The difference between a VPN and Incognito Mode. How do they protect your privacy?

VPNs and Incognito Mode are two of the most popular online privacy tools. They both hide your browsing history, but that's all they have in common. The incognito mode protects your privacy from other people who use your device, while a VPN keeps you anonymous and safe from everybody on the internet.

Read more to make the best choice for your privacy.

Curious to find out what the Internet already knows about you? Check it now!

Browsing in incognito mode. How anonymous are you?

When you are in your browser's incognito/ private mode option, it will not store the data of the sites you visited: no addresses, no cookies, none of the data or credentials you entered to log in. Your browser will not "remember" the web pages you visited, so they won’t appear in your history or "recent visited" tab, because it deletes them.

If anyone else uses your computer/ laptop, they won’t see what websites you visited in incognito mode.

But your IP and online activities remain visible to others: your wi-fi network administrators, people sharing a wi-fi network with you (for example, in a coffee shop), corporations, governments, hackers and your Internet service provider.

In incognito/private mode, you’re not browsing anonymously. You're just hiding from anoyone who has physical access to your computer/ laptop: partners, children, parents.

Browsing with a VPN. The real private browsing experience.

The best way to be online without being seen is to use a VPN. It encrypts all your data and gives you an IP address that can't be traced back to you.

You may find this useful in many situations besides browsing anonymously. For example, when shopping online (to keep your credit card info safe), when using public wi-fi (to prevent others from snooping on your device or stealing your personal information), when trying to access geo-restricted restricted content or get better deals for some products or services (airplane tickets, hotel bookings and more).

Bitdefender Premium VPN is made by security experts and it’s easy to set up and use. It gives you the security and privacy features you need to stay anonymous and safe on the internet.

When you subscribe to our premium VPN service, you get military-grade encryption for your data. Neither the government, nor your internet service provider, nor any third party can track, monitor or hack your activity.

Conclusion: Incognito mode is a useful yet thin layer of protection for your privacy. However, it works well in tandem with Bitdefender Premium VPN. Thus, you can protect your privacy from anybody you share your computer with and from third parties at the same time.