3 Best VPNs for PBS in Australia 2023

Public Broadcasting Service (commonly called PBS) is a non-profit broadcaster that offers a bucketful of engaging educational programs, classic dramas, and period TV shows. Be it fine arts programs, musicals, rustics, or public affair shows like Washington Week, Downtown Abbey, Soundstage, American Masters – there’s much more to PBS’s primetime than all these amazing shows!

The popular distributor also has a separate service for minors called PBS Kids, which lets kids enjoy Barnie & Friends, Sesame Street, Alma’s Way, and Word Girl. What more can one want?

But enjoying all this comes with a small catch – you need the best VPN for PBS in Australia.

Sadly, PBS is only available in the United States. However, with the best VPN you can watch PBS in Australia. So, without further ado, let’s jump right into the list!

Why Do you Need a VPN for PBS in Australia?

You need a VPN to unblock PBS in Australia since it’s a geo-restricted service confined to America. All you need to do is get a premium VPN and connect to its US server, just like you do when you unblock Disney Plus, Tubi TV outside the US, And YouTube TV outside US.

If you try to access PBS from Australia, then you’ll be prompted with the following geo-restriction error.

We received the “Loading Player” error and couldn’t access PBS without a VPN in Australia.

This is because PBS uses your IP address to identify where you’re in the world. To bypass this error, all you need to do is change your IP address to the United States by using only the best VPN for PBS in Australia. We recommend ExpressVPN for its consistent performance.

3 Best VPNs to Watch PBS in Australia

We tested 40+ VPNs for their speeds, unblocking capabilities, security, and device compatibility and shortlisted the 3 most reliable VPN providers to unblock PBS in Australia.

Let’s discuss each one of them in detail below.

1. ExpressVPN – The Best and Fastest VPN for PBS in Australia

ExpressVPN is the overall best and fastest VPN service to unblock PBS in Australia. The VPN offers robust unblocking capabilities and security, along with an incredible download speed of 89.38 Mbps and upload speed of 84.66 Mbps. (check out our speed test below).

ExpressVPN offers 3000+ servers in 105 countries including 23+ server locations in the United States alone. These locations are available in all popular cities like Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, Dallas, Miami, Chicago, and more.

To test ExpressVPN’s unblocking capabilities in Australia, we connected to ExpressVPN’s New York server and were able to unblock the service within a minute. We then accessed the PBS in Australia and enjoyed Benjamin Franklin in HD playback quality.

We could stream PBS live in Australia and watch our favorite shows with ExpressVPN.

Throughout streaming, there were no stutters on our connection. This made us conduct an ExpressVPN speed test to know what speeds the VPN is offering on our network. On our 100 Mbps, the VPN delivered an average download speed of 89.38 Mbps and an upload speed of 84.66 Mbps.

We faced a speed drop of almost 11% with ExpressVPN, which is pretty low!

Except for PBS, we could also use ExpressVPN’s US servers to unblock other American streaming services in Australia. As per our testing, we could unblock Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Showtime, YouTube TV, Disney Plus, and Directv Stream in Australia. We were also able to watch SonyLiv in Australia with ExpressVPN.Its unbelievable features make ExpressVPN the Best VPN for FXNOW in Australia and Cleo TV in Australia.

With ExpressVPN, you can enjoy PBS in Australia on a variety of operating systems, including iOS, Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android.

It allows users to connect up to 5 devices simultaneously. The VPN also offers a MediaStreamer feature that lets you enjoy a VPN connection on devices that do not offer native VPN support along with smooth streaming.

This means that along with operating systems, you can also use this VPN on devices like Samsung Smart TV, FireStick, Roku, PS4, and more in UK. You can also configure ExpressVPN on Kodi if you love streaming on the media player.

ExpressVPN backs up its streaming capabilities with robust security. This means that your actual IP address wouldn’t be leaked to PBS at all, thanks to this VPN’s DNS leak protection. Its kill switch allows you to avoid all kinds of activity leaks.

Hails to its amazing service, ExpressVPN really is the best VPN for PBS in Australia. It comes at a cost of only AU$ 10.1/mo (US$ 6.67/mo) - Save up to 49% with exclusive 1-year plans + 3 months free along with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

For a more detailed analysis of this best PBS VPN in Australia, go through our ExpressVPN review.

