Guide · Privacy tools

VPN vs proxy vs Tor

All three hide your IP address from the websites you visit. That's where the similarity ends. They differ in what they encrypt, which apps they cover, who you have to trust and how fast they are. Here is an honest comparison, including when a VPN isn't the right answer.

See the comparison What is a VPN?

Encryption
Anonymity
Speed
When to use each

What the café Wi-Fi can see

Example

No protectionExposedthe name of every site you visit, and your DNS lookups
ProxyPartly hiddenthe proxy's address, plus everything from apps that don't use it
VPNHiddenone encrypted connection to the VPN server
TorHiddenan encrypted connection into the Tor network

Proxy covers: One app
VPN covers: Whole device
Tor covers: Tor Browser

The short answer

Use a VPN for everyday privacy and security across your whole device, on any network. Use a proxy when you just need a different IP address in one app and the traffic isn't sensitive. Use Tor when you need strong anonymity, even from the service carrying your traffic, and speed doesn't matter.

At a glance

Three tools, three different jobs

VPN

Most people

Virtual private network. Encrypts everything your device sends and routes it through a server run by the VPN provider. Every app, every connection and every DNS lookup goes through the tunnel.

Covers every app on the device
Fast with modern protocols like WireGuard®
Kill switch and DNS leak protection in good apps

The provider can see where your traffic goes, so choose one you trust

Proxy

One app

HTTP, HTTPS or SOCKS proxy. Passes traffic from a single app, usually your browser, through another server. Websites see the proxy's IP address instead of yours.

Quick way to change your IP in one app
Usually little slowdown

Other apps on your device skip it
Many proxies don't encrypt anything
Free proxies may log traffic or inject ads

Tor

Anonymity

The Onion Router. Sends your traffic through three relays run by volunteers, with a layer of encryption for each. No single relay knows both who you are and what you are visiting.

Strong anonymity, without trusting one company
Free and open source
Reaches .onion sites

Noticeably slower; not built for streaming or games
Some websites block or challenge Tor users

Side by side

Full comparison

Green means it does the job well, yellow means it depends, orange means it doesn't.

Feature	VPN	Proxy	Tor
Encrypts your traffic	Yes, as far as the VPN server	Often not. HTTPS proxies encrypt the link to the proxy	Yes, in layers, as far as the exit relay
Covers every app	Yes, the whole device	No, one app, usually the browser	Tor Browser, plus apps you set up to use it
Hides your IP from websites	Yes	Yes	Yes
Hides your activity from your ISP	Yes, it sees a VPN connection	Only for that app, and only if the proxy is encrypted	Yes, it sees a Tor connection
DNS lookups protected	Yes, in good VPN apps	Depends on the set-up	Yes, within Tor Browser
Stops leaks if it drops	Kill switch, in good VPN apps	No	Tor Browser won't connect outside Tor
Anonymity	Private, not anonymous: you trust the provider	You trust whoever runs the proxy	Strong: no single relay sees both ends
Stops ads and tracking	Not by itself. Cookies and logins still track you	No	Partly: Tor Browser isolates cookies and resists fingerprinting
Speed	Small slowdown with a nearby server	Small slowdown	Noticeably slower
Streaming	Yes	Sometimes	Not practical
Gaming and calls	Yes	Rarely	No, Tor can't carry UDP
Phones and tablets	Apps for iPhone, iPad and Android	Varies by app	Tor Browser on Android, Onion Browser on iOS
Set-up	Install an app	App settings or a browser extension	Install Tor Browser
Who runs it	The VPN company	Whoever runs the proxy	Volunteers around the world
Cost	Paid. PremierVPN from $4.99/month	Free or paid	Free

Speed and features vary by provider, network and set-up. "Good VPN apps" means the feature exists, not that every VPN has it.

VPN vs proxy

A proxy changes your IP. A VPN protects the connection.

A proxy is a middleman for one app. You point your browser at it, and websites see the proxy's address instead of yours. That's useful, but it isn't the same as privacy: apps that aren't set up to use the proxy go straight out as normal, and many proxies pass your traffic along without encrypting it.

A VPN works at the level of the operating system. Everything your device sends goes into an encrypted tunnel to the VPN server, so the Wi-Fi you're on and your internet provider see one encrypted connection and nothing else.

If all you want is to cover your browser, PremierVPN Protect is our extension for Chrome and Firefox. It blocks ads and trackers, and when you sign in it can send your browser through our HTTPS proxy, so the link from your browser is encrypted. It covers browser traffic only.

Where they differ

Four things to check

Encryption: A VPN encrypts everything to its server, using ciphers such as ChaCha20-Poly1305 with WireGuard®. Plain HTTP and SOCKS proxies don't encrypt; HTTPS proxies encrypt the link to the proxy.
Scope: A VPN covers every app. A proxy covers the apps you configure, so email, messaging and background updates usually go around it.
DNS: A good VPN app keeps DNS lookups inside the tunnel. With a proxy, lookups can still go to your internet provider, which shows the sites you visit.
Trust: Both see where your traffic goes. Pick a provider with a clear policy on what it keeps. Ours is in our no-log policy.

