No, SOCKS5 and VPN are not the same things.
SOCKS5 is a proxy protocol that provides routing for network traffic, allowing clients to bypass network restrictions and access the internet securely and anonymously. SOCKS5 does not provide encryption for the data being sent through the proxy, meaning that your internet traffic can be intercepted and monitored by third parties. However, due to no encryption, it might be slightly faster than a VPN.
VPN, on the other hand, is a virtual private network that provides a secure and encrypted connection between your device and a remote server. VPNs encrypt all of your internet traffic before routing it through a server, allowing you to hide your IP address and access the internet anonymously.
So as you can see, while both SOCKS5 and VPN provide the ability to bypass network restrictions and access the internet anonymously, VPN offers a more secure and encrypted connection, while SOCKS5 provides a simpler, but less secure means of routing network traffic.