How Is VPN Different From Proxy?

In this article, we are going to discuss the top differences between using a VPN and a Proxy on your Windows computer.

You probably know what VPNs and proxy servers are. Both are great ways to keep your information secure from hackers and other third parties. Both of these ideas are very different from one another. But both have something to do with hiding or changing your identity on the internet from other people who might try to harm you. Users sometimes think that these two tools work in the same way. However, the truth isn’t at all what people think it is.

This article is here to answer any questions you might have about VPN and Proxy tools. In the next parts of this article, you’ll learn the most important ways in which these techniques are different. After going over the differences, it will be easy for you to know when and how to use each method to protect yourself. Let’s take a look at their definitions to get a better understanding before we talk about the differences between using the best free VPN or proxy.

Definition Of A Proxy Server

Using the proxy server tool is mostly for hiding your IP address. These tools help users in hiding their real IP address and give the website another one instead. So in other words, a proxy acts as a bridge between your server and the website. The important thing that you should keep in mind is that this procedure can only reroute traffic and has nothing to do with encryption.

Definition of Virtual Private Network (VPN)

Your computer’s VPN client sets up a secure tunnel to the VPN server, which takes the place of your ISP’s routing. VPN connections encrypt and protect all of your network traffic, not just the SOCKS or HTTP calls from your browser, like a proxy server. VPNs work at the level of the operating system. This means that they redirect all of your traffic, whether it comes from your browser or an app. Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) can’t see what you do online because of this. This encryption also restricts hackers, government surveillance, and website tracking from following you.

Difference Between Proxy And VPN

Below we have covered some important points on how VPN is different from a Proxy.

Encryption

The biggest and most important difference is that using a VPN helps you encrypt your data making it more secure to send or receive data.
A proxy server only hides your IP address and provides you with a new one, making it hard to track you.

Protection

VPN keeps all the information you send from your device to any other source safe.
Using a proxy server will only protect the app or browser data that it is used with.

Tunnel Creation

A VPN tool will always make a tunnel between users and use it.
A tool for a proxy server will never make or use a tunnel between users.

Simulation

For extra security, a VPN tool will always pretend to be a private network over any public network.
A proxy tool will never try to act like a private network on a public network, so it always protects you.

Protocols

For advanced security, the VPN tools use the Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PTTP), the Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP), or even better protocols.
The proxy server tools offer limited protection by using FTP (File Transfer Protocol), HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol), or other protocols.

Price Difference

You have to pay a lot more for a VPN subscription than you do for a proxy server subscription.
A proxy server tool is easy to get for free, and even paid tools don’t cost much.

Requirement

If you want extra security, you don’t need a proxy tool if you have a good VPN.
Even if you have a good and trusted proxy server tool, you will still need a VPN for extra security.

Level of Security

A VPN tool offers a much higher level of security than a proxy server.
A proxy server tool’s level of security is never higher than that of a VPN tool.

Reliability

A good VPN tool might cost you money. Even though there are free ones, you shouldn’t use them because they aren’t safe and may collect your personal information.
A proxy server tool doesn’t cost anything.

Connection Speed

Because VPNs encrypt data while using the internet, they can be slower than proxy servers.
A proxy server is faster than a VPN because it doesn’t encrypt the data while it’s being sent over the internet.

Wrapping Up

So, we hope you don’t have any more questions about how a VPN is different from a proxy. The table above gives you a lot of information about this topic to help you in every way. This is because VPNs give you extra protection in every situation. If you still have questions about proxy servers v/s VPN tools, feel free to ask them in the comments section.