Australia is a 5 Eyes country, along with the USA, the UK, Canada, and New Zealand. While people in this country have a high degree of internet freedom, its 5 Eyes participation produces another problem. ISP surveillance. With this in mind, it’s no wonder people look for a free Australian VPN.
Another issue lies in the geo-restrictions. Not all streaming services and online bookies are available in this country. This is further exacerbated by the lack of privacy on public WiFi hotspots and the fact that ISPs in Australia must store your browsing history and personal data.
Regardless, the best free VPN for Australia in 2024 will help you fix these problems. With its ability to encrypt your traffic and change your IP, you can enjoy online privacy and browse the web anonymously. But what is the top free VPN for Australia? Well, let’s answer this question in today’s guide!
Best Free VPN for Australia for Up to 30 Days
Before discussing 100% free Australian VPNs, let’s first mention our favorite free trial VPNs. You see, free VPNs are known for limitations that you’ll later see, which is why they might not be the best choice. However, if you’re keen on getting a provider for free, you can consider a free trial instead.
In other words, you can use a premium service with top-notch quality and no limits for as long as its money-back guarantee allows, before getting a refund. Let’s see which providers we recommend that will give you this advantage.
NordVPN: The Best Free VPN for Australia for 30 Days
The first and best provider we want to mention is NordVPN. NordVPN is a service with insanely cheap prices and many commodities that ExpressVPN and more expensive rivals actually don’t have. For one, NordVPN costs way less than its fierce competitors.
The provider offers a 2-year plan with a few free months at under $3.3 a month. But that’s not all! You also get a 30-day money-back guarantee for all plans.
Try NordVPN for Free For 30 Days
Either way, the button above will take you straight to NordVPN’s site. From there, you can select its cheapest available plan, provide your email, and pay for the subscription. In doing so, you can enjoy NordVPN limitlessly and protect up to 10 devices at the same time.
If you want to use it as the best free VPN for Australia in 2024, you’ll need a refund. This can be done through live chat, in which case, NordVPN will issue a refund with no quibble. And that’s how you use a premium service for free for 30 days without losing a penny!
Why Choose NordVPN?
NordVPN is far better than ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, and other “on-par” companies. However, if you live in Australia or you need an Australian IP abroad, it’s more than excellent. The provider has 6,400+ servers in nearly 112 countries, offering astounding performance with 10 Gbps speeds and great network stability.
We like NordVPN’s capable torrenting and streaming servers. They’re optimized for these activities, allowing you to unblock a plethora of geo-restricted platforms or torrent anonymously. Besides, NordVPN is a great VPN for Tor as well, as it can be used to go on the dark web with this browser thanks to Onion Over VPN servers.
Double VPN servers are an integral part of the app. They route your connection through two servers, which further enhances your privacy. NordVPN offers an ad blocker that can also block trackers, as part of its Threat Protection feature.
Not to mention NordVPN’s NordLynx support, along with DNS leak protection, which makes this VPN extremely trustworthy. And since we mentioned trustworthiness, it’s worth noting that NordVPN has a no-logging policy with audits from Deloitte and PwC – popular auditing companies.
So far, NordVPN never handed out user-related information, as its Panamanian jurisdiction doesn’t force it to store data, as it’s the case in Australia. NordVPN’s device compatibility is phenomenal and it works on all devices. This allows you to swiftly install it and enjoy its numerous features regardless of the platform you’re on.
All of this comes at an affordable price and with 24/7 support in three languages.
For more information, read our NordVPN review to find out everything about this service.
ExpressVPN: A Great Free Australian VPN for 30 Days
Our #1 service for years now is ExpressVPN. As you know, it’s far from being free, instead, it comes with an excellent array of premium subscription plans. The highlight here is the 1-year plan with a 49% discount and 3 free months on top of that, allowing you to enjoy 15 months of VPN usage.
Since you want a top free VPN for Australia, you’ll want to get a refund. Well, ExpressVPN has a 30-day refund policy for all plans. This means you can use the button below to get its cheapest deal, enter your email, and purchase the plan to save the most money.
Get ExpressVPN for Free for 30 Days
After that, you can use ExpressVPN with no limits and before the first 30 days expire, simply ask for a refund through live chat. ExpressVPN will give you your money back with no questions asked, as the refund policy has no specific conditions – everyone can get a refund on the first purchase!
This way, you enjoyed a safe and secure VPN like ExpressVPN for 30 days without technically paying a dime. Besides, you don’t have to go for the annual plan. You can even pick the monthly plan and get a refund on it – you have total freedom to choose what you want.
Why Use ExpressVPN and Not 100% Free Australian VPNs?
Now, you’ll ask why you should use ExpressVPN and we’ll give you several reasons. You see, ExpressVPN has the fastest speeds, unlimited bandwidth, and 3,000 servers in 160 locations. This puts it on the list of the largest providers, with a big 10 Gbps server park.
The provider even offers servers in Australia, which is extremely handy. If you’re abroad, you can always use the service to get an Australian IP and enjoy 9Now (which offers live coverage of the US Open), 10Play, and other popular channels overseas. ExpressVPN is torrent-friendly and you can use it for anonymous P2P activities.
