Drawing from my experience with free SOCKS5 proxies on social media platforms, I have identified the top providers. Follow the links to explore the reasoning behind these selections.
| Proxy Providers | Focus | |
|---|---|---|
1. | Frequent proxy updates though it has a smaller IP pool and limited country availability | |
2. | Rotating proxies from various countries delivered via API to developers | |
3. | Casual browsing and scraping, offering a limited selection of SOCKS5 proxies | |
4. | More secure IP connection | |
5. | Extensive options and detailed proxy information | |
| Show More (3) | ||
6. | Quick access to free proxies | |
7. | ||
8. | Small-scale automation projects and developers | |
See the best free SOCKS5 proxy services:
Comparing top 8 free SOCKS5 proxy services
| Provider | Offer Type | Usage Limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Webshare | Free plan limited features | 10 Proxies |
| ScraperAPI | Free plan limited features | API Rate Limit |
| ProxyScrape | Lists of free proxies | Public Access |
| IPRoyal | Lists of free proxies | 1 Proxy per account |
| Spys.one | Lists of free proxies | Public Access |
| Hidemy.name | Lists of free proxies | 5 Proxies Max |
| Proxyrack | Lists of free proxies | Public Access |
| Geonode | Lists of free proxies | Public Access |
We have categorized free SOCKS5 proxy server providers into two groups:
- Providers with free plans: Require a subscription to access their free proxies, which are not publicly disclosed.
- Providers offering lists of free IPs: Publicly available on their websites, with no subscription necessary.
Providers offering free plans with limited features
Webshare
Webshare provides a free plan that includes access to 10 proxies located in four different countries, including the USA. This plan comes with a monthly allowance of 1 GB of data. Users can run up to 50 simultaneous connections using this service. The platform supports both IP address and username/password authentication methods for securing proxy usage.
Additionally, the free proxies are compatible with HTTP and SOCKS5 protocols, and offer the feature of rotating proxies with every connection request made to a target server. To utilize these free proxies, users must first register an account on the Webshare website.
ScraperAPI
ScraperAPI provides a free plan that initially gives new users a 30-day trial featuring 5,000 API credits. After the period, the service continues to offer 1,000 free API credits each month. Users who create a free account benefit from ScraperAPI’s proxy management system, which includes automatic IP rotation. This system uses a combination of datacenter, residential, and mobile proxies. ScraperAPI allows users to make up to 5 concurrent requests.
Providers offering lists of free SOCKS5 proxy IPs
ProxyScrape
ProxyScrape offers a free proxy list, encompassing HTTP, SOCKS4, and SOCKS5 protocols. The list is refreshed every five minutes, ensuring up-to-date access. Users can tailor their search for proxies by filtering based on the country, level of anonymity, and setting a maximum response time for selected proxies.
ProxyScrape provides three different lists based on protocol type, ranging from 200 to 2,000 IPs across approximately 40 countries. Users can download their customized list in a .txt file format.
IPRoyal
IPRoyal offers a list of free proxies that supports HTTP, HTTPS, and SOCKS protocols, with updates occurring every ten minutes to ensure the proxies remain current. Additionally, the service allows for city-level targeting, although the options are limited to a predetermined list of cities.
Spys.one
Spys.one provides one of the most extensive proxy lists available, featuring more than 29,000 proxies across approximately 180 countries. Users have the flexibility to sort these IP addresses based on multiple criteria, including protocol, level of anonymity, and location.
The proxy servers on Spys.one are sourced through an automated collection robot or submitted directly by users of the site. This robot actively gathers proxies from the internet, subsequently filtering out any that are unwanted.
hidemy.name
Hidemy.name is a VPN service that also provides a collection of free proxy servers, available in various types such as HTTPS, HTTP, SOCKS4, and SOCKS5. The service lists about 10,000 proxies across over 60 countries.
Users have the option to filter these proxies by speed, country, and degree of anonymity. Basic details provided for each proxy include the IP address, port, and speed, with updates to the list occurring nearly every minute. While the basic proxy list is free, exporting the list in formats like ip:port and .csv requires a payment of $5.
Proxyrack
Proxyrack provides a list of free proxies that features HTTP, HTTPS, and SOCKS protocols. The proxy pool includes residential and datacenter IPs. The service offers around 4500 proxies distributed across 20 countries.
Geonode
Geonode provides access to over 4,000 free proxies covering 125 countries, supporting HTTP/S and SOCKS4/5 protocols. Users can filter the proxies by anonymity level, speed, and uptime. The free proxy list is available for export in JSON, TXT, and CSV formats.
Using online proxy checkers to test proxies
Online proxy checkers allow users to verify the performance and reliability of a proxy server – without requiring any technical expertise.
Whether web-based or installed locally, these tools automatically detect the proxy IP address and provide detailed reports to help users confirm if the proxy is functioning as intended. Here’s what they typically test for:
- Speed and latency
- Anonymity level
- Geolocation accuracy
- SSL Support
Sources of free SOCKS5 proxy IPs
Publicly available free proxy lists that do not require any sign-up are accessible to anyone on the internet. These public proxies are not owned by the website owners but are compiled from various sources, including closed forums, by automated “spider robots.”
While free proxies offer anonymity and the ability to bypass geo-restrictions, they also pose risks like potential exposure to malware and decreased reliability. For a more secure experience, it is advisable to consider a paid service. Many proxy service providers provide free trials or money-back guarantees.
Alternatives to free SOCKS5 proxy servers
If you’re experiencing issues with the reliability or performance of free SOCKS5 proxies, switching to a paid proxy service might resolve these problems.
VPN services may not be ideal as they focus more on privacy rather than offering a diverse pool of IP addresses for tasks such as data collection and accessing geo-restricted content.
If cost is your main concern, you might consider using shared proxy services.
Comments
Your email address will not be published. All fields are required.