Best Free Proxy Services: Compare Features & Limitations
We review top free proxy servers by looking at factors like how often their IP addresses change, how frequently they update, which protocols they support (HTTP, HTTPS, SOCKS5), and any access limits.
Our analysis covers providers with limited free plans, such as Oxylabs, Webshare, and ScraperAPI, and public proxy lists, such as ProxyScrape and IPRoyal.
The table compares top free web proxy services by IP availability, protocol support (HTTP, HTTPS, SOCKS5), update frequency, and access limitations.
Table notes:
Free proxy providers can generally be divided into groups: those offering limited free plans (such as Oxylabs and Webshare) and those maintaining public proxy lists (like IPRoyal and ProxyScrape). Below, we explore both types to help you choose the most reliable option for your needs.
Most free proxy services have usage limits or restricted access compared to paid plans. Oxylabs and Webshare offer free tiers suitable for testing, while ProxyScrape and IPRoyal provide frequently updated public proxy lists for occasional use.
8 best free proxy servers
Free offer: 5 static IPs from its datacenter pool Limitations: 5 IPs reset monthly, 5 GB data cap
Oxylabs offers a free plan with five static datacenter IPs, suitable for testing or small-scale data collection. The plan includes 5 GB of traffic each month and access to their advanced proxy management dashboard.
While this plan is not for ongoing, large-scale scraping, it stands out as a stable, free option for professionals seeking enterprise-level quality. Proxies support HTTP, HTTPS, and SOCKS5 protocols. Each user is limited to 20 concurrent threads.
Free offer: 10 shared datacenter proxies Limitations: 1 GB monthly bandwidth
Webshare offers free proxies using shared datacenter IPs. It provides moderate speeds and supports rotating connections. Users can log in with a username and password or use IP whitelisting.
The proxy lists are updated often, and paid plans can handle more traffic as needed. These features make Webshare a good choice for small projects and testing. The free proxy server list supports both HTTP and SOCKS protocols.
Free offer: Access to proxy features within the Apify platform
Limitations: Limited external integration and request volume
Apify’s free plan gives you proxy access to internal workflows called actors. The platform manages these proxies for you, which helps prevent IP bans during data extraction or browser automation. Although you can’t use these free proxies outside Apify, they work reliably for simple automation tasks.
Free offer: Public proxy list (updated every 10 minutes)
Limitations: Limited reliability
IPRoyal offers a free proxy list that is updated regularly. The list includes details like anonymity level, country, and supported protocols such as HTTP, HTTPS, and SOCKS5.
You can use these proxies for browsing, learning, or short-term automation. Keep in mind that because these proxies are public, connection speeds and uptime may vary.
Free offer: Public proxy list
Limitations: No bandwidth guarantees; shared proxies
Geonode provides a free proxy service that includes a selection of HTTP, HTTPS, and SOCKS4/5 proxies. While it does extend these services at no cost, the finer details, such as the total number of proxies or the specific locations they cover, weren’t clearly outlined.
Free offer: 7-day trial with 5,000 credits; 1,000 recurring monthly
Limitations: Rate limits after trial, API-only access
ScraperAPI’s free tier lets you use a proxy rotation network that includes automatic CAPTCHA bypass.
You can send requests through changing datacenter and residential IPs without having to manage them yourself. This API is a good choice for developers who want free rotating proxies for easy integration or testing scripts.
Free offer: Open proxy list with global IPs
Limitations: Unstable connections
ProxyScrape features a list of free proxies that mix HTTP, SOCKS4, and SOCKS5 proxies. The list of free proxies receives updates every five minutes.
Users can filter proxies by various parameters, including the country of origin and level of anonymity. Additionally, a feature allows users to specify a maximum response time for the proxies they select.
Free offer: Public proxy list and optional VPN access
Limitations: Limited proxy count
HideMy.Name offers VPN services and free proxy solutions that support HTTPS, SOCKS4, and SOCKS5 types. Each proxy’s details, such as the IP address, port, country, city, and response time, are readily available for users.
Top sources for free proxy IPs and public proxy lists
1. Proxy providers with open proxy lists
Some proxy providers share free proxy server lists online and update them regularly. These lists usually show IP addresses, ports, countries, proxy anonymity, and supported protocols like HTTP, HTTPS, SOCKS4, and SOCKS5.
