Best VPN for Australia (October 2026)
The best VPNs for Australians, compared on today’s prices in Australian dollars, refund periods, servers and devices. Prices are read from each provider’s own website every day, and our own speed tests from Melbourne are further down the page.
Featured partners How we earn money
| Pick | VPN | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Top of our comparison | Surfshark | Highest score on price, refund period, countries and devices |
| Lowest price | CyberGhost | From A$2.99 a month, paying for 26 months |
| Most server countries | NordVPN | 150 countries |
| Longest money-back period | CyberGhost | 45 days |
| Unlimited devices | Surfshark, IPVanish | No limit on devices per account |
| Most Australian server cities | Surfshark, NordVPN, IPVanish, ExpressVPN | Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney |
Best VPN Australia: the top 10
Each entry has today’s price, 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
Surfshark
Featured partnerFrom 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
Surfshark is the lowest-priced of the big names in Australian dollars, puts no limit on devices and lists servers in five Australian cities. It says Deloitte has twice verified its no-logs claim. Testers rate it fast, a little behind NordVPN, and its pricing page does not show the renewal price upfront.
Best for: Households with lots of devices, on a budget
Surfshark puts no cap on how many devices share one account, which makes it the easy choice for a family with phones, laptops, tablets and a smart TV. It lists servers in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney, and in about 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, a little behind NordVPN: Security.org saw a torrent finish about 5% slower than without the VPN, and Top10VPN recorded a 13% loss. When we tested it from Melbourne in August 2021, it kept 82% of our download speed on a local server. 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.
Visit Surfshark Read our full Surfshark review
Checked 15 Oct 2026 Price and plan details read from surfshark.com.
- 2
CyberGhost
From A$2.99 a month
on the 2-year plan (26 months), A$77.74 upfront, renews at A$77.74 every 1 year.- 45-day money-back guarantee
- 100 countries
- 7 devices at once
CyberGhost has the lowest Australian-dollar price we track and the longest refund window, at 45 days. 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.
Best for: Streaming on a tight budget, with the longest refund window
CyberGhost has one of the lowest Australian-dollar prices in our comparison on its longest plan, and its 45-day money-back period is the longest we track, which gives you time to try it on your own streaming services. It lists servers in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney, and one account covers seven devices. 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.
Visit CyberGhost Read our full CyberGhost review
Checked 15 Oct 2026 Price and plan details read from www.cyberghostvpn.com.
- 3
NordVPN
Featured partnerFrom A$4.79 a month
on the Basic plan (27 months), A$129.33 upfront, renews at A$187.08 every 1 year.- 30-day money-back guarantee
- 7,115 servers
- 150 countries
- 10 devices at once
NordVPN prices its plans in Australian dollars, lists servers in five Australian cities and covers more countries than any other VPN we track. Independent testers consistently put it among the fastest, and PCWorld names it the best VPN overall for 2026. The trade-offs are a renewal price well above the introductory rate and a limit of 10 devices.
Best for: Most people who want one VPN that does everything well
NordVPN has the broadest network 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, and include a kill switch, split tunnelling, an ad and tracker blocker and double-hop servers. Top10VPN reports six independent verifications of its no-logs policy, the most recent by Deloitte in February 2026.
We retested it from Melbourne on 14 October 2026. On a Melbourne server it kept almost all of our home connection's download speed, we found no DNS leaks, and its US, UK and Japanese servers gave us roughly 28 to 40 Mbps. It did not get us into BBC iPlayer on any of the five UK servers we tried, or into Japan's ABEMA, so do not buy it for those alone. The main catch is cost after the first term: the renewal price is well above the introductory rate.
Visit NordVPN Read our full NordVPN review
Checked 15 Oct 2026 Price and plan details read from nordvpn.com.
- 4
Proton VPN
From US$3.49 (about A$4.98) a month
on the VPN Plus plan (2 years), US$83.76 upfront, renews at US$83.88 every 1 year.- 30-day money-back guarantee
- 17,985 servers
- 149 countries
- 10 devices at once
- Free plan available
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. Speed results vary between testers, and one reviewer notes the refund covers only the unused part of a subscription.
Best for: Trying a VPN for free first, and privacy-minded users
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 and add servers in about 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 March 2022, it kept 91% of our download speed on a local server. Security.org reached more than a dozen Netflix libraries with it. Two catches: it charges in US dollars, so your bank may add a foreign transaction fee, and the 30-day guarantee refunds only the unused part of a subscription.
Visit Proton VPN Read our full Proton VPN review
Checked 15 Oct 2026 Price and plan details read from protonvpn.com.
- 5
IPVanish
From US$2.39 (about A$3.41) a month
on the Essential plan (2 years), US$57.36 upfront.- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Unlimited devices
IPVanish puts no limit on devices and lists servers in five 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.
Best for: Unlimited devices with servers right across Australia
IPVanish puts no limit on devices 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.
Visit IPVanish Read our full IPVanish review
Checked 15 Oct 2026 Price and plan details read from www.ipvanish.com.
