Penka Hristovska
Updated on: December 25, 2023
Short on time? Here’s the best free VPN for Australia in 2024:
- 🥇 ExpressVPN: While it’s not free, it comes with a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee. Has Australian servers based in Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Sydney, blazing-fast speeds, and excellent security features. Works with all of the top streaming apps (including Netflix Australia) and supports torrenting on all of its servers.
Free VPNs seem great for your budget, but I never recommend them. The problem with free VPNs is that many of them lack essential security features, may log your data (and sell it to third-party advertisers), have slow speeds, and set a limit on how much data you can use each day or per month.
The good news is that I tested dozens of free VPNs and found a handful of secure and safe free VPNs for Australia — they all include top-notch security features, really fast speeds, and feature-rich apps.
But I still prefer paid VPNs because they offer much better value. My #1 pick is ExpressVPN — it’s very fast, secure, and easy to use. Plus, it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee so you can try it risk-free.
Quick summary of the best free VPNs for Australia:
- 1. 🥇ExpressVPN — Best overall VPN for Australia in 2024 (great features and a 30-day money-back guarantee).
- 2. 🥈CyberGhost VPN — Great VPN for streaming, has fast speeds, and comes with a 45-day money-back guarantee.
- 3. 🥉hide.me — Good free VPN for torrenting and access to 5+ server locations (but not Australia).
- 4. Proton VPN — Decent free VPN with unlimited data and excellent security features + 5 server locations.
- 5. TunnelBear — Beginner-friendly and feature-rich free VPN with fast Australian servers.
- Comparison of the Best Free VPNs for Australia in 2024.
1. 🥇ExpressVPN — Best Overall VPN for Australia
ExpressVPN is my top pick for Australia — it’s not free, but it includes a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you have a full month to use it and see if you like it. It has 5+ server locations in Australia, industry-leading security features, and the fastest speeds on the market. It also works with all of the popular streaming sites and comes with extremely easy-to-install and easy-to-use apps.
I love how it offers connections all over Australia with servers in Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Sydney. This way, you can always connect to the closest server to reduce your ping (the distance the internet signal travels from your device to the server) and get the fastest speeds. In addition, ExpressVPN has a giant server network with servers in 105 countries.
I had zero issues connecting to any of the server locations in Australia, and it took just seconds to switch my connection between them. In my speed tests using ExpressVPN’s proprietary Lightway protocol, I noticed no differences on any of the servers I tested — web pages instantly loaded, videos played without any delay, and torrenting speeds were only a tick slower than my speeds without a VPN connection.
When it comes to security, it’s hard to match ExpressVPN. In addition to having all of the industry-standard VPN security features, as well as an independently audited no-logs policy, it has:
- Perfect forward secrecy — This feature constantly alters your encryption keys to prevent hackers from accessing future or past keys.
- TrustedServer Technology — ExpressVPN only uses RAM-memory, so none of your personal data is stored on a hard drive, and all of the data is wiped each time the server is rebooted.
- Full leak protection — ExpressVPN protects you from DNS, WebRTC, and IPv6 leaks (I tested multiple servers in all 4 Australian cities and never suffered a leak).
- Threat Manager — This feature blocks trackers to stop targeted ads and prevents you from visiting potentially malicious websites.
ExpressVPN is the best VPN for streaming and torrenting. It works with international streaming apps like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+, and my colleagues in Australia confirmed that it works with sites such as 9Now, Presto, and Stan. It also allows torrenting on all servers (including the Australian servers) and supports the top torrenting apps, including BitTorrent, uTorrent, and Deluge.
ExpressVPN plans start at $6.67 / month — and you can usually get extra months for free.
Bottom Line:
ExpressVPN is hands-down the best VPN for Australia, with servers in Brisbane, Perth, Sydney, Melbourne, and more, high-end security features, and lightning-fast speeds for streaming, torrenting, and gaming. ExpressVPN isn’t free, but it provides the best overall value — and all of its plans are covered by a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you have a full month to test it and see if it meets your needs.
Read the full ExpressVPN review
2. 🥈CyberGhost VPN — Excellent VPN for Streaming TV Shows & Movies in Australia
CyberGhost VPN is secure, fast, and works with tons of streaming services — and it offers a lengthy 45-day money-back guarantee for its long-term plans (the monthly plan has a 14-day refund window).
I really like that it has specialized streaming servers for Netflix Australia, 10Play, and 9Now, which are optimized to work with these sites and maintain good streaming speeds. That said, its regular servers also work with Amazon Prime, Disney+, and local channels, as confirmed by my colleagues in Australia.
Plus, it has dedicated servers for torrenting and gaming. CyberGhost supports P2P traffic in 70+ countries and has gaming-optimized servers in the US, the UK, France, and Germany that provide low ping and faster load times.
CyberGhost has 200+ servers in Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney, along with an impressive 11,528 servers worldwide in 100 countries.
I had really fast speeds with CyberGhost, but they weren’t as fast as ExpressVPN — websites loaded instantly but videos took a few seconds to start.