VPN vs Tor

Privacy you trust a provider for, or anonymity you don't

With a VPN, one company carries your traffic. It hides what you do from your network and your IP from websites, but the VPN provider itself could see where your traffic goes. That's why the provider's policies and ownership matter.

Tor removes that single point of trust. Your traffic goes through three relays: the first knows your IP but not your destination, the last knows the destination but not your IP. Tor Browser also isolates cookies and makes browsers look alike, so sites find it harder to recognise you. For journalists, activists, sources and anyone who needs strong anonymity, Tor is the right tool, and a VPN is not a replacement for it.

The price is speed and convenience. For everyday browsing, streaming, calls and gaming, a VPN is the practical choice.

The trade-offs

What to expect from Tor

Anonymity: Strong. No relay, and no single company, sees both who you are and where you're going.
Speed: Noticeably slower, because traffic passes through three relays, often in different countries.
Exit relay: The last relay sends your traffic to the website. HTTPS keeps the content private from it; anything sent without HTTPS can be read there.
Blocks: Some sites show extra checks or refuse Tor users. Some countries block Tor, and Tor's bridges help there.

You can use both: connect to a VPN first, then open Tor Browser. Your internet provider sees a VPN connection rather than Tor.

Which one, when

Pick the tool for the job

Use a VPN for

Public Wi-Fi in cafés, hotels and airports
Keeping your browsing from your internet provider
Streaming, gaming and video calls
Working remotely and online banking
Protecting every device, every app
Networks and countries that block sites

Use a proxy for

Changing your IP in one browser or app
Checking how a site looks from another country
Web scraping and testing
Browsing that isn't sensitive

Use Tor for

Strong anonymity, when it really matters
Journalism, research and sources
Not trusting any single provider
Visiting .onion sites
When speed doesn't matter

More on staying private

What is a VPN?How it works, and what it does and doesn't protect.Read the guide → PremierVPN ProtectAd and tracker blocking, plus our HTTPS proxy, for Chrome and Firefox.See the extension → Anti-censorship toolsProtocols and tunnels for networks that block VPNs.See them all → No-log policyWhat we keep, and what we don't.Read the policy →

FAQ

VPN, proxy and Tor questions

Is a VPN better than a proxy?

For most people, yes. A VPN encrypts traffic from every app on your device, keeps DNS lookups inside the tunnel and can block traffic if the connection drops. A proxy usually covers one app, often your browser, and many proxies don't encrypt anything. A proxy is fine for quickly changing your IP in one app; for privacy on networks you don't control, use a VPN.

Is a VPN as anonymous as Tor?

No. A VPN gives you privacy from your network and hides your IP address from websites, but the VPN provider can see where your traffic goes, so you are trusting it. Tor spreads that trust across three volunteer relays, so no single relay knows both who you are and what you are visiting. If you need strong anonymity, Tor is the right tool.

Can I use a VPN and Tor together?

Yes. Connect to the VPN first, then open Tor Browser. This is often called Tor over VPN. Your internet provider sees a VPN connection rather than a Tor connection, and the Tor network sees the VPN server's IP address instead of yours. It adds little anonymity on top of Tor itself and makes things a bit slower, but it is useful where using Tor draws attention.

Are free proxies safe?

Often not. Running a proxy costs money, and some free proxies pay for it by logging traffic, injecting ads or selling data. Many also don't encrypt the connection between you and the proxy. If you use one, stick to HTTPS websites and don't send anything sensitive through it.

Is Tor legal?

In the UK, the US and most of Europe, yes. Journalists, researchers, companies and ordinary people use it every day. Some countries block or restrict it, and Tor offers bridges to help in those places. As with any tool, what matters legally is what you do with it.

Does PremierVPN include a proxy or stealth mode?

For networks that block ordinary VPN connections, our apps include VLESS with REALITY, xHTTP and CDN, which are built to look like ordinary HTTPS traffic, plus Stealth relay, which wraps WireGuard inside TLS. If you only want to cover your browser, PremierVPN Protect is our extension for Chrome and Firefox. It blocks ads and trackers, and when you sign in it can send your browser through our HTTPS proxy. It covers browser traffic only.

Which one is fastest?

A good VPN or proxy on a nearby server is usually fast enough that you won't notice much difference for browsing, streaming or calls. Tor is noticeably slower because your traffic passes through three relays, often in different countries, and it can't carry the UDP traffic that games and many calling apps rely on.

For everyday privacy

A VPN that covers every app, on every device

WireGuard® for speed, VLESS for networks that push back, and apps for Windows, macOS, iPhone, iPad, Android, Linux and Fire TV. From $4.99/month.

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