- 6
PureVPN
From US$2.15 (about A$3.07) a month
on the Standard plan (27 months).- 31-day money-back guarantee
PureVPN has one of the lowest prices in our table, charged in US dollars, with ten devices and a 31-day refund. Independent speed and streaming results are mixed, and it has rebuilt its privacy record with outside audits since a 2017 logging case.
Best for: The lowest price, if you accept a mixed record
PureVPN competes on price: it regularly has one of the lowest monthly rates in our comparison, charged in US dollars, with ten devices per account and a 31-day refund. Its own pages name Sydney and Perth among its Australian locations, and it has apps for most devices, including Apple TV, Fire TV and browser extensions. Port forwarding and a dedicated IP address cost extra.
Its history belongs in any recommendation. In 2017, while advertising no logs, PureVPN supplied records that helped the FBI identify a man later convicted of cyberstalking. It has since rewritten its privacy policy and brought in auditors, first Altius IT and then KPMG with unannounced checks, but the audit reports are not published in full. Independent speed and streaming results are mixed. We have not tested PureVPN ourselves; the full review sets out what other testers found.
Visit PureVPN Read our full PureVPN review
Checked 15 Oct 2026 Price and plan details read from www.purevpn.com.
- 7
hide.me
From US$2.69 (about A$3.84) a month
on the Premium 26 months plan (26 months), US$69.99 upfront, renews at US$69.99 every 26 months.- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Free plan available
hide.me offers a free plan with no data cap and a paid plan that renews at the same price you first paid, which is unusual. Its no-logs policy was audited in 2024 and Top10VPN measured very little speed loss. It charges in US dollars.
Best for: A no-strings free plan, or a paid plan that does not jump at renewal
hide.me does two unusual things. Its free plan has no data cap and needs no account, and its paid plan renews at the price you first paid instead of jumping after the first term. The paid plan covers ten devices with a 30-day refund, and there are apps for Windows, Mac, phones, Apple TV, Android TV and Fire TV.
It is run from Malaysia, which has no mandatory data retention for VPNs, and Securitum audited its no-logs policy in 2024. Top10VPN measured very little speed loss, though results differ widely between reviewers. The free plan is slow and does not open streaming services, and the kill switch has to be turned on in settings. It charges in US dollars. We have not tested hide.me ourselves.
Visit hide.me Read our full hide.me review
Checked 15 Oct 2026 Price and plan details read from hide.me.
- 8
ExpressVPN
From US$4.99 (about A$7.12) a month
on the Basic plan (15 months), US$74.85 upfront, renews at US$99.95 every 1 year.- 30-day money-back guarantee
ExpressVPN is Top10VPN's best VPN overall for 2026, with the fastest nearby-server result it measured and the strongest streaming results. It lists six servers across five Australian cities. It charges in US dollars, and how many devices you get depends on the plan.
Best for: Streaming and simplicity, if you are happy to pay more
ExpressVPN is Top10VPN's best VPN overall for 2026: it worked with 115 of the 120 streaming services Top10VPN tried and lost just 2% of speed on nearby servers. It lists servers in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. It says KPMG, PwC and Cure53 have audited it, and its servers run from RAM only.
When we tested it from Melbourne in August 2021, it kept 86% of our download speed on a local server, though its overseas results in that test were slower, at about 25 Mbps to the US. CNET reports that its speeds improved during 2025 after several years of decline. It charges in US dollars, is based in the British Virgin Islands and is owned by Kape Technologies, and how many devices you get depends on the plan.
Visit ExpressVPN Read our full ExpressVPN review
Checked 15 Oct 2026 Price and plan details read from www.expressvpn.com.
- 9
IVPN
From US$5.00 (about A$7.13) a month
on the Standard 1 year plan (1 year), US$60.00 upfront, renews at US$60.00 every 1 year.- 5 devices at once
IVPN keeps things simple and private: no email needed, weekly, monthly and yearly plans in US dollars, and yearly Cure53 audits. It costs more per month than rivals' two-year deals, has Australian servers in Sydney only and is not built for streaming.
Best for: Privacy without a long contract
IVPN, run from Gibraltar since 2009, is for people who want privacy without a long contract. You can sign up without an email address, pay with cash or Monero, and buy a week, a month or a year, with no introductory discount to expire. Cure53 audits it every year and its apps are open source. The standard tiers cover five devices.
The trade-offs matter for Australians. Its only Australian servers are in Sydney, so Perth and Adelaide users will see more delay; the network covers only about 40 countries; there are no TV apps; and independent testers found it poor for streaming. Per month it costs more than rivals' two-year deals, and it charges in US dollars. We have not tested IVPN ourselves.
Visit IVPN Read our full IVPN review
Checked 14 Oct 2026 Price and plan details read from www.ivpn.net.
- 10
Mozilla VPN
From A$7.50 a month
on the Annual plan (1 year), A$89.99 upfront, renews at A$89.99 every 1 year.- 500 servers
- 30+ countries
- 5 devices at once
Mozilla VPN is priced in Australian dollars, runs on Mullvad's network and keeps things to one button. It covers five devices. Independent tests found it fast on nearby servers and poor for streaming.
