The best VPNs for gaming in Australia

Speed is everything in gaming.

A VPN (Virtual Private Network) client protects your identity and provides many other benefits, but the one downside is that they tend to add extra bandwidth delays. The encryption can increase bandwidth usage by roughly 10-15% in some cases or more. That’s why these VPN providers are a special breed. They provide a lower ping rate than most and scored the highest for download and upload speeds in our various tests. 

If you want the fastest VPN for gaming around, Hotspot Shield should be right at the top of your leaderboard.  It's missing a few premium features and a proper zero-logging policy would provide better peace of mind,  but Hotspot Shield is still a premium but speedy VPN app that’s equally beneficial for beginners and more experienced VPN users alike. 

In our opinion, CyberGhost is the Luigi to Hotspot Shield's All-Star Mario, a competent second player with its own strenghts and weaknesses. While Hotspot Shield has some formidable download speeds, CyberGhost is no slouch and offers some of the best upload speeds we've recorded in our testing. It also has loads of servers spread out across over 80 countries, which means its performance will be more consistent globally than other providers. 

Surfshark's upload speeds might not outpace CyberGhost's lap record but it still offers a minimal impact to latency (which is super important for online gaming), great download speeds and, most importantly, unlimited simultaneous connections/devices. So you can have as many people under your roof as you like sharing the same Surfshark account. 

The VPNs recommended above scored Gold, Silver and Bronze in this guide thanks to their unique benefits for gamers but for a rounded top-tier VPN for privacy, streaming and gaming, it's still hard to look past our overall top VPN pick, NordVPN. Despite its dominance in the VPN arena, NordVPN is still incredibly easy to use and even features some bespoke tools for work apps, vidoconferencing and streaming. 

Just because ExpressVPN comes in at fifth place on this list, doesn't mean it isn't worth your consideration. In addition to have servers in more countries than any other VPN on this list, ExpressVPN is also a powerful pick for any players new to the VPN game. The app itself is incredibly easy to use on phones, tablets and computers but there's also a trove of handy guides on the ExpressVPN website for setting up on other devices (such as gaming consoles and smart TVs). 

There are a lot of similarities between VPN services, which is why it tends to come down to personal preference and specific use-cases. Pretty much every VPN service we’ve reviewed has an admirable zero-logging policy, which helps reinforce the underlying privacy that VPNs are supposed to provide.

Compared to other subscription services, VPNs don’t tend to cost a lot—and the more time you sign up for, the cheaper the price tends to be (except for Mullvad’s fixed monthly pricing)—but most VPNs tend to be priced for US dollars, which may mean factoring in currency conversions and associated fees.

All of those items listed in the buying guide above are considered as part of our VPN reviews. We start with price and security, then consider whether a VPN offers an actual free version or a practical free trial. Server, country and location counts are important, but the number of simultaneous connections also helps increase the overall value proposition of a VPN. The number of supported devices and how easy it is to use is also factored in, alongside advanced features. We also perform speed tests and streaming tests for popular local and international streaming services, alongside extended everyday functionality tests with a VPN enabled to see if a service interferes with basic software.

Have a look at our list for what you should consider whether you’re in the market for a new or replacement VPN service.

Basic VPN features to compare:

• Price: Keep an eye out for US vs UK vs AU currencies.
• Duration: Paying for longer equates to cheaper monthly costs.
• Trial: Quality free services are rare; 30-day money-back guarantees are standard.
• Servers: More servers mean more connectivity options.
• Countries: Fewer countries means less versatility.
• Locations: How many places in a country are factored in.
• Devices: PC, iOS and Android are standard, but more devices means more flexibility.
• Simultaneous connections: Five is standard, more is better.
• Logging: Explicit zero-logging policies best protect your privacy.
• Browser extensions: VPN protection applies on a per-browser basis, rather than the entire PC connection.
• Encryption: Military-grade AES 256-bit is standard; up to 4096-bit RSA keys add additional security.
• Support: 24/7 support is best for when things go wrong at odd hours.

There are additional features to consider if you’re wanting a VPN for more than just the basics:

• Anti-malware: Some VPNs have inbuilt anti-malware protection.
• Antivirus: Inbuilt antivirus is rare, but a great inclusion (PureVPN).
• Split tunnelling: Feature that lets you determine specific apps/services covered by the VPN.
• Smart DNS: A great feature that offers faster streaming albeit not VPN protected.
• Static IP: Usually costs more but offers a dedicated (rather than changing) IP address.
• Manual server switching: Automatic server switching is user-friendly, but manual offers greater control.