10+ Best Proxy Server Services for 2023

Deyan Georgiev
close Deyan Georgiev

Updated · May 02, 2023

Deyan Georgiev

Website Manager | Joined October 2021

Deyan has been fascinated by technology his whole life. From the first Tetris game all the way to Fa... | See full bio

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Looking for the best proxy server?

Today’s your lucky day. 

We’ve prepared: 

  • A list of 13 proxies that we reviewed and tested 
  • All the benefits of using each solution
  • A comparison of proxy servers and VPNs

Some of the factors that we used to evaluate each product include:

  • Ease of use
  • Features
  • Performance
  • Price
  • Support

We’re here to help you choose from the best paid and free proxy to access the internet safely. 

Ready? Let’s get started!

Read More

Best for: Overall best proxy server
Smartproxy

1. Smartproxy

Smartproxy is one of the best paid proxy server vendors that you can find. It offers flexible plans for both personal and business use. You get multiple connections, rotating residential data centers, and worldwide IP coverage. Above all – you can stay safe by browsing anonymously. Full review

  • 195 locations worldwide
  • Unlimited proxy connections
  • Dedicated IPs
Visit Website Full review
99.99% uptime
Guaranteed
HTTPs support
Yes
Anonymous proxies
Yes
Dynamic IPs
Yes
Subnets
Yes
IPv4
Yes
Traffic usage statistics
Yes
Support
24/7
Best for: Medium-sized and enterprise-level businesses
Nimble

2. Nimble

Nimble IP is the first proxy platform to utilize AI models to enable fast web scraping. It offers an all-in-one infrastructure solution for effortless data gathering from the open web, expanding with your team's needs, and providing secure and cost-effective access to large-scale data from any corner of the world. Full review

  • Intuitive interface
  • Rotating proxies
  • Dedicated support
Visit Website Full review
UPTIME GUARANTEE
99.99%
CONCURRENT CONNECTIONS
Unlimited
FREE TRIAL
Yes, 7-days, Quote Based
STARTING PRICE
$300
SUPPORT
24/7 Premium Support
IPV4
Yes
TRAFFIC USAGE STATISTICS
Yes
GEO-TARGETING
Country, City, ASN Targeting
Best for: Small business
Bright Data

3. Bright Data

Bright Data is a proxy server for managing bulk operations online. Its primary focus is data mining for businesses. With it you get mobile IPs, proxy managers, and website unblocking tools. The cherry on top - it has a pay-as-you-go plan with flexible pricing. Full review

  • Cloud proxy manager
  • Website unblocking
  • Mobile device IPs
Visit Website Full review
Uptime guarantee
99.9%
Free trial
Yes, seven days
PAYG plans
Yes
Browser extension
Yes, Chrome
Concurrent connections
Unlimited
IPV4
Yes
SEO monitoring
Yes
Geo-targeting
Country, city
Best for: Residential proxies
IPRoyal

4. IPRoyal

IPRoyal is one of the best proxy networks and has an incredibly rich product portfolio. The vendor offers private, datacenter, residential, sneaker, and 4G mobile proxies. It also uses a P2P network that has a pool of over two million IPs. Furthermore, you get HTTPS and SOCKS 5 support for maximizing your security. Full review

  • Automatic IP rotation
  • Time-based sticky IPs
  • Dedicated 4G mobile proxies
Visit Website Full review
Concurrent connections
Unlimited
US/UK servers
Yes
SOCKS5 protocol
Yes
Support
24/7
Reselling
Yes
HTTPS support
Yes
Uptime
99.99%
Subnets
Yes
Best for: Speed and stability
NetNut

5. NetNut

NetNut is your best bet if you're looking for a dedicated proxy provider. It has a pool size of over 20 million IPs sourced from 100+ ISPs globally. The company also has a network capacity of 100Gbit/s with a 99.9% uptime guarantee. Its products include residential, static, and datacenter proxies. You can take advantage of the seven-day free trial to test-run the service. Full review

  • IPs from global ISPs
  • Unlimited concurrent connections
  • 20+ million static and rotating residential IPs
Visit Website Full review
Free trial
Yes, seven days
Uptime guarantee
99.9%
Pool size
Over 20 million IPs
Session control
Static, Rotational
Network capacity
100Gbit/s
Geo-targeting
Country, City
Concurrent connections
Unlimited
Customer support
Email, Skype, Discord, Telegram
Best for: Small and midsize businesses
Oxylabs

6. Oxylabs

Oxylabs is a top-grade proxy service for small and medium businesses. It comes fully packed with a wide range of web-scraping tools. You can choose Datacenter or Residential IPs, or go with ready-to-go scrapers for search engines or ecommerce websites. Whether you are interested in market research, SEO, or pricing monitoring, Oxylabs will offer the perfect tool for the task. Full review

  • Scraper APIs
  • Over 100 million IPs
  • 24/7 support
Get 20% off Full review
Proxy pool
102 million
Geo-targeting
Country, city
SOCKS5 protocol
Yes
Dedicated IPs
Yes
99.9% uptime guarantee
Yes
Support
24/7
Free proxy
No
Browser extensions
Yes, Chrome
Best for: Streaming
Hide.me

7. Hide.me

Hide.me offers a free proxy server that’s bundled with incredible features. You’ll get a dedicated IP, WebRTC, and auto-connect. SOCKS5 and BitTorrent client support for streaming is also included. Best of all – you get to enjoy an AD-free experience! Full review

