Mirrors are exact copies of the site hosted on different domains, while proxies act as intermediaries that relay your request to the main site. Users rely on these for several reasons:

If you need a specific old torrent that is no longer seeded, the Internet Archive sometimes has the .torrent file cached. Do not use it for daily browsing.

Safety is a major priority when using any torrent-related mirror. Even if a proxy site is legitimate, your ISP can still see that you are visiting a torrent portal. Using a Virtual Private Network is the standard recommendation for anyone accessing Nyaa mirrors. A VPN masks your IP address and encrypts your traffic, making it much harder for third parties to track your browsing habits or issue copyright notices. Additionally, using a robust ad-blocker is non-negotiable, as even the best mirrors often rely on aggressive ad networks to stay afloat.