VPN vs. Proxy vs. Tor: What’s the difference?

Added: 2026-05-17

[00:00:00]Buying a VPN does not make you a ghost on the internet.

[00:00:04]To stay private, you need to know the difference between a proxy, a VPN, and Tor.

[00:00:10]A proxy is like an intern who delivers a postcard for you.

[00:00:15]The website sees the intern's face, not yours.

[00:00:18]But, anyone can still read the postcard.

[00:00:21]No encryption.

[00:00:22]A VPN is an armored tunnel. It puts the postcard in a steel briefcase.

[00:00:28]Your internet service provider cannot see inside, but VPN company can.

[00:00:33]You're just shifting your trust from ISP to a VPN company.

[00:00:38]And Tor is an onion router.

[00:00:42]It's a maze. Your data is encrypted in layers and bounced through three random servers.

[00:00:47]It's the only way to get true anonymity, but it's incredibly slow.

[00:00:52]So, proxy for Netflix when you want to watch geo-blocked content. VPN for coffee shop's Wi-Fi.

[00:01:01]Tor for anonymity.

[00:01:03]Choose wisely and follow Decoded Security to keep it simple.