How is VPN different from proxy?

What's the difference between the two? We'll try to keep things as basic as possible and focus on the most significant distinctions 👇🏻es and VPNs both give privacy, but they are not the same. When proxies and VPNs are compared, the distinction is that proxies only serve as a channel between the Internet and users. VPN traffic, on the other hand, is routed through encrypted tunnels and your device, making it a reliable network security option.

What is a Proxy?

A proxy server acts as a link between users and the Internet. Because it lies between you and all of the websites you visit, it's also known as an intermediate server. The proxy server has its own IP address, so internet activity appears to originate from a different place. It protects your device from cyber risks by acting as a firewall or web filter.

What is a VPN?

A virtual private network (VPN) is similar to a proxy server in that it makes Internet traffic appear to originate from a different IP address. However, with a VPN, traffic is routed through an encrypted tunnel between the remote VPN network and your computer or device, making VPN a reliable network security solution.

When do I use a Proxy?

Proxies have many advantages and we’re going to share the most common ones 👇🏻

1. Proxies are great for streaming geo-restricted content

2. Proxies are great for parents that want to filter out content their children have access too

3. Proxies are great for online video games and anonymity

4. Proxies are perfect for web scraping and many more business use cases

5. Proxies can increase speed loading time

6. Preventing access to restricted websites within company networks

When do I use a VPN?

1. VPNs are great for protecting your data

2. VPNs are great when you are browsing the web using public/free WiFi

3. VPNs are great when you have to overcome online surveillance

4. VPNs allow access to region-blocked services

5. VPNs are great for online banking and online transactions

Other VPN/Proxy Facts👇🏻

• Data Protection

VPN encrypts the data traffic and sends it to the VPN server through a secure internet connection. Data that pass through the internet service provider are encrypted. The VPN server receives the encrypted data and sends it to the target user. For instance, online shopping or online banking can be protected from hackers using a VPN connection. All information that passes through VPN such as username, password, account numbers, and other relevant information of the user goes to an algorithm that only VPN can understand. VPN uses highly secured protocols such as L2TP/IPSec, OpenVPN, IKE2, and WireGuard. These protocols provide additional layers of security for the data compared to a simple HTTPS. VPN is promising in terms of data encryption as part of data security and privacy.

Proxies, on the other hand, are not that secure, especially HTTP proxies. An expert hacker or an eavesdropper can steal your data while sending them through unsecured protocols such as HTTP. Select a proxy with a good reputation, an authentic and reliable proxy provider like HTTPS proxy, SOCKS5, or Geonode proxy to ensure high levels of security. A piece of advice, DO NOT USE FREE proxies because they are always unreliable and can lead to a scam.

• Online Protection

To acquire the maximum possible security when using the VPN, look for a provider that implements a NO-LOG policy. The no-log policy in VPN offers a higher level of security and privacy. These providers do not store copies of records relating to the user’s browsing behaviors and activities. The VPN servers do not store IP addresses, visited websites, and timestamps sessions of the user. On the other hand, a FREE proxy may monitor traffic, collect information and sell data to a third-party organization.

• Speed

Slow internet connection may be a big factor for affecting the speed and connectivity of VPN and proxy. Both proxy servers and VPNs will slow down browsing activity depending on the number of users accessing these services. Free proxy connections are slower because of minimal support, few configuration options, and unreliable infrastructure. Some Datacenter proxies are faster than a VPN since they are using servers from powerful Datacenters. A Datacenter may lack sophisticated security encryption methods that have less overhead which makes it faster. A residential proxy is slower than a VPN because the connection is just being borrowed from real people to other parts of the world.

A VPN on the other hand has a similar weakness to proxy servers. The speed drastically fails due to encapsulation and encryption overhead.Both VPN and Proxy share the same challenges.

• Cost

There are lots and lots of FREE proxy servers and VPN servers online. However, we discourage these FREE-of-CHARGE products. Avail a VPN or Proxy server with minimal yet powerful products to assure better data security and browsing privacy. Paid VPN products offer users maximum data encryption, more enhanced security and privacy. Some paid proxy servers offer improved security, firewalls, content filtering, and caching for low latency. Oh well, as the famous saying from a famous author Andrew Lewis, "If you are not paying for it, you're not the customer, then you're the product being sold". So be careful with the free products!

• Operation

A VPN or a proxy depends on where to implement it, either for personal or for business. One obvious distinction between a VPN and a Proxy in operation is that VPNs work at the operating system level while proxies are app-based. Using a VPN will affect every connection no matter what application you are using. On the other hand, proxies work at the application level only.

• Configuration and Installation

Proxies allow you to simultaneously make many connections at once.

You can subscribe to several proxy IP addresses. You can allocate these IP addresses to any activities such as web scraping and other complex applications. Proxy servers can be set up to the following.

• You can configure proxy server settings through Web Proxy Auto-Discovery Protocol (WPAD).

• You can use the Group Policy to configure proxy server settings on your browser

• You can download Proxy Auto-Configuration (PAC) files or Automatic Configuration Script for your mobile phones.

Conclusion 

While both proxies and VPNs enhance online privacy, proxies act as intermediaries with some security limitations, making them suitable for specific tasks. VPNs, with encrypted tunnels, offer robust data protection for sensitive activities like online banking and public Wi-Fi use. The choice hinges on specific needs, but caution is advised against relying on free services. Paid options for both proxies and VPNs ensure better security and browsing privacy.