Best for: One-button simplicity, priced in Australian dollars
Mozilla VPN, from the makers of Firefox, runs on Mullvad's server network, which lists Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. It is priced in Australian dollars on monthly or annual plans, so there is no exchange-rate surprise, and it covers five devices with a 30-day refund.
The apps use WireGuard only and have little to configure: the kill switch is always on and multi-hop is included. Cure53 audited them in 2021 and 2023. Top10VPN's April 2026 review recorded a 3% speed loss on nearby servers, but independent testers found it poor for streaming, and there are no apps for TVs or routers. Subscribing needs a Mozilla account with an email address, whereas Mullvad sells the same network with no email at all. We have not tested Mozilla VPN ourselves.
Visit Mozilla VPN Read our full Mozilla VPN review
Checked 15 Oct 2026 Price and plan details read from www.mozilla.org.
VPN comparison for Australia
The same ten side by side, including the Australian cities each provider lists servers in.
| VPN | Lowest monthly price | Renewal price | Money-back | Countries | Devices | Australian cities | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Surfshark | A$3.49 27 months, A$94.23 upfront | – | 30 days | 100 | Unlimited | 5 Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney | Visit Surfshark |
| 2CyberGhost | A$2.99 26 months, A$77.74 upfront | A$77.74 per 1 year | 45 days | 100 | 7 | 3 Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney | Visit CyberGhost |
| 3NordVPN | A$4.79 27 months, A$129.33 upfront | A$187.08 per 1 year | 30 days | 150 | 10 | 5 Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney | Visit NordVPN |
| 4Proton VPN | US$3.49 (about A$4.98) 2 years, US$83.76 upfront | US$83.88 per 1 year | 30 days | 149 | 10 | 5 not named on its site | Visit Proton VPN |
| 5IPVanish | US$2.39 (about A$3.41) 2 years, US$57.36 upfront | – | 30 days | – | Unlimited | 5 Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney | Visit IPVanish |
| 6PureVPN | US$2.15 (about A$3.07) 27 months | – | 31 days | – | – | – | Visit PureVPN |
| 7hide.me | US$2.69 (about A$3.84) 26 months, US$69.99 upfront | US$69.99 per 26 months | 30 days | – | – | – | Visit hide.me |
| 8ExpressVPN | US$4.99 (about A$7.12) 15 months, US$74.85 upfront | US$99.95 per 1 year | 30 days | – | – | 5 Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney | Visit ExpressVPN |
| 9IVPN | US$5.00 (about A$7.13) 1 year, US$60.00 upfront | US$60.00 per 1 year | – | – | 5 | – | Visit IVPN |
| 10Mozilla VPN | A$7.50 1 year, A$89.99 upfront | A$89.99 per 1 year | – | 30+ | 5 | – | Visit Mozilla VPN |
– means the provider does not publish that detail on its pricing page. Prices shown in US$ are published in that currency; the Australian-dollar figure is approximate, converted at the European Central Bank euro reference rates for 14 Oct 2026 (US$1 = A$1.43).
How this list is ordered
The order is calculated from the figures in the table, weighted as follows. How we compare VPNs
- Lowest monthly price (AUD, longest plan): 40%
- Money-back period: 15%
- Countries with servers: 25%
- Devices per account: 20%
Not ranked, as their pricing is not tracked daily: Private Internet Access, PrivateVPN.
Ranking calculated 15 Oct 2026.
VPN speed in Australia: our own tests
When we first reviewed these VPNs in 2021 and 2022, we measured each one on a local server from a Melbourne home connection, against the same line with the VPN off. Each figure is a single test session, so treat the table as a rough, dated guide rather than today’s speed. We retested NordVPN in October 2026 and it again kept almost all of our download speed on an Australian server; the other providers are being retested.
| VPN | Download, Sydney server | Speed kept | Tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| NordVPN | 99.2 Mbps | 95% | August 2021 |
| CyberGhost | 99.57 Mbps | 93% | August 2021 |
| Proton VPN | 98.91 Mbps | 91% | March 2022 |
| ExpressVPN | 88.2 Mbps | 86% | August 2021 |
| Surfshark | 88.98 Mbps | 82% | August 2021 |
| IPVanish | 83.15 Mbps | 77% | August 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. These are dated results from our original reviews; apps and networks have changed since, and they are 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
- On a budget: compare the cheapest VPNs in Australia and check the renewal price, not just the first term.
- Lots of devices: look for “Unlimited” in the devices column.
- Want to try first: see which have free trials and free plans.
- Looking for a discount: today’s offers are on the VPN deals page.
- Do not want to pay: see the best free VPNs in Australia.
- Not sure you need one: read do I need a VPN?
- Torn between the big two: NordVPN vs ExpressVPN, NordVPN vs Surfshark and Surfshark vs ExpressVPN.
Questions Australians ask
Which VPN is best for Australia?
On today's prices, refund periods, server countries and device limits, Surfshark comes top of our comparison. The cheapest is CyberGhost, from about A$2.99 a month on its longest plan. The order is recalculated every day from each provider's own website.
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. In our one-off tests from Melbourne (2021–22), NordVPN kept the most of our normal download speed on a local server, 95%. Those results are dated, so treat them as a guide rather than today's speed.
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