7 Best Proxy Services 2023 Review + TESTED Free Proxies

In the realm of online activities, safeguarding privacy and ensuring data security hold paramount importance, agree? Our shared concerns are preserving personal information and fortifying internal networks against potential threats and malicious incursions. It explains the widespread adoption of proxy servers.

Functioning as intermediaries between your device and the internet, the best proxy servers operate as a robust web filter, curtailing the inundation of superfluous data within your internal network. Furthermore, as my experience prompts, they bestow an array of enhanced web browsing possibilities.

I discovered that free and paid options offer distinct attributes and IP address variations in the grand landscape of the best proxy services. This article compiles my deep-dive testing and evaluation of the top 10 proxy and VPN platforms.

🏆7 Best Proxy Providers 2023:

1. Smartproxy – Best Proxy Service Overall 🥇
2. Proxy-IPv4 – Employ it for SEO
3. Oxylabs – Best for Web Scraping 🥉
4. Proxy-Seller – The Most Cost-Effective Packages 💰
5. Bright Data – Your #1 Choice for Business 👑
6. IPRoyal – The Most Flexible Selection 💯
7. Rayobyte – Best for Blazing Speeds

🎁Top 3 FREE Proxies [TESTED]:

1. KProxy 🔐
2. Hidester 🌍
3. Hide My Ass 💸

Proxy Services: Why Opt for Them?

When you use a proxy server, you do not leave any traces around the web as the details of your internet surfing are saved not on your computer but on this specific server. That is why your web activity becomes more secure and anonymous.

However, as the server does store some information about you, sometimes it is possible to identify your web activities. Although, it does not seem to be a problem if you deal with a good and reliable proxy server. 

Overall, most people use proxies to get rid of intrusive advertiser tracking and annoying privacy instructions. Besides, enough proxy server providers are letting you benefit from paid (or even free) VPN (Virtual Private Network) to provide better privacy and security.

So, if you seek a reliable tool to protect your data from unauthorized collection, you'd better consider both options or choose an instrument that combines them. More about the difference between Proxy and VPN you can learn from this video:

In other words, if you do not use a proxy, advertisers, government agencies, and hackers can easily track your online activity, type of device, and location when you visit a non-secure website.

Unfortunately, the number of such sites dramatically increases over time. This makes it possible to block you from browsing certain content or overwhelm you with annoying ads. Providing anonymity and online privacy is crucial for most internet users. Thus, using proxies becomes a part of our everyday routine. 

However, it is not always clear how to choose the best proxy server. Thus, I have prepared this rating of the best proxies in 2023. To select the most appropriate options, I made sure to pay attention to the following criteria:

• Functionality
• High anonymity
• Affordability
• Reliability
• Minimal traffic allowance limitations
• Types of IPs in the pool
• Other specific features you can benefit from

Before I proceed to the detailed reviews of the best proxy servers out there, let's look into the types of proxies and what they are used for.

Configuring Your Device for Optimal Proxy Usage

Efficiently configuring your device to interact with a proxy server is a simple yet impactful technique to fortify your online privacy and security. Before delving into the process, you'll need a functional proxy server with its corresponding IP address and port number at your disposal.

With this essential information in hand, you can initiate the configuration process for your device, which generally follows the same underlying steps, although slightly divergent across platforms.

To configure proxy settings on Windows devices, start by opening the Control Panel. Navigate to the Network and Internet section, then select Internet Options. In the Connections tab, find and click on the LAN settings button. Check the box, 'Use a proxy server for your LAN.' Afterward, input the proxy server's IP address and port number and complete the setup by clicking OK.

For Mac devices, venture into the Network preferences and advance to the Advanced segment. From there, access the Proxies tab to determine the proxy server type. Enter the IP address and port number pertinent to your proxy server before confirming the changes with an OK selection.

Furthermore, embracing proxy server configuration can wield network performance enhancements by effectively caching frequently accessed content and subsequently curtailing bandwidth utilization. 

🏆 7 Best Proxy Servers 2023 🏆 

Disclaimer: In this article, I only share my experience. I’ve been using proxies for many years for various individual and business purposes. While your practice may differ, I assure you these best proxy services won’t disappoint you!

1. Smartproxy – Best Proxy Service Overall 🥇

👉Diverse IP Pool

👉Extensive Geographic Coverage

👉High-Speed Servers

Smartproxy has consistently shown promise as the best proxy provider since its inception in 2018. Expanding beyond the realm of quality proxies, they have ventured into offering scraping APIs tailored for diverse applications. 

