Proxy vs VPN – Here’s What You Need to Know about Privacy

June 8, 2020 By Johan Curtis No Comments 5 minutes

Internet security threats are real, and for that reason, people are looking for the best solution they can get their hands on for protecting their data, and remaining anonymous online. By far, the easiest method is using a proxy. Hence, the debate on Proxy vs VPN.

Proxy vs VPN

However, easier doesn’t always mean better, and for that reason, Virtual Private Networks (VPN) have grown in popularity over the years. The debate of Proxy vs VPN continues to this day, and people continue to state valid points for both sides of the argument. They are asking questions like; which is better and which can deliver speeds without compromising on anonymity.

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What is a Proxy Server?

A proxy server can be thought of like a middleman who handles your internet requests. It masks your IP address with a virtual one to fool the website that you are trying to visit.

For example, imagine you are visiting a blocked website from the United States. A proxy server would use its IP address to let you access the website by making it look like you are visiting from another region.

But proxy servers are not something you should use for certain activities, such as sharing personal information or making transactions online. We’ll discuss how exactly they are vulnerable when compared to VPNs.

Proxy vs VPN – Is VPN More Secure?

At a basic level, Proxy websites and VPNs are similar, in the sense that they allow you to use a virtual IP address to access blocked or geo-restricted websites. When you use a proxy website, it uses its IP address to access your desired website. This prevents your destination website from knowing your IP address, and in turn the geo-location, thus allowing you to access websites that would otherwise be inaccessible.

VPN offers the same functionality and more. Encryption is one of the pillars of a VPN that gives it a huge advantage over free proxy websites. Because internet traffic is encrypted, it cannot be read by third-parties who do not have the key to decrypt the data. USA VPN utilizes the AES 256-bit encryption standard that’s so secure that even the United States military utilizes it to secure communications.

FastestVPN has 350+ high-speed servers worldwide, allowing you to use a virtual IP address of countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, and more. Moreover, the servers are P2P-optimized which means you get the best speeds while downloading via torrents.

Proxy websites are not safe. While they hide your IP behind its own, anyone can sniff your data on the network. And because all your internet traffic is flowing through the proxy server, there’s no guarantee the proxy server is not recording your activities. In fact, it is common practice for free proxy websites and free VPNs to sell your data to third parties.

Proxy vs VPN – Which is better for your Security

When it comes down to your security, virtual private networks vastly outrank a proxy site, which has bare minimum features. The difference comes from the fact that VPN is a paid service, while proxy sites are free. There are free VPNs as well, but they don’t provide the same level of features or are as reliable when it comes to security.

Although hearing of a paid service may deter you from using it, we cannot stress enough why you shouldn’t use free VPNs. They are unreliable, don’t offer the same level of security, and sell your data to third parties.

FastestVPN was built to be accessible. That means a VPN that is not only uncompromising on the security and privacy aspects but is also affordable.

The next section talks about FastestVPN and its role in the Proxy vs VPN debate.

Proxy vs VPN – Which is better for Torrenting?

Proxy sites can be used for torrents. However, only the best like FastestVPN can give you the best speeds while protecting you from the ISP. FastestVPN is a good example of a VPN with torrent-friendly features like P2P optimized servers and unlimited bandwidth. This all essentially adds up to a favorable experience for you; you can download your favorite torrents in HD quality.

Like we discussed earlier, proxy websites are not a secure choice for downloading torrents because the ISP is still able to see your activities. In many countries, using certain torrent websites could lead you to a hefty fine. A VPN would not only hide your IP from the ISP but also encrypt internet traffic.

Conclusion

This blog hopes to settle any misconceptions or questions you may have had on Proxy vs VPN.

VPN is by far, the better option when it comes to security and privacy. FastestVPN has all the essential features that are aimed at giving you secure and protected browsing experience. Whether you are accessing blocked websites or downloading torrents, FastestVPN keeps all your activities anonymous.