VPN and proxy
A VPN is an encrypted tunnel through which a device sends all of its traffic to a VPN server.
Updated · Prokso editorial team
A VPN is usually turned on for the whole device: all programs go online through one server and one address. Data between you and the VPN server is encrypted.
A proxy is set up for a single program or browser profile. This lets you keep ten profiles with ten different addresses on one computer, which a VPN cannot do.
VPN service addresses usually belong to datacenters, and websites know them well. Residential and mobile proxies give the addresses of ordinary subscribers.
For protection on public Wi-Fi, a VPN is more convenient. For scraping, work with multiple accounts and checking sites from different countries, a proxy is.
Which traffic goes through each of them
| VPN | Prokso proxy | |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | the whole device | one program or profile |
| Encryption | from the device to the VPN server | HTTPS sites stay encrypted from the program to the site |
| UDP | usually carried | not supported |
| Different IPs for different programs | no, one address for all | yes, a separate line or port for each |
Because there is no UDP, calls in messengers and online games do not work through Prokso proxies, while a VPN usually carries them. Browsers, scripts, antidetect browser profiles and most programs that work over HTTP and HTTPS do not need UDP.
Where the encryption ends
A VPN encrypts data only up to its own server. After that, traffic goes to sites the usual way, and the VPN operator sees as much as your ISP used to see. With a proxy, HTTPS pages stay encrypted between your program and the site: the proxy passes on the encrypted stream and sees only the domain and the volume.
So for both a VPN and a proxy the question is the same: what the service in the middle stores.
What Prokso stores
From November 12, 2026, for pay-per-GB plans Prokso stores only the domain name of the site (for example, example.com), the time, the number of requests and the traffic volume. These records are kept for 90 days and then deleted automatically. This data is needed to handle complaints and prevent violations of the rules, and only the administrators who handle complaints have access to it. It is not sold or passed to others, except for lawful requests. Page addresses, page contents and passwords are not stored. The details are in the privacy policy.
FAQ
Which to choose: a VPN or a proxy?
A VPN protects the whole device on someone else's network. A proxy is for when each program or profile needs its own address, country or IP type.
Can I use a VPN and a proxy together?
Yes, but this adds latency and one more point of failure. The proxy will connect through the VPN.
Residential $1.59, mobile $2.50, datacenter $0.65 per GB
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