Virtual private network acts as secured and encrypted tunnel thereby your internet activities, browsing and so on will stay anonymous. In case of proxies, your internet will not be anonymous and secure. Virtual private network acts as a secured pathway through which your entire internet activities take place. All the restricted websites can be unblocked using both proxies and VPNs. Both these online solutions are used by many individuals and business users all over the world but the most recommended and highly subscribed and used service of all is VPN.
Main differences
There is a huge difference between a proxy and VPN service in terms of several aspects and we shall discuss about all of them in order for you to understand each of these services clearly. Let us discuss about every single feature and its differences across both these solutions.
- Encryption – A proxy service does not implement any kind of encryption whatsoever whereas a VPN delivers multiple encryptions across different solutions with the most secure encryption being 256-bit. Using an encrypted internet connection makes sure that your internet activity stays anonymous and hidden without any issue whatsoever.
- Bypass restrictions – Using a proxy might not help you bypass all kinds of restrictions whereas VPN is the best form of online solution you could use to unblock even US Netflix and other US, UK websites and contents. VPN operates servers in different countries and all these servers.
- IP hiding – IP address of an internet user determines their geo location which is what is used by online tracking agencies and blocking companies to block access to a particular website or location. A proxy and VPN both hide your IP address but the one done by proxy is not that efficient. A proxy is not capable of hiding your IP address completely but a VPN can completely hide your IP address. A VPN not only hides your IP efficiently but at the same time, it gives you a brand new IP to access all the blocked contents and websites.
- Speed – Both proxy and VPN is not known for delivering a great level of speed or performance to your internet activity but a VPN is somewhat better in terms of speed. You also experience connectivity issues when you are using a proxy service which is not the case with respect to a VPN service.
- Device compatibility – The ability to use an online service such as proxy or VPN across multiple devices and OS platforms makes a huge difference. A proxy will let you use its service only on a few devices whereas a VPN compatible with different devices and OS platforms can be found in the market.
- Customer support – A proxy service is completely free hence you cannot expect a reliable customer support or any support platform in any form whatsoever. Some of the leading VPN service providers deliver excellent customer support even in the form of a 24X7 customer support, email, chat or call support.
- Privacy – A proxy has no privacy policy but a VPN service provider does comply by a certain set of privacy policy rules and regulations. Some of the best in business have their own privacy policy.
- Download and Torrenting – VPN is by far the best solution available in the market at present for downloading and torrenting. A proxy has literally zero security features whereas a VPN does provide P2P servers that are optimized to deliver anonymous torrenting.
Make a decision – VPN or proxy?
Making a decision on whether to have a VPN or proxy service is completely up to you. A proxy should be your choice if you don’t require security or anonymity but for those who are mainly working online and need a bullet proof solution with security and anonymity, VPN is the best choice.
| Rank | Provider Name | Starting Price | Money Back Guarantee | Visit Provider Site |
 |
ExpressVPN | $6.67/month | 30 Days |  |
| 2 | IPVanish | $10.00/month | 7 Days | |
| 3 | Hidemyass | $11.52/month | 30 Days | |
| 4 | VyprVPN | $10.00/month | 7 Days | |
| 5 | StrongVPN | $21/ 3 months | 7 Days | |