We like its security and privacy as well – something that 100% free Australian VPNs often don’t have. The provider packs AES-256 encryption with a kill switch, ensuring no IP leaks. It also has DNS leak protection, split tunneling, and a proprietary Lightway protocol that works flawlessly.
For beginners, ExpressVPN is dead simple to use and you’ll have zero issues with it. Its iOS and Android apps now offer an automatic kill switch and the ability to block malicious sites, further adding to your online safety. Does ExpressVPN store logs? No – and it has an audit from KPMG!
ExpressVPN even offers RAM-only servers, which means your data never stays on the servers, as it’s instantly wiped with each restart. Users interested in this service can use it on 8 devices at the same time, and we’re talking about any device because ExpressVPN supports all systems and platforms.
Other notable features include Onion Over VPN support, as well as the aforementioned 24/7 support through live chat. Let’s not forget about its delicious 1-year deal with 3 free months and a 49% discount that, we’re sure, many people will find hard to refuse.
If you’re one of them, don’t hesitate to try this free VPN for Australia for 30 days and enjoy the #1 VPN in the world.
Top 3 Really Free VPNs for Australia: 100% Free Services
If you’re not going to bother with premium services and you want something that’s really free, let’s shift our focus to that. The providers you’ll see below are 100% free. These best free Australian VPNs won’t require your credit card info or “force” you to pay anything.
All they require is making a free account, which then allows you to enjoy these services infinitely. However, as said, they do have some limits and they’re far from the premium services we presented. Let’s see what they have to offer if you live in Australia or you need an Australian IP.
1. Proton VPN
Pros
- Automatic kill switch
- Unlimited traffic
- It stores no logs
- VPN Accelerator
Cons
- Slow speeds
- Only 5 server locations (no Australia)
- Customer support is subpar
- No ad blocker in the free version
- Expensive premium plans
Proton VPN is the best choice when talking about our favorite free VPNs for Australia in 2024. This provider has unlimited bandwidth, making it very attractive. Besides, Proton VPN is known for impenetrable security, or as it proudly says, Swiss security.
This company is known for storing zero logs of your activities and using bare-metal servers for an even higher level of security. In addition, its free version offers plenty of features, such as WireGuard, split tunneling, a kill switch, IP leak protection, and even the VPN Accelerator.
Proton VPN’s premium version is more feature-rich and the provider’s free version lacks NetShield and Secure Core. The first one is great, allowing this VPN to block ads, while Secure Core is another name for MultiHop. Sadly, they’re unavailable in the free version.
Aside from unlimited bandwidth and top-grade security, Proton VPN’s free version isn’t very generous. You’ll get slower speeds than NordVPN, no streaming/P2P support, and only 5 server locations. Once again, Proton VPN has no Australian VPN servers either.
Instead, you can enjoy servers in the US, Romania, Poland, Japan, and the Netherlands, but don’t expect them to have 10 Gbps speeds. Proton VPN’s free version limits you to one connection per account, as well, and the provider’s customer support isn’t the best, as it doesn’t offer the live chat option.
People often think about buying Proton VPN, in which case, you get an amazing, but overpriced VPN. That’s why, if you’re going the premium route, it’s better to get NordVPN or ExpressVPN. Other than that, Proton VPN is a good long-term solution if you’re looking to browse the web anonymously.
Once again, if you expect even a speck above that, you’ll be disappointed.
2. Hide.me
Pros
- OpenVPN with 256-bit encryption
- Easy-to-use VPN clients
- It offers unlimited bandwidth
- RAM-only servers
Cons
- No simultaneous connections
- Streaming support is non-existent
- You can’t download torrents with it
- No servers in Australia
Hide.me is a premium VPN by default, with a nifty little free plan with some exciting features. You can get it by downloading the app directly from the site and signing up – pretty simple stuff. The best question is what do you get in this case and is Hide.me worth your time?
As a free VPN for Australia, Hide.me has solid security and impeccable privacy. For one, it stores no logs of your activities even as a free provider, and its no-logging policy has an audit from MASA. Second, Hide.me is jam-packed with security features – once again, for a free service.
Aside from 256-bit encryption, it has a kill switch and IP/DNS leak protection, but also OpenVPN, which is impressive. This means it performs well, and while it’s not faster than NordVPN or ExpressVPN, you can still enjoy a decent performance.
Hide.me is also easy to use and it has apps for all platforms. The issue is that it has no simultaneous connections, so you can protect only one platform at a time. On the other side the issue of bandwidth cap is absent. You’ll get unlimited bandwidth, which will cover more than basic needs.
Sadly, Hide.me is a poor option for streaming because it can’t unblock Netflix Australia, USA, Japan, and other popular services. Since it’s now unlimited in bandwidth, Hide.me also doesn’t allow torrenting like it did before. Sadly, it closes all pathways to P2P.
What’s more, it has no servers in Australia! Hide.me gives you 8 server locations. Its small server fleet surely limits you severely and prevents you from getting over geo-blocks as you’d do with servers in 111 locations in NordVPN.
