PrivateVPN Review Australia
Reviewed by Laurence Deer, founder and reviewer in Melbourne, testing VPNs since 2019
On this page
- What stood out
- PrivateVPN tested from Melbourne: August 2021 results
- What other PrivateVPN reviews found
- PrivateVPN price in Australia
- Is PrivateVPN safe? Privacy and audits
- PrivateVPN apps, devices and Australian servers
- Using PrivateVPN in Australia
- Alternatives to PrivateVPN
- PrivateVPN FAQ
- How we keep this review current
- Sources
- PrivateVPN reviews on other sites
PrivateVPN
Number 10 of 16 in our calculated orderBestVPN score: not scored, because our last test of PrivateVPN was August 2021. How we score
Our verdict
Good 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. In our August 2021 tests US Netflix and BBC iPlayer played, but a Sydney server was slow. It bills in US dollars, and no outsider has audited its no-logs claim.
From US$2.00 (about A$2.85) 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$1.58 to A$17.84.
Price and plan details read from privatevpn.com.
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
PrivateVPN: key facts
- Money-back
- 30 daysVPNs we track: 7 to 45 days
- Free trial
- NoneCompare VPN free trials
- Devices at once
- 10VPNs we track: 2 to unlimited
- Server countries
- 63VPNs we track: 30 to 150
- Australian cities
- 4Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney
Features
- Features
- Kill switch, Port forwarding
As PrivateVPN's own site lists them, read 2 Nov 2026.
PrivateVPN test results
- 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 3 Nov 2026.
Prices are read from PrivateVPN's website every morning (last read 3 Nov 2026) and its feature pages weekly; we record every change we see.
Our three picks
NordVPNOne of our picksBestVPN score 8.3/10From A$4.79 a monthBlack Friday deal ends soonVisit NordVPNNordVPN review
SurfsharkMost popular with our readersMost clicks from readers in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore in the last 30 daysBestVPN score 7.2/10From A$3.49 a monthVisit SurfsharkSurfshark review
Proton VPNFastest on Australian servers in our testsKept 99% of our download speed on a Melbourne server, 21 Oct 2026BestVPN score 8.7/10From US$3.49 (about A$4.98) a monthPartner offerVisit Proton VPNProton VPN review
Each pick is chosen for one strength, shown on its card with our evidence. For the full order by our tests, see each VPN's score and how we score.
What stood out
A server in your own city only helps if it is quick, and PrivateVPN’s was not. A Sydney server cost us more download speed than all but one VPN we tested in 2021 and 2022.
That is fine for HD streaming and slow for big downloads. Overseas TV was its strength, but streaming services block VPN servers all the time, so treat that result as history.
For October 2026 results from Melbourne, read our NordVPN review.
Pros
- US Netflix played from Melbourne
- BBC iPlayer played from Melbourne
- Uploads held up better than downloads
- Servers in four Australian cities
- Kill switch and port forwarding
- We reached a person through chat
Cons
- Kept only 66% of our speed locally
- Brazil and South Africa were slowest overseas
- Slowest torrents of the ten we tested
- No independent audit of its no-logs claim
- Billed in US dollars
From our tests in Melbourne (August 2021). We have not retested PrivateVPN since.
PrivateVPN tested from Melbourne: August 2021 results
PrivateVPN came through our August 2021 test as a specialist: good for overseas TV, 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
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 still covers HD streaming, but you would notice it on big downloads.
Distance made it worse. The United States managed about 42 Mbps, the best overseas result, and the United Kingdom about 37 Mbps. Brazil and South Africa fell to around 15 Mbps, enough for one HD stream and not much more.
Streaming: US Netflix and BBC iPlayer played
This is where PrivateVPN earned its keep. 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, so a retest could go either way.
Torrenting: 4.2 MiB/s
A torrent over a Sydney server averaged 4.2 MiB/s, the slowest of the ten VPNs we tested in 2021 and 2022. At that rate a 4 GB download takes about 16 minutes.
Support: a person through chat
We reached a person through chat in August 2021.
Still to test
Our 2026 retest will cover speed from Melbourne, DNS leaks, the kill switch, and Australian and overseas streaming. Each result will appear here, dated.
What other PrivateVPN reviews found
Top10VPN’s August 2026 tests were kinder on speed than ours. It found PrivateVPN close to dearer VPNs on short 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 old result. Its full findings are summarised at the end of this page.
PrivateVPN price in Australia
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$2.85) | US$72.00 | US$72.00 / year |
| 3 months | 3 months | US$6.00 (about A$8.56) | US$17.99 | US$17.99 / 3 months |
| 1 month | 1 month | US$9.90 (about A$14.13) | US$9.90 | US$9.90 / month |
Prices include VAT.
Checked 3 Nov 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$102.74.
Of the 19 VPNs we price, 2 have a lower advertised monthly price than PrivateVPN.
Calculated from the 12 months + extra plan as published on 3 Nov 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 says it keeps no record of what you do online, but no outsider has checked that. Top10VPN’s August 2026 review says it has not yet commissioned a third-party audit.
If an audited no-logs policy matters to you, Proton VPN and NordVPN both have one.
PrivateVPN apps, devices and Australian servers
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. In 2022 its site listed more than 200 server locations.
PrivateVPN says it can also be set up on routers. Top10VPN found its mobile apps basic.
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 our three picks. Each card shows the fact from our tests or data behind its label, and its BestVPN score. For the wider field, see the Best VPN for Australia table and the cheapest VPNs in Australia.
- NordVPNOne of our picksBestVPN score 8.3/10From A$4.79 a monthBlack Friday deal ends soonVisit NordVPNNordVPN review
- SurfsharkMost popular with our readersMost clicks from readers in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore in the last 30 daysBestVPN score 7.2/10From A$3.49 a monthVisit SurfsharkSurfshark review
- Proton VPNFastest on Australian servers in our testsKept 99% of our download speed on a Melbourne server, 21 Oct 2026BestVPN score 8.7/10From US$3.49 (about A$4.98) a monthPartner offerVisit Proton VPNProton VPN review
Guides for PrivateVPN users
- UK VPN: British servers from Australia
- US VPN: American servers from Australia
- Japan VPN: Japanese servers from Australia
- India VPN: Indian servers from Australia
- Best VPN for Netflix in Australia
- How to watch AFL and NRL overseas
- Is torrenting illegal in Australia?
- The definitive VPN guide: how a VPN works
PrivateVPN FAQ
How much does PrivateVPN cost in Australia?
PrivateVPN's lowest advertised price is US$2.00 (about A$2.85) 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 3 Nov 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.
How many devices can I use with PrivateVPN?
One PrivateVPN account covers 10 devices at the same time on the plan we track.
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
We read server and feature details from PrivateVPN’s own website and show the date of the last check. Our daily check has also read its prices from its pricing page since 16 October 2026.
Every test result carries the date we measured it; PrivateVPN’s latest round is August 2021. 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, read every morning by our price check.
- Independent review: Top10VPN (updated August 2026).
- Our own results: August 2021, Melbourne.
PrivateVPN reviews on other sites
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.