Top Proxy Servers in 2026 – Free & Paid Options to Fit Your Requirements
A proxy server is an intermediary between a device connected to the Internet and the rest of the Internet. But why would you need such an intermediary? Well, suppose you have considered improving your company’s data security or taking your work with data to another level. In that case, you probably already know much about proxy servers and their benefits. We have researched and compared the best proxy services online for your convenience. As a result, we found the ones best suited for business and personal use.
When analyzing the proxy, we have conducted in-depth research that helped us reveal all the strong and weak points of the service. Considering expert opinion and customer feedback, our pros studied the range of options and, finally, tested the service.
Analyzing the customer feedback
We have visited several forums devoted to proxy discussion and even participated in it. We have studied reviews on reliable resources with only one purpose – to make our review precise.
Getting to know the expert opinion
We have communicated with experts in the proxy industry. To uncover some hidden pitfalls, we asked professionals about its key features. In our review, we will tell you everything you need to know about the strong and weak points of the proxy provider.
Studying Terms & Conditions
At this point, experts have studied the legal basis. They have touched upon the place of registration, owners, achievement, reputation, and so on.
Exploring proxy types
To understand the quality of services the company provides, we test each of the proxy types it offers. The range of proxy types can vary as well as their quality.
Evaluating the quality of support
The support team reflects the reliability of the company hence it is essential to check it. We pay attention to response time, the communicative skills of managers, and the usability of the service.
Testing the service
We have checked the proxy provider backwards and forwards. To make our research full and deep, we have tried out all proxy types offered there.
Comparing
Our experts have compared this proxy with other popular services — pricing, features, and characteristics. You can find more in the Comparison section of the website.
+1 moreShow less195 countries – residential proxies
Protocols
SOCKS5
HTTP
HTTPS
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Webshare proxies are the #1 choice for individuals and enterprises seeking lightning-fast yet cost-effective proxy solutions for web scraping, SEO, and streaming.
A proxy server is an intermediary between a device connected to the Internet and the rest of the Internet. All the user data passes from a device to a destination server through a proxy server. This connection scheme can be used in many ways to make the Internet browsing experience more efficient.
Proxy Server Use Cases
Work with data
Browsing anonymously and securing the data are essential parts of any data-gathering operations. Proxies are in high demand for such use cases: SEO monitoring and optimization, SERP tracking, web scraping, data aggregation, web testing, lead generation, and social media (boost followers’ engagement).
E-commerce and Finance
Some purchasing and finance schemes require high anonymity, fast connections, and bot integration. Thus, intermediary servers are useful for collecting stock market data, data mining, crypto exchanges, retail, and e-commerce.
Cybersecurity
According to the annual FBI report for 2021, the overall number of complaints of suspected online crimes has exceeded 847.000 in the USA. It is almost twice the amount in 2019. In 2019 the FBI reported 467.000 complaints. Most of the cases were the consequence of identity loss or a data leak.A proxy server is a data security technology that can help to avoid scammers and hackers. It masks a user's IP with another IP and works as a firewall to avoid malware and threats. Many companies buy intermediaries for security reasons: malware protection, preventing hacker attacks, DDOS protection, brand protection, identity protection, and software protection.
Best Proxy Servers – Free & Paid
PAID options
1. AnyIP.io – Best for High-Volume Web Scraping
Drawing from extensive expertise in VPN product development, in 2017, AnyIP discerned the unfolding potential within residential and mobile proxies. Engineered for superior scalability in the first place, I must say its infrastructure is meticulously constructed. AnyIP.io stands as the best proxy server with valid payment mechanisms. Bolstered by a TrustPilot rating of 4.5 stars, affirming the satisfaction of a majority of clients, this top proxy provider assures users access to the swiftest and most efficient residential and mobile proxies available.
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The company underscores its commitment to optimal success rates by routinely scrutinizing and refreshing the proxies. It's crucial to acknowledge, though, that proxy speeds may fluctuate, influenced by variables such as your Internet Service Provider (ISP), geographical location, and proximity to the proxy server. Additionally, a marginal speed reduction is a customary outcome of the server rerouting process. However, 30M+ IP addresses in 14 countries worldwide should comply with all and any of your needs, blowing over any potential speed issues!
