Everyday use
Ways to Connect Through a Server in Another Country: A Comparison
In short: there are six ways: the service’s own app, a general client with a subscription link, your own server, a proxy, Tor Browser and a free app. The choice depends on the task: what you want to send through another country (the device or a single program), how much effort you will put in, and whom you are willing to trust. Below: a table, a choice by task, and a list of what we do not have.
The comparison in one table
| Way | Whom you have to trust | What you do | When it fits | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The service’s own app (for us, ProxysVPN) | The service: technically it sees which addresses you contact | Install the app, sign in, pick a country | You want one clear path with no manual setup, working at the level of the device rather than one program | Paid; the countries and protocols are the ones in the app; you depend on one service |
| A general client with a subscription link (for example Happ or INCY) | The client’s developer and the service that issued the link | Install the client, paste the subscription link, refresh the list when needed | You want your own routing rules, or the client is already on the device | Two parties to trust; take the client and the link from a reliable source, and app stores change: what happened to Happ in Google Play |
| Your own server | Yourself and the hosting provider you rent the server from | Rent a server, install and update the software, set up a client | You want full control and are ready to administer a server | One exit address; the time, the updates and the responsibility are yours; the trade-offs in detail |
| A proxy (SOCKS5, HTTP) | The proxy’s owner: it sees the connections you send through it | Enter the address, port, login and password in one program | You need one program, or many different addresses | A proxy does not encrypt by itself and protects only what already travels over TLS; the types of proxy compared |
| Tor Browser | The Tor network, whose relays are run by volunteers (the project’s manual), and the browser itself | Download the browser from the project’s site and work only inside it | You want the destination unable to link a request to you | Works at the level of the browser; sites can detect such connections and restrict them (the project’s page); the browser is free, and a paid “Tor Browser” is a fake (the project’s page) |
| A free VPN app | The app’s developer | Install it from an app store | A one-off task where the data does not matter | The servers are paid for somehow: read the privacy policy and the permissions; what data free VPNs collect in Google Play and how free VPNs resell bandwidth |
Three facts about Tor, from the project’s own pages, checked on 3 November 2026: the browser is free and paid copies are fakes (source); sites can detect Tor and restrict such connections (source); the network’s relays are run by volunteers (source). The rest of the table is how the ways themselves are built, not facts about other companies’ products.
Choosing by task
- You want the device to work through a server in another country with no setup → the service’s own app. Start there if you do not know what a subscription or routing is.
- You want your own rules for what goes direct and what goes through the server → a general client, if the service issues a subscription link.
- You have the time and the wish to administer, and you want full control → your own server.
- You need one program, or many addresses at once → a proxy. The difference between a proxy and a VPN, and Tor, is laid out in a separate guide.
- You want the destination unable to link a request to you → Tor Browser as it ships, with no additions.
- A one-off task where the data does not matter → a free app, mindful of its permissions and privacy policy.
iPhone, iPad and Mac
Start with our own ProxysVPN app: how to install it on iPhone and iPad and on Mac. The reserve is INCY, which takes a subscription link: how to connect it.
Where ProxysVPN falls short and what it does not have
- It is paid: the base plan is $1.50 a month per device and PRO is $3.00 for 30 days. Your own server and the free ways in the table need no money, but they need time or trust.
- We do not promise speed and publish no measurements, so we do not compare it with the ways in the table.
- We do not promise that the connection works on every network: the result depends on the operator, the country and the device.
- The set of countries and protocols is ours and you cannot change it. If you want an exit address that only you control, that is your own server.
- The USA location on the base plan has 50 GB a month; PRO has no such cap.
- Not every build has been run on a real device: the apps page says so plainly for Steam Deck, Vision Pro, Meta Quest and Steam Frame, and iPhone, iPad and Apple TV are test versions for now.
What we checked and what we did not
Checked on 3 November 2026: the three facts about Tor on the project’s pages, the Happ situation in Google Play (laid out in a separate guide) and our own figures, taken from the same data the site runs on. Not checked and not published: other services’ prices and terms, the speed of any way, the number of countries anyone else has. A reference on our service: What is ProxysVPN.
FAQ
VPN or proxy: which should I choose?
If the task is at the level of the device, a VPN. If you need one program, or many different addresses, a proxy. Who sees what and what gets encrypted is laid out in the guide on VPN, proxy and Tor.
Can I run my own server instead of using a service?
Yes, if you are ready to rent a server, install the software on it and keep it updated. You get full control and one exit address, but you trust the hosting provider and all the upkeep is yours.
Is a free VPN app safe?
Not by definition: someone pays for the servers, and it is worth finding out how. Read the privacy policy and check which permissions the app asks for.
Where do I start on iPhone, iPad or Mac?
With our own ProxysVPN app. The reserve is INCY, which takes a subscription link. Both are laid out in the guides for iPhone, iPad and Mac.
Did this help?
Nothing follows from the answer; only we see it.
People also ask
- Has Happ been removed from Google Play for good?
Happ gone from Google Play
- Is a self-hosted VPN cheaper than a subscription?
Self-hosting vs buying
- What is the difference between residential and datacenter proxies?
Proxy types
Who we are. These guides are written and kept current by the team that runs ProxysVPN. The date of the last update is at the top of the article. If a step is wrong or out of date, write to support and we will fix it.