I’m a fan of CyberGhost’s Smart Rules feature, which allows you to customize your connection preferences. For example, I set up CyberGhost to connect to a server in Australia as soon as I opened the VPN app.
It also provides top-notch security features, including RAM-only servers, perfect forward secrecy, and strong leak protection. It’s great to see that CyberGhost’s no-logs policy has been audited (like ExpressVPN), and I also like that it issues a transparency report every 3 months to prove it doesn’t share user data.
CyberGhost VPN has very cheap prices, with plans starting at $2.03 / month. In addition to the generous 45-day money-back guarantee on its long-term plans, it also offers a 14-day money-back guarantee on its monthly plan.
Bottom Line:
CyberGhost VPN works with all of the major streaming services, has very fast speeds, and comes with 200+ servers in Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney. It allows torrenting on every Australian server and has dedicated gaming servers. While it’s not free, CyberGhost covers long-term plans with a 45-day money-back guarantee (the monthly plan has a 14-day money-back guarantee).
Read the full CyberGhost VPN review
3. 🥉hide.me — Best Free VPN for P2P Traffic
hide.me is a decent free VPN for torrenting. It doesn’t include Australian servers in its free plan, but it gives you access to 5+ server locations, including France, Germany, Spain, the US, the UK, and Canada, so you can still find a server that’s closer to your location for faster speeds.
The free version limits you to 1 connection and 10 GB per month, which is enough for a couple of small torrent files or around 10 hours worth of watching videos in SD (standard definition).
I was impressed with hide.me’s speeds in the free version. Sites and SD videos only took 1–2 seconds to load, and videos in HD didn’t need more than 3–4 seconds to load. Plus, I didn’t experience any buffering or lag.
Upgrading to its paid plan gives you access to its servers in Australia, located in Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth (as well as servers in 54 other countries) and adds 10 connections. Although its server network is decent in size, it’s still not on par with ExpressVPN and CyberGhost VPN, which both have servers in 100+ countries.
hide.me’s paid plans cost $2.22 / month and all are backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
hide.me is a good, 100% free VPN for P2P traffic. Its free plan doesn’t include access to Australian servers, but you can connect to 5+ other servers, including the US, UK, Germany, France, and Spain. It also limits you to 10 GB per month, which is enough for a couple of small torrents, and only 1 device connection. The paid plans add access to all servers and unlimited data and are backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
4. Proton VPN — Unlimited Data + High-End Privacy
Proton VPN is one of the rare free VPNs out there that allows unlimited data. However, note that the free plan only allows you to connect 1 device at a time, and you only get access to servers in the US, the Netherlands, Japan, Romania, and Poland.
During my tests, I had fast speeds while connected to servers in all 5 countries — websites loaded almost right away no matter which server I was on, and videos on YouTube always played in under 10 seconds and never buffered once they started. I also like that Proton VPN automatically connects you to the fastest free server when you launch the app. That being said, Proton VPN’s speeds with the free plan pale in comparison to ExpressVPN’s speeds.
Proton VPN has a number of security features that protect users, even while using a free account. You get perfect forward secrecy, full leak protection, an audited no-logs policy, and full-disk encryption, which scrambles all of the data on the hard drive. I also like how all apps are open-source, which means anyone can inspect them for security vulnerabilities (and each one has passed an external audit).
Proton VPN’s paid plans start at $4.99 / month and add streaming and P2P support, access to all servers, and an ad blocker. There’s a prorated 30-day money-back guarantee for all purchases.
Bottom Line:
Proton VPN is a very secure free VPN that allows unlimited data. It’s fast and it’s very secure, but it doesn’t include access to Australian servers or allow streaming or P2P traffic. Instead, you need to buy one of the paid plans to unlock its Australian servers and watch your favorite streaming apps or download files. All of the paid plans are covered by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full Proton VPN review
5. TunnelBear — Good Free VPN for Beginners + Access to Australian servers
TunnelBear is very simple to use, so it’s good for someone who has never used a VPN before. Its free plan gives you access to all of its servers, including those in Australia, as well as all of the features that come with the premium plans.
One of my favorite things about TunnelBear is the hilarious bear puns and the adorable animated bears that are all over the apps. For example, when you connect to a server, a bear digs a tunnel from your current location to your new location and roars. And its features are named SplitBear (split-tunneling), GhostBear (obfuscation tool), and VigilantBear (the kill switch).
TunnelBear has really good security features, and I love how its apps, code, and server infrastructure policy are audited every year. It also offers a really good free ad blocker for Chrome.
However, there’s a data cap of 2 GB per month for free users, which is only enough data to browse for 3–4 hours or so — you can briefly test it out, but that’s about it.
The VPN also has pretty good speeds for browsing and streaming, but it’s still slower than ExpressVPN.
TunnelBear’s premium plans start at $3.33 / month, and get you unlimited data, but there’s no money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
TunnelBear is a fun VPN for new users, and it’s one of the few free VPNs to offer Australian servers on its free plan. However, you only get 2 GB per month, which is only enough data for basic browsing for about 3-4 hours. Upgrading to one of TunnelBear’s paid plans gets you unlimited data.
