Difference between Firewall and Proxy Server

1. Firewall :
Firewall is software program that prevents unauthorized access to or from a private network. All data packets in it are entering or dropping network passes through the firewall and after checking whether the firewall allows it or not. All traffic must pass through the firewall and only authorized traffic must pass. It is a system located between two networks where it implements an access control policy between those networks. It works on network layer of the OSI model and uses encryption to encrypt the data before transmission.

2. Proxy Server :
Proxy Server is a server that acts as a gateway or intermediary between any device and the rest of the internet. A proxy accepts and forwards connection requests, then returns data for those requests. It uses the anonymous network id instead of actual IP address of client (means it hides the IP address of client), so that the actual IP address of client couldn’t be reveal.

Difference between Firewall and Proxy Server :

SR.NO	Firewall	Proxy Server
1	Firewall can monitor and filter all the incoming and outgoing traffic on a given local network.	Proxy server connects an external client with a server to communicate with each other.
2	It blocks connections from unauthorised network.	It facilitates connections over network.
3	It filters data by monitoring IP packets that are traversed.	It filters the client-side requests that are made to connect to the network.
4	It involves network and transport layer data.	It work on application layer data.
5	It exist as an interface between a public and private network.	It can exist with public networks on both sides.
6	It is used to protect an internal network against attacks .	It is used for anonymity and to bypass restrictions.
7	The overhead generated in firewall is more as compared to a proxy server.	The overhead generated in proxy server is less as compared to a firewall.
8	It works on the packet level.	It works on application protocol level.