There’s a pretty good chance you’ve heard about VPNs, most likely in the context of changing your IP address to access region-locked streaming services.
When active, these “virtual private networks” will alter your virtual location by running your internet connection through a remote server instead of your regular service provider.
While being able to access Japanese Netflix is fun, more than anything, a VPN is an essential piece of internet security that’ll allow you to maintain your privacy when online. It’ll encrypt your data and hide your internet traffic from the snooping eyes of your service providers or hackers (no, Incognito Mode alone won’t that stop either).
Some VPN providers also offer additional security features, like an ad blocker, malware protection, and cloud storage. And most VPN providers offer some form of introductory discount, so you can get your first year or two for fairly cheap.
If you listen to enough podcasts, you’re bound to come across one that has a VPN sponsorship with some form of promo offer. Just pay attention to the post-discount price, so it isn’t too much of a shock when it eventually renews.
Here are a few VPNs that we recommend.
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The Best VPNs In Australia
NordVPN
If you have heard of a VPN before, there’s a pretty good chance you’ve heard Nord mentioned in the same breath. NordVPN has something of a reputation when it comes to picking out a service — all good, mind you, which is why it’s our pick for the best VPN provider on the market.
Easy to set up, NordVPN excels at keeping your online activities private with a solid range of features. Even with the most basic subscription, it’ll give a high-speed encrypted connection, some degree of threat protection against ads and malicious websites, plus let you secure up to 10 devices.
On top of this, you’re also able to add an extra layer of privacy with Nord’s Double VPN servers, or manually select which programs don’t need to be encrypted with split tunnelling. However, that last feature is only available for Android and Windows operating systems.
If you want to get the most out of Nord, it’s worth bumping up your subscription to its Plus tier. That’ll net you malware protection, a more robust ad blocker and the ability to scan if any of your personal info has been involved in a data breach. That last one is pretty important, considering Australians have just experienced the highest number of data breaches since 2020.
If you have some important files that need protection, its highest subscription tier includes 1TB of encrypted cloud storage.
Express VPN
ExpressVPN is a pretty no-nonsense service. It offers a fast response time when connecting while letting you bounce your virtual location around 105 continues, including the United States, Japan, and the United Kingdom.
If you’re not looking to join a specific IP, its Smart Location feature will automatically connect to the best server location, to ensure you maintain a strong and steady internet connection.
It’ll let you run the service across eight devices — handy if you want your laptop and phone covered, or if you want to share it with multiple people. The provider also offers a free extension, ExpressVPN Keys, that’ll allow you to manage and encrypt your passwords.
Compared to the other VPN providers on this list, ExpressVPN initially runs a bit more expensive. The provider offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, so if you aren’t sold on the service within your first month, you can always demand a refund.
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Surfshark
If you’re after a VPN service with a bit more going on, Surfshark offers a range of features across different subscription levels. In terms of servers, you have 100 locations to choose from, along with the ability to connect with unlimited devices.
The Starter version will block ads and pop-ups, along with the ability to mask your personal info and email. Bump up your service to the One or One+ tiers and you’ll receive bonuses such as real-time alerts if your email or credit card details are breached, 24/7 anti-virus protection, as well as security reports for your personal data.
If you sign up for any of Surfshark’s one or two-year subscriptions, not only are these massively discounted (between 71% and 87%), but you’ll also receive an extra four months of service. That’s pretty good value, though once that discount period ends, you’ll be paying at least $358.24 per year.
Surfshark also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee if you aren’t sold on it.
PureVPN
PureVPN offers a simple, but solid, service. With access to a global network of over 6,000 VPN servers, it’ll allow you to maintain a solid connection, regardless of where you’re connected, making it a decent all-rounder pick.
PureVPN has three subscription tiers — Standard, Plus and Max — that offer a range of extra features, as you move up the list, e.g. password management, data removal, dark web monitoring.
It’s also one of the few VPN providers that offers a five-year subscription, which starts at US$1.99 per month (while currently discounted). Handy if you’re the kind of person who prefers to set and forget their subscriptions, although you’ll want to make sure you have some kind of alert set before a full-price renewal rolls over.
Unlike other providers on this list, you’ll need to pay for some add-on features (even at the Max tier), like a dedicated IP address, a dedicated server, or the ability to share your account with more than 10 devices. However, most of these features aren’t essential, so unless you’re actively looking for them, then you can go without.
It’s worth noting that, at the time of writing, if you sign up for any of PureVPN’s two-year plans, you’ll get an extra three months.
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Proton VPN
Looking for a free VPN? look no further than Proton’s. While this free version does have its limits — you can only use it on one device and its features are capped at blocking some ads (based on host domains), not capping your internet’s speed and keeping no activity logs — it could be enough for some.
With that said, investing in a good VPN is worth the spend. As far as features go, the paid version of Proton VPN has everything you’d want. It’ll keep your internet activity anonymous, keep your data encrypted, and enforce a more robust ad-blocker.
You can also bundle in the rest of Proton’s suite of encrypted services for around an extra €3 per month, which includes email, password manager, and cloud storage. That’s not a bad option if you want the whole hog.
It’s also worth noting that Proton VPN is based in Switzerland, which means it’s protected by Swiss privacy laws, and isn’t part of the 5/9/14 Eyes intelligence-sharing networks.
CyberGhost VPN
CyberGhost is another VPN service that’s an easy-to-navigate all-in-one package. It’s got everything you’d want from ad blocking, encrypted protection, and no-logs, to extra features like monitoring for email leaks, split tunnelling, and an automated kill switch.
The provider has a server fleet split over 100 countries, unlimited bandwidth so you’ll maintain optimal download speeds, and will let you run one subscription on seven devices simultaneously.
CyberGhost’s money-back guarantee window is a bit longer at 45 days. The provider offers a free trial of its VPN, but it only lasts for 24 hours. If you sign up for the two-year subscription, an extra two months will be added to your plan’s length.