If you want a good free Australian VPN for security and privacy, this one is great. For anything else above that – forget about it. Or get a premium service – that way, you’ll have everything.
3. PrivadoVPN
Pros
- Servers in 12 locations
- Uncapped speeds
- It’s easy to use
Cons
- 10 GB monthly bandwidth
- It doesn’t offer an Australian IP
- No SOCKS5 in the free plan
- Streaming capabilities are below-average
PrivadoVPN isn’t a very popular provider but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth your time. By default, it’s a premium service with an impressive selection of features. Like Proton VPN, it’s based in Switzerland, offering the highest level of security and privacy, even for its free users.
Features like a kill switch, IP leak protection, and Private DNS are available even in the free version. However, we also must praise its no-logging practices that extend over to the free VPN for Australia that PrivadoVPN offers. It stores no logs of your IP address and online activities even as a free user!
This means you can enjoy privacy and anonymity for free, which is always welcome. PrivadoVPN is also performing well and it’s faster than Proton VPN. Also, it has 12 server locations in numerous locations like the US, the UK, Argentina, France, Germany, and many others.
WireGuard support is here and you get no speed cap, which means you can achieve 10 Gbps speeds if your internet allows for them. Now, its downsides include limited bandwidth – just 10 GB a month. You also get no streaming support, which means popular streaming platforms won’t be unblocked.
PrivadoVPN will exclude its premium security features here as well, so the ad blocker, SOCKS5, and many others won’t be there. While the VPN is easy to use and works on all platforms, the free version has no simultaneous connections.
As you can guess, the VPN has no servers in Australia, despite having more server locations than its rivals. Still, with just 12 server locations and the annoying monthly bandwidth limit, it’s easy to conclude that free services are in severe lack compared to their paid counterparts.
That’s why we recommend the best free VPN for Australia for 30 days, like NordVPN or ExpressVPN.
Which Free VPNs Have Australian Servers?
Providers like NordVPN and ExpressVPN will satisfy your needs as great free VPNs for Australia for a limited period. They will be great if you live in this country but also abroad, as they allow you to obtain an Australian IP if need be.
Now, when talking about 100% free Australian VPNs, they, in most cases, have no servers in this country. So if you end up overseas on a vacation during summertime, you won’t be able to unblock local content, TV channels, streaming platforms, bookies, and other sites.
The good news is that there’s one free VPN with Australian servers but the bad news is that this provider is far from great. We’re talking about TunnelBear, a provider with nearly 50 countries to choose from, along with 500+ servers scattered across them.
This VPN allows you to get an Australian IP address but it has a problem of limited monthly bandwidth. Unlike PrivadoVPN with 10 gigabytes, TunnelBear gives you just 2 GB a month, which is discouraging.
If you’re using it on your laptop or PC, you’ll run out of bandwidth in 3 minutes. And while TunnelBear also has a no-logs policy with an audit, solid speeds, and decent security, its bandwidth cap is simply too low. Therefore, we come full circle to what we said earlier about NordVPN and ExpressVPN.
Those who need a free VPN for Australia to get an IP from this country will need to go with premium providers like these two.
Free VPNs for Australia to Avoid
In this guide, we recommended three free VPNs for Australia. But rest assured, there are plenty more low-quality services that we recommend avoiding. Let’s quickly go through them.
- Hola VPN. This service is notorious for storing logs and selling your private info to companies like Bright Data (Luminati) and many others. Not only that but it’s a P2P VPN, so it’s not safe from the get-go, as you share your idle resources with other users in the network. Avoid it at all costs!
- Urban VPN. It’s not a P2P VPN but it does keep an incredible amount of logs and violates your privacy as soon as you start using it. With no security features, slow speeds, and intrusive logging, Urban VPN is a textbook example of a free VPN for Australia that you should never use.
- Hotspot Shield. This US VPN offers a free plan with just one server location in the US. Apart from that, it stores logs as well and is known for selling some of your personal data to other companies. Its paid plan is extremely expensive, so it’s a bad choice in both cases.
- Betternet VPN. This service is owned by the same company as Hotspot Shield and they share the same privacy policy. Its free version comes with limited bandwidth and stores logs of many compromising information, which is why you shouldn’t even think about using it.
Bottom Line
Putting things into perspective, it’s easy to see that you have plenty of choices. The top 3 free Australian VPNs include Proton VPN, Hide.me, and PrivadoVPN if you don’t want to pay anything and use them forever. However, keep in mind their limits that will surely impact your experience quite a bit.
Our recommendation is to use a premium VPN for free. NordVPN or ExpressVPN – it’s really your choice. These services don’t limit your bandwidth, they offer uncapped speeds, impenetrable security, and excellent streaming/torrenting capabilities that free providers don’t have.
To help you decide, we recommend you read our ExpressVPN vs NordVPN comparison.
Sadly, they can be free VPNs for Australia for a limited period of 30 days. But if you need a VPN temporarily and you don’t want to risk your privacy, this is a good deal. If you need a long-term solution, we must admit that even in this case, going for a premium service is smarter.
Besides, the longest plans come with large discounts, dropping the price to just a few dollars a month. That much you can surely afford.