ExpressVPN Review Australia
Reviewed by Laurence Deer, founder and reviewer in Melbourne, testing VPNs since 2019 · How we test · How we earn money
On this page
- The short version
- Our August 2021 tests from Melbourne
- What other testers found
- ExpressVPN price in Australia
- Is ExpressVPN safe? Privacy, audits and ownership
- Apps, devices and Australian servers
- Using ExpressVPN in Australia
- Alternatives to ExpressVPN
- ExpressVPN FAQ
- How we keep this review current
- Sources
- What independent reviewers found
ExpressVPN
Number 6 of 14 in our calculated orderGood for picking your own Australian city
ExpressVPN suits Australians who want a server in their own city and apps for almost every device, and who will pay in US dollars. We last tested it ourselves in August 2021, so the newer independent tests below carry more weight.
From US$2.99 (about A$4.28) a month
Basic plan, paying for 28 months, US$83.72 upfront. Renews at US$99.95 every year. Lowest plan of each VPN we track: A$2.86 to A$17.89.
Checked 20 Oct 2026 Price and plan details read from www.expressvpn.com.
ExpressVPN: key facts
- Money-back
- 30 daysVPNs we track: 14 to 45 days
- Free trial
- 3 daysiPhone app (App Store). Compare VPN free trials
- Devices at once
- 10 to 14VPNs we track: 5 to unlimited
- Server countries
- 113VPNs we track: 30 to 150
- Australian cities
- 5Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney
Company, audits, protocols and features
- Company
- Based in the British Virgin Islands
- Audits
- KPMG, PwC and Cure53, says ExpressVPN
- Protocols
- IKEv2, Lightway, OpenVPN, WireGuard
- Features
- Ad and tracker blocker, Dedicated IP, Kill switch, Obfuscation, Port forwarding, RAM-only servers, Split tunnelling
As ExpressVPN's own site lists them, read 19 Oct 2026.
ExpressVPN: our tests
- Speed, Australian server
- 86% keptOf our download speed with the VPN off. Tested August 2021
- DNS leaks
- None foundTested 11 Aug 2021
- Streaming
- Played BBC iPlayer, the one service we tried to playTested August 2021
Speed kept by the VPNs we have tested (2021 to 2026 rounds): 44% to 100% or more.
ExpressVPN: what has changed
- Plans on its site switched between 15 months and 28 months on 15, 16, 17 and 18 Oct 2026; 28 months when last read (18 Oct)
- Review text last edited
Prices are read from ExpressVPN's website every morning (last read 20 Oct 2026) and its feature pages weekly; we record every change we see.
Choose it if
- You want a server in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth or Sydney
- You need apps for routers, Apple TV and Fire TV too
- You want no-logs audits by named firms: KPMG, PwC, Cure53
Skip it if
- You want to pay in Australian dollars
- You want a price that stays low after the first term
- You would rather avoid Kape Technologies, which also owns CyberGhost
The short version
When we tested it from Melbourne in August 2021, a Sydney server kept 86% of our download speed, and BBC iPlayer played EastEnders through a UK server. Long-haul servers were slower: the US managed about a quarter of our line.
The main catch is that those results are now five years old. We have not retested ExpressVPN in 2026, so for current speeds we lean on the independent testers named below; our NordVPN review has results we measured in October 2026. ExpressVPN also renews at a higher price after the first 28 months.
Pros
- A Sydney server kept 86% of our download speed (August 2021)
- BBC iPlayer played EastEnders through a UK server (August 2021)
- Our IP and DNS leak check showed only Australian server addresses (11 August 2021)
- Servers in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney
- Audits by KPMG, PwC and Cure53, by its own account
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- Not retested by us since August 2021
- US server speed dropped to about a quarter of our line (August 2021)
- Priced in US dollars, so the Australian-dollar cost moves with the exchange rate
- Renews yearly at a higher price than the first term
- Device limit depends on the plan: 10 on Basic
- Owned by Kape Technologies, along with CyberGhost and Private Internet Access (Kape’s own site)
Our August 2021 tests from Melbourne
These are the results of our hands-on test in August 2021, from a Melbourne home connection. We have not repeated them in 2026, and apps, servers and streaming services have all changed since, so read them as a dated record rather than today’s picture.
Speed kept
| Sydney server | 86% |
|---|---|
| India | 62% |
| South Africa | 54% |
| United Kingdom | 42% |
| Brazil | 42% |
| United States | 25% |
Download, upload and ping in Mbps, and how we measured
From our test bench Melbourne, August 2021
| Connection | Download | Upload |
|---|---|---|
| No VPN | 102 Mbps | 18.4 Mbps |
| ExpressVPN, Sydney server | 88.2 Mbps −13.5% | 9.83 Mbps −46.6% |
| Server in | Download | Upload |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 25.1 Mbps −75.4% | 7.08 Mbps −61.5% |
| United Kingdom | 43.1 Mbps −57.7% | 4.95 Mbps −73.1% |
| India | 63.5 Mbps −37.7% | 4.88 Mbps −73.5% |
| Brazil | 42.6 Mbps −58.2% | 11.7 Mbps −36.4% |
| South Africa | 55 Mbps −46.1% | 3.94 Mbps −78.6% |
11.8 MiB/s average torrent download rate on an Australian server (August 2021)
Our own measurements on a Melbourne home connection of about 102 Mbps at the time, August 2021. Changes are against the speed of the same line with the VPN off, measured the same day.