Key features:
An extensive IP pool encompassing more than 30 million IPs
User/pass and IP authentication
High-profile mobile proxies utilizing 4G/5G technology
Compatibility with both HTTPS and SOCKS5 protocols
An outstanding 98.6% success rate for requests
Best suited for scraping, sneaker copping, and SEO.
ProxyEmpire is a reputable proxy provider offering great solutions for individuals and businesses. Though the proxy pool is not the largest on the market, this provider ensures its quality. The company delivers 1 million unique IP addresses daily and 10+ million IPs — monthly. Secure and paid proxies are fast and have 99% uptime.
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What sets ProxyEmpire apart is the excellent integration with other services. You can use these proxies free with any software that supports user & password authentication — undetectable browser, ShadowRocket, and other tools you need for your work. The price for these finest-features proxies is charged per gigabyte, ensuring you will find the most convenient plan. Here is the price range for each proxy type:
Rotating residential IPs — $3-$9/GB
Static residential IPs — $3-$8/GB
Rotating mobile IPs — $8-$20/GB
Dedicated mobile IPs — $125/month, $250/month
Rotating datacenter IPs — $0.35-$0.65/GB
Key features:
Stable performance
Unlimited bandwidth
Dedicated and rotating mobile proxies
Rotating and static residential proxies
Rotating datacenter proxies
Advanced session control
Precise geo-targeting
Best suited for web scraping, ad verification, account management, SEO tasks.
Toolip Proxy makes competitor analysis easy with a global network of IPs for tracking regional strategies. I tracked pricing and promotions on competitors’ sites in the US and Europe, comparing offerings in Chicago and Berlin with their city-level targeting. I loved the flexibility to cycle IPs per request or use a stable session for 30 minutes, which was perfect for tracking competitor data over time. I never missed an update thanks to their 98.5% success rate, and my analysis ran smoothly with no interruptions. Setup was easy, even for a beginner, and it worked seamlessly with tools like Google Analytics and Screaming Frog.
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Key Features:
72M+ IPs covering 195 countries for global reach.
Flexible IP rotation or sticky sessions up to 30 minutes.
Geo-targeting at the country, city, or ASN level.
Supports HTTPS and SOCKS5 protocols for versatile use.
98.5% success rate for requests, ensuring reliable performance.
Best Suited for competitor analysis, market monitoring, and small-scale data collection.
Oculus Proxy is perfect for small business automation, offering affordable proxies with reliable performance. I automated tasks like monitoring analytics and scheduling posts, and their country-level targeting let me run a local campaign in Canada using a Toronto IP—no missed updates with a 99.2% success rate. I used automatic IP rotation to keep my actions private or opted for sticky sessions up to 10 minutes for longer automation tasks like data extraction over an hour. My workflows ran smoothly with no interruptions, and HTTPS and SOCKS5 support made integration with Zapier and Hootsuite seamless. I tested it with their free trial: 5 datacenter IPs and 100MB data for 7 days, with no speed drops.
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Key Features:
300K+ IPs across 150+ countries for reliable performance.
Automatic IP rotation or sticky sessions up to 10 minutes.
Country-level geo-targeting for precise targeting.
Supports HTTPS and SOCKS5 protocols for broad compatibility.
99.2% success rate for requests, ensuring consistent results.
Best suited for small business automation, task scheduling, and analytics monitoring.
ProxySeller is a service that allows you to buy an individually customized proxy. The process is quite straightforward. You do not need to buy any package or subscription. Instead, you choose the protocol version – IPV4 or IPV6, country, term, IPs amount – and immediately see the proxy address and the “Buy” button to proceed to the purchase order. ProxySeller provides IPv4, IPv6, and Mobile LTE proxies.
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You can also buy a package for 2, 3, 6, 9, or 12 months for a discount. An example of ProxySeller pricing is listed below:
10 pcs IPv4 – $47/month
1000 pcs – $2964/month
Note that the pricing will vary depending on the country you have selected. The service also offers related software on its website. You can use a free proxy checker, port scanner, and IP ping tool. Key features
SOCKS5/HTTPS proxies
IPv4/IPv6
Mobile proxies
Proxy manager tools
Personal dashboard
Best suited for social media, web scraping, gaming, crypto, and marketplaces.
