SOCKS5 proxy servers work like regular VPN servers, but they don’t encrypt your traffic. A VPN server changes your IP address and encrypts the data packets before it sends them to the final destination. On the other hand, a SOCKS5 proxy server changes your IP address and simply forwards the data packets, without applying encryption.
This is great if you want faster speeds and to hide your IP address from the other peers in the torrent swarm. The only downside is that the lack of encryption with SOCKS5 means your traffic content remains visible to potential snoopers like ISPs unless it’s also running through a VPN. If you’re looking for a VPN that offers SOCKS5 servers, check out my favorite VPNs for torrenting.