There are several options for securing your online activities, with proxies and VPNs being the most popular. However, which one is better for your business? Learn more about proxy vs VPN.
Nowadays, our lives have become more and more connected online. May it be school, work, paying bills, or shopping, almost everything we do relies on using the internet. However, as we move to the digital world, privacy and security problems are becoming more prevalent.
To combat these issues, netizens often use either a proxy or a VPN. While these two appear to be similar, they have significant differences. To determine which option works best for you, it is essential to know difference between a Proxy and a VPN.
Proxy vs VPN – What’s the difference?
In this article, you’ll find a detailed comparison between proxy and VPN – from what they are to why you should use them for your business.
What is a Proxy?
A proxy server connects users to the internet. In general, it works as a middleman that can conceal a user’s IP address whenever they connect to the internet and access websites.
With a proxy server, users can enjoy a higher level of security regarding their network connectivity, online traffic, their applications’ performance, and more.
Here are some of its advantages:
- Hides your IP address
- Allows loading pages faster
- Allows you to access blocked pages or content
Aside from these, proxies have a solid and reliable cache system that allows you to enjoy a better experience browsing the internet.
In addition, proxies will also let you pass restricted content that is blocked in your country. For example, if you want to access a Japanese website but cannot do so due to restrictions, you can use a Japanese proxy to bypass it, such as the one from Oxylabs.
Lastly, proxies can also help prevent websites from tracking your activity so you can enjoy a higher level of anonymity while browsing the web.
Of course, proxies have some disadvantages as well, such as:
- Data and identify theft
- Compatibility problems
Since the cache system is constantly active in the proxy server, it will automatically save sensitive information like passwords. This means that your proxy provider may have access to that sensitive information.
This can increase the likelihood of experiencing data and identity theft. Moreover, you might encounter compatibility issues over time, so you will need to look for other proxy servers that can match or configure themselves to your local network.
Why Should You Use a Proxy for Your Business?
Some relevant reasons to use VPN for business are the following:
- Ad Verification
- Web Scraping
- SEO Performance Monitoring
- Travel Fare Aggregation
- Corporate Security
In general, proxy servers can be beneficial to big businesses by offering corporate security.
They do this by adding an extra layer of privacy and safety between public engagements and the system. So, when cyber criminals try to hack your system, they will only reach your proxy.
Moreover, you can also avail of travel fare aggregation via proxy servers. As a result, you can find the best and most affordable hotels, flight bookings, and travel agencies.
Finally, you can monitor the traffic on your website and other paid advertisements with the help of proxies. Doing so will help you evaluate if your ads can reach your target audience or not.
What Is a VPN?
A VPN refers to a virtual private network, a technology that allows you to surf the internet entirely anonymously and safely by allowing you to have your own private network. VPNs work by redirecting the traffic through a private network before moving onto another network.
EarthWebs list of top North American VPNs will allow you to protect personal data and enjoy surfing the internet anonymously. There are many more benefits of using a VPN. Some of these advantages include the following:
- User anonymity
- Access to restricted content not available within your region
- Prevent censorship
- Remote access
- Privacy and security
- Bandwidth throttling and escape data
Just like proxies, there are some disadvantages to using a VPN as well, such as:
- Complicated setup procedure
- Compatibility issues
- Performance problems
- Slow internet speed
Overall, since the setup procedure for a VPN is more complex, this can deter businesses from using VPNs for their online operations. Aside from that, a VPN’s performance tends to be slower in the long run, primarily as you use it more often.
In addition, your browsing speed may also be affected as it takes up a lot of bandwidth to add another layer of security and privacy to the user.
Why Should You Use a VPN for Your Business?
If your business has encountered privacy issues or if you experience frequent hacking from cybercriminals, using a VPN might be more suitable for you.
Using a VPN for your business operations will allow you to access everything you need online, even those restricted within your region. Overall, VPN is an excellent option for businesses that are more conscious about their privacy.
Conclusion
Overall, both proxies and VPNs provide another layer of security to online activities, proving to be highly beneficial for businesses. However, it can be tough to choose which one is more suitable, especially for online business operations.
Therefore, to determine which one is better for your business, you must first identify the problems you want to resolve. For example, you need to determine whether you need web scraping, SEO monitoring, or you simply want to enjoy the best privacy and security system?
Identifying your unique needs as a business will help you choose which one is the most suitable for your business.
