GUIDE · BASICS
VPN vs. proxy: what is the difference, and which should you use?
Both tools make websites see a different IP address than your own. That is where the similarity ends. This guide explains how each one works, what it protects, what it does not, and how to pick for the job in front of you.
Last updated October 29, 2026
The short answer
A VPN (virtual private network) sends all the traffic from your device through an encrypted tunnel to a server run by the VPN service. A proxy forwards the traffic of one program, or one request, through another server, and usually does not encrypt anything by itself. If you want to protect an entire device on an untrusted network, a VPN is the better fit. If you want one browser, script or app to appear to come from another place, a proxy is often simpler and cheaper.
Neither makes you anonymous. Both move trust from your internet provider to someone else, and both leave other ways of recognising you, such as cookies and your browser's fingerprint. The rest of this guide explains why, so you can decide with the facts rather than a slogan.
What a proxy does
A proxy server sits between you and a website. Instead of connecting to the site directly, your program connects to the proxy and asks it to fetch the page. The website sees the proxy's IP address and not yours. The reply travels back through the proxy to you.
Proxies come in several protocols. An HTTP proxy understands web requests and can handle plain and secure websites. A SOCKS5 proxy is lower level: it relays any kind of traffic, such as web, email or game connections, without reading it. You set a proxy inside one application, such as a browser, a download tool or a scraping script, or in a system setting that some applications follow and others ignore.
The key point is scope. A proxy only affects the traffic you point at it. Anything else on your device keeps using your normal connection, including background updates, other apps and, in some cases, the lookups that turn website names into addresses. Our proxy checker shows what a proxy really does to your address and headers.
What a VPN does
A VPN app creates a virtual network connection on your device. It encrypts the traffic leaving your device and sends it to a VPN server. From there the traffic goes out to the internet, and the website sees the VPN server's address. Replies come back the same way. Because the VPN works at the level of the whole operating system, it normally covers every app at once, not just your browser.
Two protective effects follow. First, anyone watching your local network, such as the owner of a café Wi-Fi or your internet provider, sees only that you are connected to a VPN server, not which sites you visit. Second, the websites see the VPN's address and not your home or office address. The VPN service itself, however, can see where your traffic goes, so you are trusting that company in the place of your provider.
Encryption: the biggest practical difference
A VPN encrypts the link between your device and the VPN server. A basic proxy does not. With an HTTP or SOCKS5 proxy, the connection between you and the proxy is usually unencrypted unless you add something on top. Anyone on the path between you and the proxy, including the owner of the Wi-Fi you are using, can see which sites you ask for, even when they cannot read the contents of pages.
Most websites today use HTTPS, which encrypts the content between your browser and the site itself. That protects the page contents on any route, with or without a proxy. What HTTPS does not hide is which site you are talking to, and the address you came from. Some proxies accept encrypted connections to the proxy itself, and those add a layer, but you must check how a particular proxy is set up rather than assume.
Side-by-side comparison
| Question | VPN | Proxy |
|---|---|---|
| What does it cover? | Usually all traffic from the device | One app, one browser profile or one request |
| Encrypts the connection to the service? | Yes, by design | Usually no, unless it is set up to |
| Hides your IP from websites? | Yes, for covered traffic | Yes, for traffic sent through it |
| Typical speed impact | Moderate, from encryption and distance | Often smaller, can be very fast |
| Typical pricing model | Flat subscription | Per address or per amount of data |
| Choice of address type | Mostly datacenter addresses, shared with other users | Datacenter, residential, mobile and more |
| Setup effort | Install an app and press connect | Enter host, port and login in each app |
| Best for | Protecting a device on untrusted networks | Targeted tasks, testing, data collection |
Speed
Both options add a detour, so both can slow you down. A VPN adds encryption work and the distance to the VPN server. If the server is close and not overloaded, the effect on everyday browsing is usually small. If it is far away or crowded, pages load more slowly and video may need to buffer.
