PrivateVPN 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
- How much PrivateVPN costs
- Is PrivateVPN safe? Privacy and audits
- Apps, devices and Australian servers
- Using PrivateVPN in Australia
- Alternatives to PrivateVPN
- PrivateVPN FAQ
- How we keep this review current
- Sources
- What independent reviewers found
PrivateVPN
Number 7 of 14 in our calculated orderGood for a server in your own city
PrivateVPN suits Australians who want a server close to home, with Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney on its list. It bills in US dollars, no outsider has audited its no-logs claim, and our own results date from August 2021.
From US$2.00 (about A$2.86) a month
12 months + extra plan, paying for 3 years, US$72.00 upfront. Renews at US$72.00 every year. Lowest plan of each VPN we track: A$2.86 to A$17.90.
Checked 21 Oct 2026 Price and plan details read from privatevpn.com.
PrivateVPN: key facts
- Money-back
- 30 daysVPNs we track: 14 to 45 days
- Free trial
- NoneCompare VPN free trials
- Devices at once
- Not checked
- Server countries
- Not checked
- Australian cities
- 4Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney
Features
- Features
- Kill switch, Port forwarding
As PrivateVPN's own site lists them, read 19 Oct 2026.
PrivateVPN: our tests
- Speed, Australian server
- 66% keptOf our download speed with the VPN off. Tested August 2021
- Streaming
- Both playedNetflix US and BBC iPlayer. Tested August 2021
Speed kept by the VPNs we have tested (2021 to 2026 rounds): 44% to 100% or more.
PrivateVPN: what has changed
- Review text last edited
No price or plan changes seen between 13 Oct 2026 and 21 Oct 2026.
Prices are read from PrivateVPN's website every morning (last read 21 Oct 2026) and its feature pages weekly; we record every change we see.
Choose it if
- You want a server in Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth or Sydney
- You want a kill switch and port forwarding
- You want a refund window to try it first
Skip it if
- You want a no-logs policy checked by outside auditors
- You want to pay in Australian dollars
- You want our own recent test results
The short version
PrivateVPN is a small VPN for Australians who care more about overseas TV than raw speed.
In our August 2021 test from Melbourne, American Netflix and BBC iPlayer both played. Speed was the weak spot: an Australian server kept 66% of our download speed (August 2021), and torrents were the slowest of the ten VPNs we tested in 2021 and 2022. We reached a person through its support chat in the same round.
We have not retested it since, and streaming services block VPN servers all the time, so treat the Netflix result as history. Its lowest advertised price is US$2.00 (about A$2.86) a month, and the Australian price moves with the exchange rate. For results measured this year, our NordVPN review has October 2026 tests.
Pros
- US Netflix played The West Wing from Melbourne (August 2021)
- BBC iPlayer played Match of the Day 2 (August 2021)
- Uploads held up better than downloads on an Australian server (August 2021)
- Servers in Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney
- Kill switch and port forwarding
- We reached a person through chat (August 2021)
Cons
- Our streaming and torrent results date from August 2021
- An Australian server kept only 66% of our download speed (August 2021)
- Brazil and South Africa were our slowest overseas results (August 2021)
- Slowest torrent of the ten VPNs we tested in 2021 and 2022 (August 2021)
- No independent audit of its no-logs claim (Top10VPN, August 2026)
- Billed in US dollars, so your bank may add a foreign transaction fee
Our August 2021 tests from Melbourne
This section is an archive of our hands-on tests. PrivateVPN came through as a specialist: good for overseas TV in our August 2021 test, slow for nearly everything else. We ran its desktop app on a Melbourne home connection of about 109 Mbps.
Speed kept
| Sydney server | 66% |
|---|---|
| United States | 39% |
| United Kingdom | 34% |
| India | 30% |
| Brazil | 15% |
| South Africa | 13% |
Download, upload and ping in Mbps, and how we measured
From our test bench Melbourne, August 2021
| Connection | Download | Upload |
|---|---|---|
| No VPN | 108.7 Mbps | 18.7 Mbps |
| PrivateVPN, Sydney server | 71.9 Mbps −33.9% | 15.2 Mbps −18.6% |
| Server in | Download | Upload |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 42 Mbps −61.4% | 13.2 Mbps −29.4% |
| United Kingdom | 37.2 Mbps −65.8% | 9.41 Mbps −49.7% |
| India | 32.9 Mbps −69.7% | 8.39 Mbps −55.1% |
| Brazil | 15.8 Mbps −85.5% | 13.5 Mbps −27.6% |
| South Africa | 14.3 Mbps −86.8% | 9.76 Mbps −47.8% |
4.20 MiB/s average torrent download rate on an Australian server (August 2021)
Our own measurements on a Melbourne home connection of about 109 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 PrivateVPN on, against the same line with the VPN off, measured the same day.
Speed: a third lost, even close to home
In August 2021 a Sydney server cost us a third of our download speed, the second-largest drop of the ten VPNs we tested in 2021 and 2022. Uploads held up better, keeping about 81%. That is still enough for HD streaming, but you would notice it on big downloads.
Distance made it worse. The United States managed about 42 Mbps, the best of the overseas results, and the United Kingdom about 37 Mbps. Brazil and South Africa both fell to around 15 Mbps, which is enough for one HD stream and not much more.
