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7 Best VPN for Linux in Australia: Expert Picks & Setup Guide

  • Last updated February 11, 2025
  • Naveen Zehra
    Naveen Zehra
    Naveen Zehra
    Editor
    Naveen Zehra, an editor at VPNRanks.com, has a decade of writing experience. With a strong background in tech and privacy, she creates easy VPN guides. Passionate about privacy, she understands data tracking and its impacts, ensuring her insights resonate with readers.
    See Full Bio >
    written by
    Naveen Zehra
    Naveen Zehra
    Naveen Zehra
    Editor
    Naveen Zehra, an editor at VPNRanks.com, has a decade of writing experience. With a strong background in tech and privacy, she creates easy VPN guides. Passionate about privacy, she understands data tracking and its impacts, ensuring her insights resonate with readers.
    See Full Bio >
    Editor

Linux users often face limited options when it comes to VPN services. Many VPNs are unsuited for Linux, lacking user-friendly features or strong support for different Linux distributions. Despite this, some VPN providers have tried to create services that are easy to use and effective for Linux users. In my search for the best VPN for Linux in Australia, I tested many services to see which ones really work well on Linux.

I looked for the best VPN for Australia that is easy to set up, whether it uses a graphical user interface (GUI) or a simple command-line interface (CLI). My selected VPNs stand out because they offer solid security, support for various Linux distributions, and reliable customer service. Given the staggering statistic that there are 1.5 billion VPN users worldwide, it’s crucial that Linux users find robust solutions that cater specifically to their needs.

Key Takeaways:

  • Quick Comparison Table: The blog provides a comparative overview of the top VPNs for Linux, including their pricing, security features, and user interface options.
  • VPN Setup Guides: Detailed guides for setting up different VPN protocols on Linux, such as PPTP and OpenVPN, are provided.
  • Kill Switch Setup: Instructions for setting up a kill switch on Linux to enhance security are outlined.
  • Linux Distribution Compatibility: The blog discusses VPN compatibility with different Linux distributions and emphasizes that VPN support can vary among them.
  • VPNs to Avoid: Some VPNs are advised against using them due to poor privacy practices or technical shortcomings.
  • Free VPNs: The limitations and risks of using free VPNs are discussed, particularly concerning privacy and speed.

Quick Overview – Best VPN for Linux in Australia [2024 Updated]

Looking to find out which VPN works on Linux in Australia? Here’s a quick overview of the best VPN for Linux 2024 in Australia:

What Makes a Good Linux VPN in Australia?

The following factors were considered while compiling the list of top Linux VPN services in Australia:

  • There is a Linux app available, so no manual configuration is required.
  • Fast speeds
  • Powerful security measures and leakproof privacy.
  • There are no activity or IP address logs.
  • Can access geo-restricted websites, applications, and streaming services.
  • Works with most distros.
  • Large server network.

The best Linux VPN in Australia encrypts all data sent or received from a device and redirects it via a server at a location chosen by the user. Among the many advantages is increased security when using public Wi-Fi and accessing content normally restricted by location.

7 Best VPNs for Linux in Australia in 2024 [Detailed Analysis]

Seeking to discover which VPN works best in Australia with Linux? While many VPN providers offer Linux support, most require you to rely on OpenVPN configuration files. Moreover, you might also find yourself dealing with manual server lists.

So after painstakingly filtering out 45+ VPNs, I have managed to compile a list of the 7 best VPNs for Linux. Let’s check out what’s the best VPN for Linux in Australia:

Testing Methodology: How to Choose the Best VPN for Linux in Australia

The selection process for the best VPN for Linux in Australia is meticulous and detailed. I prioritize various factors to ensure the VPNs I recommend offer Linux users the best compatibility and performance. Here’s the methodology:

  • Linux Distribution Support: I check for compatibility with a range of Linux distributions.
  • Linux App Quality and User Experience: I assess the functionality and user-friendliness of the VPN app on Linux.
  • Support and Documentation for Linux Users: I evaluate the helpfulness of the VPN provider’s resources for Linux users.
  • Security and Privacy Features: The VPN must offer advanced features like 256-bit encryption and a no-logs policy.
  • Speed and Performance: Speed tests are conducted to ensure fast and reliable connections.
  • Streaming Service Unblocking: I test each VPN’s capability to access popular streaming platforms.
  • Value for Money: I compare subscription costs, features, and money-back guarantee periods.

