Private Browsing Mode or VPN: Which is Best for Your Online Privacy?

Almost every browser these days has an incognito mode, although it’s often named differently. Google Chrome calls it Incognito mode, Microsoft Edge calls it InPrivate browsing, and Mozilla Firefox calls it private mode. They all do the same basic job, adding a level of privacy to your browsing. But is it the same as using a VPN, or even close? The answer is a simple “No”.

Keep in mind that VPNs and incognito mode serve very different purposes, although both are marketed around privacy. Incognito mode hides your browsing history, cache, and cookies locally (i.e., from other people using the same PC), while a VPN hides your Internet traffic by encrypting it and routing it through servers based in another location. Myths that Incognito mode is completely safe probably stem from the “Private” label it uses. But with Incognito mode, your activity is always visible to the ISP and website. All it does is clear cookies, cache and browsing history after the session is over.

To improve privacy and anonymity on the web, VPNs remain a popular choice. For this reason, VPN adoption has seen a massive increase over the past decade, especially in regions with heavy censorship. At the same time, setting up and using a VPN has become much simpler. With a single click, you can quickly route your traffic through a server based in another country or continent.

A VPN does more than offer a higher level of privacy. First, it encrypts your traffic. This makes it almost impossible for anyone, whether it’s your ISP or a hacker trying to intercept your connection, to actually monitor your web activity. This is why it is recommended to use VPNs on public Wi-Fi networks for enhanced security. By encrypting traffic and hiding the IP address, a VPN also helps you stay anonymous on the web. Your activity cannot be easily traced by websites. In an ad-driven world, a VPN also makes it harder for advertisers to serve targeted ads. For privacy-conscious users, this is another reason to use a VPN. Incognito mode, on the other hand, doesn’t offer any of these features.

Remember that while VPNs offer a more private browsing experience, they still carry some risks. More importantly, it doesn’t protect you against browser fingerprinting, a technique that allows websites to create a profile about you using data collected from the browser. This includes information about your device, operating system, browser, and audio and media settings. And VPNs are largely ineffective against this script-based data collection. Apart from this, your choice of VPN also plays a major role. Although VPNs from reputable providers are generally safe, some collect logs and even sell data to third parties. This is why it is recommended to stick to top-rated VPNs. Finally, your browsing history is still stored locally even when you use a VPN, allowing anyone with access to the system to view it.

As we’ve established, VPNs and incognito mode serve different purposes. And for maximum privacy, it’s best to use both. This way, other users on the same PC won’t see your browsing history, and the ISP and network administrators will have a harder time monitoring your traffic. For example, if you’re using a shared computer in a public space, incognito mode erases your local tracks, while a VPN provides network-based privacy. Even on home computers shared among family members, this combination makes sense.

To do this, launch the VPN app, enable the connection, then open your browser in incognito mode. If you use a VPN extension in your browser, things get a little tricky because extensions are disabled by default in incognito mode. But you can easily activate one. To do this, simply go to your browser’s extensions page, click “Details” under the VPN, then enable the “Allow in private browsing” option (or similar).

That said, the smartest approach to maximum privacy is to practice cyber hygiene. This includes keeping your system and software up to date, avoiding sharing personal information online, securing the router and network, and not downloading files from unknown sources. By doing all of this, your web experience will be much more private and secure.