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The Best VPNs for Australia
The Short Answer
The best VPN for getting an Australian IP address from overseas is NordVPN, with a superb 9.6/10 test rating. It runs the highest number of VPN servers in Australia, clocking some of the fastest internet speeds we’ve ever seen. TunnelBear is the only safe free VPN with servers in Australia, but its 2GB monthly data cap and difficulties in bypassing geo-restrictions are frustrating.
Getting an Australian VPN IP address should be straightforward given the number of VPNs on the market. Instead we’ve realized through our regular tests that many are simply unsuitable.
Many free VPNs with Australian servers are too insecure to use, and most aren’t able bypass Australian streaming geo-blocks.
In the end we found only one safe free VPN that offers Australian IP addresses, and two paid ones that worked with platforms like Kayo Sports, SBS On Demand, 9Now, 7Plus, and Netflix Australia.
Summary: The Best VPNs for Australia
Out of 61 VPNs we tested, these three are the most dependable for connecting into Australia from overseas:
- NordVPN: Best VPN for Australia Overall
- ExpressVPN: Most User-friendly VPN for Australia
- TunnelBear: 100% Free VPN for Australia
Why Trust Us?
We’re fully independent and have been reviewing VPNs since 2016. Our ratings are based on our own testing results and are unaffected by financial incentives. Learn who we are and how we test VPNs.
| VPNs Tested | 61 |
| Total Hours of Testing | 30,000+ |
| Combined Years of Experience | 50+ |
NordVPN and ExpressVPN are ideal for bypassing geo-restrictions and accessing Australian TV shows and sports from outside the country.
For instance, with NordVPN you’ll be able to stream the AFL and the NRL on Kayo Sports and 9Now.
🔄 Recent Updates
Following our most recent round of testing, we’ve reaffirmed that NordVPN is currently the fastest VPN connecting into Australia while ExpressVPN is most suitable for VPN beginners.
VPN Comparison Table
The table below compares our chosen VPNs based on the number of Australia servers offered, VPN speeds, Australian streaming services unblocked, and more.
The Best Australia VPNs Reviewed
1. NordVPN: Best VPN for Australia
Pricing Plans - $12.99/mo
- $4.59/mo over 15 months
- $2.99/mo over 27 months
Australia Servers 190 Australia Server Locations Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney Australia Netflix Yes SBS On Demand Yes Support 24/7 Live Chat Compatible with 
Windows
Mac
iOS
Android
Linux
Amazon Fire TV
Android TV
Apple TV
Router
Chrome
After many years of testing, NordVPN continues to be our highest-rated VPN for Australia.
It pipped ExpressVPN to the post because it has the most VPN servers in the country, which deliver the fastest internet speeds and unblock every geo-locked Australian content platform.
We unblocked Australian streaming services like SBS On Demand with NordVPN.
Australian Server Network
NordVPN has the largest Australian server network of any VPN, with 190 servers spread across 5 Australian cities.
With NordVPN you can quickly get IP addresses in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney.
With more Australian servers than any other VPN, we have yet to encounter any server congestion, connection issues, or even CAPTCHAs.
Using NordVPN was quite simply smooth and bug-free on every occasion.
Australian Streaming Performance
NordVPN unblocked every Australian service we tested. Here are the full results of our Australian streaming tests:
Australian Streaming Service NordVPN Unblocks 7Plus Yes 9Now Yes ABC iView Yes Kayo Sports Yes Netflix Australia Yes SBS On Demand Yes While ExpressVPN still struggles with Kay Sports, NordVPN easily accessed every single Australian streaming platform on every Australian server.
The only downside is that the VPN’s Smart DNS feature doesn’t work with Australian streaming services, but that won’t affect most people.
Australian Download Speeds
As with most of NordVPN’s connections around the world, we equally experienced excellent speeds connecting into Australia.
After connecting to Sydney from cities like New York, Los Angeles, and London our average speed loss was only 16%.
On average, NordVPN’s international download speed into Australia is 84Mbps, which is currently the fastest we’ve recorded.
User Experience & Device Compatibility
NordVPN has attractive user-friendly apps for most devices. You can install it on macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, and Android TV.
You can use the VPN on up to 10 devices simultaneously, which is generous compared to many similar VPNs.