2. Surfshark – Budget-friendly VPN for PBS in Australia

Surfshark is the most affordable VPN service for PBS in Australia. It’s known for offering a consistent service at a price of only AU$ 3.77/mo (US$ 2.49/mo) - Save up to 77% with exclusive 2-year plan + 30-day money-back guarantee that’s backed with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Surfshark offers 3200+ servers in 100 countries, among which 600+ are available in 25+ cities of the United States. These cities include Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Atlanta, New York, and more.

Accessing PBS in Australia was a pretty smooth process with Surfshark. We connected to its Atlanta server and unblocked the streaming platform within 2 minutes. On PBS, we enjoyed a variety of best PBS programs in HD, including Sesame Street, American Masters, and Downtown Abbey.

Surfshark let us enjoy multiple trailers and quick videos on PBS in Australia.

The speeds of Surfshark were fast on its US server. In our Surfshark speed test, the VPN delivered an average download speed of 81.32 Mbps and an upload speed of 76.12 Mbps on a 100 Mbps connection.

While streaming PBS in Australia, the speed drop on Surfshark’s US server was around 19%.

Apart from PBS, Surfshark’s US servers were great for unblocking other American streaming services as well in Australia. These include Hulu, Comedy Central, Amazon Prime, YouTube TV, Netflix, Bravo TV, and more. Surshark is considered as the best VPN for OnDemandKorea in Australia. Now you can access Korean shows from the comfort of your home.

This VPN is compatible with multiple operating systems, including Windows, macOS, iOS, Linux, and Android.

The best thing about Surfshark is that it allows users to connect as many devices as they like with a single account. This means that whether you own 10 devices or 50, Surfshark would offer its amazing service on each and every one of them.

Along with your operating systems, you can connect a variety of gaming consoles, Smart TVs, and routers with this VPN as well. Surfshark is compatible with PS4, Roku, Xbox, FireStick, Nvidia Shield, and more.

This VPN equips advanced security features that work great in keeping you anonymous and secure. With its MultiHop feature, your ISP wouldn’t be able to decrypt your connection, thanks to the multi-layer protection offered by the VPN.

Its Camouflage mode conceals your VPN traffic and portrays it as usual internet traffic so you’re not monitored.

If you’re still unsure, then you can avail Surfshark’s free trial, available for 7 days on iOS and Android. While this cheap VPN comes at a price of only AU$ 3.77/mo (US$ 2.49/mo) - Save up to 77% with exclusive 2-year plan + 30-day money-back guarantee, you can still first try it out by availing its risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee to test its performance.

For a more detailed analysis of this best VPN for PBS in Australia, go through our Surfshark review.

3. NordVPN – Secure VPN for PBS in Australia

NordVPN offers the most powerful security features to stay secure and anonymous while accessing PBS in Australia. The VPN’s advanced security features include obfuscation technology, DNS leak protection, and Double VPN, which all combine and keep users secure while streaming PBS in Australia.

NordVPN offers 6000+ servers in 61 countries, among which 1970+ servers are in 15 cities of the United States. These cities include Los Angeles, New Jersey, Denver, Chicago, and Buffalo, which are all great options for accessing PBS.

We connected to NordVPN’s Chicago server and accessed PBS in around 2 minutes. After that, we caught up on the best PBS programs along with a public affairs show: PBS NewsHour, and streamed them in HD and without any lags.

Rustic TV series and scientific programs were easy to watch with NordVPN.

NordVPN’s speeds seemed to be quite fast while streaming. So, we conducted a NordVPN speed test, and the VPN delivered an average download speed of 83.82 Mbps and an upload speed of 44.64 Mbps on a 100 Mbps connection.

The speed drop of almost 17% was comparatively low with NordVPN.

Along with PBS, we could also unblock a variety of popular streaming services from America in Australia, including YouTube TV, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, HBO Max, CW, Disney Plus, FXNow, and more. NordVPN also worked pretty great with MHZ Choice in Australia.