By testing and evaluating these aspects, I can recommend VPNs that not only provide technical compatibility but also enhance your overall online experience.

Why Do I Need a VPN for Linux in Australia?

You need a VPN for Linux in Australia because it protects your data by encrypting it. This means that even if someone tries to hack into the network, they won’t be able to steal your company’s information. Here’s a list of reasons why you need a VPN for Linux in Australia:

  • Security: When you browse the web, you might not understand how many traces of your activity you leave behind. A VPN protects your privacy by hiding your IP address and encrypting your data.
  • Privacy: Your safety increases as your level of anonymity does. Changing your IP address with every online session is one way to avoid becoming a target of doxxing or a denial-of-service attack. You can never be too confident whether the network is secure if you connect to public Wi-Fi hotspots.
  • To Unblock Websites: Hulu doesn’t accept direct payments from European customers on their website. Access to the site is restricted to users in Australia. The VPN is the answer to all of these issues.
  • Privacy while Torrenting: VPN can help protect your privacy and maintain anonymity. Routing your torrent traffic through a VPN server makes it difficult to trace your online activity back to your actual IP address. This ensures that your torrenting activities remain private.
  • Bandwidth throttling: Some Internet service providers limit certain types of traffic. Your ISP may be at fault if online pages load quickly, but file downloads take an eternity. Using a VPN makes it hard to implement traffic-based restrictions.
  • Torrenting: A VPN is essential for torrenting, shielding your activity from ISP penalties and copyright trolls. Ensure privacy by choosing a VPN provider that doesn’t log your real IP address.

Quick Comparison Table: Best VPNs for Linux in Australia

Here is a quick comparison of the top 7 best Linux VPNs in Australia in 2024:

VPNs ExpressVPN-logo surfshark-logo NordVPN-logo logo-of-cyberghost PIA-logo ipvanish-logo Privatevpn-logo
Linux GUI No Yes No No Yes Yes Yes
Linux CLI Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Security AES 256 Bit, Kill Switch AES 256 Bit, Kill Switch AES 256-Bit, Kill Switch AES 256-bit, Kill Switch AES 256-bit, Kill Switch AES 256-bit, Kill Switch AES 256-bit, Kill Switch
Device Supported Linux, Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Smart TV, Game consoles, FireStick, routers Linux, Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Smart TV, Game consoles, routers FireStick Linux, Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Smart TV, routers, FireStick Linux, Windows, Mac, iOS, Android Linux, Windows, Mac, iOS, Android Linux, Windows, Mac, iOS, Android Linux, Windows, Mac, iOS, Android
Activity Logs Keep no logs Keep no logs Keep no logs Keep no logs Keep no logs Keep no logs Keep no logs
Speed 85+ Mbps 80+ Mbps 82+ Mbps 75+ Mbps 70+ Mbps 65+ Mbps 72+ Mbps
Servers Thousands of servers in 105 countries 3200+ servers in 100 countries 6000+ servers in 61 countries 11651+ servers in 100 countries 35000+ servers in 84 countries 2400+ servers in countries 200+ servers across 63 countries, including 12 server locations
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What Are the Other Ways to Secure Linux in Australia?