Share of our download speed kept with ExpressVPN on, against the same line with the VPN off, measured the same day.
Speed: close to home fine, long distance slow
On a Sydney server ExpressVPN gave us 88 Mbps of a 102 Mbps line, about 86%. In that single run, the drop would have been hard to notice on a 100 Mbps NBN plan. Uploads roughly halved, from 18 to just under 10 Mbps: fine for video calls, slow if you back up photos to the cloud.
Overseas servers were a different story. The US came in at 25 Mbps, about a quarter of our line. The UK managed 43 Mbps, Brazil 43 and South Africa 55. India was the quickest overseas location at 64 Mbps; ExpressVPN now lists India as a virtual location routed via Singapore and the UK. Each is a single figure per country, measured five years ago.
Streaming: BBC iPlayer worked on a UK server
Connected to a UK server from Melbourne, we watched EastEnders on BBC iPlayer. That is one service on one server in August 2021, so it says nothing certain about iPlayer today; streaming sites block VPN addresses all the time.
Torrenting: about 12 MiB/s
A torrent download averaged 11.8 MiB/s, roughly 99 Mbps, in August 2021 (server not recorded). The graph stayed between about 8 and 13 MiB/s for the whole run.
IP and DNS leaks: none seen in August 2021
On 11 August 2021 we ran browserleaks.com while connected to an Australian server. It showed only the server’s New South Wales address (Servers Australia, Sydney). No IPv6 address was shown, though we cannot say whether IPv6 would have leaked. The WebRTC check showed the same address, and all three DNS servers belonged to the same Australian hosting company. Nothing pointed back to our own connection.
The app also let us pick a city, not just “Australia”, which helps if you want the closest server.
Support: live chat
In August 2021 ExpressVPN’s live chat, answered by an agent called Aivy, told us the service works in China and the UAE. Those answers are ExpressVPN’s own word, not something we tested.
Still to test
We have not yet run ExpressVPN on our 2026 test bench: speed from Melbourne, DNS leaks, the kill switch, and Australian and overseas streaming services. We will add each result here, dated, when we do.
What other testers found
Independent testers have measured ExpressVPN more recently than we have. Top10VPN’s review, updated in September 2026, recorded a 2% speed loss on nearby servers with ExpressVPN’s own Lightway protocol, which the apps use by default. Long distances are the weak spot: Top10VPN found its international speeds had fallen since its earlier tests, by 34% to South Africa and 13% to Germany.
Security.org’s September 2026 review found upload speeds fell about 14% on a Mac and 23% on Windows. Either is fine for video calls and everyday uploads.
On streaming, Top10VPN’s September 2026 review says it worked with 115 out of 120 streaming services it tested. These reviewers test from outside Australia, so treat their figures as a comparison between providers, not a forecast for your NBN line.
ExpressVPN price in Australia
ExpressVPN charges in US dollars. The table below is read from its order page and updates automatically; the Australian-dollar figure is an approximate conversion, and your bank’s rate and any international transaction fee will change what you pay.
| Plan | Term | Per month | Paid upfront | Renews at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | 28 months | US$2.99 (about A$4.28) | US$83.72 | US$99.95 / year |
| Advanced | 28 months | US$4.49 (about A$6.43) | US$125.72 | US$119.95 / year |
| Express Pro | 28 months | US$7.49 (about A$10.72) | US$209.72 | US$199.95 / year |
Checked 20 Oct 2026 Price and plan details read from www.expressvpn.com.
The plans differ in how many devices they cover: 10 on Basic, rising to 14 on Express Pro, according to the order page.
Here is what the cheapest plan adds up to over three years, once the renewals kick in.
| First payment | US$83.72 | covers the first 28 months |
|---|---|---|
| Each renewal | US$99.95 | every year |
| Three years in total | US$183.67 | 1 renewal after the first term |
| Three-year average | US$5.10 a month | against the advertised US$2.99 a month |
ExpressVPN charges in USD. At the current reference rate the first payment is about A$119.84.
Of the 14 VPNs we price, 6 have a lower advertised monthly price than ExpressVPN.
Calculated from the Basic plan as published on 20 Oct 2026. Prices and renewal terms can change.
Is ExpressVPN safe? Privacy, audits and ownership
ExpressVPN describes its policy as no-logs and says it has been independently audited by KPMG, PwC and Cure53. It also says its TrustedServer technology, which it says runs servers in RAM only, has been audited.