  • Free unlimited browsing
  • BitTorrent client support
  • Great speed
Visit Website Full review
Free proxy
Yes
SOCKS5 protocol
Yes
Dedicated IPs
Yes
WebRTC support
Yes
Multilingual
Yes
Unmetered bandwidth
Yes
In-browser tool
Yes
Support
24/7
Best for: Running scripts by API
ScraperAPI

8. ScraperAPI

As the name suggests, ScraperAPI is a proxy API aimed at web scrapers. It successfully bypasses blocks and CAPTCHAS, delivering you the raw HTML from any page. It's no-credit-card free trial lets you test the service for up to 5,000 requests. Full review

  • Over 40 million IPs
  • Rotating sticky IPs
  • Avoid bot detection
Visit Website Full review
Pool
40 million+
Unlimited bandwidth
Yes
Money-back guarantee
Yes, seven days
Free proxy
Yes
99.9% uptime guarantee
Yes
Support
24/7
Sneaker compatibility
No
Support
Email
Best for: Value for money
Whoer

9. Whoer

Whoer is one of the best proxy server services for people with multiple devices. It has standalone apps for popular operating systems and web browsers. With this product, you get unlimited traffic, WebRTC protection, and data encryption. The paid service supports up to 5 users per account. Full review

  • Supports multiple browsers
  • Mobile apps
  • Servers in 17 countries
Visit Website Full review
Free trial
30 days
Encryption
AES-256bit
Dedicated IP
Yes
IPv4 support
Yes
Mobile apps
Android and iOS
Browser extensions
Yes
WebRTC
Yes
Support
24/7
Best for: People looking for a free proxy service
KProxy

10. KProxy

KProxy is a great choice, regardless if you’re looking for the best free or paid proxy server. It’s bundled with essential tools for personal and business use. Some of its top features include data encryption, unmetered usage, and IP leak protection. The analytics dashboard is simple and can help you track usage. Full review

  • Affordable pricing plans
  • Offers ads-free experience
  • Unlimited bandwidth allocation
Visit Website Full review
Free version
Yes
Data encryption
Yes
Dedicated IPs
Yes
WebRTC support
Yes
Custom browser
Yes
Server management
Yes
Analytics
Yes
Support
24/7
Best for: Proxy browser
HMA

11. HMA

If you’re looking for the best free proxy services, HideMyAss is a top suggestion. Its main features include IP leak protection, online proxy browser, and unlimited browsing. It best suits lightweight tasks such as unlocking blocked sites and web scraping. Full review

  • Free proxy service
  • Unlimited bandwidth support
  • IP leak protection
Visit Website Full review
Free version
Yes
Lightweight
Yes
WebRTC support
Yes
US/UK servers
Yes
Dedicated IP
Yes
Anonymous browsing
Yes
DNS protection
Yes
Support
24/7
Best for: Security
VPNBook

12. VPNBook

VPNBook is a free proxy server great for personal use. On the list of options, you’ll find SSL encryption, IP shielding, and unlimited bandwidth. The best part – you can enjoy this service without installing any additional software. Full review

  • Free web-based service
  • Auto IP selection
  • Dedicated IP per session
Visit Website Full review
Free proxy
Yes
Uptime
99.99%
IP protection
Yes
Unlimited bandwidth
Yes
WebRTC
Yes
Data encryption
AES-256bit
Proxy browser
Yes
Support
24/7
Best for: Smartphones
ProxySite

13. ProxySite

ProxySite is a free proxy that allows you to customize browsing to your liking. Its features include limitless bandwidth, 31 server locations, and IP shielding. Best of everything – it has over 25 custom presets for simulating devices and browsers. Full review

  • Lightweight
  • Limitless bandwidth support
  • Fast gigabit connection
Visit Website Full review
Free version
Yes
Dedicated IP
Yes
Encryption
SSL
Proxy browser
Yes
Browser simulator
Yes
Custom referrer
Yes
Cookie management
Yes
Support
24/7
Best for: Unlimited IP connections
GeoSurf

14. GeoSurf

GeoSurf has been one of the best proxy providers since 2009. It boasts over two million IP addresses that can mask your location from any city in the world. So, your privacy is guaranteed. Full review

  • 2.5 million IPs
  • Mobile VPN
  • Static and Residential
Visit Website Full review
SOCKS5 protocol
No
Unlimited IPs
Yes
Unlimited bandwidth
No
HTTPS support
Yes
Browser extension
Yes, Chrome, Firefox
Cookies management
Yes
Geo-targeting
Country, state, city
Free trial
No
Best for: Scraping websites
Zyte

15. Zyte

Zyte was formerly known as Crawlera by ScrapingHub, a top proxy site aimed at bot/scraping users. Its great performance continues under the new branding, saving you from IP bans thanks to advanced proxy rotation methods. It has an especially generous 14-day free trial, which supports up to 10,000 requests. Full review

  • Great scraping tool
  • Automatic proxy management
  • Residential proxies available
Visit Website Full review
Free trial
Yes, 14 days
Support
24/5
Headless browser support
Yes
Cookie management
Yes
Anti-ban management
Yes
Geo-targeting
Country
Mobile apps
No
WebRTC support
No

What is a Proxy?

A proxy is an access point that acts as a gateway to the internet. All traffic requests to and from a website are processed by a computer server. This approach protects your real identity from being exposed. 

Under typical circumstances, workplaces, schools, and libraries block specific sites from access. Likewise, some websites are geo-restricted. Using a proxy helps you freely access those web pages.

Some of the best private proxy server services offer enhanced security features – SSL encryption, audit logs, firewall, and more. They provide an additional layer of defense between computer systems and outside traffic. This plays a huge role in shielding users/organizations from hackers. 