The range of proxy options now integrates a vast pool of over 50+ million residential, ISP, mobile, datacenter, and dedicated DC proxies in 195+ locations. Web Scraping, SERP, Social Media Scraping, and e-commerce APIs, along with No-Code Scraper and Site Unblocker, make all and any marketing endeavors thrive.

I’m well aware that opting for a specific scraping tool requires a certain level of commitment. Therefore, it's commendable that companies like Smartproxy treat this matter seriously by allowing users to test the software at no cost. Smartproxy extends a free trial that includes 3,000 requests per month for each of their APIs. 

I can back the validity of Smartproxy’s ‘best proxy service’ title by multiple substantial factors:

• A residential proxy pool exceeding 40 million presents an expansive landscape for unobstructed web scraping and precise geo-targeting.
• With a range of 195+ proxy locations bolstered by city-level targeting, you gain access to even more specific regional data, including coverage of all 50 US states.
• The cost of entry is attractively low, with residential proxy pricing starting at $8, positioning it as one of the most competitive entry points within the market.
• Swift and round-the-clock live chat support ensures immediate assistance for any technical queries.
• All Smartproxy IPs uphold a high level of anonymity and are ethically sourced. It ensures your targets are accessible without revealing your IP address or proxy connection.
• The provision for unlimited connections or threads empowers continuous project operation without unnecessary expenses for supplementary features.
• Incorporating an advanced proxy rotation algorithm empowers you to cycle through new IPs for each request or maintain the same IP for up to 30 minutes.

Securing 100,000 shared data center IPs spanning the US and Europe stands out for those seeking a trifecta of speed, reliability, and cost-effectiveness. Delving further, an array of 400,000 private datacenter proxies based in the US can be obtained starting at a competitive $7.5 per month, delivering the advantage of complete IP ownership. 

Suppose you, just like myself, are unversed in coding. In that case, you can also venture forth by embracing the No-Code Scraper, a user-friendly solution engineered to automate the scraping process easily. 

Amplifying the benefits, a suite of complementary tools enhances proxying and scraping endeavors, encompassing the X Browser, Chrome Extension, Firefox Add-on, Address Generator, Proxy Checker, and No-Code Scraper Extension. 

The versatility of Smartproxy IPs is further highlighted by their compatibility with diverse software, automation bots, and tools, all backed by comprehensive documentation available on their website.

2. Proxy-IPv4 – Employ it for SEO 🥈

👉Upscale Anonymity

👉Highest Security

👉Uptime and Reliability

For me, Proxy-IPv4 stands as a hidden gem among the best proxy providers, waiting to be uncovered from the crowd. Recognized for its private proxy services, this provider also extends support to mobile proxies. An important distinction about Proxy-IPv4 is that, despite its IPv4-focused name, it doesn't solely adhere to IPv4; IPv6 proxies can also be procured, although they might appear secondary. 

This provider accommodates both HTTPS(S) and SOCKS5 protocols, providing versatility. Boasting extensive geographic coverage spanning continents, the service boasts a wide array of proxies within its pool to fulfill diverse customer demands. Moreover, you’ll definitely enjoy the following:

• Robust coverage across different continents
• Implementation of multiple network and subnet bans for subnet ban prevention
• The impressive high-speed performance demonstrated across proxies that I tested
• Utilization of non-blacklisted IPs with a low spam score
• Support for both username and password authentication
• Swift and responsive live chat support, ensuring efficient customer assistance.

Proxy-IPv4 offers a categorized selection of IP addresses tailored for SEO, SMM, and other online activities. Whether selecting any of these categories – acquiring as few as 1 IP proves advantageous. The range extends up to 99999, accommodating even corporate requirements. 

In terms of duration, this best proxy service offers a convenient minimum of 3 days, ideal for swift tasks. On the other end, the longest available duration spans 90 days, complemented by intermediate options like weekly, two-week, one-month, and two-month packages.

3. Oxylabs – Best for Web Scraping 🥉

👉Rotation and Fresh IPs

👉Multiple Protocols

👉User-Friendly Interface

Oxylabs is a Lithuanian company that mainly provides residential and data center proxies. It is one of the most appropriate options for business purposes. So, if you seek a proxy server to help you with business intelligence, brand protection, marketing research, and ad verification , you can rely on Oxylabs.