A proxy has no encryption overhead, so a well-run one can be faster than a VPN. Its speed depends on the proxy's own network and on how many people share it. Proxies built on home connections, called residential proxies, tend to be slower and less steady than ones in a data centre, because they depend on a real household line. You can measure the result yourself: check your address and connection before and after with What's my IP.
Cost in general terms
VPN services are normally sold as a flat monthly or yearly subscription that covers several devices, with a large pool of shared servers. Proxy services are normally sold by use. Datacenter proxies are often priced per address, while residential and mobile proxies are often priced by the amount of data you send. Prices vary widely between sellers and change often, so we do not quote numbers here.
Address type: what websites see
Not all addresses look alike to a website. Every public address belongs to a network, and public databases say whether that network is a home provider, a mobile carrier or a hosting company. Most VPN servers sit in data centres, so sites often see a VPN address as shared hosting space. Some sites treat that traffic with more suspicion, show extra checks, or block it.
Proxies give you more choice of address type. A residential or mobile proxy exits through a network that looks like an ordinary home or phone connection, which some sites treat differently from hosting addresses. Our guide on residential vs. datacenter proxies covers the types, and the VPN detector shows how a given address is classified.
Leaks: where both can fail
Neither tool is perfect out of the box. A VPN can leak your real address or your lookups if the connection drops, if the app does not cover IPv6, or if a browser feature bypasses the tunnel. A proxy leaks more easily, because anything that does not use the proxy goes out on your normal connection. Your browser's own settings can also reveal your address through WebRTC.
A third leak is DNS: the lookup that turns a site name into an address can go to your provider even when your traffic goes elsewhere. Read how to fix a DNS leak if you use either tool, and run the WebRTC leak test and DNS leak test with the tool switched on. The full border check runs them together.
When to use a VPN
- You are on public or shared Wi-Fi (a hotel, airport or café) and want your whole device's traffic protected on that network.
- You want your internet provider, or the network you are on, to see less of which sites you visit.
- You want every app on a phone or laptop covered without configuring each one.
- You want a simple, flat-fee option and you do not need a specific address type or city.
When to use a proxy
- You want only one browser profile, script or app to appear from another country, and the rest of your device to behave normally.
- You are testing how a website, advert or price looks from different places.
- You collect public data and need many addresses, rotation or a particular address type. Read the guide on proxies for web scraping first, including the legal caveats.
- You need an address from a home or mobile network for a legitimate reason, and a VPN's data centre addresses do not fit.
- You need a set of stable addresses that you can assign to separate tasks.
When neither is the right tool
If your goal is to be anonymous against a determined opponent, a VPN or proxy alone will not do it. Websites can recognise you by cookies, logins, your browser's fingerprint and your behaviour, regardless of your address. If you log in to an account, the site knows who you are whatever address you use. Tools built for strong anonymity, such as the Tor network, work differently and have their own trade-offs, including speed.
How to check what you really get
Do not rely on a provider's promises. Switch the tool on and test it. Start with What's my IP to see whether your visible address changed and where it appears to be. Use the IP lookup to see who owns that address. Then run the WebRTC and DNS leak tests, and look at your HTTP headers to see whether a proxy adds signs that give it away.
If you use a proxy, enter it into the proxy checker, which reports its exit country, its network owner and its anonymity level. Repeat the checks after you reconnect or change servers, because results can change.
Frequently asked questions
Is a VPN more secure than a proxy?
For protecting your connection, usually yes, because a VPN encrypts the link between your device and its server and covers the whole device. A basic proxy does not encrypt that link. Security still depends on the provider you trust and on how the tool is set up.
Can I use a VPN and a proxy together?
Yes, but it adds complexity. Some people send proxy traffic through a VPN connection, so the proxy sees the VPN's address and not theirs. It can slow things down and makes problems harder to trace. Do it only if you have a specific reason.
Why do some sites block VPN or proxy addresses?
Websites look up who owns an address. Addresses in hosting data centres are often shared and used for automated traffic, so some sites add extra checks or block them. Home and mobile addresses are treated differently, although that can change.