Bright Data is a premium proxy giant on the market. It offers data security solutions for businesses and demanding clients. It provides all types of proxy server IPs: datacenter, ISP, and mobile, as well as many helpful server management tools.
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Bright Data has a free VPN solution to download directly from the Bright VPN website. This free VPN works as efficiently as VPN services with a subscription. Bright Data claims the tool has full functionality because it is already sponsored – by the companies who benefit from removing the restrictions. The major con of this tool is that Bright VPN is a secure and malware-free desktop app. Key features
SOAX is a proxy service that offers a huge pool of residential, ISP, and datacenter proxies. With an IP pool that reached 191 million IPs in 2023, SOAX is currently one of the top solutions when you need very precise GEO targeting. Besides, SOAX offers extra tools, such as Web Optimizer and MaxIP (for better proxy performance) as well as web scrapers. SOAX has developed a flexible pricing model based on subscription packages. While there is no free trial, you can start with a 3-day trial plan:100 MB for $1.99. Subscription prices depend on proxy types and traffic volumes, obviously.
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Here is, for example, a selection of pricing plans for residential proxies:
Key features
Residential proxies worldwide, US ISP proxies, and datacenter proxies in the US, UK, and Europe
A vast pool of 191 million IPs, including more than 155 million residential IPs.
Flexible IP rotation options
Convenient dashboard
API is available for seamless integration
Extra solutions: scrapers and a web unblocker
Best suited for: market research, ad verification, and SEO purposes.
One of the relatively new providers of proxy services on my list is MangoProxy. It specializes in top-quality residential proxies. It has an enormous IP pool with over 90 million IP addresses from more than 220 countries, which it ethically harvests to ensure its users enjoy high anonymity.
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MangoProxy offers free geo-targeting options, enabling you to target countries, cities, and even ASNs. Such granular targeting is very helpful in tasks that include access based on geographical location. Moreover, if your objectives require frequent IP changes, you can configure IP rotation intervals from 0 to 120 minutes. You'll also be satisfied with the pricing structure. MangoProxy has various tariff plans for regular users and businesses. Thus, you can choose what kind of offer you need regarding your aims and scale of operations. If, say, your business requires much traffic, you will be able to buy more than 1900 GB for $2.50 per 1 GB.
Key features:
Supports UDP protocol
Sub-account available
Response time around 0.5 seconds
Supports HTTP, HTTPS, and SOCKS5
No mandatory verification required
Unlimited concurrent sessions
Transparent pricing
Simple integration with third-party tools
Best suited for affiliate marketing, multi-accounting, web scraping
9. Webshare.io – Best for Cost-Effective Data Aggregation
Since 2018, Webshare Software has been specializing in the finest yet cheapest datacenter proxies. It still reveals a sustained emphasis on them, although having already strategically introduced residential and ISP proxies. Webshare.io targets primarily entry-level and mid-level businesses that strive to thrive in e-commerce scraping, multiple account management, and general web scraping.
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Webshare top proxy servers feature real-time 7/24 monitoring and provide multiple IP rotation options. It significantly distinguishes itself by internally developing all of its technology, showcasing a commitment to in-house expertise. Webshare.io features a global proxy network, ensuring continual encryption and protection. Additionally, their proxies provide users with additional IP or password authentication choices. And, most importantly, upon entering the Webshare platform, you gain access to ten free data center proxy IPs, entirely free of charge, each with a monthly usage cap of 1 gigabyte!
Key features:
IPv4 and IPv6 proxy types available
Residential proxies spanning over 195 countries
HTTP(S) and SOCKS5 protocols support
30M+ pool of ethically sourced IPs
Lucrative Affiliate Program
Best suited for lead generation, accessing geo-restricted content, and travel-fare aggregation.