This service provides a great many tools apart from proxies. For example, extracting data tools helps in marketing research and brand protection. Oxylabs has a vast pool of data center IPs, including over 2 million addresses covering over 100 locations around the globe. 

As for residential proxies, they provide even wider choices as there are around 100 million IP addresses in every country and city worldwide. You can also opt for static or rotating residential proxies to ensure the speed of your web performance.

Another notable feature is next-gen residential proxies based on AI and machine learning. They aim at improving your overall browsing experience and better bypassing restrictions.

As for pricing, the minimal plan for the set of residential proxies starts at $300 per month and implies limitations on traffic allowance (25 GB). As for datacenter proxies, you are free to define a comfortable pricing plan. For example, you may opt for a set of 100 IPs in the US (or 60 addresses elsewhere) that will cost you $180 per month or prefer to pay $1.8 for one IP address.

4. Proxy-Seller – The Most Cost-Effective Packages 💰

👉Responsive Customer Support

👉Available Customization

👉Perfect Compatibility

The first thing that catches the eye while dealing with Proxy-Seller for the first time is the attractive pricing options. It is fairly ranked first among the most cost-effective and versatile solutions. Though the service is comparatively new and the server network is not that vast, it is earning loyalty for its ease of use, impressive performance, and various proxies available. In particular, you can benefit from SOCKS proxies as well as from packages of IPv4 and IPv6 proxies. 

While highlighting Proxy-Seller's affordability, you can buy one proxy for a week just to try the service that will cost you $0.76. Or you can opt for the 1-month, 2-month, 6-month, or 1-year pricing plan. Plus, the number of proxies in your package can vary according to your needs. You can buy one or one hundred proxies – pick as many as you need, customize your payment plan however you want, and you will find out it is still the most cost-effective solution on my list.

Proxy-Seller has excellent around-the-clock customer service and various channels to reach out to, such as live chat, email, and even social media. Besides, it allows the use of numerous payment methods, including Bitcoin, QIWI, WebMoney, and other less popular ones. 

As for the overall performance, the tests demonstrated outstanding results. The ping duration varies between 50-150 ms, the average speed reaches 50 Mbps, and the upload speed exceeds 350 Mbps in some cases. 

Although the refund policy is pretty limited, you can get your money back within 24 hours after you have paid for your proxies. Apart from that, refreshing your proxies is possible every month, which is a nice touch for SEO professionals.

5. Bright Data – Your #1 Choice for Business 👑

👉Attractive Scalability

👉Datacenter and Residential Options

👉Free Trial Available

What is so special about this proxy server? First of all, it aggregates more than 72 million IP addresses. Bright Data provides all types of proxies, including rotating residential IPs, static addresses, and mobile IPs. You can benefit from LPM (Bright Data Proxy Manager), which allows for optimizing bandwidth usage, setting rules for IP rotation, excluding specific IPs, etc. You can easily integrate this tool with macOS, Windows, or Linux. 

BrightData is effectively used for business purposes, providing all necessary features for data gathering, price comparison, ad verification, brand protection, SEO monitoring, and many more. However, not only companies but also individual professionals can benefit from this platform. For example, affiliate marketers can use Bright Data to validate ad placement, verify affiliating links, and optimize marketing campaigns.

Residential proxies provided by Bright Data support HTTPS, HTTP, and SOCKS5 protocols. Regarding customer service, there are multiple ways to get assistance. If you have questions about the platform, you can contact them directly by phone, email, social media, or messengers. There are also a lot of tutorials, video lessons, webinars, and documentation to learn more about the product.

The service provides various payment plans. For example, you can buy a monthly subscription or make up your custom plan, paying only for specific features you need. The prices for a monthly subscription start at $500, which is more expensive than other competitors charge. However, this is one of the best proxy providers, targeting the audience with specific needs.

6. IPRoyal – The Most Flexible Selection 💯

👉IP Whitelisting

👉Clear Information About Bandwidth and Data Limits

👉Transparent Pricing

For those searching for proxies that guarantee seamless performance, exceptional speeds, and enhanced security measures, IPRoyal should be a top consideration. Boasting an extensive IP pool of 8,056,839 addresses spanning the globe, this company proves invaluable for tasks such as stock market data collection, SERP analysis, and brand protection . While relatively new in the scene, it's gaining momentum as a rapidly advancing and cost-efficient solution. Its diverse array of pricing plans will undoubtedly comply with both individual users and businesses.

