Sometimes there may be situations when the user needs anonymity to access a resource on the Internet. For example, security is required when downloading torrents or you need to go from a country where access to the site is limited. So, everyone heard that the popular Telegram messenger in Russia was blocked recently. In these cases, anonymous helpers will be anonymizers, which are services that help users hide their IP on the network.
The most common tools are VPN services and proxies. And when choosing a service, the question arises: proxy server and VPN - what is the difference?
VPN and proxy: what are the differences and what to choose
To understand the difference between VPN and proxies, we will take a look at how they both work.
Proxy servers are a type of intermediary between a computer and the Internet. When a proxy is used, outgoing traffic is passed through a remote computer and assigns its IP to itself. Such a proxy server computer can be located anywhere in the world, and for the provider your IP will always remain hidden.
What is the difference between VPN? A Virtual Private Network is a private network that encrypts all data passing through it. Unlike proxies, by using a VPN server, you not only hide your IP address, but also make the history of all outgoing traffic invisible. The provider can only learn that you are using a VPN and nothing more.
When it is clear how a VPN differs from a proxy, it is important to examine its advantages and disadvantages to choose a service.
Proxy server advantages:
- hide your own IP address;
- access to sites with limited geographical location;
- accessibility: there are many free public proxy servers;
- connection speed increases and ping decreases.
Do you know which is better: paid or free proxies?
Proxy server disadvantages:
- traffic encryption is not available;
- Public proxy servers can sometimes become free cheese in a mousetrap: scammers can use such services to steal user data. Buying individual proxy servers with technical support is the way out.
VPN advantages:
- fully encrypted and private connection;
- IP hiding.
VPN disadvantages:
- free VPNs have extremely low speed channel;
- Paid services are usually quite expensive.
And which is better? In the case of VPN, the solution is based on the cost of the service: paying for VPN is higher than a subscription fee for access to the Internet, it is unreasonable, and free ones are too inconvenient. When it comes to free proxies, there is no need to talk about stability and reliability, and therefore, purchasing a proxy server is the best solution in this case.