Examples include:
- IPRoyal: updates its free proxy list every 10 minutes.
- ProxyScrape: refreshes its database every 5 minutes.
- Geonode: offers a rotating proxy list with region-based IPs.
- HideMy.name: provides a searchable proxy list with filtering options.
These lists are useful for short-term use or testing, but performance can vary, and the proxies are not guaranteed to always be available.
2. Open proxy repositories and communities
Besides provider lists, there are open repositories that gather and share free proxy IPs found online. Some are community projects on sites like GitHub, while others are on websites focused on collecting proxies.
These repositories usually have many IPs, but some may be unstable, expired, or unsafe because the data is collected automatically. Using them only for learning or testing is best, not for anything sensitive or long-term.
How to choose the best free proxy server
When choosing a free proxy server, consider what you need it for, such as browsing anonymously, testing software, scraping data, or bypassing regional blocks. Since free proxies can vary greatly in speed and reliability, it’s important to look at a few key factors before picking one.
1. Check proxy type and protocol support
Various proxy providers provide distinct levels of anonymity and compatibility with network protocols.
- HTTP and HTTPS proxies are suitable for web browsing and executing basic scripts.
- SOCKS5 proxies are more flexible because they support many types of internet traffic, like peer-to-peer file sharing and APIs.
2. Review update frequency and IP freshness
Reliable free proxy providers frequently update their lists, ideally every five to ten minutes, to eliminate inactive or blacklisted IP addresses. Providers such as ProxyScrape and IPRoyal maintain current and verifiable proxy lists.
3. Evaluate connection speed and uptime
Free proxies are typically shared among multiple users, which may reduce connection speeds. Providers that publish performance metrics or user feedback regarding uptime and latency should be preferred.
4. Verify anonymity and security
Not all free proxies effectively conceal user IP addresses or encrypt network traffic. Tools should be employed to detect IP leaks, and proxies that inject advertisements or scripts should be avoided. For enhanced security, transitioning to a paid or semi-private plan is recommended.
5. Consider usage limits and data caps
Free proxy plans from professional providers like Oxylabs or Webshare usually have data limits or IP caps. Check if the limitations match your expected usage.
6. Check provider transparency and reputation
Trusted proxy providers explain how their free services operate and where their IPs come from. Avoid unknown sources or unverified GitHub lists, which might include unsafe servers.
What are the limitations of free proxy services?
1. Limited speed and bandwidth
You share bandwidth with many other users when you use a free proxy. This often means slower loading times and less reliable connections. Some providers also set strict data limits, so these services usually do not work well for long sessions or heavy data use.
2. Unstable availability
Public proxy lists change often because many free proxy IPs stop working or get blocked. Even with updates, these lists usually have some servers that do not work, so you may need to try several before finding one that does.
3. Security and privacy risks
Many free proxies do not use encryption, which can put your login details and browsing activity at risk. Some might add ads or track what you do online.
Your privacy could be at risk if you do not know who runs the proxy or how it works. Free proxies also often do not support advanced features like SOCKS5 or a wide range of locations.
5. Lack of support and monitoring
Paid proxy services usually offer uptime monitoring, automatic IP changes, and customer support. Free proxies or public lists do not have these features, so you must handle any problems or blocked IPs.
6. Risk of IP blacklisting
Because so many people use the same free proxy IPs, these addresses get overused and are often flagged by websites. This means you are more likely to run into CAPTCHA, get temporarily banned, or even get blocked from specific sites and APIs.
💡Conclusion
Free proxy servers can help you hide your IP address, access blocked websites, or test network setups without cost. Still, as this comparison shows, the quality and reliability of free proxies can differ a lot depending on the provider.
Free plans from companies such as Oxylabs, Webshare, and ScraperAPI tend to be more reliable and open, so they work well for light professional use or testing. On the other hand, public proxy lists from services like ProxyScrape, IPRoyal, and HideMy.name are easier to get but often have unstable connections, slower speeds, and less privacy.
- Free proxy services are helpful for testing and light use but have significant trade-offs in speed, uptime, and privacy.
- Provider-managed, reliable free proxy servers (e.g., Oxylabs, Webshare) are more trustworthy than unverified public proxy sites.
- For business or sensitive applications, paid proxy services or VPNs offer greater consistency and security.
FAQs about free proxy services
Be the first to comment
Your email address will not be published. All fields are required.