When it comes to proxy types, IPRoyal does stand out. It offers authentic residential proxies linked to actual users, reducing the risk of bans or blocks. The datacenter proxies come without bandwidth limitations, making them ideal for data extraction and SERP data acquisition tasks. Notably, their sneaker proxies seamlessly integrate with all sneaker bots, a notable edge over competitors. Additionally, you can tap into their dedicated 4G mobile proxies and IPv4 and IPv6 subnets, adding to their versatile offerings.

When it comes to pricing, they have been meticulously crafted to cater to a diverse range of budgets. For instance, opting for a residential proxy would cost you $4.55 per gigabyte, while a datacenter proxy is available at $1.39 per proxy with unrestricted bandwidth for a 90-day duration. 

In the realm of sneaker proxies, the pricing starts at just $1 per proxy. It's worth noting that the flexibility of these payment plans extends to customization, allowing you to select the exact number of proxies that align with your requirements.

7. Rayobyte – Best for Blazing Speeds 🚅

👉IP Rotation Control

👉Compatibility with CAPTCHA Solving

👉User Agent Customization

If you seek a seamless and expedient datacenter proxy experience, I must say that Rayobyte presents a compelling option. This best proxy service harnesses advanced GSA scraping technology, capable of aggregating vast volumes of data and facilitating proxy testing. 

Rayobyte stands as a versatile provider, offering an array of proxy types. Among them are dedicated proxies, semi-dedicated proxies, and rotating residential proxies. Most notably, private proxies are tailored for efficient site scraping and SEO pursuits, while dedicated proxies cater to sneaker enthusiasts. It's essential to highlight that all these proxy categories seamlessly accommodate HTTPS and SOCKS5 protocols.

Focusing on these proxy classifications, the first in line are private proxies. Boasting static IPs that refresh monthly to unveil new identities, these proxies ensure exclusivity for the user. This individual utilization translates into heightened speed and security, rendering private proxies especially effective in various applications, including SEO and web scraping.

Further, within the realm of private proxies, specialized sneaker proxies offer tailored support for sneaker bots, enabling the acquisition of multiple pairs from limited-edition releases. 

Moving on, I encountered shared or semi-dedicated proxies. With a maximum of three users per proxy, these options mirror the attributes of private proxies, ensuring reliable and efficient performance.

You may employ Rayobyte’s residential proxies in an extensive array of applications, including social media management, market research, SEO monitoring, and beyond. Their pricing structure is notably reasonable, commencing at $15/GB, making them particularly accessible for individual users. For businesses, there are also more cost-effective package options available.

Similarly, in line with other best proxy providers, Rayobyte extends mobile proxies geared towards web scraping. Their mobile proxies are initially tailored for the US and begin at $50/month for 2 GB. Should your requirements align and be in agreement with their terms, there's a possibility of securing mobile proxies for other countries beyond the US.

Overall, my experience proved that all these best proxy servers expand opportunities for anonymous online surfing and enhance the security of your personal information. They are essential for businesses to research competitors, optimize SEO, verify ads, and develop brand protection.

❗❗❗BONUS: FREE Proxies [TESTED]❗❗❗

While free proxy servers can provide certain advantages similar to paid ones, they often fall short in delivering the highest level of security and anonymity. Their offerings are limited regarding proxy types, especially when it comes to dedicated proxies. Additionally, technical glitches are common with free options. It's worth noting that a reliable free proxy server may eventually transition into a paid service.

The reliability issue looms over free proxy services, as they can suddenly vanish from the market, leaving users to seek alternatives. Moreover, data security assurance is questionable when using a free proxy server. Overall, the ease of losing a dependable free platform outweighs the challenge of finding one.

Consistency in customer support, trials, and an extensive IP pool is often lacking in free proxy services. If these limitations aren't a concern for you, let's delve into the realm of the best free proxy servers I tested and, thus, can recommend to you.

1. KProxy – Best Free Anonymous Proxies 🔐

This service has extensions for Chrome and Firefox, including a portable Firefox version with all the necessary integrated tools. KProxy provides proxy servers coming from Munich and Montreal for free. Overall, it is a pretty reliable proxy service for personal use, improving anonymity and the security of personal data. 

