Ask three people how to "hide your IP" and you will get three answers: use a proxy, use a VPN, use Tor. All three change the address websites see. That is roughly where the similarity ends.
The real question is not which one hides my IP. It is who can see what, and who do I have to trust? Answer that and the choice usually makes itself.
The proxy: a forwarding address for one app
A proxy is a server that makes requests on your behalf. Your browser asks the proxy for a page, the proxy fetches it, and the website sees the proxy's address instead of yours.
What it does well:
- Changes the IP address for whatever app is configured to use it, usually just the browser.
- Is quick to set up and often free.
What it does not do:
- It usually does not encrypt anything. A plain HTTP proxy passes your traffic along exactly as it received it. Anyone on the network between you and the proxy, including the proxy operator, can read unencrypted traffic.
- It only covers the app you configure. Your other apps, system updates and background services still use your real connection.
Proxies are fine for low-stakes jobs like checking how a site looks from another country. They are not a privacy tool.
The VPN: an encrypted tunnel for the whole device
A VPN creates an encrypted tunnel from your device to a server run by the VPN provider. Everything your device sends, from every app, travels through that tunnel before it reaches the open internet.
What it does well:
- Encrypts all traffic between you and the VPN server. The Wi-Fi owner, the person on the same café network and your internet provider see that you are connected to a VPN and how much data moves, but not which sites you visit or what you send.
- Covers every app, not just the browser.
- Is fast enough for everyday use, including streaming, gaming and video calls.
What it does not do:
- It does not make you anonymous. The VPN provider is now in the position your internet provider used to be in. That is why the provider's logging policy is the most important thing about any VPN.
- It does not stop websites recognising you if you are logged in, or tracking you with cookies.
A VPN is the right tool for most people most of the time: public Wi-Fi, keeping your browsing private from your provider, and getting a working connection on networks that block things.
Tor: anonymity by design, at a cost
Tor sends your traffic through three volunteer-run relays, each of which only knows the step before and the step after. No single relay knows both who you are and what you are visiting.
What it does well:
- Strong anonymity. You do not have to trust any single operator.
- Free, open source and well studied.
What it costs:
- Speed. Three hops through volunteer servers is slow. Video and large downloads are painful, and gaming is impractical.
- Friction. Many sites block or challenge Tor exit addresses, so you will see a lot of CAPTCHAs.
- Scope. The Tor Browser protects the browser. Other apps are not covered unless you configure them very carefully.
Tor is the right choice when anonymity itself is the goal and you can accept the speed.
A quick way to choose
- Check how a site looks from another country: a proxy (or a VPN).
- Stay safe on hotel, airport or café Wi-Fi: a VPN.
- Keep your browsing private from your internet provider: a VPN.
- Get a working connection on a network that blocks VPNs: a VPN with a stealth protocol.
- Be anonymous even to the service carrying your traffic: Tor.
They can be combined
These tools are not rivals. Some people connect to a VPN and then use Tor Browser on top, so their internet provider does not see that they use Tor at all. The point is to know what each layer adds, and not to assume any one of them does everything.
Korp VPN is built for the everyday middle of that list: an encrypted tunnel for the whole device, a strict no-logs policy, and a stealth protocol for networks that try to block VPN traffic.