Best VPN Providers in New Zealand

Searching for Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) online gives you thousands of options, each claiming that it can give you the latest and greatest in terms of security and privacy. But with so many to choose from, which one should you pick? And are there actually any differences between providers? Canstar Blue investigates the best VPN providers available in New Zealand and the features they offer.

What is a VPN?

A VPN delivers a private and secure internet connection, which protects your personal information and data. A VPN does this by encrypting your data, making it invisible to prying eyes, and replacing your original IP address (your location) with a remotely located IP address, belonging to the VPN provider.

This allows you to overcome geo-blocking, when a website blocks you due to your location, and gain access to region-restricted websites and content. It also delivers secure access to work servers, meaning you can work from home. Plus you can access public wi-fi with the assurance of knowing your personal information is safely encrypted.

→Related article: What is a VPN and Why Should You Use One?

What VPN providers are available in New Zealand?

Below we have listed some of the best-known VPN providers available in New Zealand. This is designed to provide an overview of some of the most popular VPN providers, and help you in your decision-making. It is not an endorsement of any particular provider.

All providers listed below are paid services. While there are free VPN services available, we don’t recommend you use one for a variety of reasons.

• NordVPN
• ExpressVPN
• Surfshark
• Private Internet Access (PIA VPN)
• IPVanish
• CyberGhost
• Proton VPN

NordVPN

One of the most popular VPN providers worldwide, NordVPN features a staggering 5500+ servers across 60 different countries, making it one of the largest VPNs available.

NordVPN claims to:

• Be the fastest VPN on the market
• Have a strict no-logs policy, meaning it doesn’t log any activity in your web history
• Offer protection from ads, trackers, and malware
• Be compatible with all smartphones and PCs
• Connect up to six devices on one account

Monthly, 12-month and 24-month subscriptions are available, with a 30-day money-back guarantee on all purchases.

ExpressVPN

Widely regarded as one of the top premium VPN providers, ExpressVPN claims to:

• Have servers in 94 countries
• Have a strict no-logs policy
• Prevent hackers and snoops from intercepting your data, even if your VPN connection drops (also known as a Network Lock or a Kill Switch)
• Be compatible with all smartphones and PCs
• Connect up to five devices on the one account

ExpressVPN is also considered one of the fastest VPNs on the market. Monthly, six-month and 12-month subscriptions are available, with a 30-day money-back guarantee on all purchases.

Surfshark

Operating over 1700 servers across over 60 countries, Surfshark includes a number of security and privacy features to help you during your time on the net, including a no-log policy and a Kill Switch safety net feature. Surfshark also features:

• Multihop, which allows users to connect to multiple countries at once
• Camouflage Mode for the ultimate browsing privacy
• Unlimited devices, connect as many devices as you want

Like many providers, Surfshark promises a 30-day money-back guarantee, and offers monthly, six-month or 24-month subscriptions. Its two-year subscription is currently one of the cheapest options available, working out to just US$2.49 per month.

Private Internet Access

Private Internet Access (PIA) is an open-source VPN, meaning anyone can see exactly what’s going on under the hood, offering total transparency. It’s also headquartered in the United States, as opposed to a tax haven such as Panama or the British Virgin Islands, unlike many other VPN providers.

PIA VPN claims to:

• Have over 3000 servers in over 80 countries
• Be one of the fastest VPNs on the market
• Offer excellent pricing, at just US$2.69 per year (on a 12-month subscription)
• Have a strict no-logs policy
• Provides the option to pay with cryptocurrency and third-party gift cards for further anonymity
• Ad-blocking included

Private Internet Access comes with a 30-day, money-back guarantee for its monthly, six-month or 12-month subscriptions.

IPVanish

IPVanish is a popular VPN offering 2000+ servers in 75+ countries. It provides fast and secure browsing, with added benefits like split tunnelling (diverting just some of your traffic through the VPN), VPN Kill Switch and automatic start-up.

IPVanish claims to offer:

• Advanced encryption
• Unmetered device connections
• Servers in 75+ regions
• Verified no-logs policy

Its subscriptions are available on monthly, three-month or 12-month contracts.

CyberGhost

One of CyberGhost’s biggest selling points is that it offers over 7000 servers in more than 90 different countries. It also offers a competitor-beating, 45-day money-back guarantee and, so long as you’re happy with an extra long 40-month subscription, it’s the cheapest on our list: working out to just US$2.23 per month. (full pricing for all providers mentioned below).

CyberGhost claims to offer benefits such as:

• Strict no-logs policy
• Connect up to seven devices simultaneously
• Located in Romania, which is known for its strong privacy laws

CyberGhost offers monthly, one-year, two-year, and three-year (currently with four free months added) subscriptions.

Proton VPN

Headed in Geneva, Switzerland, Proton VPN was born out of a desire to provide protection for activists and journalists. Offering over 1700 servers in 63 countries, Proton VPN provides plenty of options for its users.

Proton VPN claims to:

• Have 96 secure core servers, which routes you through servers entirely owned and operated by Proton VPN in countries known for privacy, such as Switzerland or Iceland, for added privacy
• Be fully open-source and audited
• Provide the highest strength encryption and Forward Secrecy, which prevents the possibility of encrypted data from being decrypted

Proton VPN offers monthly, one-year, and two-year subscriptions, plus a 30-day money-back guarantee.

How much does a VPN cost?

A VPN will typically cost you about $15-20 a month. If paying monthly…

But by signing up for a longer term, you can get significantly cheaper prices. These often work out to just a couple of dollars a week. Not a bad price if it opens up content you can’t currently access.

Below we’ve listed the prices for the VPNs mentioned above. This is by no means a comprehensive list of VPNs available, nor is it an endorsement of any particular provider. So we recommend you do your own research.

It’s also worth noting that prices are shown in US$, which is likely what you will be billed in.

*All prices are shown in USD and taken from retailer websites. They may include promotional discounts and are correct as of June 2022.

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About the author of this page

This report was written by Canstar Content Producer, Andrew Broadley. Andrew is an experienced writer with a wide range of industry experience. Starting out, he cut his teeth working as a writer for print and online magazines, and he has worked in both journalism and editorial roles. His content has covered lifestyle and culture, marketing and, more recently, finance for Canstar.