10. Novada – Best for Security-Conscious Data Operations
I first pulled Novada into my toolkit for a series of login-wall checks on banking and e-commerce sites. The mix of residential, rotating ISP, datacenter, mobile, and unlimited endpoints on offer lets me match the risk level to the task. Residential and ISP proxies went for fraud-sensitive flows, and cheaper datacenter addresses handled static asset checks well. When I needed to see what real phone users were served, I activated mobile IPs. Everything is managed from a single dashboard with per-country targeting, rotation rules, and clear usage stats.
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For heavier work, Novada’s API and ready-made datasets are useful add-ons. I used the API to wire rotating proxies into a Puppeteer-based crawler. Datasets, in turn, helped me validate scraped results against known company records. Price-wise, Novada sits on the cheaper end of serious providers on this page. Rotating datacenter from $0.50/GB is in the normal/affordable range, but residential/ISP from ~$0.65/GB and mobile from $1.50/GB are hard to ignore. At the time of writing, there’s a small but practical free trial on the residential/ISP side. In addition, the company runs regular promos that make their pricing more attractive.
Key features:
Mixed pool of residential, ISP, datacenter, mobile, and unlimited proxy plans
100M+ IPs across 220+ locations with granular rotation and session control
Simple dashboard with real-time usage stats, logs, and wallet-based billing API access and detailed integrations with major anti-detect browsers
Data-solution add-ons, including prebuilt business and e-commerce datasets
Best suited for security testing, fraud-resistant scraping, multi-account management, QA of geo-locked apps, and privacy-minded data collection.
11. FlyProxy – Most Powerful Residential Proxy Service
Right off the bat, FlyProxy impresses with its stats: a network of over 195 locations and more than 69 million IP addresses. No matter if you're into web scraping, market research, or digital advertising, FlyProxy's geo-diverse proxy pool has got you covered. You can access the data you need smoothly and without interruptions, no matter where you are and what the goal is.
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It's not just the impressive scale of the infrastructure that makes it special - the outstanding performance metrics also help set it apart. FlyProxy boasts a 99.9% success rate and an average response time of only 0.6 seconds for their residential proxies. They make sure you get lightning-fast speeds, so your workflows can keep running smoothly. This, in our opinion, is a must for any service that wants to make our top list of the best proxy servers in 2025. Also, it would be really unwise to overlook the unbeatable pricing structure. Residential proxies kick off at just $2.50 per GB, and the savings really add up the more you use. For instance, if you go for the 10,240 GB plan, it drops down to only $0.90 per GB. Besides, FlyProxy really has something for everyone with a variety of payment options on offer. They even accept cryptos, making it very easy for its global customers to handpick what works for them specifically. Adding to the growing list of positives of our number 6, there’s the customer experience itself. The user-friendly dashboard, detailed guides, and 24/7 customer support make it easy for anyone, even those who aren't tech-savvy at all, to smoothly incorporate FlyProxy into their routines. It's truly a great proxy tool for businesses, no matter their size. Key features:
An extensive network of 195+ locations and 69 million+ IP addresses
99.9% success rate and 0.6-second average response
Residential, data center, and rotating proxy options
Unlimited bandwidth and thread support
24/7 customer support and comprehensive user guides
Best suited for web scraping, data extraction, social media management and analytics
12. Nsocks – Best Hybrid Proxy Stack for Security & Data Teams
With Nsocks, my security tooling and scraping jobs can live side by side. In one dashboard, you get rotating residential pools, long-acting ISP exits, and static datacenter proxies. That mix lets you move from “loud scanner” traffic to “looks like a normal user” traffic without changing providers. When I wired Nsocks into my lab, the static datacenter IPs did the heavy lifting for uptime checks, performance tests, and bulk crawling. They behaved like classic dedicated servers: stable sessions, unlimited bandwidth, and no sudden changes mid-scan. For stricter targets, I could switch to residential or ISP IPs and dial in country or city targeting.
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The real value for me is the visibility. Nsocks’ panel shows per-product traffic graphs, error spikes, and success rates per geo. When a new WAF rule or bot filter starts misbehaving, you see it right away and can replay suspicious sessions from clean lab IPs. Static DC ranges start at about $3.50 per IP, while residential and ISP pools use per-GB tiers in the low single digits. The main compromise: you need to keep an eye on how many IPs and GBs you commit to.