Streaming: US Netflix and BBC iPlayer played
This is where PrivateVPN earned its keep in August 2021. We watched The West Wing on American Netflix and Match of the Day 2 on BBC iPlayer, both from Melbourne. Streaming services have kept blocking VPN servers since then, so treat this as a 2021 result until we test it again.
Torrenting: 4.2 MiB/s
A torrent over a Sydney server averaged 4.2 MiB/s in August 2021, the slowest of the ten VPNs we tested in 2021 and 2022. Port forwarding and a kill switch were there; the speed was not. At that rate a 4 GB download takes about 16 minutes.
Support: a person through chat
We reached a person through chat (August 2021).
Still to test
We have not yet run PrivateVPN 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
Top10VPN’s August 2026 tests were kinder on speed than ours. It found PrivateVPN close to dearer VPNs on short-distance connections, though it still lost about a quarter of its speed on a connection to Australia. It also reached Netflix in several regions, which fits our 2021 result. Its full findings are summarised at the end of this page.
How much PrivateVPN costs
PrivateVPN charges in US dollars. The table is read from its pricing page every morning; the Australian-dollar figures are our conversion, and your bank may add a foreign transaction fee.
| Plan | Term | Per month | Paid upfront | Renews at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 months + extra | 3 years 12 months plus 24 extra | US$2.00 (about A$2.86) | US$72.00 | US$72.00 / year |
| 3 months | 3 months | US$6.00 (about A$8.59) | US$17.99 | US$17.99 / 3 months |
| 1 month | 1 month | US$9.90 (about A$14.17) | US$9.90 | US$9.90 / month |
Prices include VAT.
Checked 21 Oct 2026 Price and plan details read from privatevpn.com.
Here is what the first payment comes to, and how it compares with the other VPNs we price.
| First payment | US$72.00 | covers the first 3 years |
|---|---|---|
| Each renewal | US$72.00 | every year |
| Three years in total | US$72.00 | 0 renewals after the first term |
| Three-year average | US$2.00 a month | against the advertised US$2.00 a month |
PrivateVPN charges in USD. At the current reference rate the first payment is about A$103.08.
Of the 14 VPNs we price, PrivateVPN has the lowest advertised monthly price.
Calculated from the 12 months + extra plan as published on 21 Oct 2026. Prices and renewal terms can change.
PrivateVPN gives you 30 days to ask for a refund. Read its refund terms before you pay, so you know what counts.
Is PrivateVPN safe? Privacy and audits
PrivateVPN describes itself as a no-log VPN, which means it says it keeps no record of what you do online. No outsider has checked that claim: Top10VPN’s August 2026 review says PrivateVPN has not yet commissioned a third-party audit. If an audited no-logs policy matters to you, Proton VPN and NordVPN both have one.
Apps, devices and Australian servers
Apps and devices PrivateVPN lists
- Listed
Windows
macOS
Linux- iOS
Android- Routers
- Not listed
- Android TV
- Apple TV
Fire TV
Chrome
Firefox
Edge
As listed on PrivateVPN's own website, read 19 Oct 2026. "Listed" means the provider's pages name it; we have not tried every app.
PrivateVPN says it can also be set up on routers. Top10VPN found its mobile apps basic.
When we recorded its own site in 2022, PrivateVPN listed more than 200 server locations. Its server page names Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. A server in your own city adds less delay, which helps if you leave the VPN on all day.
The extras that matter:
- Kill switch blocks your traffic if the VPN connection drops.
- Port forwarding helps torrent clients reach more peers.
Using PrivateVPN in Australia
- Australian servers: Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney, according to PrivateVPN's server list.
- Billing: charged in USD, so the Australian-dollar cost moves with the exchange rate.
- 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 PrivateVPN
These are picked by a fact in our data, not by commission. For the wider field, see the Best VPN for Australia table and the cheapest VPNs in Australia.
PrivateVPN FAQ
How much does PrivateVPN cost in Australia?
PrivateVPN's lowest advertised price is US$2.00 (about A$2.86) a month on the 12 months + extra plan, paid as US$72.00 upfront for 3 years, then US$72.00 every year. Prices were last checked on 21 Oct 2026.
Does PrivateVPN have a free trial?
PrivateVPN's current site offers its money-back guarantee rather than a free trial. Checked 18 Oct 2026. It also advertises a 30-day money-back guarantee, which means paying first and asking for a refund within that period. Compare every VPN free trial.
Can I get a refund from PrivateVPN?
PrivateVPN 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.
Does PrivateVPN have servers in Australia?
Yes. PrivateVPN's server list shows Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney.
Is it legal to use PrivateVPN 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
Server and feature details are read from PrivateVPN’s own website, with the date of the last check. Since 16 October 2026 our daily check has also read its prices from its pricing page. Our own results carry the date they were measured: August 2021 is the latest round for PrivateVPN, and we will add 2026 results when we test it again. The independent review we cite is linked so you can read it in full.
Sources
PrivateVPN’s own pages, read on 13 October 2026: home page and server locations. Its pricing page is read every morning by our price check. Independent review: Top10VPN (updated August 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.
- Top10VPN: Found short-distance speeds on par with dearer VPNs, but a 24% drop on a connection to Australia and 39% to South Africa. Says it reached 10 Netflix regions, that its mobile apps are basic, and that it has not yet commissioned a third-party audit. Read the Top10VPN review
Reviews read 13 Oct 2026.