Paid Versus Free Proxies

Both have upsides and downsides. While the former provides more options, the latter has basic functions to get the job done. 

Here are the details.

Pros

Service providers offer free proxy services to you at zero costs. However, vendors enforce restrictions on bandwidth, server resources, and more. Such limitations are usually in place to maintain the quality of service. That way you handle lightweight tasks such as browsing and opening blocked sites. It allows users to test the waters before going pro.     

Paid proxies offer more features at a premium price. You can choose between different regions and specific IP addresses. It also guarantees you 99% anonymity and privacy online. You’ll experience fast connections by browsing at full speeds. 

Over the years, competition has drastically lowered the cost of these services. A good example is Whoer that charges $9.90/month with support for up to 5 users. That’s as cheap as a cup of Starbucks coffee. 

Cons

The majority of best internet proxy server providers have a zero cost plan in place. But the truth is – there’s nothing as free lunch. Vendors usually use this approach to upsell products and services. 

Web browsers store cookies when you visit websites. These are small files that are generated based on user behavior online. When you use free proxies, developers collect and sell this data to third-party advertisers. Vendors such as VPNBook directly serve advertisements to you. In simple terms – you indirectly pay for the service.

The other drawback is related to security. When using free proxy services, your anonymity isn’t guaranteed. IP leaks are bound to happen and this can expose your real identity. However, if you’re an occasional user, that shouldn’t be a matter of concern. 

On the flip side, paid proxies aren’t that reliable. Downtimes and server breakdowns can occur at any time. Dealing with them is extremely annoying.

Types of Proxies

There are many proxies available. They mostly differ on essentials such as configuration, software, and functionality. 

Here we’ve covered 6 of the most common proxy types:

Shared Proxy

This type of proxy is built on an extensive computer networking infrastructure. It’s normally used to serve several clients at the same time. This allows vendors to split the costs amongst users; hence, make the service affordable. To ensure quality, the majority proxy of service providers utilize load-balancing to handle traffic spikes. It helps to distribute large requests across a web of interlinked data centers. This setup enables users to enjoy a smooth experience all through.   

Semi-Dedicated Proxy

This is a type of proxy that combines the benefits of shared and dedicated proxies. It usually allows a maximum of 5 users per server. This grants superior service at budget-friendly prices. However, you risk service interruption due to overloading by a single user. It’s a great option for casual users that need privacy online. 

Dedicated Proxy 

A dedicated proxy allows a single user to utilize all resources. This solution offers more agility and computing power to the client. It’s also efficient, stable, and secure. The chances of getting your IP banned are minimal. You’ll have greater control over managing your online tasks. All these benefits do come at a high price, though. 

Socks5 Proxy

Security is a top priority for people that prefer to be anonymous online. That’s where SOCKS5 proxy comes into the picture.  It covers the highest standards of data encryption. It supports protocols such as TCP/UDP layer 4 and SSL layer 7. Using it allows you to transfer coded information over HTTP/HTTPS, SFTP, P2P, and more.  

Residential Proxy

If you need the best anonymous proxy server, get a residential proxy. With it, IP addresses get attached to actual devices – smartphones, gaming consoles, or computers. Connections generated by this solution are usually undetectable. The service makes websites give you the greenlight by identifying you as an actual visitor.

Reverse Proxy

A reverse proxy is a computer network that mediates between a web resource and visitors. It usually retrieves information from the source server on behalf of users. This configuration is ideal for organizations that need a high level of security. It’s useful for filtering bad traffic and blocking cyberattacks.

Proxy vs VPN – What is Better?

VPN and proxy do the same task of protecting the identities of users online. While both serve the same purpose, their mode of operation is different. 

A proxy program transfers your data across the internet in raw format. This approach increases the likelihood of exposing your real identity. 

A VPN provides end-to-end encryption between your device and the remote computer. You won’t have to worry about privacy. 

VPNs also offer a wide variety of features as opposed to proxies. A good example is SurfShark VPN which has a kill switch. At times of unreliable connectivity, it will disconnect you until the service stabilizes. Others, such as CyberGhost VPN, support split tunneling that’s good for smartphones. It allows the user to selectively permit/block individual apps from accessing the internet. 

So, which is better?

VPNs.

No doubt about it.

While a proxy service does the simple task of hiding your IP, it’s highly unstable. You risk exposing your identity and information online. A VPN offers better security, data encryption, and reliable connectivity. Here’s our list of the 9 best VPN services. 

Top Recommendations and Reviews

Best for: Overall best proxy server

1. Smartproxy

195 locations worldwide

Unlimited proxy connections

Dedicated IPs

Smartproxy offers one of the best proxy services for both residential and business use. It’s best suited for conducting basic online scrapping tasks such as data harvesting. You get back-connect proxies, anonymous browsing, global connectivity - and that’s just the tip of the iceberg!

The setup process is straightforward. You have the option of choosing between Firefox and Google Chrome extensions. The dashboard of both is very easy to navigate. All features are well-arranged. Best of all – support is available via chat to help you at all times. 

This is a feature-rich proxy service. It has 195 data centers spread across 8 cities worldwide. This enables you to benefit from over 40 million IPs. You can comfortably access geo-blocked services. The service supports simultaneous proxy connections. 

Smartproxy provides robust and reliable residential proxies. IPs are assigned to physical devices such as computers and smartphones. That way, internet service providers recognize IP addresses as actual visitors. This lessens the risk of getting blocked. You’ll also find data center proxies that support an unlimited number of concurrent connections. Unlike the former, it’s cheap and comes with a substantial bandwidth allotment. 