Key features:
Rotating residential, ISP, unlimited, and static datacenter proxies in one account
80M+ IPs across 190+ locations
Country, city, and ISP/ASN targeting on supported pools
Dedicated static datacenter IPs with unlimited bandwidth and long sessions
Long-acting ISP proxies that mimic real user connections with lower latency
Traffic charts, success/error stats, and pool metrics tuned for noisy security workloads
Integration with anti-detect browsers and automation tools (Octo, BitBrowser, Dolphin Anty, etc.)
API and user/pass auth options for quick wiring into scanners, scrapers, and internal dashboards
Best suited for scanning, scraping, and high-risk web testing.
13. 9Proxy – Best for Cost-Controlled Residential Access for Everyday Business Tasks
Having tested 9Proxy, I can say it covers the common needs without forcing enterprise-level spend. The residential pool (20M+ IPs) is large enough for multi-region work, and the targeting options are practical for daily checks across countries, cities, and ISPs. If you’re doing regular research and small automation runs, this kind of reach helps you get things done.
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I tested 9Proxy on regional page QA, quick ad previews, and small batch data pulls. The results landed in the “reliable” zone: 0.62s average response time, 98.7% success rate, and 72.5 ms ping. The sessions stayed consistent during repeated location switches, and I didn’t see the “random dead IP streaks” that may slow down mid-tier services. What I also like here is the cost control logic baked into the rules. Not billing invalid IPs reduces waste during trial-and-error tasks. The Browser Fingerprint Test comes in handy for fast pre-checks before you run multi-profile or multi-location work. The app-based routing step can add a bit of setup overhead, though. It’s fine for disciplined users, but less ideal for chaotic teams. Best suited for: small teams and solo users who need affordable proxies for research, geo-verification, and routine security/brand checks.
14. GonzoProxy – Best for Ban-Resistant P2P Residential Proxies
When I need residential proxies that don’t fold the moment Facebook, Google, or TikTok start sniffing around, GonzoProxy is one of the providers I reach for. Its P2P network pulls IPs from real user devices, which keeps fraud scores low and makes traffic look like normal browsing. In my tests, long-lived ad accounts and social profiles stayed online longer than with most generic proxy services (even under fairly aggressive workloads).
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You pay per GB, with traffic starting at ~$6.5/GB on small plans and dropping toward the ~$2/GB range at higher volumes. The provider lets you create unlimited endpoints and threads, and the GBs don’t expire, which is handy for irregular campaigns or periodic security testing. This service is not the cheapest on this list, but absolutely in line with other premium P2P proxy networks that target tougher use cases. Key Features:
P2P residential IP pool (20M+ addresses from real devices) with clean usage history and low fraud scores.
Granular targeting (up to an ISP level) lets you replay or audit behavior from specific locations.
Rotating and sticky setups to flip between per-request IP changes and long-lived identities for deeper tests.
Minimal KYC for normal work but tighter checks for financial or government targets.
24/7 Telegram support with knowledgeable agents.
Best suited for ad and social account hardening, fraud-resistant scraping, multi-account automation.
Proxy-IPv4.com offers the cheapest proxy options: IPv4 and IPv6. Besides, it has mobile proxies that cost higher yet have automated rotation and ensure better anonymity. All the proxies from Proxy-IPv4 are private. It means users won’t share their addresses with anyone else — and will get the maximum possible speed with no traffic limits. In addition, the provider constantly checks all addresses it sells — so no proxies are blocklisted. Anyway, you have a guaranteed refund or address change in case of any issues.
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There is a coverage of 20 countries for IPv4 and IPv6 proxies and 14 for mobile ones. Prices depend on your choice, but the minimum package lasts three days. Here are some pricing examples:
Although pricing doesn’t look like some corporate solution, you can make a special request to customer support and ask for special offers. For example, a big chance you can get a discount for a 30-day package. Key features
Unlimited traffic
No blocklisted proxies
24/7 Live Chat
Mobile rotating proxies
Professional customer support reps
Individual pricing upon request
Best suited for personal use, traffic arbitrage, SEO & SMM.
