Proxifier

Overall Opinion: With increased concerns about internet security dominating the international conversation, knowledge about virtual private network servers has gone through the roof. VPNs allow you to channel all of your internet usage through a single server, masking your IP address from potential intruders and providing you with a level of anonymity you'd otherwise not have. What's being less discussed is the proxy server. But proxy servers provide important services, particularly to major corporations. Whereas VPNs channel all of your internet usage through a single IP pipeline, proxy servers create a gateway for a single software platform or device. This give you more control over what you choose to hide, making them a valuable alternative with a little more range in terms of how you use them. Unfortunately, since software connects directly to the proxy, each individual platform needs to support the format, and many network services don't allow that. Proxifier allows you to connect any internet app directly to a proxy server regardless of their native integration. What proxifier does is simple, but its potential applications are a lot more diverse. It essentially turns you into an air traffic controller for all of your company's data. You can set all of your business' applications to run through a single pipeline, but you can also set up everything to run through different channels. The control is granular, and your administrators can make changes to the configuration wherever they happen to be, just so long as they have access to proxifier. But in most circumstances, they won't have to. Proxifier can be largely automated through the use of simple but easily stackable rules sets. You can prioritize access to certain apps depending on their importance and the speed of the channel's internet connection, and you can even set policies for automatic rerouting. That can provide you with stronger internet speeds around the board and let you depreciate aspects of your pipeline depending on changing circumstances. While proxifier is tailor made for the demands of large and complex networks, that's not its only value. It's a lightweight and nimble alternative to traditional VPN services, meaning its as valuable a tool for online gamers, work from home employees, and sales teams on a business trip as it is for major enterprise structures. Proxifier's structure is largely pick up and play. It handles the configuration of each individual piece of software so that you can spend less time focusing on making your software platforms run correctly and more time coming up with the larger design philosophies that keep things running smoothly.

Pros: Comes with a free trial so that users can try before they buy without any risks Simple to install and easy to use, automatically channels internet connections through a proxy by default Works seamlessly with most software, even if they don't natively support proxies

Cons: Offers less security than a VPN, simply hiding your information rather than decrypting it Requires separate purchases for mobile and desktop devices