Proxies, VPNs and Tor solve a similar problem — they change the IP address websites see. But they work differently and suit different goals. Here is how they differ and which one is right for you.
Proxy
A proxy is a go-between for a particular program. You enter it in the settings of a browser, an anti-detect browser or a script, and only that program goes online through the proxy. Everything else on your computer connects directly.
- Pros: you can have many addresses in different countries and give each profile or account its own; fast; easy to swap.
- Cons: protects only the programs you set it up in; not every protocol encrypts the connection to the proxy — HTTPS proxies do, SOCKS5 doesn't.
More on how a proxy works in "What Is a Proxy Server".
VPN
A VPN (virtual private network) works at the level of the whole device. The VPN app builds an encrypted "tunnel" to its server, and all of your computer's or phone's traffic goes through it.
- Pros: protects the whole device at once; encrypts traffic between you and the VPN server, which helps on public Wi-Fi; one button to turn on.
- Cons: usually one address for the whole device, so it is no good for several accounts; popular VPNs' addresses are often shared and well known to websites; all your protection rests on the VPN provider's honesty — it sees where you go.
Tor
Tor is a volunteer network that routes traffic through a chain of three servers. Each server knows only its neighbours in the chain, so no single one sees both who you are and where you are going.
- Pros: the strongest anonymity of the three; free.
- Cons: slow; Tor exit servers are publicly known, and many websites block them or show a CAPTCHA; choosing the exit country is awkward; hardly suitable for working with accounts.
Comparison
| Proxy | VPN | Tor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it protects | Individual programs | The whole device | Tor Browser or configured programs |
| Encryption | Only up to an HTTPS proxy | Up to the VPN server | Inside the Tor network |
| How many addresses | As many as you like, one per profile | Usually one | Random, changing |
| Choice of country | Yes | Yes | Awkward |
| Speed | High | High | Low |
| How websites treat it | Depends on the proxy type | Popular VPN addresses are often known | Often blocked |
Which to choose
- Several accounts, scraping, checking websites from different countries — proxies: only they give you many separate addresses.
- Protecting the whole device in a café, airport or hotel — a VPN. More on public network risks in "Public Wi-Fi Risks".
- Maximum anonymity when speed doesn't matter — Tor.
You can combine them: for example, keep a VPN on for the device and use a proxy for each profile in an anti-detect browser.
FAQ
Which hides my IP better — a proxy or a VPN?
Both replace your IP equally well. The difference is what they are for: a VPN covers the whole device with one address, while a proxy gives each program or profile its own.
Can I use a free VPN or proxy?
Better not: a free service has to make money somehow, and often it is from your data. More in "Free Proxies".
Is it legal to use a VPN and Tor?
In most countries, yes, but some restrict them. Check the rules where you live.
If you need separate addresses for accounts or tasks, choose IPv6 proxies in our configurator.