This proxy service limits IP sessions to a maximum of 30 minutes. A different address is immediately assigned once the allocated time elapses. It prevents users from engaging in abusive behavior.

On the downside, some users complain of slow internet speeds when using this service. But that’s not surprising – there’s no SOCKS5 protocol.

Regular subscriptions start from $30/month for 50GB, which is more than reasonable. Moreover, the $12.5/GB pay-as-you-go (PAYG) plan gives you more bang for your buck. Should it disappoint, you’ll have up to 3 days to claim your money back.

+ Show more
Best for: Medium-sized and enterprise-level businesses

2. Nimble

Intuitive interface

Rotating proxies

Dedicated support

Nimble is a new fast-growing premium proxy provider and web scraping platform, that utilizes AI models for fast and accurate results. They have their own high-quality IP pool and the best customer support. Nimble stands out in this market by using AI to revolutionize how businesses access open web data.

Nimble IP is a premium proxy infrastructure that offers a wide range of features that allow businesses to make the most of their proxy services. Its rotating and sticky premium Residential Proxies are perfect for web data-gathering and have a country, city, and ASN targeting, with worldwide coverage for an exceptional success rate. They are also extremely reliable and seamless, making them perfect for businesses of all sizes.

The company has a comprehensive dashboard that is both intuitive and easy to use. It allows you to manage many web scraping projects on your own, and to control your alerts effortlessly. Integrating Nimble's API and the Nimble Browser services is available, allowing users to access more features within the same platform and overcome any web scraping challenges from any site.

In terms of pricing, Nimble has a unique credit system. Depending on the package chosen, the credits are used for different types of proxy and web scraping services. For example, Data Center Proxies are cheaper in the Enterprise Plan (1.8 credits per GB) compared to the Essential Plan (2.6 credits per GB).

The Nimble IP Residential Proxy Network is one of the fastest and most reliable in the industry, due to its agile and robust IP pool combined and its new AI models which resolves in 99.99% success rate, ensuring businesses the best success in the industry.

The Residential Proxies are also more affordable in the higher-end packages, with 1 GB costing 14 credits in the Essential Plan and 7 credits in the Enterprise Plan, with a 15% discount on yearly subscriptions. But it will save your data team engineering time by getting you the data you need.

Additionally, the company offers 24/7 premium customer support, and Treasure Lab support, where you communicate directly with a real person from the support team via Slack, Skype, and email. Without having to talk to a bot.

Nimble is definitely an excellent option for businesses that are looking for a reliable and feature-packed proxy service. Sign up for a simple KYC to start a 7-day risk-free trial.

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Best for: Small business

3. Bright Data

Cloud proxy manager

Website unblocking

Mobile device IPs

Bright Data is one of the best alternatives to free proxy services online. It offers feature-rich tools for gathering information. Over 10,000+ professionals currently trust this vendor globally.  

You’ll be greeted with a neat dashboard. It has a quick walkthrough guide of the available services. Each feature also has a snippet preview

Moreover, you can manage the online proxy server services from the console. That’s because it offers pay-as-you-go plans (PAYG). Here, bandwidth, IP pool size, and network ports are easy to allocate. 

As for the features, it’s a bed of roses. 

Data unblocker unlocks websites with toughened anti-crawling technologies. In addition, you get access to over 72 million real-user IPs to enhance its effectiveness. The company also bills you for successful requests only.

The proxy service has a wide range of options. Firstly, it has a search engine crawler. It provides real-time data collection by scrapping Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo, and others. 

Secondly, it comes with mobile proxies that use 3G/4G connections. These are assigned to actual mobile carriers from around the world. Furthermore, it comes with over seven million residential IPs. 

But that’s not all.

You can use Bright Data’s application programming interface (API) to create custom apps. It’s compatible with Java, Node.js, C Sharp (C#), and Shell. Public proxy server providers, on the other hand, don’t offer such a feature. 

Proxy management is incredibly flexible. There’s a Google Chrome extension for a start. Installing a custom web server script is a good alternative. You can also use its cloud manager that costs $150/month extra.  

The company provides a dedicated account manager for support. While that sounds good, they’re available during business hours only. 

But, on a more positive note, it offers a 7-day risk-free trial. Should it impress, you can upgrade from as little as a dollar on PAYG.

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Best for: Residential proxies

4. IPRoyal

Automatic IP rotation

Time-based sticky IPs

Dedicated 4G mobile proxies

IPRoyal is among the best proxy platforms that has extensive network coverage. It includes top locations such as:

  • US 
  • UK
  • China
  • Germany 

And more.

Best of all, it has affordable prices with no minimum requirements.

The vendor takes pride in offering a wide selection of services. Apart from the usual ones, it provides sneaker proxies for lovers of sports shoes. It bypasses restrictions in fashion sites that limit customers from making bulk purchases. 

Another notable mention - the 4G mobile proxy. It's powered by real user devices and residential IPs from cellular networks. The setup boosts trust and reduces the chances of getting banned. So you can do web scraping, competitor research, and complete SEO tasks with confidence. 

The company has a pool of over two million IP addresses. And it adds hundreds of new proxy sites daily thanks to the IPRoyal Pawns program. It uses a peer-to-peer (P2P) approach that allows customers to share their bandwidth. In exchange, the vendor pays them for using their internet connections as proxies.

