Proxy vs reverse proxy – what's the diff and when to use each?
Hey folks! So I've been digging into this whole *proxy vs reverse proxy* thing, and tbh, it's kinda confusing at first.
From what I get:
- A proxy sits in front of clients (like your browser) and hides *your* traffic. Think VPNs or bypassing geo-blocks.
- A reverse proxy sits in front of servers (like a website) and hides *their* traffic. Think load balancing or hiding backend servers.
But like... when do you actually use one over the other? If I'm setting up a personal VPN, obv a normal proxy makes sense. But if I'm running a web app, reverse proxy seems the way to go?
Am I missing something? How do y'all decide between proxy vs reverse proxy? Drop your thoughts!
(Also, pls correct me if I got this totally wrong lol)
Hey folks! So I've been digging into this whole *proxy vs reverse proxy* thing, and tbh, it's kinda confusing at first.
From what I get:
- A proxy sits in front of clients (like your browser) and hides *your* traffic. Think VPNs or bypassing geo-blocks.
- A reverse proxy sits in front of servers (like a website) and hides *their* traffic. Think load balancing or hiding backend servers.
But like... when do you actually use one over the other? If I'm setting up a personal VPN, obv a normal proxy makes sense. But if I'm running a web app, reverse proxy seems the way to go?
Am I missing something? How do y'all decide between proxy vs reverse proxy? Drop your thoughts!
(Also, pls correct me if I got this totally wrong lol)