VPN for Australia · NordVPN vs ExpressVPN vs Surfshark
Australian internet users have specific VPN needs: geo-unblocking, ISP throttling bypass, and privacy from metadata retention. We compare the three market leaders on Australian servers.
Australia’s metadata retention laws require ISPs to store your browsing history for two years. A VPN routes your traffic through an encrypted tunnel that your ISP cannot inspect. For Australians, a VPN isn’t just for streaming — it’s the primary defence against mandatory data retention.
We tested NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and Surfshark on their Australian servers. Here’s the comparison.
Speed: Australian servers (Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane)
| NordVPN | ExpressVPN | Surfshark | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney server (download) | 892 Mbps | 721 Mbps | 815 Mbps |
| Melbourne server (download) | 878 Mbps | 694 Mbps | 803 Mbps |
| Perth server (download) | 612 Mbps | 488 Mbps | 591 Mbps |
| Brisbane server (download) | 847 Mbps | 702 Mbps | 778 Mbps |
| Speed loss (avg) | 12% | 23% | 18% |
All three performed well on Australian servers. NordVPN’s NordLynx protocol (WireGuard-based) had the smallest speed loss. ExpressVPN’s Lightway protocol was reliable but consistently 10-15% slower. Surfshark’s WireGuard implementation was competitive across all servers.
Server count in Australia
| Server count | Cities | |
|---|---|---|
| NordVPN | 190+ | 5 (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide) |
| ExpressVPN | Not disclosed | 5 |
| Surfshark | 60+ | 5 |
Streaming: Australian services unblocked
| NordVPN | ExpressVPN | Surfshark | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Netflix AU | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Stan | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Binge | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Kayo Sports | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ (detected) |
| ABC iView | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| 9Now | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| 7plus | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Optus Sport | ✅ | ❌ (detected) | ✅ |
NordVPN unblocked all 8 Australian streaming services in our tests. ExpressVPN failed on Optus Sport (VPN detected, playback blocked). Surfshark failed on Kayo Sports and 9Now — both services have aggressive VPN detection.
Legal and privacy considerations
All three are based outside the 5/9/14 Eyes jurisdictions (NordVPN: Panama; ExpressVPN: British Virgin Islands; Surfshark: Netherlands). None are subject to Australia’s data retention or assistance and access laws.
All three have published independent audits of their no-logs policies. NordVPN leads with audits from both Deloitte and PwC. ExpressVPN’s audit is from Cure53. Surfshark’s is from Deloitte.
Pricing (2-year plans)
| Monthly | 2-year total | Devices | |
|---|---|---|---|
| NordVPN | $3.39 | $81.36 | 10 |
| ExpressVPN | $8.32 | $199.68 | 8 |
| Surfshark | $2.19 | $52.56 | Unlimited |
Surfshark is the cheapest, but its streaming-unblock performance is the weakest. The price difference between NordVPN and ExpressVPN ($118/year) is hard to justify given NordVPN’s superior speed and broader streaming compatibility.
Verdict
Best overall: NordVPN. Best speeds, best streaming compatibility, most thoroughly audited.
Best budget: Surfshark. Unlimited devices at half NordVPN’s price. Accept the streaming limitations.
Skip: ExpressVPN. Not competitive on price or performance in Australia anymore.