You can use randomize that frequently rotates your IP on autopilot. But sticky is the best option if you want to use one address. It comes with a time limit of 24 hours before it changes. That's, however, not a guarantee - the system can swap it any time. 

SOCKS5 enhances security by using multiple authentication methods to process data. Likewise, there's HTTPS for end-to-end encryption between your device and the internet.

IPRoyal also claims it uses caching to save bandwidth and supercharge internet speeds. We were able to use less data when testing its proxy network. However, it took ages to load websites and download files. To add salt to injury, the vendor doesn't have a refund policy. The good news is you can buy its proxy services for as little as $1.00. The payment options include credit cards and bitcoin. 

+ Show more
Best for: Speed and stability

5. NetNut

IPs from global ISPs

Unlimited concurrent connections

20+ million static and rotating residential IPs

NetNut.io has one of the best internet proxy server services that money can buy. The vendor offers fast connectivity, unlimited simultaneous connections, and 99.9% guaranteed uptime. It’s ideal for data gathering and conducting demanding market research. 

Getting started is super easy. There is a simple console that comes with instructions for configuring your proxies. In addition, you can integrate third-party applications. It also has a browser extension for Google Chrome.

NetNut arguably has the best anonymous proxy server infrastructure on the market. You get residential IPs sourced from premium internet service providers (ISPs), coming from DiviNetworks that has partnerships with over 100 carriers worldwide. 

Customers get top-notch speeds thanks to the vendor’s 100Gbit/s bandwidth capacity. Traffic passes through NetNut’s network for better reliability, which makes it superior to many similar services. 

NetNut.io has a pool size of over 20 million rotating residential IPs. An extra one million are available for holding permanent IP sessions. Furthermore, you can also make good use of 110,000+ US data center addresses for handling bulk tasks.

This dedicated proxy vendor supports worldwide geo-targeting for any country or city. There are no limits on the number of websites that you can scrap. And as said earlier, NetNut supports unlimited connections for gathering data with confidence.

NetNut offers bandwidth-based and requests-based plans, which start from $300/month for 20GB. An account manager is assigned to you once onboarding, and the higher you scale the less you’ll have to pay for each GB.

Furthermore, NetNut is offering smaller Residential and Datacenter plans, from 1GB to even hundreds of TB plans.

The company mainly provides secure HTTP/s connections like other major providers. However, mobile proxies are missing from the product list. Other than that, you get support via email, Skype, Discord, and Telegram depending on your plan.

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Best for: Small and midsize businesses

6. Oxylabs

Scraper APIs

Over 100 million IPs

Automatic proxy rotator

Oxylabs ranks highly among the best proxy servers for businesses. It offers global coverage and a pool of over 100 million IPs. Its services are ideal for performing various proxy-driven jobs, e.g. marketing intelligence tasks. 

It has a colorful dashboard that’s easy to navigate. You can use it to access statistics of your usage. There are separate sections for billing and ordering new services as well.  

You can’t manage proxies from the dashboard. However, Oxylabs’ products plugin well into the software that supports proxies. Oxylabs even offers a Google Chrome extension, which allows users to test the proxies or browse around the internet. Likewise, proxies work well with third-party proxy managers such as FoxyProxy

You’ll find different types of server proxies for various needs. SOCKS5 Proxy comes in handy for using proxies with custom programs or protocols.

Residential Proxy pools handle bulk scrapping. They provide unlimited simultaneous connections for by-passing IP blocks online.  It’s also possible to geo-target locations up to the city level.

You can optimize your business activities using datacenter proxies. For example, datacenter proxies help companies to find markets with counterfeit products. This type of proxy service can also be used for the identification of malicious attacks. Examples include finding viruses in files, identification of phishing links, and locating data breaches published online.

You’ll find a proxy rotator that automates IP switching. It enables you to forget about proxy management while carrying out scraping operations.

What’s more?

Oxylabs Scraper APIs can help gather data from websites that employ advanced anti-bot solutions with a higher success rate. The Scraper APIs also support providing already parsed data from select websites.

The downsides? 

The high price tag is the only disadvantage. Plans start from $180/month for the cheapest options. 

On the upside, customer support is excellent. You can request help via email or live chat 24/7. Its higher tiers even come with a dedicated account manager.

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Best for: Streaming

7. Hide.me

Offers free unlimited browsing

Support for any browser

BitTorrent client support

Hide.me is one of the best free proxy server software on the market. This solution offers a long list of features that you will love - auto-connect, IP leak protection, and BitTorrent support among others. The best thing about it – you’ll experience zero ads by using this product. 

So, is it worth it? 

Hide.me is lightweight and easy to set up. All you need to do is install the Google Chrome/Firefox extension. There’s also an in-browser tool available, great for those that don’t like add-ons.

The features side is where it gets interesting. Unlike Smartproxy, Hide.me gives you SOCKS5 for free. It allows you to enjoy swift response times during gaming and media streaming. Torrent lovers will enjoy the fast peer-to-peer file-sharing that this free proxy server offers. You also get to enjoy limitless bandwidth usage throughout. 

Hide.me has WebRTC in place to shield your IP from leaking. You can use an auto connection to switch between servers. To maximize protection, this vendor doesn’t record any logs of your activity.

This free proxy service lets you choose server locations. Only three regions are supported - Canada, Germany, and the Netherlands. 

Of course, nothing is perfect. We couldn’t find the total number of IPs offered. The support team couldn’t tell us anything about it. Hide.me also doesn’t support multiple connections. But given it’s a free proxy program, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.

