Proxy and vpn services appear to do proxy and vpn services the exact same thing from an outside perspective: redirect your web traffic to a secure server in order to mask your identity online. There are a few key distinctions between the two services that you should consider before deciding on which is the best for your needs.

The main difference between a VPN and a proxy is that the latter does not secure any data. This means that any information sent over the proxy could be intercepted by an unauthorized actor and used to track your activity. A premium VPN service uses strong encryption to ensure that any data that is transmitted through their servers are inaccessible to attackers.

In addition to encryption of data, VPNs also shield users from malicious threats such as malware, phishing and various other forms of attack. To prevent these attacks from happening the best VPN service will be monitoring and update their systems frequently. Free proxies, on other hand, usually utilize outdated systems that are susceptible to these attacks.

Another major difference is that VPNs are more user-friendly than proxy services. Download the VPN application and connect to your server of preference. This is different from a proxy, which requires you to enter a specific port number and IP address into an application. Additionally, proxies tend to be flooded with traffic from other users, which could slow down performance. However, the majority of premium VPNs can solve this issue by offering fast and stable connections.