Compare Best Free Proxy Services of 2024: A Detailed Review

Free proxy services mask users’ IP address, improving online privacy and facilitating access to regionally restricted content. There are 2 types of free proxy services:

• Free plans offering limited features includes services from companies that offer a no-cost version of their proxy solutions, with restrictions such as limited bandwidth, fewer server locations, or a reduced number of IP addresses
• Lists of free proxy servers includes services that aggregate and share lists of free proxy servers available to the public.

Comparing the best free proxy servers list of 2024

Table notes:

AIMultiple has compiled a list of reliable free proxy servers. The table above highlights our top picks for free proxy servers. If we have missed any proxy providers, feel free to point them out in the comments.

Public access: anyone with the proxy server’s address and port number can use the proxy service.

Proxy providers offering free plans with limited features

1. Webshare

Webshare provides proxy services, including a paid and free proxy offering where users can access 10 static datacenter proxies at no cost. These proxies come with a monthly bandwidth limit of 1GB and can be used indefinitely. The free proxy server list supports both HTTP and SOCKS protocols, the proxies are shared among multiple users. With the free service, you’re allocated 1GB of data each month and can run up to 50 concurrent threads.

2. IPRoyal

IPRoyal provides a free proxy list including HTTP, HTTPS, and SOCKS protocols, updated at ten-minute intervals to maintain relevance. The service extends the functionality to include city-level targeting, albeit with a selection from a predefined set of cities.

3. Geonode

Geonode provides a free proxy service that includes a selection of HTTP, HTTPS, and SOCKS4/5 proxies as part of its offerings. While it does extend these services at no cost, the finer details such as the total amount of proxies or the specific locations they cover weren’t clearly outlined.

4. ScraperAPI

ScraperAPI offers a web scraping service that starts users off with a trial of 5,000 API credits valid for 7 days, followed by a provision of 1,000 free API credits every month for continued use. Upon signing up for a free account, users gain access to ScraperAPI’s proxy management, which integrates IP rotation. This feature utilizes a mix of datacenter, residential, and mobile proxies to improve data scraping tasks.

5. Apify

Apify Proxy comes with a free plan that is designed for use strictly within the Apify platform. This plan provides a basic level of access to the platform’s features but has usage limitations and does not allow for integration with external services.

Providers offering lists of free proxy servers

6. ProxyScrape

ProxyScrape features a list of free proxies with a mix of HTTP, SOCKS4, and SOCKS5 proxies. The list of free proxies receives updates every five minutes. Users have the flexibility to filter proxies by various parameters, including the country of origin and level of anonymity. Additionally, there’s a feature allowing users to specify a maximum response time for the proxies they select.

7. Hidemy.name

HideMy.Name offers VPN services and also provides free proxies, including HTTPS, Socks4, and Socks5 types. The details for each proxy, such as the IP address, port, country, city, and the proxy’s response time, are readily available for users.

Sources of free proxy IPs

Both free proxy IPs and free web proxies aim to enhance privacy and access online, yet their mechanisms differ significantly. Specialized tools scan the web, identifying servers ready to function as proxies intentionally or unintentionally. Some servers become part of proxy directories due to network configuration errors, making them accidental proxies. On the other hand, entities or individuals might intentionally list their proxy servers on forums, social media platforms, or specific websites for a variety of reasons.

In contrast, a free web proxy, such as those offered by VPN providers, are typically established by individuals or companies and are accessible directly through a browser interface, eliminating the need for any configuration on the user’s device. While free proxy IPs often cater to more specialized tasks like web scraping and require manual proxy setup in network settings, free web proxies are more suited for straightforward, anonymous browsing.

Criteria to consider when selecting from a free proxy list

• Anonymity levels: The level of anonymity shows how much privacy and confidentiality a proxy offers. Depending on their ability to conceal user information, proxies can be divided into different categories of anonymity.
  • Elite proxies: Elite proxies, or high-anonymity proxies, offer the highest level of privacy. Unlike transparent and anonymous proxies, these elite proxies conceal your actual IP address and eliminate any proxy-related headers that could indicate the use of a proxy to the target site. They ensure that HTTP headers, which could disclose the use of a proxy server, like proxy-authorization, the X-Forwarded-For header (XFF), and others such as ‘from’ and ‘via’, are not included in the data sent to the destination server.
  • Anonymous proxies: Anonymous proxies provide a high anonymity level by hiding the user’s IP address, similar to what elite proxies do, but they might reveal some information to the destination server. While any proxy server can serve as an anonymous proxy, the degree of anonymity it offers can differ depending on the particular type of proxy server type used.
  • Transparent proxies: Transparent proxies automatically intercept network traffic without requiring configuration on individual devices like computers, smartphones, or tablets. They can monitor and block network traffic according to specific criteria, all without the users’ explicit knowledge or consent. This capability raises potential privacy issues, as the proxy operates invisibly to the end-user.

• Protocol types (HTTP, HTTPS, SOCKS): The type of protocol determines the method of data transfer between your computer and the proxy server, with various types available for different needs.
  • HTTP proxies: Often used for web browsing, specialize in managing HTTP traffic but lack encryption, making them unsuitable for sensitive data.
  • HTTPS proxies: Secure the data pathway between your computer and the proxy server with encryption, making them a safer choice for confidential tasks.
  • SOCKS proxies: Monitors and manages network traffic through a proxy between the client and the target server.
• Country and city targeting options: Choosing proxies based on geographic location is important for various purposes, such as accessing geo-restricted content and conducting localization testing. Many premium proxy services offer the option to pick IP addresses from specific countries or cities to meet these needs.

Limitations and challenges of free proxies

The use of free proxy servers comes with its own set of advantages and disadvantages. Here’s a list of some common issues users might face:

• Limited features: Free proxy services often provide a restricted selection of server locations, which can be an issue for users requiring IPs from particular countries to overcome geo-blocks. Additionally, options like personalized privacy controls, ad-blocking, IP rotation, and the availability of dedicated IPs typically lack in free proxy server offerings.
• Privacy concerns: Free proxies might record user activities, such as the sites they visit and the data they exchange. This data could be disclosed or leaked. Although free proxies can conceal your real IP address, they may not shield other identifiable details like browser fingerprints. Advanced tracking methods can sometimes penetrate the veil of anonymity that free proxy list sites offer.
• Inconsistent speeds and frequent downtime: Free proxies are open to all internet users and can become slow and inconsistent due to many people using them at the same time. Free service providers might not invest in high-capacity bandwidth, which contributes to the reduced speed of connections.
• Protocol restrictions: Most free proxies primarily support HTTP protocol. HTTP proxies are designed to process and relay HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol) traffic. However, they may not be ideal for more specialized requirements due to their lack of data encryption. This implies that information transmitted via an HTTP proxy is vulnerable to interception and could potentially be accessed by unauthorized entities.

What to use instead of free proxy servers

If you’re facing problems with the performance or dependability of free proxies, considering a paid option could be the answer. For tasks such as web scraping or automation, VPN services may fall short since they prioritize privacy over providing a wide range of IP addresses. In such cases, a dedicated paid proxy service, designed specifically for these kinds of activities, would be a more suitable choice.

More on proxies

• Top 7 Proxy Providers of 2024: Pricing & Features Compared
• 7 Best Reliable Proxy Providers of 2024: Selecting the Best
• Proxy Benchmark: Scraping 10k Webpages with Top 5 Proxies in ’24

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