Read the full TunnelBear review
Comparison of the Best Free VPNs for Australia in 2024
How to Choose the Best Free VPN for Australia in 2024
- Look for servers in Australia or nearby countries. A VPN with servers in Australia, or at least in a location close to Australia like Hong Kong and Japan, will ensure you can get the fastest speeds possible when at home. All of my top picks either have Aussie servers or servers near Australia.
- Opt for a VPN that offers quick speeds. VPNs can reduce your speeds as they encrypt your data and route your connection through remote servers. Nonetheless, all the VPNs listed here sustain rapid speeds (although ExpressVPN is the quickest).
- Opt for a highly secure VPN. Some free products may skimp on essential features, but my recommended VPNs all provide 256-bit AES encryption, kill switches, IP leak protection, and strict no-logs policies.
- Ensure the VPN you choose offers additional features. The VPNs on this list have been chosen specifically for providing extra features such as split-tunneling and an ad blocker.
- Find a VPN that offers affordable paid plans. All of the VPNs here offer competitive premium plans, in case you are interested in upgrading your subscription plan.
Risks & Disadvantages of Using a Free VPN
- Lousy security. Free VPNs often lack basic security features, which leaves your personal data unprotected. This includes your browsing history and your IP address.
- Slow speeds. There’s a certain amount of lag to be expected with all VPNs because of the extra layer of encryption, but many free VPNs have very slow speeds that make it annoying to browse the web and make it near impossible to stream or torrent. The best VPNs for Australia all maintain fast speeds.
- Blacklisted servers. Free VPNs typically have small server networks, which means they don’t have many IP addresses to issue their users. This makes it far more likely that the IP addresses will get flagged and blocked by many websites, including most streaming services.
- No streaming. Most free VPNs don’t work with streaming services, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney+. However, a premium VPN like ExpressVPN works with all of the popular streaming services 100% of the time.
- Selling data. Free VPNs may log your online traffic and then sell that information to third-party advertisers to help offset the cost of offering a free VPN plan. It’s important to make sure your VPN has an airtight no-logs policy. Proton VPN and TunnelBear both have a 100% free plan, and each one’s no-logs policy has been independently audited and confirmed.
Affordable Alternatives
- Private Internet Access (PIA). PIA has cheap plans, excellent security and privacy, very fast speeds, and customizable apps that are great for both beginners and more advanced users. It also has servers in 91 countries and offers great streaming and torrenting support. PIA doesn’t have a free version, but its plans start at just $2.11 / month and all of them come with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Read the full Private Internet Access review here.
- Surfshark. Surfshark is an affordable VPN ($1.99 / month) that’s a great pick for beginners. It has easy-to-use apps, very good security features, decent speeds, and servers in 100 countries. It doesn’t have a free plan, but it backs all of its plans with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Read the full Surfshark review here.
Top Brands That Didn’t Make the Cut
- Hotspot Shield — Hotspot Shield offers a good free plan with unlimited data and pretty fast speeds. But it unfortunately limits you to just 1 connection, only lets you use servers in 3 countries (none which are near Australia), and doesn’t support streaming.
- PrivadoVPN — PrivadoVPN lets free users use up to 10 GB per month and supports P2P traffic, but its closest servers are in Europe, which won’t provide fast enough speeds for users in Australia.
- Windscribe — Windscribe has a solid free plan that allows unlimited connections, access to 10+ servers, and 10 GB of data per month. Its free plan doesn’t include Australian servers, and it’s a lot slower than the VPNs on my list.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the best free VPN for Australia?
My #1 completely free VPN is hide.me. Its free plan offers 10 GB of data monthly, 1 connection, really fast speeds, and great security. It doesn’t support streaming, but it supports torrenting.
That said, ExpressVPN is my top VPN for Australia. It doesn’t include a free plan, but it has a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee. During this period, you can use all of ExpressVPN’s features and test out its lightning-fast servers in Brisbane, Perth, Melbourne, and Sydney for browsing, streaming, torrenting, and gaming.
Which free VPNs for Australia have browser extensions?
All of the VPNs on this list have browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox. ExpressVPN also has an extension for Microsoft Edge.
Are free VPNs legal in Australia?
Yes! There are no laws against protecting your data using a VPN. However, it’s still against the law to use a VPN for criminal activities.
Do free VPNs work with Netflix Australia?
Unfortunately, most don’t work with Netflix Australia. Many free VPNs don’t even allow streaming on their free plans. And the majority of free VPNs that actually support streaming don’t include access to Australian servers (so you can’t watch Netflix Australia), or they allow connections to an Australian server but set a very low limit on the amount of data you can use.
For watching Netflix Australia, I recommend getting a paid VPN like ExpressVPN, which works with Netflix Australia without issues, as well as 10+ other Netflix libraries — our international team tested it and said they could all watch Netflix in their locations, including my colleagues in Australia. It also has blazing-fast speeds, which are great for streaming.
