VPNs and proxy servers both guard user identities. VPN & proxy are great tools for accessing content securely. Since both of these services can get the job done, people tend to speak of them interchangeably.
Proxy server
Proxy servers act as relay between the website you’re visiting and your device. Your traffic goes through a middle-man, a remote machine used to connect you to the host server. The proxy server hides your original IP address so that the website sees the IP of the proxy. They also don’t encrypt your traffic.
There are three main types of proxy servers:
HTTP Proxies: These only supply to web pages. If you set up your browser with an HTTP proxy, all your browser traffic will be rerouted through it. They are useful for web browsing and accessing geo-restricted websites.
SOCKS Proxies: These proxies are not limited to web traffic but still only work on the application level. For example, you can set it up on a game, video streaming app, or a P2P platform. Although they can handle all kinds of traffic, they are usually slower than HTTP proxies because they are more popular and often have a higher load.
Virtual Private Network?
Like a proxy, a
VPN also reroutes your internet traffic through a remote server and hides your IP address so websites can’t see your original IP or location. However, it works on the operating system level, meaning that it redirects all your traffic, whether it’s coming from your browser or a background app.
