VPN and proxy servers: what is the difference and which option should I choose?

Increasingly, Internet users are thinking about how to ensure their anonymity and security of work, how to access resources that are blocked in your region, how to ensure multi-accounting without a ban and sanctions? The optimal solution for each of these tasks – the use of anonymizers, that is, specialized services that will help hide the real IP address and geolocation when connecting to the network.

The most popular and demanded solutions in this area – VPN services and proxy servers, including mobile proxies. What are they, what is the difference between them and which option to choose for yourself? We will try to find answers to these questions.

What are VPN services: a brief introduction

VPN, aka Virtual Private Network – it is a virtual private network that forms an encrypted channel for data transmission. It is able to hide the real IP address of the user device and use public Wi-Fi access points in a completely safe way. Here the history of all outgoing traffic remains invisible. And this can be attributed to the most significant advantages of VPN services. But there is also a drawback – price. Paid VPNs are quite expensive, while the efficiency and speed of free VPNs clearly leave much to be desired.

The operation of this technology is built at the level of the operating system. It is able to redirect traffic from a browser or a specific program and, at the same time, additionally encrypt the streams that are transmitted between the network and the user device. As a result, protection is provided against:

• control over visited sites;
• government oversight;
• any unauthorized access, hacker attacks.

That is, such a solution will not allow providers to track user actions, but it will still be able to identify the fact of connecting to a private virtual network server.

What is a proxy server: a brief introduction

Proxy servers – they are intermediaries between the user and the Internet. They pass all traffic through themselves and at the same time provide the replacement of real technical data of the user device with their own. This ensures:

• complete confidentiality of work on the Internet: it is not possible to identify the real user;
• high level of security: attackers will not be able to find out the IP address of your personal device, which means they will not be able to launch viruses or subject it to other illegal influences;
• bypassing regional bans established at the legislative level: it will be enough just to access the network from an IP address where such restrictions do not apply;
• higher connection speed, which is ensured by the use of high-speed communication channels by proxy servers, as well as data caching;
• the ability to work with multiple accounts simultaneously, including using specialized software that automates these processes.

This technology has no disadvantages as such. The only point that we advise you to pay attention to is that the number of accounts for conducting the upcoming work must match the number of proxy servers. That is, for 1 personal page – 1 server. But this point will be irrelevant if you use mobile proxies with rotation in your work. Automatic or forced change of the IP address will allow you to change the connection settings by timer or by link with the required frequency, which is guaranteed to bypass any restrictions and blocking from search engines, social network bots.

But all this is relevant only for private proxies. Public servers will cause a lot of hassle and problems instead of providing stable operation. This is due to the fact that a large number of people will be connected to one address. As a result, the level of security and anonymity decreases, and the probability of blocking, on the contrary, increases significantly.

What is the difference between a VPN network and a proxy server

In order to choose the best option for anonymizing your work on the network, you need to clearly understand what exactly you will get from connecting to the work of a particular service. And to make it easier for you to navigate, let's compare VPN and proxy:

1. The amount of coverage. We have already said that VPN works at the operating system level and redirects all its traffic through special servers. In contrast, proxy servers work at the software level. That is, they operate only on streams coming from a specific browser or application. It turns out that VPN encrypts the entire stream, and proxies can hide only one software at a time.
2. Reliability of hiding an IP address. In principle, both services are designed to cope with this work. But if the task is to ensure anonymity, in particular when working with online banking, online shopping, then it is believed that VPN will be more effective here due to additional data encryption. But on the other hand, mobile proxy servers will be able to simultaneously work using two protocols HTTP and Socks5, which are connected via parallel ports. That is, at the same time, stable web traffic will be provided, and it will be possible to work with an SSL certificate for greater confidentiality of actions on the network, and access to file hosting services, online game services, and streaming video.
3. Speed ​​of work. Let's say right away that this parameter largely depends on the access method. But in any case, VPNs will slow down the work and increase the waiting time. And here the superiority of the proxy servers that operate on high-speed communication channels. They also use caching technology, which speeds up the interaction even more.
4. Flexibility in operating parameters. The maximum efficiency here is with mobile proxy servers. They are built on cellular networks and use their resources in their work. Users of private mobile proxies will be able to change not only IP addresses at will, but also the country, region, and network operator. All this will be especially relevant for those who promote their products or services to a regional target audience.
5. Cost. We note right away that in terms of price, VPN services will cost you more than proxy servers. Major VPN providers charge a hefty amount for their services, justifying this by providing a high degree of privacy and security. Mobile proxies will cost you the cheapest, and in terms of the level of network protection they will not be inferior to either VPN or classic proxy servers.

Summing up

We note right away that there is no need to use VPN or proxy servers at the same time. The action of both products is aimed primarily at ensuring the anonymity and security of the network. Therefore, it is worth choosing based on the characteristics of the upcoming work. If multifunctionality, efficiency and stability of interaction with any Internet resources are a priority for you, then the choice should be made in favor of mobile proxies from the MobileProxy.Space service. This is the best solution in terms of price and reliability for browsing the Internet without any restrictions.

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