What's the difference between a VPN and a proxy?

While both VPNs and proxies can mask your IP address, they work very differently and offer different levels of protection.

Proxy

• Routes traffic from a single app (usually your browser) through an intermediary server
• Does not encrypt your traffic — your data is still visible to your ISP and attackers
• Slower and less reliable
• Cannot protect against DNS leaks
• Suitable only for basic IP masking

VPN

• Routes all traffic from your entire device through an encrypted tunnel
• Encrypts everything with military-grade AES-256 encryption
• Includes advanced features like kill switch, DNS leak protection, and split tunneling
• Works at the operating system level, protecting every app automatically
• Independently audited no-log policies

The bottom line

A proxy is like sending a postcard through a friend — they can change the return address, but anyone can still read the message. A VPN is like sealing your message in an unbreakable, invisible envelope. For real privacy and security, a VPN is the clear choice.