Deloitte has twice verified its no-logs claim. Independent testers rate it fast, a little behind NordVPN, and its pricing page does not show the renewal price upfront.

    Black Friday deal ends soonVisit SurfsharkFrom A$3.49/mo · checked 25 Oct (Lowest monthly price, on the Starter plan paid upfront for 27 months; read from surfshark.com on 25 October 2026) Read our full Surfshark review

    Full write-up and test notes for Surfshark

    One Surfshark account covers unlimited devices at once, so a family's phones, laptops, tablets and smart TV can share it. It lists servers in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney, and in 100 countries. It is based in the Netherlands and says Deloitte has twice verified its no-logs claim, with Cure53 auditing its infrastructure.

    Independent testers rate it fast: Security.org saw a torrent finish about 5% slower than without the VPN, and Top10VPN recorded a 13% loss. On a Melbourne server on the afternoon of 25 October 2026 it kept 94% of our download speed, a little more than NordVPN that afternoon, but Prime Video refused to play there on 24 October, and our real IP showed for a few seconds when we switched servers on 16 and 25 October. Two things to check before you buy: its pricing page does not show the renewal price upfront, and Security.org notes that Surfshark may record IP addresses, which it calls poor practice for a no-logs service.

  2. 2

    NordVPN

    Price checked 22 OctTested 25 Oct

    From A$4.79 a month
    on the Basic plan (27 months), A$129.33 upfront, renews at A$187.08 every year.

    • 30-day money-back guarantee
    • 7,115 servers
    • 150 countries
    • 10 devices at once

    Best for: Most people who want one VPN that does everything well

    NordVPN prices its plans in Australian dollars, lists servers in 5 Australian cities and runs one of the largest networks we track. Independent testers consistently put it among the fastest, and PCWorld names it the best VPN overall for 2026. The main trade-off is a renewal price well above the introductory rate, and one account covers 10 devices at once.

    Black Friday deal ends soonVisit NordVPNFrom A$4.79/mo · checked 22 Oct (Lowest monthly price, on the Basic plan paid upfront for 27 months; checked on 22 October 2026) Read our full NordVPN review

    Full write-up and test notes for NordVPN

    NordVPN runs one of the largest networks we track, with servers in 150 countries and in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney, so most Australians can use a server in or near their own city. The apps cover phones, computers, Apple TV, Android TV and routers. They include a kill switch, split tunnelling, an ad and tracker blocker and double-hop servers, though on 14 October 2026 the Mac app offered only an app kill switch, off by default. Security.org says third-party auditors have verified its no-logs policy (review updated October 2026).

    We retested it from Melbourne on 14, 17, 24 and 25 October 2026. On a Melbourne server on the afternoon of 25 October it kept 88% of our home connection's download speed, close to our line; on the evening of 24 October it kept noticeably less, so speed there changed with the time of day. That afternoon overseas servers kept 78% in the US, 62% in the UK and 83% in Japan, with no DNS leaks on the servers we checked (14, 24 and 25 October 2026).

    BBC iPlayer blocked us on five UK servers on 14 October and played on a London server on 17 October. Signed in to Netflix on 25 October, the US library played, but Netflix UK and Netflix Japan showed a VPN or proxy message; ITVX and Japan's ABEMA played that day. On 17 October a torrent on a standard Melbourne server ran as fast as with the VPN off. On 24 October SBS On Demand, 9Now, ABC iview and Prime Video all played on a Melbourne server. The main catch is cost after the first term: the renewal price is well above the introductory rate.

  3. 3

    Proton VPN

    Price checked 25 OctTested 21 Oct

    From US$3.49 (about A$4.97) a month
    on the VPN Plus plan (2 years), US$83.76 upfront, renews at US$83.88 every year.

    • 30-day money-back guarantee
    • 18,304 servers
    • 149 countries
    • 10 devices at once
    • Free plan available

    Best for: Trying a VPN for free first, and privacy-minded users

    Proton VPN is the pick if you want to start free: it has a free plan, open-source apps, a Swiss base and a no-logs audit by Securitum. It charges in US dollars. In our 21 October 2026 tests Netflix US, Netflix UK and iPlayer played, but SBS On Demand needed its ad blocker turned off, and its full refund covers only your first purchase.

