VPN vs. Proxy: What Are the Differences and Which Is Better?

VPNs and proxy servers make similar promises to their user bases: Greater digital anonymity and privacy, and the ability to change your virtual location in order to overcome geographic restrictions and stream content from abroad.

However, VPNs and proxy servers are definitely not the same. In this guide, we'll let you know what the differences are, and what the better option is, depending on the situation you find yourself in.

VPNs and proxy servers do have a lot in common: Both are tools that work as intermediaries between the user and the content or website they're attempting to access, usually by concealing the former's details. A VPN takes things a few steps further than a proxy, since it doesn't only conceal your IP address, but also encrypts your entire connection.

But that's not the only difference. Below, we'll look at both solutions side by side and highlight the differences in a convenient table.

Virtual private networks offer their users the ability to connect to and browse the Internet with enhanced anonymity and privacy, while also providing a host of other advantages. Thanks to their specially configured servers, spread all across the globe, VPN services encrypt your traffic, keeping prying eyes away from information that might reveal your identity or give clues as to your surfing behavior.

Put more simply, it's helpful to think of a VPN connection as a secure tunnel between your computer and the Internet. Whenever surfing with a VPN, all of your Internet traffic is routed through this tunnel, making it impossible for others to see its origins. In addition, your IP address will be concealed and invisible to third parties, preventing you from standing out online.

Not only is your IP address masked, but it's also changed to that of your VPN server's location. Should you have connected to a VPN server in say, the UK, websites you visit will see you as a UK-based visitor. This is what allows things like geo-blocking to be overcome, and content to be accessed that otherwise wouldn't be available in your physical location.

There are hundreds of VPN services that offer specialized clients through which a VPN connection can be established in a matter of seconds. Once downloaded and installed, simply select the location you'd like to connect to and click on 'Connect'. Typically, these include extra features, such as split tunneling, which limits the usage of your VPN tunnel to specific programs or applications that you select.

VPN services often work on the subscription model: In order to access all of their features and servers, you'll need to pay a monthly fee.

Most VPN apps are designed similarly, however, when it comes to performance, security, and user-friendliness, there are significant differences. A little bit later, we'll introduce you to our Top 3 VPNs.

A proxy also serves as an intermediary in your network. It conceals your IP address and location by routing requests sent by your computer (or another end device) through a special web server, minimizing how much direct contact you and the target server have. As such, proxy servers also enhance your privacy and anonymity.

The most marked difference with a VPN is that a proxy server doesn't encrypt your connection. It does provide a certain amount of anonymity, since it masks your IP address, however, it offers less anonymity than a VPN.

In contrast to a VPN, you won't need any additional software to create a proxy connection. Generally speaking, you have three options:

To manually set up a proxy, you'll need the IP address of a proxy server (more on this below in the Free Proxy Server section).

In the table below, we summarized the most important differences between VPNs and proxies:

Now that you've been introduced to both VPNs and proxies, you might be wondering which is better. Our answer: This depends entirely on what it is that you intend to do. VPNs are somewhat more versatile, reliable, and useful.

Still, both have their uses:

Proxies are useful if you only want to circumvent some country restrictions and/or mask your IP address at no cost. Below, we've summarized the advantages and disadvantages of proxies:

Should you want to manually configure a proxy connection, you'll need the IP address of a proxy server. You can get one of these from our EXPERTE.com Proxy List, which we frequently update. It provides a selection of free proxy servers, along with their IP, and information about their reliability.

As we've noted above, VPNs provide enhanced protection compared to proxy servers. For that reason, a VPN is a better choice when you're interested in not only concealing your IP address but encrypting all of your Internet traffic. For circumventing regional restrictions, they are also much more versatile than proxies: Thanks to their user-friendly apps, you can change your server location with just a few clicks.

We won't mince our words: VPNs are more useful and multi-faceted than proxy servers. At the same time, VPNs are often touted as a magic elixir for online anonymity, without which no one should browse the Internet. The reality is somewhat more complicated since VPNs also have weaknesses and aren't a silver bullet for every digital danger.

Below, we've briefly listed the most important advantages and disadvantages of VPNs:

If you've decided to use a VPN, all that's left is to select the right provider. The choice can be daunting, so, we're going to introduce you to the Top 3 services from our comprehensive EXPERTE.com comparison of 22 leading services.

Our Top 3 are:

NordVPN took first place in our assessment, offering what in our minds was the best overall combination of performance, security, and usability. In our performance test, the Panama-based VPN beat out its rivals thanks to its excellent upload and download speeds and huge server network.

The client's user interface, featuring an interactive world map, is also very appealing. All of this is backed up by NordVPN regularly submitting to independent security audits and being available at a very affordable two-year subscription price.

For years, ExpressVPN has been one of the most popular VPNs, and not without reason. The service performs well, is backed up by a huge server network, and features an intuitive app. We particularly liked its browser extension, which in contrast to those of many of its competitors, doesn't use a proxy tunnel, but an encrypted OpenVPN connection.

The only downside is that ExpressVPN is considerably more expensive than other services, mostly owing to its long-term plans not coming with any significant rebate.

In contrast to ExpressVPN, Surfshark excels thanks to its sizable discount for long-term subscribers. Users signing up for 2 years will pay around $3 per month for the VPN.

The service's excellent price is just one of its advantages though: Surfshark fared extremely well in our speed test and offers a comprehensive package of features that includes split tunneling and multi-hop. Taken together, it's clear to see why the provider was our price-performance pick.

Of course, there are also exist plenty of other excellent VPNs apart from our Top 3. You can consult our full ranking here:

If you're concerned about your digital privacy and want to get around geo-blocks, both VPNs and proxy servers are worth looking into. With either, you can conceal your IP address and change your virtual location, which can come in handy, for example, to access streaming content from abroad.

A VPN offers more comprehensive protection, since it encrypts your entire connection, whereas a proxy server does not. In addition, VPNs are more versatile since they function on the device and even network levels, making it possible to use them with your router, Smart TV, or gaming console. VPNs are controlled through dedicated apps, meaning that after they're installed, all you have to do is click a few buttons to change your virtual location. Most of the time, you'll have to pay for all of this convenience, however, there are some free options, albeit with limitations.

Proxy servers, on the other hand, work only on the browser level, helping users to get around certain regional restrictions. There are tons of free proxy servers. To use one, all you'll have to do is manually create a proxy connection in your browser or on your operating system. There's no extra software to download and install.

But beware: Neither VPNs nor proxy servers offer 100% security. In addition, with either tool, you'll have to rely on external providers which could misuse your data. Be sure to check out our guides to what are the best and most reliable VPNs and proxy servers.