Difference Between A VPN And A Browser VPN Add-On Extension?

26 April 2022

You may have noticed already that almost every browser nowadays comes equipped with a built-in VPN extension. These VPN extensions provide almost similar functionality to a standalone VPN software.

However, these VPN extensions are different from the VPN software like Surfshark. It is because these are only browser extensions which means they can’t work outside of their respective browsers.

Besides that, these VPNs are not as reliable as fully-fledged software due to their different nature. This article will learn what makes a browser VPN extension different from the actual virtual private network.

Apart from that, we will also discuss some of the main features that are not present in these browser extensions. So if you are ready to reveal the secrets, keep on reading!

How are Browser VPN Extensions Different From VPNs

A VPN is an application or software program that provides a secure internet connection through a public or private server. This server acts as a gateway for your computer, enabling you to access any website securely.

The most common type of VPN is PPTP (Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol). It works by encrypting all data sent over the internet using 128-bit encryption. However, there are other types of VPN protocols like L2TP/IPsec, OpenVPN, IPSec, etc.

The reason why we need a VPN is that our ISP might be spying on us. They can see everything that we do online. And since we use the same IP address everywhere, it’s easy for them to track our activity.

So when we connect to a VPN, it changes our IP address to one that belongs to the VPN provider. As a result, our ISP won’t know where we went or what we did.

Nowadays, VPNs come in two forms: Software-based and browser-based. The former is usually more expensive but offers better security. On the other hand, the latter are much cheaper but don’t give you the same level of protection.

In addition to that, VPNs are available in both paid and free versions. Some even allow you to create multiple accounts so you can share your subscription among several devices.

But how does a VPN differ from a browser extension? Well, here are some key differences.

Browser Extensions are Not VPNs

Yes, the truth about these so-called VPN extensions is that they don’t use virtual private network technology. In fact, these are proxies used to hide your real IP address.

This means that they aren’t really capable of providing you with a secured connection. Instead, they just act as a proxy redirecting your traffic to another location.

As a result, they cannot protect your privacy or prevent hackers from stealing your personal information.

On top of that, these extensions are limited to the browser that they’re installed on. That means they cannot be used outside of the browser itself.

Moreover, they don’t offer you any additional benefits apart from hiding your IP address. For example, they don’t provide you with a dedicated IP address.

And finally, they don’t have any special tools to help you stay safe while browsing. Therefore, they are not suitable for those who want to surf anonymously.

Conclusion 

Browser VPN extensions have gained popularity because almost every browser has tons of these features available. But unfortunately, they lack many essential things.

For instance, they cannot protect your identity or prevent hackers from accessing your personal information. They also don’t provide you with extra functionality aside from hiding your IP address and making it harder for ISPs to track your activities.

However, if you simply want to mask your IP address, this may be enough for you. But if you want something more, you should consider getting a dedicated VPN service instead.