We managed to access Crave tv using the Best VPN for NOS tv in Australia and Best VPN for Pure Flix in Australia without any hassle.

Moreover, upon our further streaming tests, we found that NordVPN worked very well to unblock Comedy Central in Australia, and MGM HD in Australia.

NordVPN offers compatible apps for all popular platforms you own. You can get NordVPN on a variety of operating systems, including iOS, Windows, Android, macOS, and Linux.

Since the VPN allows users to connect up to 6 devices simultaneously, you can also get it on multiple devices, like Roku, Smart TVs, routers, PS4, FireStick, and more.

NordVPN is known for its security features. It equips the obfuscation technology that hides your VPN traffic and makes it look like your normal traffic, so no one can snoop into your connection.

Its DNS leak protection feature ensures that your actual IP address isn’t leaked to anyone, including the streaming service. Its Onion over VPN feature combines the security of a Tor browser with a VPN’s security.

All in all, NordVPN is a great choice to earn a position in our best VPN for PBS in Australia list. It comes at a price of only AU$ 6.04/mo (US$ 3.99/mo) - Save up to 63% with exclusive 2-year plan + 3 months free along with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

For a more detailed analysis of this best VPN for PBS in Australia, go through our NordVPN review.

Best VPNs for PBS in Australia (Testing Methodology)

There are various factors you need to look into when choosing the best PBS VPN for Australia. After all, a poor quality VPN may cause serious privacy and security risks and may leave you worse off.

While all the VPNs mentioned above are the top picks for PBS in Australia, if you still want to conduct the research on your own, then the following factors are the most significant ones:

1. US servers: For unblocking PBS in Australia, a VPN should offer at least one server location in the United States. However, if the VPN offers multiple locations/cities, then that’s a bonus.
2. Unblocking capabilities: If you’re an avid streamer, then you should definitely check if your chosen VPN is capable of unblocking other streaming platforms as well like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, HBO Max, in Australia along with PBS.
3. Speeds: Fast speeds is a vital consideration when it comes to streaming with a VPN. For PBS in Australia, you’d require a VPN that offers unlimited bandwidth and fast speeds to enjoy box-set binges.
4. Compatible devices: Nowadays, we don’t only stream on our web browsers or laptops, but also on other devices, like Roku, Smart TVs, smartphones and more. Look for the best VPN for PBS in Australia that offers compatibility with multiple devices, along with simultaneous connections.
5. No-logging policy: A zero-logging policy proves that the VPN takes users privacy seriously, doesn’t collect users data or keep tabs on their activities when connected to a VPN server.
6. Customer service: You may not need it, but it would still be a relief knowing that a team of experts are ready and waiting to help you in case you face any issues.

To get these and even more features in a single VPN provider with unparalleled performance, we highly recommend subscribing to ExpressVPN.

PBS Not Working in Australia with VPN? Here’s How to Fix That!

If PBS is not working with your current VPN in Australia, then the streaming platform may have identified and blocked the US server of your VPN. The best VPN services react quickly to these blockages and host new servers that let you access PBS once again. However, poor-quality VPNs take too long to make those changes.

This is why we highly recommend using only the best VPN for PBS in Australia – ExpressVPN. This VPN refreshes its IP address list from time to time so you don’t get blocked while accessing your favorite content on PBS in Australia.

However, if you’re already using ExpressVPN and for some reason facing a connection issue, then follow any of the tips given below.

How to Install a VPN for PBS in Australia?

You can learn how to install and stream PBS in Australia using the following steps:

FAQ’s – Best VPN for PBS in Australia

Conclusion

Isn’t it annoying visiting the PBS site in Australia just to be greeted with its error message? Well, this guide helps you fix the issue once and for all. Our top recommended VPNs help you access all of PBS’s engaging educational and scientific content anywhere in the world.

All you need is to choose the provider that best meets your needs. To get the overall best streaming experience, we highly recommend ExpressVPN as the best VPN for PBS in Australia.

It lets you bypass geo-restrictions within seconds and enjoy its content without any buffering or delays. It would offer you fast speeds along with excellent security, and multiple servers in 23+ US locations.

Ready to catch up on Downtown Abbey and Sesame Street this weekend? Happy binge-watching!