Usually, China and Russia are the two countries that come to our minds whenever we talk about internet censorship. However, many free and traditionally democratic governments have been censoring the internet or trying to do so.
To your shock, Australia is one of those countries that face internet censorship. The government compels the ISPs in Australia to collect data from their users.
It all started in 2017 when Australian data retention laws were went into effect. According to this law, the user's metadata will be stored for two years and can be accessed by the government without any prior warrant.
The only way Australians can get out of this situation is to start using a VPN. Here, it should be kept in mind that not all VPNs are legal in every country due to VPN jurisdictions. The legality of VPN varies from country to country. Australia falls under the five eyes surveillance agency, but you can use a VPN there. By using a VPN, you can overcome this bigotry and prevent the government's pompous behavior.
We all know what a VPN is and how it works. The important thing is the best VPNs that can function well in Australia. With the best Australian VPNs, Australians can access geographically restricted content within their own country. Moreover, the VPN service will also offer a private tunnel to use P2P file-sharing apps.
In this article, we will discuss the best VPNs that show the excellent result in Australia. Let's have a look.
Best VPN To Use In Australia
After thousands of hours of in-depth research and testing, we have found out the best VPNs for Australia. All these VPNs are tested, and you can use them to either stream Netflix access your favorite TV shows, games, and apps. Moreover, you can also use these VPNs to download torrents and access the public Wi-Fi securely anonymously.
Many VPNs claim that they work best within Australia, but the reality is different. We have tested four VPNs and concluded that they work exceptionally well in Australia. Don't get fooled and choose VPN wisely.
As mentioned earlier, we have tested four VPNs, and the criteria on which the VPNs were tested are as follows:
- Speed test
- No log policy
- Capability to unblock Netflix and other streaming services
- The network of servers in the Asia-Pacific region
- Torrenting
After testing various VPN services to find the best VPNs in Australia, which works excellent in terms of speed and unblocks Netflix too; we have come up with the four best VPNs to use in Australia. These VPNs include.
- Express VPN
- Nord VPN
- SurfShark VPN
- CyberGhost VPN
Now, let's discuss each of the best VPNs in Australia in detail.
1. ExpressVPN
- Extremely Secure
- Super-fast speed
- User-friendly apps
- Bit expensive
Without any doubt, Express VPN is the best-recommended VPN to use in Australia. It is our number one choice which is optimized for high-speed connections. It is the best VPN in Australia as it efficiently unblocks Netflix and other streaming services. Moreover, it is tough to put your hands into its security and privacy.
It is a British Virgin Island-based VPN where no particular data retention laws are implemented. Hence, they do not keep any traffic logs and ensure online privacy and protection. Also, they make apps for different platforms such as Android, IOS, Linux, macOS, Windows, and some Wi-Fi routers.
Express VPN functions more than 2000 servers in 94 countries, with 20 servers operating in APAC. With Express VPN, you can torrent easily on all servers. The speed test results and the unblocking analysis show consistency, which means it is a good option for streaming.
Express VPN is capable of unblocking the US and Australian Netflix collections both in a browser and in Netflix app too. So, you can try it risk-free as it also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee to its users.
2.NordVPN:
- Most secure
- Reliable
- Affordable
- Speed varies with some servers
Nord VPN is a Panama-based VPN that operates servers in more than 50 countries, with 12 servers functions in APAC alone. Nord VPN is among the best VPNs in terms of security and privacy. It offers rock-solid confidentiality and security and works consistently in Australia.
Nord VPN can work on all major platforms, and you can use up to six devices at one time with ultra-fast speed. It also offers a 30-days money-back guarantee and is not too expensive like Express VPN.
The best thing about Nord VPN is its features. It does not keep track records and secures the user's online experience with strong encryption.
It has a built-in ad-blocker and also protects against malware.
When it comes to unblocking, Nord VPN can unblock the Netflix proxy firewall and allow you to enjoy your favorite movie or TV show streaming. Also, you can stream other streaming sites too. The thing I liked about Nord VPN is the specialized servers they offer. These servers are optimized for fast downloads and privacy, like, anti-DDoS, double-hop VPN, Tor over VPN, and ultra-fast streaming.