Although NordVPN feels nice to use, we enjoyed using ExpressVPN slightly more. Unlike NordVPN, its features are labeled and its compact design takes up less screen size compared to NordVPN’s desktop apps.
Pricing & Free Trials
Considering its impressive Australian performance, NordVPN is excellent value for money. It costs $2.99/mo over 27 months, which is less than half the price of ExpressVPN.
However, the subscription price increases on renewal, ultimately reaching a similar price to ExpressVPN. Put simply, you lose the budget factor after two years of use.
NordVPN has a 7-day free trial if you download the app and sign up for a subscription via the Google Play store. And once the trial is offer, you still benefit from the service’s 30-day refund policy.
2. ExpressVPN: Most User-friendly VPN for Australia
Pricing Plans - $12.95/mo
- $6.25/mo over 16 months
- $4.99/mo over 28 months
Australia Servers Undisclosed Australia Server Locations Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney Australia Netflix Yes SBS On Demand Yes Support 24/7 Live Chat Compatible with - Windows
- Mac
- iOS
- Android
- Linux
- Amazon Fire TV
- Android TV
- Apple TV
- Router
- Chrome
ExpressVPN lost out to NordVPN mainly because of its narrower server range in Australia and its struggles to unblock Kayo Sports. That said, ExpressVPN is still a great VPN for Australia.
The VPN service provides unrestricted access to fast servers in five Australian cities, most geo-restricted Australian streaming services, and is compatible the widest range of devices of any VPN.
ExpressVPN unblocks Australian on demand streaming services like ABC iView.
Australian Server Network
ExpressVPN offers IP addresses in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney. This is the same as NordVPN, but it includes the ability to manually select local Sydney servers (you can get IP addresses in the Wooloomooloo district).
The VPN company doesn’t disclose how many servers are in its Australian network, so it’s difficult to compare it to NordVPN’s server park, however the quick and stable connections we experienced prove it’s rather large.
ExpressVPN comes with a large number of Australian city servers.
Australian Streaming Performance
We tested ExpressVPN with every major Australian streaming platform. Here are the results:
Australian Streaming Service ExpressVPN Unblocks 7Plus Yes 9Now Yes ABC iView Yes Kayo Sports No Netflix Australia Yes SBS On Demand Yes ExpressVPN successfully bypassed the geo-blocks of most Australian streaming services, streaming quickly at maximum picture quality and no buffering.
The only surprising disappointment was its failure to bypass Kayo Sports’ geo-restrictions. To beat these, use NordVPN.
If you’re a cricket fan, then it’s worth knowing that ExpressVPN is also one our recommended VPNs for India and is particularly good for watching the IPL for free from Australia.
Australian Download Speeds
Using ExpressVPN, we connected to Sydney from overseas and recorded just a 17% loss in our download speed. This is an impressive result considering a distance of 10,000 miles.
Our average download speed connecting into Australia was 83Mbps; marginally slower than NordVPN, but more than enough for streaming content in Full HD and 4K without buffering.
User Experience & Device Compatibility
ExpressVPN makes getting an Australian IP address quick and easy, thanks to its intuitive and well-designed apps that quickly connect you to Australian servers.
It’s the most widely compatible VPN on the market, with apps for every major platform, including Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android.
There are also bespoke apps for Apple TV, Fire TV Stick, and Android TV, so you can stream Australian sports and TV on your home devices.
Uniquely, ExpressVPN is the only VPN with a dedicated router app.
Since its Smart DNS service can’t unblock Australian streaming services, setting up the VPN on your router is a good alternative solution.
Pricing & Free Trials
ExpressVPN’s cheapest subscription works out at $4.99/mo over 28 months. This is not cheap compared to competing VPNs like NordVPN, but we believe its exceptional performance justifies the cost.
Similarly to NordVPN, you can try ExpressVPN for free by signing up to its 7-day free trial (via iOS or Android) or by taking advantage of its 30-day money-back guarantee.
The Best 100% Free VPN for Australia
1. TunnelBear: 100% Free VPN for Australia
Data Cap 2GB per month Free Australia Servers 1 Australia Server Locations Sydney Australia Netflix No SBS On Demand No Support Email & Online Resources Only Compatible with - Windows
- Mac
- iOS
- Android
- Linux
- Amazon Fire TV
- Android TV
- Apple TV
- Router
- Chrome
TunnelBear is the only safe free VPN with servers in Australia. By default, it’s the best free VPN for getting an Australian IP address.