In addition to using a VPN, securing your Linux system involves using additional tools to enhance protection against potential threats. Here are some recommended tools for Linux users:

  • Antivirus software: Install reputable antivirus software designed specifically for Linux. It helps detect and remove malware, viruses, and other malicious software that may attempt to compromise your system.
  • Anti-rootkit software: Rootkits are malicious programs that grant unauthorized access to a system. Anti-rootkit software scans your Linux system for any hidden rootkits and helps remove them, strengthening overall security.
  • Regular Software Updates: Keeping your Linux system up to date with the latest software patches and security updates is crucial. These updates often include bug fixes and security enhancements that address known vulnerabilities.
  • Tripwire: Tripwire is an intrusion detection system that monitors and detects any unauthorized changes to critical system files and directories. It helps identify potential security breaches or tampering attempts, enabling you to take appropriate action.
  • Firewall: Configure and enable a firewall on your Linux system to control incoming and outgoing network traffic. A firewall acts as a barrier between your system and external networks, allowing you to define rules and filter out potentially malicious connections.
  • Security-focused browser extensions: Utilize browser extensions that enhance your online security while browsing the web. These extensions can provide features such as blocking malicious websites, preventing tracking, and encrypting your internet traffic.

By implementing these tools, Linux users can strengthen the security of their systems, protect against various threats, and maintain a safer computing environment.

WireGuard and Linux

WireGuard was initially developed for the Linux kernel, but it now works as a cross-platform, which means it can be manually configured or utilized within existing VPN applications.

WireGuard offers competitive security features along with notable speed advantages compared to other protocols like OpenVPN and IKEv2. VPNs that have implemented WireGuard have witnessed substantial speed increases, providing users with a faster and more efficient VPN experience.

Currently, WireGuard is compatible with various Linux distributions, including Debian, Fedora, OpenSUSE, Red Hat, and CentOS, as well as FreeBSD, OpenBSD, and several others. This broad compatibility allows users of different Linux distros to take advantage of WireGuard’s benefits, such as enhanced security and improved connection speeds.

WireGuard’s availability on Linux platforms, combined with its performance advantages, has made it a popular choice among Linux users seeking a reliable and efficient VPN solution.

Comparing OpenVPN vs. WireGuard for Linux in Australia

Linux users looking for a VPN protocol often choose between OpenVPN and WireGuard. WireGuard stands out as the better option for several reasons. It uses newer security technology and has a simpler design, which makes it faster and more reliable than OpenVPN. This is particularly valuable in Australia, where fast and secure internet is important.

Additionally, WireGuard works very well with Linux systems, especially since it’s included in Linux versions from 5.6 onwards, making it easy to set up and use. For those who value speed, ease of use, and modern security, WireGuard is the clear choice over OpenVPN in Australia.

Setting Up a VPN on Your Linux in Australia

As I mentioned earlier, most VPN providers don’t tend to offer GUI-based apps for Linux. However, the command line can seem overwhelming at first. On the other hand, it is fairly easy to use, even if you’re not tech-savvy. Here’s how you can set up a VPN on Linux:

1. Setting Up a Linux PPTP VPN

If you are a coder or have the good old Command-Line Linux working on your system (meaning no network manager), I’m guessing the whole VPN setup process will take you no more than five minutes.

  • Download the VPN configuration files from your Linux VPN service provider and extract them to the path specified by your VPN service provider. This path may vary based on your Linux VPN service provider’s configuration.
  • To set up a PPTP VPN on your Linux, start by opening your console/terminal and entering ‘sudo su-‘. The ‘Sudo’ command is meant to bring you to your Linux console’s root environment and log you into it, so the ‘su’ command will help you log into it.
  • Do not be surprised if the software asks you for your user password when you enter this command. If you beckoned for a password, do not mistake it for your root password.
  • You might need to make certain edits at this point based on the login credentials provided to you by your VPN service provider.
  • Once you have completed the edits, use the ‘call server’ command to activate the best Linux VPN tunnel.
  • When you are done using the Linux VPN, the ‘kill all’ command will allow you to deactivate your Linux VPN tunnel.

2. Setting up OpenVPN on Linux

While setting up a VPN on Linux is easy, it does not provide the same security level as OpenVPN. Therefore, I reviewed some of the industry’s top VPN service providers for their VPN compatibility.

It appears that most of them only provide OpenVPN for Linux users with a graphical Network Manager. This makes setting up OpenVPN much more difficult than it is to set up PPTP.

