Nowadays, VPN is one of the most valuable tools for almost any Internet user. We use VPNs to access restricted content, remain anonymous and protect our private information and personal data during casual web browsing. Most modern VPN tools are easy to set up, navigate, customize, and use.
In addition, developers often create numerous versions of their products to provide the best possible user experience and make their software more user-friendly. For example, tuxlerVPN users can install it on MAC OS and Windows as a program or add it as an extension for Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox.
So, knowing what VPN version will suit your purposes more is essential. Let’s find out the main differences between desktop VPN and VPN browser extensions.
Table of Comparison
| Comparison criteria | VPN apps | VPN extensions |
|---|---|---|
| Privacy and traffic protection | Highly efficient and works for all traffic on your device | Highly efficient but works only for traffic from the browser |
| Updates | Partially automatically, requires system or app reboot | Fully automatically, no system reboots required |
| Interface | Some issues might appear due to lots of available options | Maximum user-friendly and easy-to-use |
| Internet connection quality | Moderate speed limitations and connection issues are possible | Slight speed limitations and connection issues are rarely possible |
| Resources required | Requires a slight amount of CPU and RAM to work properly, so issues might appear when used on old or low-performance devices. | Mostly cloud-based, so it will work as long as you can run a browser on your device |
What Is the Main Advantage of VPN Browser Extensions?
When you install any VPN extension in the browser, you can forever forget the requirement of installing the VPN’s desktop version on any devices you primarily use for internet browsing purposes. For example, suppose you previously created a Google Account, Mozilla Firefox Profile, etc., logged it on browsers on different devices (laptop, PC, MAC, etc.), and installed a VPN browser extension on just one device.
In that case, the extension will automatically appear in every browser where the following account is in an active session. So, you can always use your browser VPN extension on any new device instantly, even if you log in just for a few minutes from a previously unknown device.
Indeed, only the traffic which goes through your Internet browser will be protected. That’s why we recommend using VPN apps for gaming, torrents, or other actions held on devices outside the browser window.
Conclusions
VPN apps and extensions use similar technology and provide an equivalent level of privacy protection. Still, desktop versions and mobile apps usually affect all traffic from your device, while extensions secure only data from your browser.
But at the same time, VPN browser extensions could be effectively used and automatically set up on all devices where you log in with your account and have an active session. So, in general, installing both versions of the VPN would be better. You can always use the app as the primary tool and keep a browser extension in case you need to use a VPN on other devices or in other emergency situations.