However, the VPN service is limited by an agonizing inability to bypass almost all Australian streaming geo-restrictions, and a restrictive 2GB monthly data allowance.
Using TunnelBear Free to connect to an Australian IP address.
Australian Server Network
TunnelBear is the only free VPN service with an Australia server, allowing you to connect to a Sydney IP address completely cost-free. This is very useful to visit Australian websites from overseas.
The VPN’s free server list is identical to the paid version, but we’d like to see more Australian cities added. Australia covers 3,000 square miles, so including servers on the west coast in Perth is undoubtedly better for users connecting from Europe or Asia.
Australian Streaming Performance
Here are the results of TunnelBear Free’s Australian streaming tests:
Australian Streaming Service TunnelBear Free Unblocks 7Plus Yes 9Now No ABC iView No Kayo Sports No Netflix Australia No SBS On Demand No Sadly, the free version of TunnelBear was detected and blocked by most Australian streaming services. The only exception was 7Plus.
TunnelBear Free doesn’t work with most Australian streaming services.
To unblock Australian streaming services for free, avoid TunnelBear and instead sign up to a NordVPN or ExpressVPN free trial.
Australian Download Speeds
Connecting to TunnelBear’s free Sydney server from New York, we enjoyed fast and stable internet speeds. Our speed loss was only 26%.
We’re also pleased that TunnelBear doesn’t cap or throttle its connection speeds like other free VPNs do. Our average download speed was 74Mbps, resulting in smooth connections despite the geographical distance.
User Experience & Device Compatibility
TunnelBear has some of the most user-friendly VPN apps around, and it’s available to install on popular platforms, including Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android.
You can also install it as a browser extension on Chrome and Firefox for even quicker access to an Australian IP address.
However, TunnelBear’s apps are nowhere near as advanced as ExpressVPN’s or NordVPN’s. Moreover, there are no bespoke clients for streaming devices like Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, or Android TV. It’s not compatible with routers, either.
In other words, there’s no way easy way to use TunnelBear on anything other than your computer or smartphone.
Pricing & Free Access
TunnelBear’s free VPN requires no account or credit card details in order for you to install and use it. It makes getting a free Australian IP address easy and privacy-friendly.
The downsides are substantial though, especially the monthly data cap of 2GB. This is one of the most restrictive data allowances of any free VPN. For instance, Windscribe offers 10GB of free data each month.
After years of testing, we have also noticed that TunnelBear’s free data no longer rolls over if unused. Previously, unused data used to build up, but this ‘perk’ was recently removed.
Getting an Australian IP Address Using a VPN
Using a VPN with servers in Australia is the easiest way to get an Australian IP address.
In the video below, we show how easy it is to acquire an Australian IP address using a VPN.
It takes 30 seconds to get an Australian IP address using a VPN.
Alternatively, follow the step-by-step instructions below:
- Subscribe to a VPN with Australian servers. We suggest NordVPN, but nearly every premium VPN has Australian servers. On the flip side, the only free VPN with Australian servers is TunnelBear Free.
- Connect to an Australian server location. After you’ve downloaded and installed the VPN software, head to the VPN’s server network list and select an Australian server. This will automatically give you an Australian IP address.
How to Watch Australian TV from Overseas with a VPN
One of the main reasons for getting a VPN with servers in Australia is to access the country’s streaming services from overseas.
All free and paid content platforms in Australia, like 7Plus, 9Now and Kayo Sports, restrict content access to Australian IP addresses only.
ExpressVPN bypasses geo-restrictions on 9Now.
A VPN gets round these IP address restrictions by assigning your device(s) the IP address of the Australian server you connect to, masking your real IP address in the process.
Quick Guide: How to Watch Australian TV from Overseas
- Download a VPN with servers in Australia that unblock the country’s main streaming platforms. We recommend either NordVPN (paid) or Windscribe (free).
- Connect to an Australian server location. If there is one specific to your streaming service, select that one.
- Go to the streaming website or launch the app.
- Start streaming.
VPNs That Missed Out on Selection
We simply can’t recommend many of the VPNs we tested specifically for Australia. They often don’t offer enough Australian server locations, are slow connecting from overseas, or fail to unblock popular streaming services.
