Recommended VPNs for Australia 2024

Australia is one of the most unique places in the entire world. In terms of digital privacy, Australia has some of the most stringent data privacy laws. For example, Australia’s data retention laws require ISPs to retain users’ online activities for a period. Australia also has censorship, state surveillance, and very harsh penalties for copyright infringement – even for foreign sites. This means that when you are in Australia, you’re bound to miss out on streaming content and peer-to-peer file sharing because the government blocks a lot of websites and some torrenting sites

But don’t worry – you can still have your digital freedom, internet security, and enjoy your content using a VPN in Australia. Just be sure you choose a VPN carefully, as some VPN providers don’t deliver what they claim. To avoid that hassle, below is a list of the best VPNs that work in Australia.

Best VPN Picks for Australia

A VPN or a Virtual Private Network is an infrastructure that routes all your traffic using a secure encrypted tunnel from your device to the designated destination via VPN servers. VPNs use protocols which dictate how communication and encryption are done. Usually, VPNs use the OpenVPN protocol which is fast and reliable: they also use the military-grade AES-256-bit encryption, which is virtually unbreakable, to ensure security.

Below are the best VPNs to use when you are in Australia. These VPNs offer many global servers, robust security via strong encryptions, and they also have lightning fast speeds for a seamless streaming experience. Each of them has strict no log policies or only log information that does not compromise your privacy and identity, and each is located in a country with no data retention laws. Above all, they offer P2P servers that will cater to your legal torrenting needs.

A VPN has two primary purposes which gave rise to other functionalities. Initially, VPNs were used solely for security and privacy of all data and activities online. A VPN’s secondary benefit is that when sending data via the secure tunnel, it ends up concealing your online identity by masking your IP address so that you are totally anonymous online.  This, in addition to other security measures VPNs use, means you can avoid hackers, ISP logging, and government surveillance. A VPN can also give you access to legal global streaming content. The best VPN picks for Australia include:

• NordVPN
• ExpressVPN
• CyberGhost
• IPVanish VPN
• PureVPN

Why Use a VPN in Australia?

Australia has laws which are invasive to your digital privacy and that allow ISPs to track and log your online activities. In addition to that, there’s state surveillance and also some level of censorship. Below are reasons why you need a VPN when you are in Australia.

• Privacy: In Australia, privacy is a major concern. The country participates in some state-based mass surveillance activities, so your digital privacy is always at risk. ISPs are also required to log your browsing activities for 2 years, and these logs are easily accessible to the government. To protect your digital privacy and avoid ISPs from logging your activities, you need a VPN. Through a VPN’s secure tunnels, your online activities and data traffic are encrypted, and no one can see it. VPNs also have a strict no log policy, and they assign you new IP addresses to protect your security. This is how VPNs ensure that ISPs have nothing to log nor monitor, ensuring your privacy won’t be at risk.
• Torrenting / Censorship: Torrenting is not a crime in Australia, but most peer-to-peer platforms have no regulations on what is shared, and therefore piracy thrives on these platforms. Piracy violates copyrights, and torrenting of copyrighted material is a serious crime in Australia. Violators can be sued and fined between $80 and $2000+ per infringement. Previously, through the “three strikes” rule, ISPs were obliged to report torrenters. But this proved too expensive to implement, and in 2016, ISPs were ordered to block illegal torrenting sites by a federal court. Popular affected sites include: The Pirate Bay, Torrent Hound, Torrentz, Solar Movie, and IsoHunt. So, even if you are not torrenting copyrighted content, it’s still a crime to use one of these illegal torrenting sites. VPNs offer anonymized servers and encrypted tunnels that support P2P for legal content.
• Security: Apart from privacy, the best VPNs can also protect you against most online security threats and attacks that can be a gateway to further privacy and confidentiality violations. For instance, through the encrypted channel that VPNs use, you can avoid being spoofed, monitored, and even eavesdropped on by ISPs and Australian government surveillance agencies. Also, when connected to unprotected public wifi, it’s essential to use a VPN to protect yourself from man-in-the-middle attacks, fraud, and other threats that can compromise your login credentials.
• Australian content: Why limit your entertainment options? Gaining access to global content is another reason why a VPN is a good choice when you are in Australia. There, your streaming options are Channel 7, SBC, Ten Play, Foxtel, ABC iView, Stan TV, and a few other popular Australian services which offer limited content. Also, you may miss major world releases due to Australian laws, and as a result, content providers take time to release their content to Australia. To get access to other foreign legal streaming content, either pay the online goods tax or use a VPN. The latter is cheaper, and all you need to do is select the IP address of the country whose content you are interested in.

Free VPNs

Free VPNs are tempting, especially when you don’t have to pay any fees. But in Australia, you must curb this urge, as free VPNs are strongly not recommended. With stringent Australian laws regarding digital privacy, censorship, and surveillance, free VPNs have little chance of delivering what they claim. Here’s why:

• Most free VPNs have weak encryptions, which ensure you are not secure enough for today’s sophisticated hackers, and ISPs can snoop on and log your activities. Many free VPNs also have inadequate data protection and logging policies. They can readily hand your data to the government the moment they are subpoenaed.
• Almost all free VPNs have limited features including server selection, limited bandwidth, and sometimes their services can even be down for a long time. With these limitations, free VPNs cannot be used to legally stream content, and most of them don’t work with Netflix. This means they are not reliable – and that’s not a risk you want to take when you are in Australia.
• Free VPNs also experience a strain on their resources when many people use them. This translates to poor overall service; you may not even have the option for customer support. As a way of making money, free VPNs are known for injecting advertisements and cookies in users’ browsers. This way, they end up risking your privacy.

Before trying a free VPN service, ensure you read all their privacy policies, check their features, and check out their reviews on reputable sites. Keep in mind that you are about to trust a VPN with all of your online activities.

FAQs: VPN for Australia

Is VPN legal in Australia?

Yes, VPNs are legal in Australia.

What’s the most secure VPN protocol for Australia?

The OpenVPN protocol is the best to use while you are in Australia. It has the best security, and it’s also fast and reliable.

Which Australian servers are the best?

Different VPNs will offer different servers to use. But you can choose the best servers by checking their ping rate, server load, and special features.

If I am an Australian, are there VPNs that I should avoid?

You should avoid free VPNs and those that log information that can compromise your privacy. Always read the privacy and logging policies of a VPN before settling on one.

What is the fastest VPN for Australia?

Speed is not absolute and may vary depending on factors that affect VPN speed such as server load and location. But our recommended VPNs here offer superior speeds and are fast enough for online HD streaming.

Why is a proxy not safe enough?

This depends on the proxy you are using, but generally, you can’t trust them with any private information.