A forward proxy is a server that sits between user devices and the internet. A forward proxy is commonly used for:
- Protect clients.
- Avoid browsing restrictions.
- Block access to certain content
A reverse proxy is a server that accepts a request from the client, forwards the request to web servers, and returns the results to the client as if the proxy server had processed the request. A reverse proxy is good for:
- Protect servers.
- Load balancing.
- Cache static contents.
- Encrypt and decrypt SSL communications