Proxies vs VPN — Are They Really That Different

Cybersecurity and online privacy have become paramount in business. Since most companies today use the internet for their operations they need to ensure data security. Luckily, there are a lot of solutions companies can use to protect themselves.

Probably the most popular ones are proxy servers and virtual private networks. However, a lot of their functions overlap. So which one is the right option for you and are there any actual differences between them? That’s what we’re going to discuss today.

Much has been said about the battle of proxy vs VPN and it’s time to put it all to rest.

Defining Proxies

Proxies are getaways set up between a computer and the web. This server creates another layer between your computer and a website. Proxies take on the internet traffic from the requested address and direct the data to the user. That way, it seems like the request comes from that proxy and the user’s IP address and location are hidden in the process.

• Residential Proxies

Residential proxies give users IP addresses connected to residential addresses that actually exist. This process makes it impossible to recognize that they are not the real IPs and ban them from a site. Simply put, they are great for hiding the real IP and unblocking content online. That’s why they are often used for harvesting and scraping.

• Datacenter Proxies

Datacenter proxies are the most common ones. They are independent of the ISP and your internet connection. But they are offered by data centers that create digital IPs. Simply put, there are methods websites can use to block them like cookies.

Defining VPN

VPNs are quite similar to proxies. They take your local network and reroute it through a tunnel to another server located far away. You are using the resources of that server and creating a closed connection through which your traffic travels to your device.

This tunnel is encrypted and the data going through it can’t be seen by anyone else. VPNs on the level of the operating system and all of the traffic is rerouted at a given moment. On the other hand, proxies have an application-level use and they reroute the traffic from a specific browser or app.

VPNs Are More Focused on Regular Users

VPNs have become really common for individuals. They are easy to set up and use. Furthermore, since they work on the operating system level they cover everything that you do online. Even though it might seem that they are better than proxies, they have their own drawbacks.

VPNs can’t handle a large number of requests and application-level use. A single user who uses the web as they would normally can benefit from a VPN. At the same time, a VPN can be installed across various devices at the same time to ensure you have privacy and security wherever you log in.

Proxies Have More Business Applications

Proxies reduce the chances of a data breach. They are a great buffer as they relay requests of your devices outside of your network. Companies often have a large amount of traffic coming in and this can lead to server crashes. With proxies, the data you get isn’t stored in a single server but in a dozen different ones.

A proxy server balances all of the requests to servers and makes sure that there isn’t an overload. That’s really useful when it comes to web scraping or data mining. On the other hand, proxies also have the power to automatically switch their IPs at rapid speeds.

It’s also great for browsing and scraping on a large number of web pages. The site you are gathering data from won’t notice a recurring IP address that’s visiting pages at a rapid speed, and you won’t get blocked that easily.

How do They Match up Against Each Other?

The proxy vs VPN battle isn’t one that can have a clear winner. It all depends on what your needs are. When it comes to privacy both VPNs and proxies hide your IP address although proxies have various ways they can do this.

VPNs work on the operating system level and encrypt all of the data while proxies don’t do this. On the other hand, both of these can go around network restrictions and geo-blocked content. Both can be used for torrenting while only VPNs give you privacy during the process.

Conclusion

The final verdict? Proxy servers are better overall for business use, while VPNs are better for individuals. After all, you don’t need torrenting privacy for your business.

Proxies are better for dealing with large amounts of sites and using various tools that extract data for different analytical purposes. It’s about what your needs are, nothing more. If you want to read more information about proxies and VPN, we suggest you check out the Oxylabs website.