Isn't it sound amazing? So, why are you waiting? Hurry up! And start using Nord VPN.
3. Surfshark VPN:
- Unlimited number of device connections
- Reasonable price
- 24/7 live chat option
- Sometimes speed is inconsistent
SurfShark VPN is new in the market, but it is excellent for unblocking geographically restricted content like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and BBC iPlayer. Also, you can torrent safely on all devices. It operates on Android, IOS, Linux, macOS, and Windows platforms.
The best thing about SurfShark VPN is that it allows an unlimited number of devices that can be connected under a single account. So, if you are willing to buy a VPN that you can share with your trusted friends and family members, you should try SurfShark.
SurfShark allows you to torrent safely on all devices. Moreover, it provides secure encryption and a kill switch that protects your internet traffic whenever your VPN connection drops. It doesn't keep activity logs of your online activity.
4. CyberGhost:
- Supports torrents
- Lowest price
- Strict no-log policy
- Questionable parent company
CyberGhost is among the most affordable VPN which is easy to use and operate its network of more than 1200 servers, including 20 in Australia and above 200 in the USA. It provides fast and reliable connections with a good range of servers.
It is one of the best VPNs in Australia because it does not keep logs or record your IP address. It provides excellent privacy along with DNS leak protection. Moreover, it works well with renowned streaming platforms and offers a 45-days money-back guarantee.
CyberGhost focuses on unblocking streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. It is known as a great all-rounder because it works at super-fast speeds and has dedicated torrent anonymously options among its applications.
VPNs Which Don't Work in Australia:
The biggest concern of a VPN user is privacy and security. These are the two things on which they can't compromise at all. Unfortunately, not all VPNs provide the highest level of privacy and security and thus are not recommended.
Following are the VPNs which should be avoided in Australia:
Hola:
Hola is an Israel-based VPN. It is not a traditional VPN because a user does not connect to a network of centralized servers, which the VPN company owns. Unlike other VPN users, Hola users connect by using different users' bandwidth, part of a vast P2P network.
There are some serious security and legal concerns regarding such kind of connection. Users might use other users' internet for illegal activities. Like in 2015, Hola used its user's computer system to make a botnet and perform a DDoS attack. Thus, it is highly not recommended to use Hola in Australia, where users face strict government surveillance.
HideMyAss:
HideMyAss is also not recommended to use in Australia. It is one of the most controversial VPNs. In 2011, a LulzSec hacker got arrested for participating in an attack on the Sony Pictures site. Cody Kretsinger, a user, used HideMyAss to hide his identity, but the company abides by the court order to hand over the evidence that led to his arrest.
It happened despite the company's policy of not keeping any logs of its users. The privacy policy states that HideMyAss does not hold any records; however, it keeps metadata logs that include the user's IP address. Thus, we suggest users keep a distance from HideMyAss.
Hotspot Shield:
Hotspot Shield VPN is famous for its shady practice of inserting tracking cookies and ads into users' browsers whenever they use the service. Doing such things is firmly against the purpose of using a VPN.
Moreover, a recent FTC complaint claims that Hotspot Shield has hijacked HTTP requests for e-commerce websites and directed users to affiliate sites. If this is true, it would be unjust exploitation of users' trust.
It should be noted that Hotspot Shield is a free service that is also available in the premium version. Still, we suggest avoiding using any such service which risks users' privacy, security, and trust.
Final Thoughts:
To avoid government surveillance in a free country like Australia, you should start using a VPN service. A VPN will prevent the ISP from keeping snooping eyes on your activities and allow you to unblock Netflix so you can enjoy your favorite movies and shows and access other streaming services.
However, it is not an easy job to choose a VPN as many VPN providers promise things they don't provide. They are losing customers' trust, but some tested VPN works exceptionally well and satisfies users' need.
If you're an Australian resident, then the above guide will surely help you, and you must choose anyone out of the four VPNs discussed above and make your browsing experience enjoyable.
I’m an exchange student in Australia and before coming here I got Surfshark, not only for the censorship but also for the privacy (not to mention it’s one of a few VPN’s I can afford myself to have). So far been quite happy with it as I have no restrictions and my data is protected.