VPN vs. proxy is a comparison of two ways to route internet traffic through an intermediary server: a VPN (virtual private network) builds an encrypted tunnel from your device to a VPN server, while a proxy server forwards requests for the applications configured to use it. In both cases, the destination website sees the server's IP address instead of yours.

A VPN client is software installed on your device. A proxy, by contrast, is chosen by the client through its own configuration, such as a browser's connection settings or a scraper's code.

Key Differences

  • Encryption: A VPN encrypts traffic between your device and the VPN server. With an HTTP proxy, HTTPS traffic stays protected by the website's own TLS, which passes through the proxy in a CONNECT tunnel.
  • Scope: IPsec-based VPNs protect traffic at the IP layer. A proxy only handles traffic from clients that are set to use it, although a browser can be told to follow the operating system's proxy settings.
  • IP exposure: Both make requests appear to come from the server's IP. Some HTTP proxies add headers such as X-Forwarded-For, which can identify the original client IP.

Which Fits Web Data Work

Because a proxy is set in the client's configuration, a scraping script can send different sessions through different proxy addresses. That is the basis of proxy pools and IP rotation. A VPN routes the device's traffic through one VPN server, so the destination sees that server's IP.