Proxy Server vs Reverse Proxy: What's the Difference and Which One Do You Need? Alternatively: Proxy

Great breakdown! I was in the same boat—took me forever to get the difference between proxy server vs reverse proxy.

For anyone looking for tools, I’d recommend Squid for a regular proxy (super configurable) and NGINX for reverse proxy. NGINX is a beast for load balancing and SSL termination.

Also, if you’re self-hosting, Cloudflare’s free tier acts like a reverse proxy and adds security. Worth checking out!