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Proxies vs Tor vs VPNs: Which one to choose?

    • 3280 posts
    July 23, 2023 10:58 PM EDT

    Proxies vs Tor vs VPNs: Which one to choose?
    Even though the goal of VPNs, proxies and Tor is ultimately the same – protect users anonymity to boost their online privacy – the way each software does that differs.To get more news about residential proxy, you can visit pyproxy.com official website.

    A proxy works as a gateway between your device and the websites servers you access. As all the requests will pass through the proxy server instead, it allows you to hide your real IP location and bypass geo-restrictions.

    A VPN is very similar to a proxy. It hides your IP and makes you appear in an entirely different location in the world with just a few clicks. However, in this case, all the traffic leaving the device is encrypted inside the VPN tunnel so that intruders cannot access your information in transit. You can also check our Proxy vs VPN explainer for more details.

    The Tor browser is a volunteer-run free and open-sourced secure browser. It follows a practice known as onion routing. It routes the traffic through at least three servers, encrypting the data each step of the way to secure as much privacy as possible.
    Despite being very secure, Tor does have a few drawbacks. More encryption can slow down your connection, for instance. The service also has the stigma of being associated with cybercrime, meaning sites often block access.

    VPNs seem to be better to evade crackdown by employing new obfuscation technology, being that the exit nodes of proxies and Tor are more recognizable. So, a streaming VPN is your best bet to unlock foreign catalog on streaming platforms.

    However, all this doesn't mean that there are no uses for proxies and Tor.

    WhatsApp's latest update is now offering an unprecedented proxy support to allow users to freely communicate during internet shutdown, for example. And, even VPN providers recommend using Tor together with the VPN app when privacy is paramount.