Atlas VPN burst onto the scene as one of the cheapest VPN options available, and it's easy to see why it attracted attention — at just $1.83 per month on a three-year plan, it undercuts almost every competitor. But there's an important caveat Australian users should know: Atlas VPN is owned by Nord Security, the same company behind NordVPN, and is currently being merged into the NordVPN brand. This means Atlas VPN as a standalone product has an uncertain future.
For now, Atlas VPN still functions as an independent service with its own apps and server network. It offers unlimited simultaneous device connections, which is genuinely rare at any price point. The proprietary Shield protocol (built on WireGuard) delivers decent speeds, and the apps are clean and beginner-friendly. There's even a free tier, though it's quite limited with only a handful of server locations.
The trade-offs are real, however. Atlas VPN's server network is significantly smaller than its parent company's, with limited Australian server options. The US jurisdiction raises privacy concerns for some users, and there hasn't been an independent audit of the no-logs policy. Streaming performance is inconsistent, with some services detecting and blocking Atlas VPN connections more frequently than premium alternatives.
If you're on a very tight budget and need basic VPN protection for browsing and light use, Atlas VPN delivers acceptable value. But given the ongoing merger with NordVPN, new subscribers might be better off looking at NordVPN's current deals or checking our full comparison for alternatives that offer more long-term certainty.