Kayo Sports ‘we have detected you are on a VPN’ error message.
Below are some of the most popular VPNs that didn’t pass our selection criteria:
AirVPN
Our research shows that nearly every paid VPN offers Australian servers, with the exception of AirVPN. For this reason, it’s not a useful VPN for Australia as you cannot get an Australian IP address.
Astrill VPN
Astrill VPN has servers in Sydney and Casula, but it doesn’t disclose exactly how many. Alongside this, its long-distance connections into Australia are much slower than competitors, and its streaming performance is well below our expectations.
It was unable to access SBS On Demand, Netflix Australia, 7Plus, and Kayo Sports. While we can’t recommend it for Australia, Astrill is a top VPN to use in China.
CyberGhost
CyberGhost was very close to making our recommendations list. It has 213 Australia servers, most of which bypass geo-blocks. Sadly, the VPN’s connections into Australia weren’t fast enough.
IPVanish
Similarly to CyberGhost, IPVanish almost made our top selection. While it successfully unblocks some Australian streaming services, it doesn’t work with Kayo Sports. IPVanish only offers six servers in each of its Australian city locations outside of Sydney and Melbourne.
PrivateVPN
PrivateVPN performed similarly to CyberGhost. It works with Australian streaming services, but its long-distance speeds are slower than other top-tier VPNs.
Windscribe (Free Version)
We think highly of Windscribe as a free service, but it has no Australian servers. That means you cannot get an Australian IP address or access Australian websites.
How We Test VPNs for Australia
To find the best VPN for Australia, we tested and compared 61 VPNs based on five key testing categories, giving each a sub-rating that contributes to its overall rating for Australia. Here’s the breakdown:
Below you can read each VPN’s sub-rating and what we did to get them:
VPNs with a data cap receive a reduction to their overall rating.
1. Australia Server Locations: 30%
- What We Did: Counted the number of Australian servers in each VPN’s network, including how many city locations it offers, followed by the use of IP address checker to confirm a successful Australian connection.
- Why It’s Important: You need an Australian IP address to access Australian websites, and the more servers a VPN offers, the better its performance is.
- Optimal Result: 100s of Australian servers spread across most Australian cities.
2. Australia Streaming Performance: 30%
- What We Did: Tested each VPN with six major Australian streaming sites, including SBS On Demand, Kayo Sports, 9Now, 7Play, ABC iView, and Netflix Australia.
- Why It’s Important: Enables access to Australian streaming sites outside of Australia.
- Optimal Result: Unblocks every Australian streaming site tested.
3. Australia Speed Performance: 20%
- What We Did: Performed in-house speed tests to assess each VPN’s download speed when connecting into Australia from various global locations.
- Why It’s Important: Fast speeds enable smooth browsing and buffer-free streaming in high quality resolution.
- Optimal Result: Less than 20% download speed loss connecting to the VPN’s Australian servers.
4. Security: 10%
- What We Did: Inspected each VPN’s security suite for industry-standard encryption, tested its kill switch, and checked for any IP address or DNS leaks.
- Why It’s Important: IP address leaks can prevent you from unblocking Australian content abroad, and strong encryption is a necessity for any worthwhile VPN.
- Optimal Result: Zero data leaks, a working kill switch, and a comprehensive security suite with up-to-date encryption.
5. Privacy: 10%
- What We Did: Reviewed each VPN’s privacy policy and assessed its logging policy in accordance with our in-house standards.
- Why It’s Important: Many VPNs store identifying data, which poses a significant privacy risk.
- Optimal Result: No-logs policy evidenced by a court case or third-party audit.
Data Cap Penalty
Data Cap Penalty
Most free VPNs have data caps that restrict your VPN’s performance. To account for this limitation, we apply a penalty to a free VPN’s overall rating. This is based on how severe its data cap is:
- 10GB per month: -20% to the overall rating
- 500MB per day: -25% to the overall rating
- 5GB per month: -30% to the overall rating
- 1GB per month: -35% to the overall rating
- 200MB per day: -40% to the overall rating
- 500MB per month: -50% to the overall rating
From our list of Australia VPNs, TunnelBear Free’s rating was reduced by 35% to account for its restrictive offering of 2GB of data per month.
