Proxy vs VPN vs Tor

All three technologies can change how your traffic appears online, but they work differently.

Proxy

Routes specific application traffic through an intermediary. Coverage and encryption depend on the proxy type.

VPN

Encrypts traffic at the device level and sends it through a VPN provider endpoint. Most apps use the VPN tunnel when enabled.

Tor

Routes traffic through multiple relays for strong anonymity properties, often with slower performance.

IPLocator perspective

Each method changes the public IP seen by server-side detection tools like IPLocator.