KProxy supports an HTTPS protocol and does not imply any limits on the speed. Still, there are some limitations on the bandwidth. In this regard, you can use a service for free for 3 hours at a stretch. Then, you have two options: pay for further use or reconnect in 30 minutes. Notwithstanding this limitation, this service is still advisable due to the number of servers you can use. About ten available proxy servers can guarantee at least 90% privacy and anonymity.

2. Hidester.com - Best Free Web Proxy 🌍

This service hides users' browsing activities and allows bypassing geo-restrictions. While using Hidester, there is no reason to worry about anonymity, as nobody can track your web activity. The service is straightforward to use. You do not need to sign up or download any software. The only thing it requires you to do is to enter the web address of the site you want to browse on Hidester. 

There is a pool of US and European IPs as well as some basic features to protect your privacy. For example, the service provides URL encryption, along with an opportunity to turn off cookies and remove scripts. Finally, there are no logs during sessions. 

The service ensures it does not share your data with other resources or websites. According to customer reviews, the service seems to be reliable. Nevertheless, Hidester is a comparatively new platform, so nobody can guarantee how long it will be available for users. 

The service also provides some additional tools to ensure your web security. For example, there is a DNS leak test and a password generator.

3. HideMyAss.com - Best Choice for Free and Paid Plans 💸

HideMyAss does not require you to install any extensions or software. You can benefit from a wide range of proxy servers for free, enhanced speeds, and a robust encryption system. While using this service, you can rely on fully anonymous surfing and the security of personal data. 

HMA allows you to choose a particular city or a preferred IP address. It is a nice touch, considering that, by far, not every free proxy service can offer such an option. There are available servers in the US and European cities. Overall, this service is pretty reliable. However, HMA can still collect some of your personal details (IP, URLs, files, etc.) and store them for 30 days.

❓FAQ❓

What is a Proxy?

A proxy acts as an intermediary link between your device and the online realm. Operating as an added layer of security, the proxy server interfaces with every website you access. Proxies facilitate the utilization of diverse IP addresses, rendering identification impossible. Consequently, the actual IP address you possess remains concealed from the websites you explore; instead, they only perceive the IP furnished by the proxy server. Additionally, proxy IPs undergo frequent alterations, enhancing privacy and anonymity. 

Why Should I Use a Proxy? 

A multitude of compelling factors drives the utilization of proxies. Firstly, proxies facilitate incognito internet navigation, bolstered by improved speed and fortified data security. Secondly, proxies empower users to circumvent restrictions, granting unrestricted access to content at their convenience. Thirdly, proxy servers serve pivotal roles in the business landscape. They enable tasks such as competitor research, ad precision validation, and brand protection enhancement. 

How do Proxies Improve Web Security? 

In the realm of online connectivity, each individual possesses an Internet Protocol (IP) address, an identifier that unveils user identity and location. This information becomes accessible to both websites visited and potential threats, rendering users susceptible to hacker intrusions, intrusive advertising, and possible identity theft. This vulnerability is primarily attributed to the extensive personal data dispersed throughout the online sphere.

However, using a proxy server introduces a transformative layer between the user and the Internet. This intermediary entity stands as a gateway, intercepting and redirecting all communication between the user and the target website. Consequently, the actual IP address remains concealed, replaced by the proxy server's IP. Such a mechanism effectively shields personal data and safeguards online activities from prying eyes, enabling unrestricted access to websites, even those banned within a specific geographical jurisdiction.

💫 Final Words 💫

Overall, proxy servers can significantly improve your user experience due to numerous factors. Better privacy, anonymity, and security are essential for me and you, certainly. Today, the web is the primary source of information about us. Our private lives spread on the Internet. And it is not a secret that corporations thrive on selling and manipulating our personal data. And the consequences can be pretty disappointing, you know. Proxy servers help prevent any security leaks, contributing to our positive user experience. 

For businesses, proxies appear to be the primary and most effective way to remain competitive. With the wide range of tools provided by proxy services, managing brand reputation, gathering marketing information, and optimizing SEO and overall web performance is much easier.

Shortly, proxy servers will become integral to any business's success. So, I hope this rating will help you sort out the types of proxy servers and select the most appropriate option.

Disclaimer: The above is a sponsored post, the views expressed are those of the sponsor/author and do not represent the stand and views of Outlook Editorial.