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Best for: Running scripts by API

8. ScraperAPI

Over 40 million IPs

Rotating sticky IPs

Avoid bot detection

ScraperAPI is one of the best proxy sites for web scraping. It has over 40 million IPs from many countries, with a user-friendly scraping tool. It can handle CAPTCHAs and other forms of bot detection, as well as JavaScript.

Proxies automatically rotate in the background. Just enter the URL of any site and you will get the raw HTML in return. If you’d like a more permanent session, you can easily use a static IP as well.

You also get custom header support, automatic retries, and desktop and mobile user agents. In other words, you can make your traffic appear like it’s coming from a computer or a phone.

Nonetheless, it is not as advanced as others, meaning you’ll have to parse the data yourself. Its simplicity and full API access, however, make it ideal for developers with their own scraping solutions. You can even call the API via web browser, as follows:

“http://api.scraperapi.com/?api_key=[yourAPIkey]&url=[URL]”

A seven-day free trial for up to 5,000 requests lets you see if it’s the right fit. This requires no credit card, so you won’t accidentally get billed.

After the trial expires, you can decide whether to upgrade to one of three well-priced plans or negotiate an Enterprise solution. 

The good news is low-volume users can access a free proxy server that permits 1,000 requests per month. Here’s what the rest of the plans offer:

  • Hobby: $29/mo – 250,000 requests, and 10 concurrent threads.
  • Startup: $99/mo – One million requests, 25 concurrent threads, and US geotargeting.
  • Business: $249/mo – Three million requests, 50 concurrent threads, 12-country geotargeting, and access to residential proxies.

If you still decide it's not for you after purchasing a plan, there’s a seven-day money back guarantee.

Although all plans use rotating proxy pools, it is only the business plan that unlocks access to residential IPs

Its dedicated proxy pools for different types of scraping really stand out. This includes products, search engine results, social media content, and more. 

As for customer support, staff are available 24/7 by email or live chat. Business users get priority in the email queue, while Enterprise customers get a dedicated support channel. Everyone has access to documentation and help pages.

To manage your account ScraperAPI provides a web-based dashboard. Here you can access billing and view usage statistics. You’ll also find your API key and lots of useful code for PHP, Node, Ruby, Bash, and Python/Scrapy. A lot of this can be pasted directly into your custom scripts.

To sum up, ScraperAPI is an excellent solution for web scraping. It takes the hassle out of managing proxies by doing all the hard work in the background. Plans are affordable and it gets extra points for providing one of the best free proxy plans on the market.

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Best for: Value for money

9. Whoer

Supports multiple browsers

Standalone apps for smartphones

Good speed

Whoer is the best proxy server software for people that have multiple devices. It has an app for Windows, Mac, Linux, web browsers, and smartphones. It’s ideal for families/groups of friends of up to 5 members.

When using Whoer, you’ll find a dedicated application/extension for your favorite device. Once you install, it takes a single click to get started. The free plan only allows you to use one server location. Premium users get to choose from 17 regions.

The browser extensions have WebRTC for protecting you against IP leaks. There’s also a kill switch. When the internet connectivity fails, it will shield your address from being visible. A great reason to put Whoer on our Best Proxy Server list.

Another great addition is end-to-end encryption via SSL. It utilizes a 256-bit file encoding, which secures the connection between your server and device. Whoer’s servers leave no trace of your online activity.  

For pro users, internet speeds are blazing fast. You can watch Netflix, play online games, and share torrent files. In comparison, the free version throttles connections to a maximum of 1mb/s. Even though you won’t be able to run heavy tasks, it’s still okay for browsing. 

But.

Whoer offers fewer server locations in the US and UK. Similarly, the limitation of bandwidth on the free plan is a turnoff. It’s also impossible to select an IP proxy

Then again, the free version covers all the important bases. If you like it, you can go pro for $9.90/month. Whoer has a 30-day unconditional money-back guarantee.

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Best for: People looking for a free proxy service

10. KProxy

Affordable pricing plans

Offers ads-free experience

Unlimited bandwidth allocation

Kproxy is one of the best proxy server options, no matter what budget you have. This solution is great for both novice and expert users that have undemanding web browsing needs. 

Let’s check out the features. 

The configuration process is fast. You can choose between Google Chrome and Firefox extensions. If you lack either, Kproxy’s proxy browser is readily available. Also, the product is currently compatible with the Kiwi Internet Access App for Android. 

Kproxy has a lot to offer in terms of functionality. For starters, it automatically selects a server for you. You also have the option of switching between 5 countries, among which Canada, France, and the USA. 

IP leak protection is enabled by default for hiding your location at all times. WebRTC’s protocol also allows you to browse restricted websites easily. But it gets better – this proxy program has a separate plugin for bypassing network filters. This inclusion helps you to access blocked sites by system administrators at work or school. 

At times, users can engage in abusive behavior leading to a ban of IPs. Such an incidence usually affects user experience. To avoid that, you can use server management to delist affected regions. You can isolate slow proxies from your network. 

Just as Hide.me, Kproxy gives you limitless bandwidth. But there’s a catch. It limits downloads/uploads to a maximum of 300 megabytes. This means that you can’t use this service to transfer large files. 

Another drawback is the limited choice of private proxies on the free plan. But that shouldn’t worry you. From just $10/month, you can enjoy 120+ servers located in North America and Europe. That’s quite a bargain. 

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Best for: Proxy browser

11. HMA

Free proxy service

Unlimited bandwidth support

Online proxy browser

HideMyAss (HMA) is an easy-to-use free proxy server that has basic features for browsing. First-time users will surely appreciate using this solution to browse online anonymously.