Smartproxy is a premium proxy provider offering a P2P network and stable proxy servers. The platform can boast an excellent price-to-quality ratio and flexible pricing. Its rotation proxies guarantee you don’t get banned and avoid CAPTCHAs, and its fast 0.3s response time will allow you to save time.
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Smartproxy also presents multiple free options for easy IP management. The anonymous multi-session X-Browser helps avoid detection by using anonymous fingerprint profiles. Firefox and Chrome add-ons allow you to keep and configure proxy server lists inside your browser. Address Generator lets you use and manage the whole proxy pool. Smartproxy payment plans are pretty affordable. An example of the pricing is listed below:
Oxylabs is one of the most known data security companies. The service provides comfortable solutions for individuals and stable and reliable business offers. The service has its own residential proxy network and servers for demanding clients. Corporate pricing plans with terabyte traffic and special terms are available.
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The range of purchasing options is impressive. The packages include datacenter, residential, ISP, and mobile servers. There are private proxies, servers with IP rotation, and IPs based on AI technology. Moreover, Oxylabs offers its proxy management software, such as Android Manager and Chrome browser extension. Oxylabs offers payment plans based on traffic. An example of pricing is listed below:
Infatica is a P2B proxy network offering residential, datacenter, and mobile proxies. It also offers SEO software such as Web Scraper API and SERP Scraper to help your business optimize its marketing content. Infatica.co is a service with a constantly growing IP pool and countries-based geo-targeting.
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It offers a splendid variety of payment plans. An example of Infatica pricing is listed below:
NetNut is a premium proxy provider best known for its ISP proxy network. It offers stable and fast residential, datacenter, and mobile servers. The company’s main products are static ISP proxies. NetNut has more than 1 million static IPs. These ISP connections show high speed and excellent performance due to ISP direct connectivity. The company cooperates with DiviNetworks for direct ISP connectivity instead of a P2P network. This feature makes NetNut the fastest service in the market.
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The prices for ISPs start at $1,000 for 100Gb to $5000 for 1Tb. Key features
Residential proxy pool (over 52 million)
1+ million ISPs
Great speed
Seven days free trial
Unlimited connections available
Best suited for web data extraction, market research, brand protection, and anonymous data aggregation.
ProxySale combines everything you need for your private usage – a 95 MB/sec speed, stable operation, and a 24/7 dedicated support team. It is also the universal option. With this service, you will enjoy access to any site or program and flawless gaming and social media use.
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ProxySale allows choosing IPv4 or IPv6 proxies with HTTP(s) and Socks5 support. Last but not least, this service puts affordability as its top priority. That is why you can enjoy reasonable prices or use free proxies for your needs. Despite not being as speedy and well-optimized as paid ones, free proxies are a good option for regular day-to-day usage. Key features
IP addresses in almost any country in the world,
65 000 active IPs,
Proxy issuing time below 1 minute,
IPv4 or IPv6 proxies,
Money-back guarantee,
Round-the-clock support.
Best suited for private usage, social media, and web scraping.
IPRoyal provides various proxy types: residential, sneaker, private, datacenter, mobile, and static proxies. This service is one of the best places to buy private proxies for superior anonymity. Another IPRoyal feature is its support of sneaker proxies. If you are looking for sneaker proxies or any information about them, IPRoyal has proxies specially optimized to work with sneaker bots. The website also has a detailed guide about how sneaker proxies work.
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The platform lets you download the related software: Chrome and Firefox browser extension managers and a proxy tester tool. IPRoyal pricing example is listed below:
Residential IPs – 1GB – $7; 5000 Gb – $12250
Key features
Datacenter, Residential, ISP proxies
Mobile proxies
A dedicated pool is available
IPv4/IPv6
SOCKS5
Dashboard available
Live chat support
Mozilla/Chrome browser add-ons
Unlimited amount of concurrent sessions
Best suited for data scraping, social networking, and retail.
Rayobyte provides intermediaries for an impressively wide range of use cases. There are rotating, datacenter, ISP, residential, and dedicated and semi-dedicated proxy servers with targeting by countries.
