Comparison and critical viewpoint between Proxy and VPN

Proxies and VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) are traffic intermediation tools that hide, reroute, or encrypt data between the user and the final destination. Although they are used almost synonymously in everyday speech, their differences—technical and security—are substantial [1][2].

Objectives of the article:

1. Describe Proxy and VPN architectures.
2. Compare their features in terms of security, privacy, performance, and ease of use.
3. Provide a critical view of their limitations and risks.
4. Offer recommendations practices.

Architecture and Operation

Below is a reference comparison of the key elements that distinguish proxies from VPNs in terms of their level of operation, encryption mechanisms, and connection scope.

Security comparison

Open proxies can inspect and modify data in clear text, creating privacy risks [1]. Some free VPNs throttle bandwidth or sell user data, undermining expected privacy [2].

Evidence

Several studies and practical tests have examined the performance, security and risks associated with the use of proxies and VPNs:

1. Availability and behavior of open proxies: Mani et al. They analyzed over 107,000 open proxies over 50 days, finding that 92% were unresponsive and many injected malware or performed Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attacks over TLS, demonstrating severe risks to content integrity (arxiv.org).
2. VPN Performance on Consumer Hardware: Hall evaluated OpenVPN on a Linksys WRT54GL router running DD-WRT firmware. Using a factorial design, he found that encryption (e.g., AES vs. Blowfish) limited throughput and that the transport protocol influenced latency (arxiv.org).
3. Speed and Latency Comparisons: Sites like Comparitech measured in real-world scenarios that encrypted VPNs add 10–30% extra latency compared to direct connections, while unencrypted proxies barely impact RTT but do not protect other protocols (arxiv.org). href="https://www.comparitech.com/vpn/whats-the-difference-between-a-proxy-and-a-vpn/?utm_source=mox.one" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">comparitech.com).
4. VPN Protocol Performance: Academic studies (IPSec, PPTP, SSL) in Windows Server 2003 environments showed throughput variations of 50–150 Mbps depending on the algorithm and protocol, confirming that the choice of protocol is critical to the balance between security and speed (researchgate.net).

Throughput and Latency

Throughput and Latency of a Proxy

1. High speed on simple HTTP/HTTPS connections (does not encrypt all traffic).
2. Low computational overhead.
3. Does not cover protocols such as P2P or VoIP.

VPN Performance

1. Latency added by encrypting/decrypting all traffic.
2. Higher CPU and battery consumption on mobile devices.
3. Distributed servers help optimize routes [2].

Limitations and Risks

1. DNS/WebRTC Leaks (Proxy): Without additional configuration, the browser can leak traffic outside the proxy [1].
2. VPN Tunnel Disruption: Without a kill switch, the real IP is exposed if the connection fails [2].
3. Deceptive Logging Policies: Many providers do not pass independent audits.
4. Performance Impact: Intensive encryption can degrade connections on limited hardware [2].

Practical Recommendations

1. Assess needs: proxy for specific navigation; VPN for comprehensive protection.
2. Review privacy policies: look for providers with “no logs” audits.
3. Configure kill switches and secure DNS: minimize data leaks.
4. Keep software up to date: avoid known vulnerabilities.

Bibliography

1. Proxy server, Wikipedia. Retrieved 2025. en.wikipedia.org
2. Virtual private network, Wikipedia. Retrieved 2025. en.wikipedia.org
3. OSI model, Wikipedia. Retrieved 2025. en.wikipedia.org
4. Network layer, Wikipedia. Retrieved 2025. en.wikipedia.org
5. SOCKS, Wikipedia. Retrieved 2025. en.wikipedia.org
6. IPsec, Wikipedia. Retrieved 2025. en.wikipedia.org

Other articles that might interest you