Follow these steps to set up an OpenVPN connection using Network Manager:

  • Start by downloading the configuration files from your Linux VPN service provider.
  • Open the Linux Network Manager” and access the Network Connections settings.” Several tabs should be visible at this point. Click on the tab that says VPN” and click Import.” Do not click Add.”
  • Choose the Linux VPN server file from the downloaded configuration files (Consult the VPN provider in this regard).
  • You will find yourself looking at configuration fields to edit your new Linux VPN client connection.
  • Your VPN service provider will give you the information to enter the fields. Once done with the primary configurations, this includes the configuration you will have to enter in the Advanced” settings.
  • Apply” the settings and connect via the Network Manager.” 
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How to Set Up a Kill Switch on Linux in Australia

To set up a kill switch in Linux in Australia, you can follow these steps:

  1. Install UFW: You should perform the sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade commands to update any outdated packages on your system.
  2. Disable IPv6: You can skip this step if you are certain that your internet provider does not support IPv6.
  3. Sign in to the VPN.
  4. Turn on the Kill Switch.

#!/Express VPN bin/bash

# Enable the kill switch by blocking all outgoing traffic
iptables -I OUTPUT ! -o [interface_name] -j DROP

# Disable the kill switch by allowing outgoing traffic again
iptables -D OUTPUT ! -o [interface_name] -j DROP

Replace [interface_name] with the actual name of your network interface.

  1. Save and close the script file.
  2. Make the script executable: In the terminal, navigate to the location where you saved the script file and run the command chmod +x killswitch.sh to make it executable.
  3. Test the kill switch: To enable the kill switch and block all outgoing traffic, run the script with root privileges by executing sudo ./killswitch.sh it in the terminal. To disable the kill switch and allow outgoing traffic again, run the script once more.

By running this script, you can quickly activate or deactivate the kill switch functionality on your Linux system. However, please note that creating and managing a kill switch requires a good understanding of networking and firewall rules. It’s essential to test and verify the functionality before relying on it for your privacy and security needs.

Does Linux OS Distribution Matter When Choosing a VPN?

No, not really. Distributions like Mint and Kali are both Debian-based, so they work similarly. As a result, you can use the same packages since there isn’t much of a difference between them.

On the other hand, if you end up using something like Red Hat-based, you’ll need to use RPM packages. This one is somewhat different from the Debian versions. Based on my experience, if the best Linux VPN provider offers Debian support, it’ll likely support Red Hat as well.

While Linux is widely used, not all VPNs enable Linux settings. Even VPNs that support Linux conceptually might not offer the same level of support for various distributions. Before buying a VPN, read evaluations highlighting its Linux compatibility.

Which Linux Distro is Best for Privacy?

While all Linux distributions differ in their approach to privacy, Ubuntu Privacy Remix (UPR) is recommended as a privacy-focused option. UPR is Debian-based build that encrypts user data on removable media, providing enhanced security against malware infections.

For users seeking complete anonymity, TAILS (The Amnesiac Incognito Live System) is the best Linux distro 2024. Developed by the creators of the Tor network, TAILS is a live OS that can be booted from a USB drive or CD. It routes all internet traffic through Tor, ensuring privacy, and leaving no trace on the host system.

However, it’s important to note that using the best Linux Distro for VPN server alongside these privacy-focused Linux distributions is still crucial for encrypting internet connections and further enhancing online privacy. Most VPN apps recommended earlier should work seamlessly with UPR and TAILS, providing an additional layer of security.

By combining a privacy-focused Linux distribution like UPR or TAILS with a reliable VPN service, users in Australia can significantly enhance their privacy and security while using their computers.