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It is no surprise because the Rayobyte service is built especially for reselling. The Rayobyte team will help you to find the proper combination for your clients. The API is developer-friendly and easily integrated. Rayobyte officially uses a white-label strategy and does not require mentioning the origin of proxies you buy. The variety of customized options is massive. Rayobyte offers proxies purchased by country and subscription length: 1, 3, 6, or 12 months. You can choose from 4 payment plans: Starter (5-99 IPs), Personal (100-999 IPs), Corporate (1K – 4,999 IPs), and Enterprise (5K+ IPs). For example, 10 US proxies for one month cost $25, while 1000 rotating proxy servers cost $2810. Key features
Datacenter, residential, ISP servers
Mobile IPs
Easy-to-use reseller API
Live chat
Free trial available
Best suited for web scraping, e-commerce, SEO services, and ad verification.
Here are the best free proxy servers provided on the Internet. Most of the services listed below are not free by their origin. But they have free proxy lists as a bonus to their products – VPN or proxy packages. Free lists are usually published for users to compare paid and free proxies.
23. HideMy.name – Best Free Proxy List
HideMy.name is one of the quality VPN services available for Windows, Android, macOS, iOS, Linux, Reddit, and router configuration. There is a free VPN trial available for 24 hours. The service provides a database of VPN-related bonus materials such as ping tests, proxy checkers, and free proxy lists. You can go to a proxy lists database and select a country, proxy speed, and proxy type to find a free proxy list. Export options are available only for customers with HideMy.name subscriptions.
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Key features
Free proxy list
44 countries
HTTPS available
Best suited for web scraping and connecting to restricted websites.
CroxyProxy is an easy-to-use online service that does not need any configuration on your device. CroxyProxy redirects your URL online via a proxy directly. All you need to do is go to CroxyProxy, enter your link, and let the service redirect you to a destination page.
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Unfortunately, you cannot directly see what IP address CroxyProxy is using. Key features
You should consider several classifications of proxy services before choosing the option to fit your needs. The main classification methods are by hosting type, by type of connection, and by the number of users assigned to a proxy (private or shared).
Hosting Type
Every proxy is, basically, an IP address. An IP address defines every device on the internet. The device can be real, artificial, or artificial with approval. There are three main types of proxies specified by hosting type: datacenter, residential, and static ISP servers.
Residential
Key features:
More legitimate
Look natural to servers
Very low possibility of being blocklisted
Higher prices
Lower speed
Residential IPs are real IP addresses that exist physically. They are attached to real existing devices connected to the Internet. Internet service providers usually provide these IP addresses. Since residential IPs belong to real homeowners, their amount is limited, and the price is higher than average. However, these addresses look natural and are doubtful to be deny-listed.
For example, if you use intermediaries to make multiple requests on the website – for data gathering or multiple purchases – the website will consider it the activity of hundreds of different real users.
Datacenter
Key features:
Fast speed
Low prices
High possibility of being blocklisted
ISP
Datacenter proxies, unlike residential IP addresses, do not exist in the real world. Datacenters and hosting services generate these IPs in bulk and manage them through cloud servers.
This server type is much cheaper and faster. It can be created in an unlimited number without any expenses while not being affiliated with Internet providers.
The negative side is that the data center proxies look suspicious for websites. Modern website protection systems can reveal a fake address and block it, especially if your activity differs from the activity of an average user. Thus, the datacenter server is insufficient for data analysis or research.
Static Residential (ISP)
Key features:
Fast speed
Low possibility of being deny-listed
Higher prices
Static proxies, also known as ISP, are not, in fact, residential. ISPs are artificial in the same way as datacenter servers are. However, these addresses have the approval of Internet Service Providers (ISP). In simple terms, an ISP-approved address is an artificial address officially recorded as a real address.
As a result, a company that sells ISPs offers fast datacenter IP addresses yet with the low possibility of being blocklisted. Although ISP proxies are datacenter servers, eventually, they are not as cheap as unapproved datacenter ones.
Private/Shared Proxies
Private
This proxy, also known as a dedicated one, is an IP address that can be used only by one user of a proxy network at a time. A proxy provider only sells an IP address to one user, so only this user can access the Internet via this server for an agreed period.
Providers usually sell these IPs by amount – for example, 1, 5, 10, or more addresses for a month. The average price of a private server is much higher than the price of other server types.