    Visit Proton VPNFrom US$3.49/mo · checked 25 Oct (Lowest monthly price (about A$4.97), on the VPN Plus plan paid upfront for 2 years; read from protonvpn.com on 25 October 2026) Read our full Proton VPN review

    Full write-up and test notes for Proton VPN

    Proton VPN has a free plan, so you can try it in Australia before paying anything. It comes from the Swiss company behind Proton Mail, its apps are open source, and Securitum has audited its no-logs policy. Paid plans cover 10 devices at once and add servers in 149 countries, Secure Core routing through privacy-friendly countries, and an ad and tracker blocker.

    Independent speed results vary: Top10VPN recorded a 24% loss on connections to Australia, while CNET measured 48% in its March 2025 tests. When we tested it from Melbourne in October 2026, it kept 99% of our download speed on a local server. Netflix US, Netflix UK and BBC iPlayer played on 21 October 2026, but SBS On Demand needed Proton's ad blocker switched off. It charges in US dollars, so your bank may add a fee, and its full refund within 30 days covers only your first purchase.

  4. 4

    Mysterium VPN

    Price checked 24 OctTested 24 Oct

    From US$2.29 (about A$3.26) a month
    on the Plus plan (2 years), US$54.94 upfront.

    • 30-day money-back guarantee
    • 11,000+ servers
    • 108 countries
    • 6–15 devices at once, by plan

    Best for: Streaming Netflix UK or Netflix Japan from Australia

    Mysterium VPN played Netflix UK and Netflix Japan in our 24 October 2026 test, but every server, Sydney included, added heavy lag, so it suits streaming better than calls or games. It bills in US dollars, and only its two-year plans get a 30-day refund. Australian servers are in Sydney only.

    Black Friday deal ends soonVisit Mysterium VPNFrom US$2.29/mo · checked 24 Oct (Lowest monthly price (about A$3.26), on the Plus plan paid upfront for 2 years; checked on 24 October 2026) Read our full Mysterium VPN review

    Full write-up and test notes for Mysterium VPN

    Mysterium VPN runs on a decentralised network, and its Plus and Pro plans add residential addresses: home internet connections rather than data-centre servers. Its pricing page does not say what a plan renews at, and on the monthly and one-year plans you get only 7 days to ask for a refund.

    When we tested it from Melbourne on 24 October 2026, Netflix UK and Netflix Japan played, the first time Netflix Japan has played in our tests. Netflix US, BBC iPlayer, Channel 4, ITVX and ABEMA blocked us. The catch is lag: even on the Sydney server, a connection to Sydney took 445 ms, against 28 ms with the VPN off. That is fine for streaming but poor for video calls and games. The kill switch and DNS protection come on by default, and switching servers never showed our real address.

  5. 5

    PureVPN

    Price checked 24 OctTested 21 Oct

    From US$2.15 (about A$3.06) a month
    on the Standard plan (27 months).

    • 31-day money-back guarantee
    • 65+ countries
    • 10 devices at once

    Best for: A low price and US streaming, if you accept a mixed record

    PureVPN has one of the lowest prices in our table, charged in US dollars, and gives you 31 days to ask for a refund. In our 21 October 2026 tests Netflix US, BBC iPlayer and Australian TV played, but our real IP showed during server switches with the kill switch on. It has rebuilt its privacy record with outside audits since a 2017 logging case.

    Visit PureVPNFrom US$2.15/mo · checked 24 Oct (Lowest monthly price (about A$3.06), on the Standard plan paid upfront for 27 months; read from purevpn.com on 24 October 2026) Read our full PureVPN review

    Full write-up and test notes for PureVPN

    PureVPN competes on price: it regularly has one of the lowest monthly rates in our comparison, charged in US dollars. PureVPN says one account covers ten devices, and it gives you 31 days to ask for a refund. When we tested it from Melbourne on 21 October 2026, Netflix US, BBC iPlayer and Channel 4 played, SBS On Demand, ABC iview and 9Now worked on a Melbourne server, and no DNS lookups leaked.

    The catches are real. In our 21 October 2026 test, with the kill switch on, our real IP showed for about 2 to 3 seconds during two server switches, so pause downloads before you change country. Netflix UK, Netflix Japan and TVer blocked us that evening. In 2017, while advertising no logs, PureVPN supplied records that helped the FBI identify a man later convicted of cyberstalking; it says it has since brought in auditors, first Altius IT and then KPMG.

  6. 6

    AdGuard VPN

    Price checked 24 OctTested 24 Oct

    From A$4.25 a month
    on the AdGuard VPN plan (2 years), A$102.08 upfront.

