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Best free VPNs in Australia

Protect your online privacy without spending a cent with these free VPN service providers.

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Tim Falk
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The best free VPNs in Australia

How did we pick this list?

Our editorial team selected the VPN services on this list based on customer and expert reviews as well as key features. For each category, we carefully selected parameters based on our research and identified the VPN services with the highest review score within those parameters

Read more detail on our methodology below.

Best overall free VPN: ProtonVPN

ProtonVPN

Pros

  • Unlimited data
  • No-logs policy

Cons

  • Not as many servers as some other options
  • Only supports 1 device

Why we chose it

ProtonVPN is our top pick as the best overall free VPN for a number of reasons. The free plan from this Switzerland-based VPN service allows access to unlimited data, offers a network of 23 servers in 3 countries, and has a strict no-logs policy. It has also picked up a host of largely positive reviews from tech reviewers, so it's no surprise to see it take the win here as the best all-round option.

While ProtonVPN does offer 3 paid plans, its entry-level free plan is a great starting point for anyone new to VPNs. The biggest selling point it has to offer is that, unlike pretty much every other free VPN service, ProtonVPN doesn't impose any data limits. Compared to some services that limit you to as little as 500MB a month, that's a huge advantage.

Admittedly, there are other providers with larger server networks, but you certainly can't complain about the ease of use or convenience of this free option. You can create a ProtonVPN account without parting with your credit card details, so there's no need to worry about incurring any unexpected charges.

ProtonVPN also has a strong focus on privacy. Not only is the company based in Switzerland, a country well known for its privacy laws, its no-logs policy means it doesn't track or record your online activity.

So if you're searching for the best free VPN to let you enjoy secure, private online browsing, it's pretty easy to see why ProtonVPN's no-cost offering is our top pick.

Best free VPN for Netflix: Windscribe

Pros

  • 10 servers
  • Easy to use

Cons

  • 10GB a month may not be enough for your viewing needs
  • A paid VPN might be a better option for reliable Netflix access
Windscribe

Why we chose it

Finding a free VPN service that lets you access Netflix in countries other than Australia is much easier said than done. Not only do you need to find a safe and reliable VPN, but it can also take plenty of trial and error to find one that actually works with Netflix.

However, if you're searching for a free Netflix VPN, Windscribe is our top pick. This service boasts a large network of servers, plenty of positive reviews, and users and reviewers around the world have reportedly had some success using Windscribe to access Netflix.

Windscribe offers monthly, yearly and build-your-own paid plans, but it also offers a free plan that's quite a competitive offering. Free users get access to a network of 10 servers, handy inclusions like a firewall and ad blocker, and a monthly data limit of 10GB. You can also connect an unlimited number of devices through Windscribe, and the service supports a wide range of connection protocols.

Windscribe is also available on an extensive variety of devices. It has apps for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iPhone, plus extensions for all the major browsers and a range of smart TVs. As a result, it's our top pick as the best free VPN for Netflix.

Alternatively, if there's a particular show you plan on bingeing, you might be better off subscribing to a paid VPN service that offers a free trial period. That way you can watch whatever Netflix show you want, then decide whether continuing with a paid plan will be worth the expense. Check out our guide to the best VPNs for more information on some of the leading options available.

Best free VPN for Android: Hotspot Shield

Pros

  • Easy to use
  • 500MB daily data allowance is fairly generous

Cons

  • Some reviewers mention session logging concerns
  • Only 1 server
Hotspot Shield

Why we chose it

Looking for a VPN you can use on your Android phone or tablet? There's a lot to like about the free offering available from Hotspot Shield.

This entry-level plan offers access to a VPN that's very easy to use and offers a reasonably generous 500MB daily data allowance. It's also worth noting that Hotspot Shield's paid subscription features in our guide to the best VPNs, so you know it's a service that has plenty to offer. As a result, Hotspot Shield is our top pick as the best free VPN for Android.

When you create a free account with Hotspot Shield, you can connect 1 device to the provider's VPN; Hotspot Shield is available in Android, iOS, Windows, Mac and Chrome. There's only 1 server available for use, with peak speed limited to 2Mbps. The 500MB of daily data will be enough for most users, though perhaps not everyone, and connection is handled by Hotspot Shield's proprietary Hydra protocol.