Semi-Dedicated
Semi-dedicated IP addresses are available to a limited number of users simultaneously. A certain number depends on the provider. You can share a proxy address with 5, 10, or 50 users – a compromise between expensive private and inconvenient shared proxies.
If you choose semi-dedicated IPs, always check how big is the pool of users simultaneously using an IP address. There may be no reason to pay more, or it is better to buy private servers.
Shared
Shared proxies are available for multiple users at the same time. These intermediaries are usually cheap, but using shared intermediaries often causes errors, blocks, and a high possibility of running into a captcha.
Free VS Paid Proxies
Several criteria can help you to evaluate the difference between payable and free proxy services. Most of the providers offer trial versions of their products. Free proxy lists are available online, so comparing the best free and payable services is easy using the below criteria.
Server Speeds
Free proxy IP addresses are always slow. Many users use them simultaneously without any limitations. Even shared proxies from a provider service are divided into pools and do not intersect with each other.
As a result, when you choose payable services, you may be more or less happy with the result, but free services guarantee you a low connection and browsing speed.
Access Guarantee
The very fact of paying for proxies does not guarantee you a seamless experience. Only a trusted platform and an adequately chosen package for your tasks ensure success.
At the same time, free proxy guarantees you nothing, no matter how carefully you choose them. Massive connections via a single IP address cause errors and endless captcha inputs.
With free intermediaries, you sometimes get to the website, sometimes not. A free proxy is a good option if you are okay with waiting. If you use intermediaries at work, it is better to use payable services for guaranteed access.
Security
Most free intermediaries are untrustworthy because they do not use secure protocols. Always check for an HTTPS connection if you want to use free IPs. Public proxy services can log your information.
You can use a public proxy to access a website or hide your identity, but using these IPs for security makes little sense.
Server Locations
You will probably choose several most efficient servers if you do not need to use specific locations at work. The most efficient proxy locations are usually the nearest to your accurate geolocation.
There are usually no limitations based on locations for free proxy lists. They often have the same countries listed as paid proxies. However, the proxy pools of the best proxy server providers are much more significant.
For example, a free proxy list can have one proxy in the USA, while a proxy provider usually has no less than 10 US servers.
Proxy Type
Free proxies leave little choice to users: usually, they are shared data center servers. It means you can not configure or use these intermediaries in a package.
Meanwhile, the payable service can offer more flexible solutions for each use case.
However, it is not advisable to choose such a service by chance. Not all intermediaries can be compatible with your tasks. An incorrect choice of a proxy will not become correct only because you pay for this service.
FAQ
What is better: VPN or a proxy?
VPN and proxies are completely different inherently. VPN encrypts your traffic, while a proxy just routes your traffic through a proxy server. VPN is considered a more secure tool, but at the same time more complex and expensive.
Are there any free proxies?
Yes, you can find free intermediaries online or choose a free VPN tool. These tools are not secure and have much fewer advantages. However, it is possible to use these tools for personal use if you are not demanding.
Do I need proxies for market research?
Yes, you do. When building a business strategy based on market research, you must send multiple requests to a search engine or a competitor’s website. It is known as web scraping. Intermediaries solve this problem perfectly. Remember that, in this case, you cannot rely on free, unstable, or untrusted intermediaries.
How to avoid captchas using a proxy?
The captchas are triggered only if the website considers your activity suspicious. You will prevent captchas by acting via a proxy like a real human. If you get captchas too often, try changing the strategy to be more human-like.
Use static servers to make your intermediary look like real existing IP addresses.
Use rotating servers to change (rotate) IP every time you enter the website. Try to avoid direct links to enter the website.
Why do people use SOCKS5? Is it better than other protocols?
SOCKS5 is the latest version of the SOCKS protocol, which supports IPv6 and UDP. UDP is a much faster and more efficient communication protocol than TCP.
SOCKS5 sends smaller data packages than previous versions to reach a new level of speed.
However, the TCP communication protocol is still considered to be more reliable. IPv6 Internet protocol solves the problems of its predecessor, IPv4, and gives better performance.
To summarize, SOCKS5 is faster and causes fewer errors than other protocols.