Unlike other developers that provide browser extensions, HMA comes with none. It has a simple web-based proxy for accessing online sites. All you need to do is enter a web address and select a preferred server to connect to.   

This solution has many great features. The use of bandwidth is unrestricted. You can browse, mine data, and download an unlimited number of files. There are no ads whatsoever. 

On the server side, you have a choice of six countries to use, including two regions in the US and one in the UK. But that's just it. Crucial features such as Kproxy’s IP blocking are missing. You also won’t be able to select a network based on server location. 

Security is another area of interest when using dedicated proxy services. HMA offers URL encryption for hiding your IP address. You can also block scripts such as JavaScript used for tracking visitors on websites. You can also disable cookies. 

However, it lags behind the competition on various fronts. SOCKS5 for speeding up internet speeds is lacking. This makes the use of demanding services such as gaming and streaming problematic. IP leak protection only does a basic job of shielding your address, so your service provider may still be able to track your online activity.

Overall, this free proxy service works okay in accessing blocked websites online. 

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Best for: Security

12. VPNBook

Free web-based service

Auto IP selection

Four locations available

If you’re looking for the best free https proxy server, get VPNBook. The service provides dedicated IP and unlimited browsing sessions. As if not enough, there’s a web browser to make it better.

Getting started with this product is easy. Just as HMA, it offers an online proxy browser. You can pick the fastest server for you. You can also select a preferred region from the dropdown list of data centers. During sessions, a sticky bar is always available for swapping websites fast.  

VPNBook tops the best proxy server list when it comes to security. It provides SSL browsing by utilizing AES-256bit data encryption. WebRTC is in place to protect your IP from leaking. It also blocks other scripts, which websites use for tracking user activities. To cover one’s tracks, it doesn’t keep your history.

But wait – there’s more. 

Finding a solution that’s compatible with all devices is a challenging task. To address this problem, VPNBook loads websites via iFrames. This feature combines HTML and CSS, fitting for all screen sizes. You’ll have a smooth experience browsing from mobile phones. 

Whereas other online proxy sites offer dynamic addresses, VPNBook gives you a static one. This lessens interruptions in platforms sensitive to IP changes. The vendor also blacklists people that abuse their servers. In doing so, it preserves the integrity of the service for other users.

On the downside, this product is strictly for personal use. It’s also ad-supported. Apart from the bad side, you can get a premium version for $7.95/month. It provides support for gaming, VoIP, torrents, and much more.  

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Best for: Smartphones

13. ProxySite

Lightweight on system resources

Quick links access

Limitless bandwidth support

When it comes to functionality, ProxySite tops the list of the best free proxy services. This solution is not only feature-rich but also built for performance. Users that need to access blocked websites will greatly appreciate this product.

The setup process is simple. ProxySite comes with a browser-based proxy. It has shortcuts for accessing popular sites such as Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter. You also have the option of selecting one of 25+ servers between the US and EU.

But it doesn’t end there.

ProxySite comes with proxy configurations. It provides an endless list of custom presets to utilize. With it, you can easily simulate popular browsers, devices, and operating systems. The most notable ones include Blackberry, iPhone, macOS, and Windows 7/10. 

Developers are also not left out. There’s a slot for changing the user agent of your browser. This enables you to test websites that you’ve created. It’s also ideal for running custom bots for data mining tasks. 

This is the best paid proxy server software for managing cookies. It gives you a list of all the browsing data stored on your device. This allows you to use or selectively delete them before visiting any website. As simple as it sounds, some sites rely on these files to track you. And removing them helps you cover your steps. 

Speed is also worth mentioning. ProxySite has a gigabit network that delivers faster connectivity. When combined with SOCKS5, you’ll be able to stream on the fly. 

Of course, ProxySite isn’t perfect. During testing, sites such as Google blocked our requests. The user interface of most websites that we visited also appeared distorted. 

The pro version that includes a VPN will set you back $9.99/month. It offers premium security, more servers, and compatibility with most websites.   

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Best for: Unlimited IP connections

14. GeoSurf

2.5 million IPs

Mobile VPN

Static and Residential

If you want to buy proxy services, GeoSurf is one of the longest-running providers on the web. The Tel Aviv-based company covers every major city in the world via 2.5 million IP addresses.

It offers both residential and static IPs. The former is delivered on rotation by an API. Therefore, you can make as many simultaneous requests as needed without being blocked or slowed down.

If you’d prefer a static IP, GeoSurf covers over 130 countries in over 30 designated market areas in the US. They are more prone to identification, though.

Georsurf’s other key feature is a VPN for mobile. VPNs easily allow you to hide behind proxies as you browse or otherwise use the internet. This one complies with Android and iOS and uses numerous protocols, including OpenVPN and PPTP. This feature is limited to 120 locations.

For a proxy site, GeoSurf is certainly pricey. But it comes with a long track record and many extra features.

The starter plan is $450/month for ‘130+ IPs’ and 38GB of traffic. At the top end, you get unlimited IP access for $2,000/month, and 250GB of traffic. All plans are auto-recurring.  Enterprise plans can be negotiated if you contact the team. Due to the price, GeoSurf is more suitable for medium to large businesses than individuals.

The sign-up process is a little labored. First, you must give your name, email, and country, and then a salesperson will arrange a Skype chat. You can’t just buy a plan and get going.

Once you’ve been prodded and chosen a plan, you can manage your account from a web dashboard. Here you can see billing info, traffic usage, and access the gateways. 