One of the other main attractions of Hotspot Shield is that it's a breeze to use. Connecting is simple and any information you might need to find is easily available.

Other than that, you'll need to pay to access higher-level features like the full server network, unlimited data, an Internet kill switch and 24/7 customer support. But if you're searching for a free VPN that's simple to use and offers a decent daily data limit, make sure to add Hotspot Shield to your shortlist of options worth considering.

Best free VPN for iPhone: Hide.me

Pros

  • 10GB of monthly data
  • 24/7 support and no ads

Cons

  • Not as many servers as some other options
  • Some users complain about the app crashing
Hide.me

Why we chose it

iPhone users searching for a simple and practical free VPN should check out Hide.me. The free plan for this user-friendly VPN offers a generous monthly data limit, access to 5 locations and no annoying caps on bandwidth.

It's no stranger to positive reviews either, with the Hide.me iPhone app boasting an average score of 4.5/5 from App Store customers and having picked up a host of good reviews on tech websites. As a result, Hide.me is our top pick as the best free VPN for iPhone.

Easy to set up and use, Hide.me offers access to 5 free server locations and a 10GB monthly data limit. There's no speed throttling to worry about, so buffering shouldn't be a problem, and the service is completely ad-free. Hide.me also has a no-logging policy and doesn't store any customer data, so you can browse with confidence that your privacy is being protected.

Only 1 connection is available with the free plan. Of course, if you do choose to upgrade to a paid subscription, there are monthly, 6-monthly and 1-year plans available and you can connect up to 10 devices simultaneously.

But the benefits of the free plan don't end there. While many VPNs don't offer customer support to free account holders, Hide.me does. And that technical support is available 24/7, so it's a big selling point if you're new to the world of VPNs.

Accessing a VPN from your iPhone doesn't have to cost the earth, and Hide.me's free offering has plenty of attractive features for any web user on a budget.

Best free VPN for Windows: Kaspersky VPN Secure Connection

Pros

  • Easy to use
  • Recognised brand name

Cons

  • 200MB a day limit won't be enough for everyone
  • Not suitable for streaming
Kaspersky

Why we chose it

The free plan from ProtonVPN that we chose as our best overall pick is obviously well worth a look if you're searching for the best free VPN for Windows, particularly if you don't want to be constrained by data limits. But if you're searching for a user-friendly and simple VPN for casual browsing and checking emails, this offering from Kaspersky is worth a closer look.

Kaspersky is one of the biggest names in the world of antivirus software, but it's also making a name for itself thanks to its Secure Connection VPN. This service offers monthly and yearly paid plans as well as a free plan, with the no-cost option offering a 200MB daily data limit and easy online access. It's a no-frills offering but thanks to its intuitive user interface and the fact that it comes from an established provider, it's our pick as the best free VPN for Windows.

On a paid plan, Kaspersky's Secure Connection VPN offers access to virtual locations in over 40 locations and regions. If you choose a free plan, you simply connect via the closest virtual location to you. As a result, it's best suited to someone looking to try out a VPN for casual use only.

The 200MB daily data limit might not sound like much, and certainly won't suit everyone. But when you think that it equates to 6GB per month, that's still a decent offering for a free VPN.

Available for Mac, Android and iOS as well as Windows PCs, Kaspersky Secure Connection VPN is simple to set up and use for anyone wanting to protect their online privacy. So if you're looking for a Windows VPN, be sure to give it a closer look.

Best free VPN for Mac: PrivadoVPN

PrivadoVPN

Pros

  • Simple to use
  • 12 servers

Cons

  • 1 device only
  • Doesn't support WireGuard protocol

Why we chose it

Searching for a reliable free VPN to protect your browsing activity on MacOS? We recommend checking out PrivadoVPN.

PrivadoVPN offers monthly and yearly paid plans too, but its free plan also has plenty to offer to MacOS users. Sign up for a free plan and you can enjoy a reasonably generous monthly data limit, a decent number of servers, and 24/7 customer service.

Founded in 2019, PrivadoVPN is still only a relatively new service. However, it's already picked up a decent range of positive reviews, including an average score of 4.1/5 from over 350 reviews on Trustpilot. As a result of all these factors, PrivadoVPN takes the win here as the best free VPN for Mac.