Outside reviewers add some nuance. Top10VPN notes that ExpressVPN keeps some data, none of which it says can identify a user. Security.org said ExpressVPN’s openness about the data it collects gave it confidence in the service.
The company is registered in the British Virgin Islands, and Kape Technologies lists ExpressVPN, CyberGhost and Private Internet Access among its brands on its own site (read on 18 October 2026). That matters if you are choosing between those three: they share an owner.
Apps, devices and Australian servers
Apps and devices ExpressVPN lists
- Listed
Windows
macOS
Linux- iOS
Android- Android TV
- Apple TV
Fire TV
Chrome
Firefox
Edge- Routers
As listed on ExpressVPN's own website, read 19 Oct 2026. "Listed" means the provider's pages name it; we have not tried every app.
One ExpressVPN account covers 10 devices on Basic and up to 14 on Express Pro.
Its server list names Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney, and 113 countries in all. A server in your own city adds less delay, which matters if you leave the VPN on all day.
It supports Lightway, WireGuard, OpenVPN and IKEv2. The extras that matter:
- Kill switch blocks your traffic if the VPN connection drops, so nothing leaks out unprotected.
- Split tunnelling lets your banking app or Stan skip the VPN while everything else uses it.
- Obfuscation disguises VPN traffic on networks that block VPNs, such as some hotel and office Wi-Fi.
- Ad and tracker blocker stops ads and trackers before they load.
- Dedicated IP and port forwarding are also listed.
Using ExpressVPN in Australia
- Australian servers: Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney, according to ExpressVPN's server list.
- Billing: charged in USD, so the Australian-dollar cost moves with the exchange rate.
- Where it is based: the British Virgin Islands, according to its own site.
- Refund period: 30 days.
Australian law requires internet providers to keep customers' metadata for two years. A VPN encrypts the connection between your device and the VPN server, so your internet provider can see that you are using a VPN but not which sites you visit. It does not make you anonymous to the VPN provider itself, which is why the provider's logging policy and audits matter.
Alternatives to ExpressVPN
These are picked by a fact in our data, not by commission. For a head-to-head, read NordVPN vs ExpressVPN or Surfshark vs ExpressVPN. For the cheapest VPNs in Australia, start with the list below.
ExpressVPN FAQ
How much does ExpressVPN cost in Australia?
ExpressVPN's lowest advertised price is US$2.99 (about A$4.28) a month on the Basic plan, paid as US$83.72 upfront for 28 months, then US$99.95 every year. Prices were last checked on 20 Oct 2026.
Does ExpressVPN have a free trial?
ExpressVPN's Australian App Store listing offers a 3-day free trial when you sign up in the iPhone app; it covers all your devices, and the App Store charges you on the last day unless you cancel. On its website, the 'risk-free trial' is its money-back guarantee. Checked 18 Oct 2026. Compare every VPN free trial.
Can I get a refund from ExpressVPN?
ExpressVPN advertises a 30-day money-back guarantee. Purchases made through an app store are usually refunded by Apple or Google under their own rules, so check the provider's refund terms before you buy.
How many devices can I use with ExpressVPN?
One ExpressVPN account covers 10 devices at the same time on the plan we track.
Does ExpressVPN have servers in Australia?
Yes. ExpressVPN's server list shows Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney.
Is ExpressVPN safe?
ExpressVPN says it has been independently audited by KPMG, PwC and Cure53, and that its RAM-only TrustedServer technology has also been audited. It is based in the British Virgin Islands.
Is it legal to use ExpressVPN in Australia?
Yes. Using a VPN is legal in Australia. What you do while connected is still subject to Australian law and to the terms of the services you use.
How we keep this review current
Prices, plans and server details are read from ExpressVPN’s own website, with the date of the last check beside each figure. Our own results carry the date they were measured: August 2021 is the latest round for ExpressVPN, and we will add 2026 results when we test it again. The independent reviews we cite are linked so you can read them in full.
Sources
ExpressVPN’s own pages, read on 13 and 15 October 2026: order page (www.expressvpn.com), server locations, features and logging policy. Kape ownership is from Kape’s own site, read on 18 October 2026. Independent reviews: Top10VPN (updated September 2026) and Security.org (September 2026). Our own results are from August 2021, Melbourne.
What independent reviewers found
Here is what other independent reviewers found in their most recent tests, summarised in our own words. These sites test from the United States or United Kingdom, so their speed figures will not match an Australian connection, and they may earn commissions from VPN providers.
- Security.org (review updated 10 Sept 2026): Found upload speeds fell about 14% on a Mac and 23% on Windows. Said ExpressVPN's openness about the data it collects gave it confidence in the service. Read the Security.org review
- Top10VPN: Recorded a 2% speed loss on nearby servers and says it worked with 115 of the 120 streaming services tested. Notes that ExpressVPN keeps some data, none of which it says can identify a user. Read the Top10VPN review
Reviews read 13 Oct 2026.