Linux VPNs That You Should Avoid in Australia

Various VPNs support Linux operating systems and claim to be the best Linux VPNs, but that doesn’t mean you should start using them. For example, various free Linux VPN providers generate revenue by selling your personal information. Therefore, the following VPNs should be avoided:

  • Unlocator — It supports some distros, but it’s not safe to use. It is known to keep identifiable logs of your usage, which means your online activity could be traced back to you. If you still want to use it Linux VPN GitHub is the place to download it.
  • SecurityKISS — While it claims to be a secure VPN for some distros and OpenSUSE, its privacy policy shows otherwise. I have found that the VPN logs your timestamps and IP address on Linux in Australia, so your anonymity isn’t protected.
  • CactusVPN — While this VPN offers WireGuard support for Linux, it sadly failed numerous unblocking tests.
  • USAIP — This VPN offers OpenVPN support for Ubuntu, but customer support wouldn’t share a privacy policy. Also, it doesn’t have its DNS servers, so your ISP can still track your activity.

Can I Use a Free VPN for Linux in Australia?

Yes, you can use a free VPN for Linux in Australia. Many free VPN services offer a viable option for users looking to secure their online activities without incurring any costs. These free VPNs often provide basic features like encryption and anonymous browsing, making them suitable for users with casual privacy needs on their Linux systems in Australia.

However, these free VPNs often have limitations like restricted server locations, slower speeds, and data caps. Some providers may collect and sell user data to offset costs, potentially undermining user privacy. While suitable for basic security, users must weigh these trade-offs before relying on them for comprehensive privacy protection on Linux.

Other Useful VPN Guides by VPNRanks in Australia

FAQs – Best VPN for Linux in Australia

The premier VPN choice for Linux users is ExpressVPN. Alongside ExpressVPN, you can also use other VPNs, such as Surfshark and NordVPN, which also offer robust options worthy of consideration.

Yes, VPNs work with Linux in Australia. The easiest way is to use the Linux-specific app from your VPN provider, allowing full access to features like fast server switching and protocol options like OpenVPN or WireGuard.

Linux itself does not come with inherent VPN functionality. For secure and private online activities, Linux users must select a dependable VPN provider. It’s advisable to opt for a paid VPN service that is well-reviewed and offers strong encryption, a wide array of server locations, and high-speed connections.

Yes, using a VPN with Linux in Australia is perfectly safe. VPNs enhance security and privacy by encrypting your internet traffic, protecting your data from threats like hacking and man-in-the-middle attacks. This added security works well with Linux’s inherent strengths, ensuring a safer online experience.

A VPN can enhance your online security on Linux by encrypting your internet connection, but it does not directly protect against malware. For comprehensive protection, it’s essential to use antivirus software alongside a VPN. This combination helps safeguard your data from both cyber threats and malicious software.

If your VPN on Linux isn’t functioning properly in Australia, you might encounter a server that has been blocked. VPN servers are frequently placed on blocklists. If you encounter this situation, attempt selecting an alternate server. If this approach proves ineffective, reach out to customer support for assistance in resolving the issue.

Yes, you can create a VPN on Linux in Australia using protocols like OpenVPN or WireGuard, or cloud services like AWS or DigitalOcean with tools like SoftEther VPN. However, DIY VPNs can be complex and may offer fewer server options compared to ready-made solutions, with third-party cloud providers handling data transmission.

To establish an L2TP VPN connection on Linux, start by creating a VPN connection via Settings > Network > VPN” and select L2TP. You’ll need to input the necessary details, such as the firewall’s public IP, account name, and password. Additionally, set up the Pre-shared key and specify “3des-sha1-modp1024” for Phase 1 and “3des-sha1” for Phase 2.

The best VPN protocol for Linux depends on your needs for security, speed, and compatibility. Common options include IPsec, PPTP, L2TP, UDP, TCP, and TLS, each offering different benefits in encryption, speed, and reliability.

Wrapping Up!

Linux stands out for its security and open-source nature, appealing to those who value privacy and control over their digital environment. However, even with Linux’s robust security features, users face online threats like surveillance and data breaches. A VPN addresses these concerns by encrypting data and concealing the user’s IP address, enhancing privacy and security for Linux users.

The best VPN for Linux in Australia enhances online safety by encrypting internet traffic and masking the user’s real location. This encryption makes data unreadable to unauthorized parties, while the anonymity feature allows access to geo-restricted content.