    • 30-day money-back guarantee
    • 10 devices at once

    Best for: Watching BBC iPlayer, Channel 4 and ITVX from Australia

    AdGuard VPN does not publish a country count (we checked its site on 24 Oct 2026), so it scores as the lowest in this list on that measure.

    AdGuard VPN played BBC iPlayer, Channel 4 and ITVX and kept close to full speed on its Sydney server in our 24 October 2026 test, but Netflix blocked us in the US, UK and Japan. It shows prices in Australian dollars before GST. Australian servers are in Sydney only.

    Read our full AdGuard VPN review

    Full write-up and test notes for AdGuard VPN

    AdGuard VPN comes from the company behind the AdGuard ad blocker, but the VPN app did not block ads on its default settings. It covers 10 devices and gives you 30 days to ask for your money back on its one- and two-year plans; the monthly plan has no refund. AdGuard says it has over 75 locations but does not publish a country count.

    When we tested it from Melbourne on 24 October 2026, the kill switch was on by default, switching servers never showed our real address, and nothing leaked through DNS or WebRTC. SBS On Demand, ABC iview and 9Now played on the Sydney server, which 9Now placed in Victoria, but Prime Video blocked us there. Overseas speeds were uneven, and the India location is virtual: its server is in Singapore.

    Price and plan details read from adguard-vpn.com.

  7. 7

    Intego VPN

    Price checked 22 OctTested 22 Oct

    From US$4.06 (about A$5.78) a month
    on the Intego ONE Complete plan (2 years), US$97.49 upfront, renews at US$149.99 every 2 years.

    • 30-day money-back guarantee
    • 2 devices at once

    Best for: Mac owners who want a security suite with a VPN built in

    Intego VPN does not publish a country count (we checked its site on 22 Oct 2026), so it scores as the lowest in this list on that measure.

    Intego VPN comes only inside Intego ONE Complete, Intego's Mac security suite, so the price covers antivirus, a firewall and a Mac cleaner as well as the VPN, for one Mac and one iPhone. It bills in US dollars and renews higher after the first term. Australian servers are in Sydney only.

    Partner offerVisit Intego VPNFrom US$4.06/mo · checked 22 Oct (Lowest monthly price (about A$5.78), on the Intego ONE Complete plan paid upfront for 2 years; checked on 22 October 2026) Read our full Intego VPN review

    Full write-up and test notes for Intego VPN

    Intego VPN is part of Intego ONE Complete, Intego's Mac security suite, so the price buys antivirus, a firewall and a Mac cleaner as well as the VPN, for one Mac and one iPhone. It bills in US dollars and renews higher after the first term. Its only Australian location is Sydney, and it has no India location.

    When we tested it from Melbourne on 22 October 2026, BBC iPlayer, Channel 4, ITVX, ABEMA and Australian services such as SBS On Demand played, but Netflix blocked us in the US, UK and Japan. Switching servers on default settings showed our real IP address for about 2 seconds, and with the kill switch on, a switch never reconnected and left the Mac offline.

  8. 8

    Private Internet Access

    Price checked 22 OctLast tested late 2021Update coming soon

    From A$2.79 a month
    on the VPN plan (39 months), A$109.00 upfront, renews at A$109.00 every 3 years.

    • 30-day money-back guarantee
    • 113 countries
    • Unlimited devices

    Best for: Torrenting and tinkering, on unlimited devices

    Private Internet Access has one of the lowest prices in our table, billed in Australian dollars, and covers unlimited devices. Newer independent reviews rate it for torrenting and for apps with plenty of settings. Kape Technologies owns it, along with ExpressVPN and CyberGhost.

    Visit Private Internet AccessFrom A$2.79/mo · checked 22 Oct (Lowest monthly price, on the VPN plan paid upfront for 39 months; checked on 22 October 2026) Read our full Private Internet Access review

    Full write-up and test notes for Private Internet Access

    Private Internet Access lets you use it on unlimited devices at once and lists servers in 113 countries. Its prices are in Australian dollars; we check them by hand each week, because its site asks automated tools not to read it. Kape Technologies owns it, along with ExpressVPN and CyberGhost.

    When we tested it from Melbourne in late 2021, it kept 44% of our download speed on a Sydney server, the smallest share of the ten VPNs we tested in 2021 and 2022. Even so, US Netflix and BBC iPlayer both played. Top10VPN's October 2026 review rates it for torrenting and for apps with plenty of settings. We have not retested it since.

