What’s the Difference Between a Proxy and VPN?

Want to hide your identity online, but stuck between using a VPN or a proxy server? They both hide your IP address, enhance privacy, and unblock geo-restrictions. Although they seem to have the same functions, the choice is clear when it comes down to their differences.

What’s a VPN?

A virtual private network or VPN is a secure connection that encrypts all of your data and network traffic. Your device is masked with another IP address the VPN provider gives you from their network. The encrypted tunnel doesn’t let anyone see what you’re doing, no matter where you are. So your web browsing and requests are untraceable. You don’t have to worry about someone stealing your credit card information when you’re shopping online or logging into your bank account.

VPNs are ultimately valued for their high security compared to proxies. They’re also easy to install and often come with additional features like private DNS, DNS leak protection, and NAT firewalls. On the downside, they can slow down your connection since it’s routed through the local VPN server.

Use a VPN for:

• Public WiFi networks. Although free public WiFi is convenient, it’s a hub that attracts hackers. Whether you’re working on your laptop at the local coffee shop or the airport, protect your personal information with a VPN.
• Secure business connection. Working from home means you’ll need a secure network for all your employees. With a VPN, they can access company files and resources without having to worry about anything getting leaked.

What’s a proxy?

A proxy is an intermediary (or the middle man) between your device and the Internet. A website will only see the proxy’s IP address and not your own. You can use either datacenter or residential proxies, depending on your project and the data you need to scrape. At Proxyverse, we provide a large pool of residential IPs that are fast and reliable. You’re hidden with genuine residential IPs, making you almost impossible to detect.

Proxies are perfect to bypass restrictions. You’re able to scrape sites that are otherwise blocked and protected. Unlike a VPN, proxies don’t automatically encrypt your data but you can configure it to do so. For more ways on how to use proxies, check out our top use cases blog post.

Use a proxy for:

• Web scraping. By having different IP addresses, you can quickly scrape and collect data from target sites without raising suspicion. The information then can be extracted into a CSV file, an Excel sheet, or JSON.
• Scaling your business. From market research to verifying ads, proxies allow you to protect your brand and advance your marketing strategy. You can also keep up with the competitors and monitor prices without them realizing it.

Which one should you use?

It all comes down to your project needs. If you’re looking to secure your connection and work, opt for a VPN. But if you want to break through restrictions to collect data for your business or project, go for proxies. Ultimately, residential proxies will ensure anonymity as you’ll appear as an organic visitor on a website.