A free PrivadoVPN plan entitles you to 10GB of data every 30 days. There are 12 server locations available, but you only have the chance to connect 1 device. PrivadoVPN is also based in Switzerland, a country known to be quite fond of protecting privacy, and has a strict zero-logs policy for those who don't want to leave an online trace.

Connection is via OpenVPN and IKEv2 protocols, while the company also has an iOS app if you'd prefer to use PrivadoVPN on your iPhone. Finally, if you have any problems with your connection, you can take advantage of 24/7 customer support.

So while PrivadoVPN may not be one of the best-known VPN providers out there, it's certainly worth a look if you're searching for a free VPN to use on MacOS.

Best free VPN extension for Chrome: Windscribe

Pros

  • Easy to use
  • Useful privacy tools

Cons

  • Support bot rather than live chat
  • Some users complain about it automatically launching on start-up
Windscribe

Why we chose it

Searching for a free and easy-to-use VPN extension for your Chrome web browser? We recommend checking out this popular offering from Windscribe.

Used in conjunction with the Windscribe desktop app, this proxy browser extension offers everything you need for private and secure Internet access. It provides access to a decent monthly data limit, a range of useful privacy tools to safeguard your identity online, and is easy to set up and use.

The Windscribe Chrome extension is no stranger to positive reviews either. With 1 million-plus users having downloaded the extension from the Chrome Web Store, it has an average rating of 4.7/5 from more than 19,000 customer ratings. That's why it's our top pick as the best free VPN extension for Chrome.

Under a free plan from Windscribe, you can access 10GB of data per month and a network of 10 servers. The extension lets you mask your location and protect yourself online, but also comes with a range of tools for anyone who values their privacy. These include ad and tracker blocking, social network tracker blocking, WebRTC blocking and cookie monitoring. You can also customise a whitelist of safe sites for your browsing needs.

It's also worth mentioning that Windscribe has a strict privacy policy and doesn't collect or track data that can be used to identify you. That's an important consideration for anyone who wants to stay private online, and another reason why Windscribe is our pick as the best free VPN extension for Chrome.

Best paid VPN with a free trial: CyberGhost

Pros

  • 45-day money-back guarantee
  • Over 7,200 servers

Cons

  • You'll need to ask for a refund
  • Not as convenient as a free trial
CyberGhost

Why we chose it

If you're looking for a paid VPN that lets you try before you buy, there are several services that offer free trials ranging in length from 24 hours to 30 days. Rather than offering a free trial, others offer a money-back guarantee that lets you ask for a refund if you're not happy with the service they provide. Most of these guarantee periods top out at 30 days, but some providers, such as CyberGhost, offer a 45-day money-back guarantee.

Combined with CyberGhost's large server network and the ability to connect up to 7 devices simultaneously, this makes CyberGhost our top pick as the best paid VPN with a free trial.

To take advantage of the 45-day money-back guarantee, you'll need to sign up for either a 26-month or 6-month plan. Keep in mind that if you decide to continue with a paid plan, you're looking at a cost of $3.07 a month on a 26-month plan or $8.69 a month on a 6-month plan.

CyberGhost offers an extensive server network to users, with over 7,200 servers located in 91 countries around the world. These include over 230 servers in Australia, over 600 in the UK and over 1,200 in the USA.

One subscription covers 7 devices, and CyberGhost supports the OpenVPN, IKEv2 and WireGuard connection protocols. Unlimited bandwidth and data are available, 256-bit encryption ensures privacy, and handy features like an automatic kill switch are also included.

Throw in compatibility with a wide range of devices, a no-logs policy and 24/7 support, and it's easy to see why CyberGhost is well worth a closer look.

Methodology

20+
Brands considered
8
Best products chosen
  • We considered over 20 free VPN services.
  • We chose our top picks based on expert and customer reviews as well as key VPN features.
  • The products on this list are chosen by our editorial team and are not selected based on commercial relationships.

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2 Responses

    Default Gravatar
    shaneFebruary 20, 2019

    Is there a VPN I can use for free?

    Reply
      Avatarfinder Customer Care
      JeniFebruary 21, 2019Staff

      Hi Shane,

      Thank you for getting in touch with Finder.

      Currently, the list of VPNs we have would let you take advantage of their free trials. You may also see VPN brands with a longer trial period.

      I hope this helps.

      Thank you and have a wonderful day!

      Cheers,
      Jeni

      Reply
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