The Best 6 SOCKS5 Proxies of 2025

When it comes to SOCKS5 support across various proxy types, there is no one-size-fits all solution. Certain proxies accept SOCKS5 natively, while others could require additional setup or have limitations based on the use case (such as port settings).

See the best SOCKS5 proxy service providers:

* Residential proxy subscription-based monthly plan at its minimum package. The pricing for SOCKS5 proxies varies based on the type of proxy.

How to Choose the right SOCKS5 proxy

1. Determine Your Proxy Type:
   • SOCKS5 proxies can come from different IP source types.
2. Choose a provider that supports SOCKS5: Filter providers that offer SOCKS5 for that specific type. For example, some providers may offer it only for datacenter proxies.
3. Check SOCKS5 Limitations: UDP and Port:
   • Review the list of restricted ports for your chosen proxy type. Most of the proxy providers included in this article support TCP connections through SOCKS5. However, many providers block certain ports and connections. For instance, Rayobyte don’t support inbound UDP traffic.

Bright Data

Bright Data SOCKS5 proxy connections are available across all proxy networks. You must configure your queries to use the SOCKS5 protocol using the proxy address. For example, the following provided code will send the request to the provided URL using the SOCKS5 proxy.

curl -i -k -x socks5h://[PROXY_SERVER]:[PORT] --proxy-user [PROXY_USERNAME]:[PROXY_PASSWORD] "https://geo.brdtest.com/welcome.txt" -v

• You can only use SOCKS5 proxies with domain names-not IP addresses.
• Bright Data Residential Proxies support the SOCKS5 protocol but only for HTTPS targets.
• Datacenter and ISP proxies supports SOCKS5 protocol for ports higher than 1024.
• Supported ports for SOCKS5 with mobile proxies: `8080`, `8443`, `5678`, `1962`, `2000`, `4443`, `4433`, `4430`, `4444`, and `1969.

Oxylabs

Oxylabs ISP and dedicated datacenter IPs support the SOCKS5 protocol. There are no additional charges for using Oxylabs’ SOCKS5 proxies. These proxies can be used for various web traffic including HTTP, HTTPS, and UDP.

There are port restrictions when using Oxylabs’ proxy solutions, including SOCKS5. While ports 80 and 443 are accessible by default, all other ports are restricted. You can access to additional ports after a KYC procedure and approval from the proxy provider.

For example, with ISP Proxies, you can use SOCKS5 with the following query:

curl -x socks5h://your-username:your-password@isp.oxylabs.io:8000 https://ip.oxylabs.io/location

Webshare

Webshare provides different connection types and all of these types support HTTP and SOCKS5 proxy protocols: Direct (static, unchanging IPs), rotating (automatic IP rotation), backbone (stable proxies with dynamic IP changes). You can use SOCKS5 with residential, datacenter, and other proxy plans. There are no additional charges for using SOCKS5 proxies.

• SOCKS5 and HTTP proxy protocols can be used on the same port.
• SOCKS5 proxies can rotate automatically or manually.
• There are some port restrictions using 25, 110, 465, and 587 to prevent email SPAM.

Decodo

Decodo allows customers to set up SOCKS5 proxies with all of their proxy plans, though the configuration may vary based on the proxy type. For example, with ISP and datacenter proxies, you can use the same proxy endpoint and port for SOCKS5 and HTTP(S) connections, whereas residential and mobile proxies require a backconnect proxy. There are no additional expenses for utilizing SOCKS5 proxies.

Decodo has restricted specific ports on our end using proxies regardless of the protocol type. By default, residential and mobile proxies allow access to ports 80 and 443. However, in addition to the previously stated ports, ISP and datacenter proxies will additionally support ports 563, 8443, and 43.

IPRoyal

IPRoyal supports SOCKS5 protocols with all of the proxy types, allowing access to only HTTP and HTTPS websites. IPRoyal restricts access to certain domains, such as login.yahoo.com or linkedin.com, when using residential proxies with both SOCKS5 and HTTP protocols. However, these restrictions can be removed by confirming your identity in the dashboard.

Rayobyte

Rayobyte’s dedicated, semi-dedicated, and ISP proxies supports SOCKS protocols via username/password authorization method. There is a limitation, these proxies do not support inbound UDP traffic. While you can send traffic (outbound) over the SOCKS proxy for protocols like HTTP and HTTPS, any application that requires inbound UDP traffic will not work with these proxies.

What is a SOCKS5 proxy?

SOCKS (Socket Secure) is an internet protocol designed to route data packets between a client and a target server through a proxy server. SOCKS5 (updated version of SOCKS4) supports multiple authentication methods and UDP (User Datagram Protocol) connections, which were not available in SOCKS4. It enables flexible data transfer by supporting both TCP and UDP protocols.

How does a SOCKS5 proxy work?

A SOCKS5 proxy routes network traffic through itself via a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connection. The proxy server then transmits data packets between the user and the server while masking the user’s real IP address. Here is an overview of how a SOCKS5 proxy works:

1. Connection request: User sends a request to the SOCKS5 proxy server, specifying the IP and port number of the destination server. 
2. Authentication: If authentication is required, the SOCKS5 proxy server verifies the specified credentials (such as a username and password).
3. Connection establishment: After the authentication is successful, the SOCKS5 proxy server establishes a TCP connection with the target server on behalf of the user.
4. Data exchange: Once the connection is established, the user and the server exchange data packets through the proxy server. The target server sees the SOCKS5 proxy’s IP address, not the user’s.

SOCKS4 vs SOCKS5 proxy protocols

Authentication support:

• SOCKS5 supports multiple authentication options, including no authentication, username/password authentication, and GSS-API authentication. This makes SOCKS5 proxies suitable for a wide range of web scraping and networking tasks.
• SOCKS4 only allows connections without any authentication.

Protocol support:

• SOCKS5 supports both UDP and TCP protocols.
• SOCKS4 supports TCP only.

IPv6 Compatibility:

• SOCKS5 handles bothIPv4 (Internet Protocol version 4) and IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6).
• SOCKS4 IPv4-Only, cannot connect to IPv6-only resources.

DNS (Domain Name System) Resolution:

• SOCKS5 : Remote DNS resolution is supported, suitable for when bypassing internet censorship or or region-blocked content.
• SOCKS4: DNS is resolved locally. The client is responsible for DNS resolution.

HTTP proxies vs SOCKS5 proxies

Unlike HTTP proxies (which are specialized for web traffic), SOCKS5 proxy solutions provides broader application support and more suitable for traffic intensive tasks such as web scraping, streaming video, and transferring files.