  9. 9

    CyberGhost

    Price checked 25 OctLast tested August 2021Update coming soon

    From A$3.27 a month
    on the 2-year plan (26 months), A$85.02 upfront, renews at A$85.02 every year.

    • 45-day money-back guarantee
    • 100 countries
    • 7 devices at once

    Best for: Streaming on a tight budget, with a long refund window

    CyberGhost has one of the lowest Australian-dollar prices we track and gives you 45 days to ask for a refund. It lists servers in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. Testers rate it well for streaming but found it slower over long distances, and one account covers 7 devices at once.

    Read our full CyberGhost review

    Full write-up and test notes for CyberGhost

    CyberGhost has one of the lowest Australian-dollar prices in our comparison on its longest plan, and it gives you 45 days to ask for your money back, time to try it on your own streaming services. It lists servers in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney, and one account covers 7 devices at once. Its apps label servers by streaming service, and Security.org found the ones for Netflix US, BBC iPlayer, Disney+ and Prime Video worked first time.

    The weak spot is long-distance speed: Security.org measured losses of more than 55% on connections from the US to Australia, and Top10VPN calls its long-distance speeds inconsistent. When we tested it from Melbourne in August 2021, it kept 93% of our download speed on a local server. CyberGhost is based in Romania and owned by Kape Technologies, which also owns ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access. It says Deloitte has checked its servers against its no-logs policy.

    Price and plan details read from www.cyberghostvpn.com.

  10. 10

    IPVanish

    Price checked 25 OctLast tested August 2021Update coming soon

    From US$2.19 (about A$3.12) a month
    on the Essential plan (2 years), US$52.56 upfront.

    • 30-day money-back guarantee
    • Unlimited devices

    Best for: Unlimited devices with servers right across Australia

    IPVanish does not publish a country count (we checked its site on 21 Oct 2026), so it scores as the lowest in this list on that measure.

    IPVanish covers unlimited devices at once and lists servers in 5 Australian cities, and testers rate it among the fastest on the WireGuard protocol. It charges in US dollars and is reported to be US-based. Its pricing page does not show what the plan renews at.

    Visit IPVanishFrom US$2.19/mo · checked 25 Oct (Lowest monthly price (about A$3.12), on the Essential plan paid upfront for 2 years; read from ipvanish.com on 25 October 2026) Read our full IPVanish review

    Full write-up and test notes for IPVanish

    IPVanish covers unlimited devices at once and lists servers in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. Its apps include a kill switch, split tunnelling, multi-hop and RAM-only servers. It says a third party has audited its no-logs policy, though its server page does not name the auditor.

    Testers rate it fast on the WireGuard protocol: Top10VPN recorded a 10% average loss, and Security.org streamed 4K video through an Australian server from the US. OpenVPN connections to Australia were much slower in Top10VPN's tests, and it says IPVanish struggles with foreign-language streaming services. When we tested it from Melbourne in August 2021, it kept 77% of our download speed on a local server. It is US-based, owned by Ziff Davis, charges in US dollars and does not show the renewal price on its pricing page.

VPN comparison for Australia

The same list side by side, including the Australian cities each provider lists servers in.

VPNLowest monthly priceRenewal priceMoney-backCountriesDevicesAustralian cities
1SurfsharkA$3.49
27 months, A$94.23 upfront
–30 days100Unlimited5
Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney
Black Friday deal ends soonVisit Surfshark
2NordVPNA$4.79
27 months, A$129.33 upfront
A$187.08
per year
30 days150105
Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney
Black Friday deal ends soonVisit NordVPN
3Proton VPNUS$3.49 (about A$4.97)
2 years, US$83.76 upfront
US$83.88
per year
30 days149105 (cities not named on its site)Visit Proton VPN
4Mysterium VPNUS$2.29 (about A$3.26)
2 years, US$54.94 upfront
–30 days1086–15–Black Friday deal ends soonVisit Mysterium VPN
5PureVPNUS$2.15 (about A$3.06)
27 months
–31 days65+10–Visit PureVPN
6AdGuard VPNA$4.25
2 years, A$102.08 upfront
–30 days–10–AdGuard VPN review
7Intego VPNUS$4.06 (about A$5.78)
2 years, US$97.49 upfront
US$149.99
per 2 years
30 days–2–Partner offerVisit Intego VPN
8Private Internet AccessA$2.79
39 months, A$109.00 upfront
A$109.00
per 3 years
30 days113Unlimited–Visit Private Internet Access
9CyberGhostA$3.27
26 months, A$85.02 upfront
A$85.02
per year
45 days10073
Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney
CyberGhost review
10IPVanishUS$2.19 (about A$3.12)
2 years, US$52.56 upfront
–30 days–Unlimited5
Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney
Visit IPVanish

Swipe the table sideways to see every column.

