Reviewed by the VPNStreamer Team · Last updated: August 2026 · How we compare VPNs
AirVPN is an Italian VPN built by a collective of privacy activists back in 2010, and it still shows — this is a technical, no-frills tool for people who want granular control over their connection, not a polished consumer app. It’s not on our top 10 list for Australia, but it earns a dedicated review on its own privacy and encryption credentials.
Pros
Cons
AirVPN Pricing
AirVPN prices in Euros, with seven duration-based tiers rather than the simple monthly/annual split most VPNs use — plans range from a 3-day trial (€2.50) to a 3-year term (€105.00), with roughly 60% savings on the longest term compared to paying month-to-month. Because of the EUR pricing and currency conversion, treat any USD/AUD figure you see quoted (including on this page) as approximate — check AirVPN’s own site for the exact current rate.
Payment options are genuinely excellent for anyone prioritising anonymity: PayPal, major credit cards, and over 20 different cryptocurrencies. There’s no free trial, but a 3-day money-back guarantee is available. With the restriction that you must stay under 5GB of data transfer to qualify, a noticeably tighter condition than the 30-day, no-questions guarantees most competitors offer.
Key Features
Security and Encryption
AirVPN doesn’t cut corners here. You get ChaCha20-Poly1305 and AES-256-GCM ciphers for data encryption, RSA-4096 for asymmetric encryption, and Perfect Forward Secrecy via Diffie-Hellman Ephemeral key exchange with 4096-bit keys, refreshed every 60 minutes — meaning even a compromised key can’t expose past or future sessions. Multiple independent tests have confirmed no DNS leaks. AirVPN enforces a strict no-logs policy with community transparency, though it has fewer formal independent audits than some competitors — its trust model leans more on open-source code and community scrutiny than third-party certification. The provider also runs RAM-disk servers, similar to what you’ll find on NordVPN.
Privacy Policy and Data Protection
AirVPN collects minimal personal data and doesn’t require identifying information to create an account. It uses strong open-source encryption, similar in philosophy to trusted tools like VeraCrypt. The service operates under Italian jurisdiction, giving it full GDPR compliance. That said, the privacy policy has drawn some criticism for vague retention language — phrasing like “data are deleted as soon as they are no more necessary” doesn’t give you a concrete timeframe the way a clearer policy would.
Torrenting and P2P
This is genuinely where AirVPN shines. Unlimited bandwidth with no throttling, plus support for up to 20 forwarded ports per server to improve download speeds — a real standout, since most major providers (including ExpressVPN and NordVPN) have dropped port forwarding entirely. The kill switch protects your IP if the connection drops, though it’s had reported vulnerabilities after a system reboot specifically, worth knowing if you leave torrents running unattended. Protecting your IP address matters more for torrenting than almost any other use case, and this is an area AirVPN takes seriously.
Device Support
AirVPN supports 5 simultaneous connections — modest compared to Surfshark’s or PIA’s unlimited allowance, but in line with mid-tier competitors.
Server Network
AirVPN runs roughly 300+ servers across about 39 locations in 23 countries — a fraction of what NordVPN or CyberGhost offer, and concentrated mostly in Europe with limited presence in Asia and Oceania. If broad geo-unblocking across many regions matters to you, this is the clearest reason to look elsewhere; if you mainly need a handful of reliable core locations, it’s less of an issue.
Ease of Use
AirVPN is not built for beginners, and it doesn’t pretend otherwise. The client, named “Eddie,” gives you extensive control — protocol selection, port forwarding, custom DNS, network locking — but the interface feels dated next to the polished apps from NordVPN or Surfshark, and the sheer number of options can be genuinely overwhelming if you just want to connect and go.
Performance and Speed
We haven’t run our own lab-based speed tests on this specific connection (see our methodology), so treat performance claims as a reflection of current third-party benchmarks rather than an in-house result. Current testing shows AirVPN averaging around 176 Mbps globally on WireGuard (its fastest protocol), with local/regional servers reaching 60-200 Mbps. Higher encryption levels do carry a real performance cost here — expect a noticeably bigger speed drop on distant servers (25-50%) than you’d see on a larger, more optimised network, which lines up with its relatively expensive-for-what-you-get positioning versus mainstream competitors.
Streaming
This is AirVPN’s clearest weak point. BBC iPlayer doesn’t work on any current UK server, and Netflix access is inconsistent at best. If streaming is a priority alongside privacy, this isn’t the right tool for the job — see our full best VPN for Australia guide for options that handle both well.
Customer Service
No live chat — support runs through a contact form and community forums, with responses that can take a few days and sometimes just point back to existing documentation rather than a personalised answer. The forum community itself is knowledgeable, but it’s a genuinely tech-heavy space that can be intimidating if you’re not already comfortable with VPN terminology. This ties into the broader user experience question — AirVPN trades convenience for control almost everywhere you look.
Is AirVPN Right for You?
AirVPN is worth considering specifically if you’re technically confident, prioritise encryption strength and torrenting over streaming, and like the idea of a provider built by privacy activists rather than a venture-backed company. For almost everyone else — anyone who wants Netflix to just work, a clean modern app, or 24/7 live support — you’ll have a noticeably easier time elsewhere.
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If you want the privacy fundamentals AirVPN offers without the steep learning curve, NordVPN is our #1 overall pick — independently audited, genuinely beginner-friendly, and reliable across every major streaming platform. See our full best VPN for Australia guide for the complete comparison, or Mullvad’s review if AirVPN’s activist-privacy angle appeals to you but you want something with a gentler learning curve.