There are many ways to implement your proxies, including mobile. A toolbar can be added to Chrome and Firefox browsers. You can delete your browser data and switch IPs with just a few clicks.

To set your whole computer behind a proxy, you can use the Desktop VPN - some of the best proxy server software Windows, Mac, and Linux. Users can surf the web with any browser this way, but it also allows you to use other applications.

Meanwhile, developers might connect to the API directly to run scripts and other operations that can benefit from some of the best proxy servers around the globe. All it really lacks is support for SOCKS5 protocol.

Although its service is brilliant, the current incarnation of the website could do with improvement. Many pages have stock text filling up space. Moreover, there are pages for ‘Instagram Proxies’ and ‘Ad Verification Proxies’. This, however, is just marketing for the exact same plans. There are no dedicated proxies for Instagram or ad verification. Nonetheless, you can use GeoSurf for those purposes.

Performance-wise, it provides a lot of unique IPs, but falls short to Bright Data and Smartproxy. It also doesn’t quite match up to the speed of Smartproxy or Oxylabs.

In conclusion, we found their IPs to be clean and plentiful, and the overall infrastructure to be fast and secure. A legally binding agreement that states they don’t pass on your personal info was good to see. In the future, we’d like a clear free trial (you have to ask for a live demo or wait for a special promotion). And, SOCKS support would be nice.

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Best for: Scraping websites

15. Zyte

Great scraping tool

Automatic proxy management

Residential proxies available

Zyte grew as an internal platform for web scraping company ScrapingHub. After using the name Crawlera for over a decade, it’s gone for something a little more inclusive now.

Under the hood, however, it is a continuation of the same rotating proxy network. It’s one of the best proxy sites for bots and scraping. Most importantly, it doesn’t trigger CAPTCHAS or IP bans

Zyte does not sell users on the number of IPs it has access to or how clean they are. Instead, it applies its own complex rotation system over IPs it rents from other providers. That is to say, you’re buying a robust web scraping tool that utilizes proxies, rather than the proxies/IPs themselves. 

The IPs aren’t well suited for other purposes, which is a downside. Furthermore, plans are based around the number of requests.

Two key features make up the Zyte experience. First is a ‘Smart Proxy Manager’ of thousands of data centre IPs from across the world. Everything is rotated automatically in the background. The tool is able to assess your requested site for its load and ban likelihood. Then, it adjusts your request rate to keep you on the green list.

If an IP proxy is blocked, it assesses why and retries with a new IP address

Second, is the ‘Automatic Extraction’ tool. This saves you using a third-party crawler. Simply enter a URL into the intuitive dashboard and it will pull the data without coding. 

Product databases, news articles – there are lots of possibilities. Plus, you can use the Extraction API with your own more advanced methods off the back of Zyte’s infrastructure.  

The proxy manager starts from $29/month for up to 50,000 requests, 50 of which can be concurrent. The $349/month ‘Advanced’ plan supports 2.5 million monthly requests, 200 of which can be concurrent. Enterprise solutions start at $999.

For automatic data extraction, pricing starts at $60 per 100,000 requests. The upper limit is 500,000 requests per month. Alternatively, you can rely on bespoke data services from $450 per month, but you’ll need to speak to a sales rep.

You can try both tools for free for 14 days, with a limit of 10,000 requests.

Residential proxies are now available, but they’re a paid extra, on top of any other plans you purchase. The smallest plan is $300 per month for 25GB of traffic and access to over 500,000 IP addresses.

At the other end, you can get 200GB of traffic and priority in the support queue for $1,000 a month.

Customer support is excellent, albeit tiered. On the cheaper plans you must rely on a ticket, reading the help pages, or asking the community forum. Responses are guaranteed within one business day, but we received a reply within an hour for a test question. 

The high-priced plans get priority in the queue, while Enterprise clients have a dedicated account manager.  

In short, Zyte is an excellent proxy program for those that need to use many IPs for data mining. You can find better services, however, if you require proxies for other means.

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Wrap Up

In the end, choosing the best proxy server is a matter of personal needs. Whether you need something for beginners or for experts, if you’re on a tight budget or can spend money freely, our list surely has something for you. Take your pick!

FAQ.


Are proxies illegal?

No.

You’re allowed to use proxy services for non-criminal activities. However, some web resources have policies that prohibit their usage. If you encounter one, don’t even try it. Otherwise, you risk being fined or serving time behind bars. 

Are there any free proxy servers?

Yes! Here are some of the best free proxy servers:

  • Hide.me
  • Kproxy
  • HMA
  • VPNBook
  • ProxySite
  • Whoer

Are free proxy servers safe?

Not really. Proxy servers can be traced and they also transfer your data in raw format. The free versions also sometimes lack the necessary safety encryptions.

Which is better proxy or VPN?

A VPN service is superior when it comes to security and the handling of your data. It encrypts your requests at the device level before transferring online. The majority of VPNs also have sophisticated features for hiding your location. 

Proxies are prone to service interruptions, which means your identity can be exposed. VPNs have a kill switch that disconnects you from the internet. 

VPNs also offer more servers, customization options, and reliable services. 

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Deyan Georgiev

Deyan Georgiev

Deyan has been fascinated by technology his whole life. From the first Tetris game all the way to Falcon Heavy. Working for TechJury is like a dream come true, combining both his passions – writing and technology. In his free time (which is pretty scarce, thanks to his three kids), Deyan enjoys traveling and exploring new places. Always with a few chargers and a couple of gadgets in the backpack. He makes mean dizzying Island Paradise cocktails too.

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