– means we do not have that detail yet. Prices shown in US$ are published in that currency; the Australian-dollar figure is approximate, converted at the European Central Bank euro reference rates for 23 Oct 2026 (US$1 = A$1.424).

How this list is ordered

VPNs we have tested ourselves in the last 90 days come first; the rest follow. Within each group, the order is calculated from the figures in the table, weighted as follows. The full method

  • Lowest monthly price (AUD, longest plan): 40%
  • Money-back period (scored in proportion to the longest): 15%
  • Countries with servers: 25%
  • Devices per account: 20%

Ranking calculated 25 Oct 2026.

VPN speed in Australia: our own tests

The table covers the VPNs in our list that we have tested ourselves, each with its latest local-server result and the month we ran it. We measure from a Melbourne home connection against the same line with the VPN off. We have not yet tested hide.me, IVPN, Mozilla VPN and Mullvad VPN, so they are not in it.

Our first round ran from August 2021 to March 2022. The current round started in October 2026 and so far has retested Surfshark, NordVPN, Proton VPN, Mysterium VPN, PureVPN, AdGuard VPN and Intego VPN; the other providers are due next. Each figure is a single test session, so treat the table as a rough, dated guide rather than today’s speed. If you play online, ping matters more than download speed; our guide to the best VPN for gaming puts each VPN’s ping beside the same line with the VPN off.

VPNDownload, Australian serverSpeed keptTested
Proton VPN49.6 Mbps99%October 2026
AdGuard VPN44.5 Mbps95%October 2026
Surfshark50 Mbps94%October 2026
CyberGhost99.6 Mbps93%August 2021
PureVPN32.3 Mbps92%October 2026
NordVPN46.7 Mbps88%October 2026
Intego VPN33.9 Mbps84%October 2026
IPVanish83.2 Mbps77%August 2021
Mysterium VPN31 Mbps71%October 2026
Private Internet Access47.4 Mbps44%late 2021

Our own measurements on a Melbourne home connection. "Speed kept" is the download speed with the VPN on, as a share of the same line's speed with it off, measured the same day; download figures depend on the line at the time, so compare that column. Proton VPN, AdGuard VPN, Surfshark, PureVPN, NordVPN, Intego VPN and Mysterium VPN are from our October 2026 retest; the others are from our original 2021–22 reviews and have not been retested yet. Not part of the ranking above.

Why Australians use a VPN

Australian law requires internet providers to keep customers’ metadata for two years. A VPN encrypts the connection between your device and a VPN server, so your internet provider can see that you are using a VPN but not which sites you visit. People also use one to stay secure on public Wi-Fi and to reach their usual Australian services while travelling. Using a VPN is legal in Australia.

How to choose

Questions Australians ask

Which VPN is best for Australia?

Surfshark comes top of our comparison. VPNs we have tested ourselves in the last 90 days come first; within each group, the order follows our latest prices, refund periods, server countries and device limits, recalculated every day. The cheapest is Private Internet Access, from about A$2.79 a month on its longest plan.

Are VPNs legal in Australia?

Yes. Using a VPN is legal in Australia. What you do while connected is still covered by Australian law and by the terms of the services you use.

Do I need a VPN in Australia?

Australian internet providers must keep customers' metadata for two years. A VPN stops your provider seeing which sites you visit, protects you on public Wi-Fi and lets you reach Australian services while travelling. Whether you need one depends on how much those matter to you.

Is a free VPN good enough?

Free VPNs usually limit data, speed or server choice, and some are paid for by collecting your data. A free plan from a provider that also sells paid plans is the safer choice. Our guide to the best free VPNs in Australia compares them.

What is the fastest VPN in Australia?

There is no single answer: speed depends on your own connection, the server you pick and the protocol. The speed table on this page shows how much of our download speed each VPN kept on a local server in our own tests from Melbourne, with the date of each test. They span 2021–26 and different home lines, so a gap of a few points between two VPNs means little.