We list the best free proxies, to make it simple and easy to select a proxy server that is free to use while also providing you with more safety online.
The best free proxies are a cost-effective way to mask your IP and access geo-restricted content without breaking the bank. You can even use them for some light data scraping tasks, or for market research, competitor analysis, or any other data-driven tasks.
Proxies differ from VPNs in that they do not encrypt your internet traffic while browsing, and often lack the privacy and security assurances provided by the best VPNs. However, the best free proxies are a useful tool for protecting your digital footprint.
Our experts have tested dozens of the most well known proxies out there, from names such as IPRoyal, Webshare, and Oxylabs on a range of use-cases, features, and technical specifications to help you pick the best free proxy while on a budget.
Keep in mind that these services won't offer the same features, IP pools, and bandwidth as the premium services we have listed over on our guide to the best proxy sites. Free proxies often suffer from slow speeds, and frequent downtimes, which makes them unreliable for demanding tasks like streaming or large-scale data scraping.
However, the services in this guide are great for testing the functionality and compatibility of proxies, and these are our top picks.
We've also listed the cheapest proxy services.
The best free proxies of 2025 in full:
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Best free proxy overall
With over 34 million IPs, IPRoyal is one of the more popular proxies on the market. Based in the United Arab Emirates, the service offers a variety of proxy solutions - datacenter, residential, ISP, and 3G/4G/5G mobile proxies.
In addition to their premium proxies, IPRoyal has a list of proxies on their website which are free of charge to use, and the company states that the list is updated every ten minutes. There are thousands of HTTP, HTTPS, and SOCKS proxies on the list, located in many different countries.
That said, like any free proxies, IPRoyal’s too aren’t consistently reliable. We ran into quite a few that weren’t functional, and some of them were awfully slower than others. Also, there’s no option to sort the list of proxies by protocol, or city, or country, nor an option to download them all in a txt file that you can then feed to your web scraping scripts.
IPRoyal also describes the process for using these free proxies on Windows. You’ll probably have to run through a few of them before you find one that’s working and performing adequately. Since these are free proxies they might run out of bandwidth anytime, and you’ll then have to switch them with another from the list.
Remember that IPRoyal just curates this list of free proxies, and it doesn’t come from within their pool.
Read our full IPRoyal review.
Best free proxy with no time limit
Webshare is one of the few proxy providers to offer an unlimited free trial of its premium proxies, making it an excellent choice for users looking to use a proxy for a small project or explore how proxies work without spending a penny - even in the long run.
Compared to some of the premium proxy providers, Webshare has a relatively limited pool of resources, with only just over 80 million IP addresses to choose from across little more than 45 countries. But, considering the free tier gives you access to 10 proxies for an unlimited time, this service is perfect for a wide range of cost-effective use cases.
While you can’t select the countries the free proxies come from, you can sort the list of IP addresses based on their country of origin. Webshare will also give you the option to download the list of free 10 IPs along with their individual authentication details that you can directly feed to your scripts.
These 10 free proxies offer up to 1GB of bandwidth every month, and you can use them forever since they don’t have a time cap. That said, do keep in mind that they are shared proxies that are used by other users as well, which means you’ll not get the same performance out of them as you would from Webshare’s paid pool of proxies.
Read our full Webshare review.
Best free proxy for security
Oxylabs is one of the leading proxy providers with a pool of over 175 million IPs from all over the world. In addition to its wide collection of residential, mobile, and data center proxies, Oxylabs also has a cache of data collection tools such as the Web Scraper API and Web Unblocker.
In addition to its paid premium proxies, Oxylabs also provides a handful of free proxies. Unlike the random free proxies that you get with IPRoyal, many of which don’t perform adequately, Oxylabs’ free IPs come from their own pool of high quality proxies, and perform a lot better.
Oxylabs offers five free, low-latency US-only proxy IPs. They are limited in number, and reach, but support both HTTP, and SOCKS5 protocols. You can use these IPs to run a maximum of 20 concurrent sessions. Also unlike Webshare, Oxylabs gives a healthy 5GB of monthly traffic. Along with the free IPs, you’ll also be able to use their web browser extension to manage and switch between your proxies with a single click.
Your free proxies will be listed under the Datacenter tab in the Oxylabs dashboard, which will guide you through the process of integrating the proxies to your scripts. You can also export your list of IPs as a CSV or JSON file, and keep an eye on the used traffic from the dashboard.
Read our full Oxylabs review.
Best free proxy for city-specific servers
The next on the list is ScraperAPI. Unlike some of the options in this page, ScraperAPI doesn’t limit itself to accessing geo-blocked content. Instead, it seamlessly serves developers and companies involved in heavy web scraping tasks.
With its pool of over 40 million IPs, ScraperAPI prides itself on its extensive data extraction capabilities. It has all the features you’d expect from a web scraping service such as the ability to handle CAPTCHAs, render JavaScript content, and schedule web scraping activities.
This API-based proxy service intelligently routes your requests through different IPs, reducing the chance of getting blocked. It also automatically retries failed requests, ensuring a smooth scraping experience. However, due to its highly technical approach, non-tech-savvy users might find it challenging to operate ScraperAPI.
ScraperAPI charges users based on their use of API credits. Every time you make a scraping request, you consume credits. The amount of credits you consume depends on the domain and parameters you add to your scraping request.
In addition to its paid plans, ScraperAPI offers a free plan of 1000 free API credits per month, with a maximum of five concurrent connections. This is good enough for those dipping their feet in the field of web scraping. Also, when you sign up with the service, ScraperAPI gives you access to 5000 credits for 7 days.
Best free proxy for ease of use
Our next pick, Hide.me, is a Malaysia-based provider. Though a little less popular than some of the others in our list, Hide.Me is a stalwart in the proxy and VPN industry.
Hide.me offers free instances of both its VPN, and proxy service, though we are interested in the latter for this guide. Billed as a free private proxy browser, the service has a simple interface. You type in a web address in the URL box, and then pick from one of the three available proxy locations, namely Netherlands, Germany, and Finland.
Hide.me claims neither of the servers on these three locations make a note of your IP address, or even keep a log of your activity. You also get a handful of additional options to customize your request. For instance, you can ask it to encrypt the page, remove scripts, and objects, for added security. However, be warned, as some of these options could prevent the target webpage from loading properly.
While the free proxy service works as advertised for most websites, you can’t use it to stream multimedia content. Also, you can’t use it for any other proxy task like web scraping. As long as you can restrict your free proxy usage to accessing simple geo-restricted websites, Hide.me’s free proxy service wouldn’t disappoint.
Read our full Hide.me free proxy review.
Best free proxy for social media
Just like Hide.me, VPNBook offers both VPN and web proxy services for free, though we are interested only in the latter in this guide.
There are many similarities between Hide.me and VPNBook’s free web proxy service. Both have a simple browser-based interface, where you enter the web address of the target website, and select a country from a pull-down menu.
VPNBook’s free proxy service enables you to route your request via a proxy server in either the US, UK, or Canada. You can also use the Random option to let the service select the proxy location on your behalf.
The service places a bar at the top of the rendered website, where you can enter any URL and it’ll be routed through the same proxy. However, if you want to change your proxy server location, you’ll have to head back to the main page.
VPNBook claims its free web proxy service can unblock popular streaming websites like YouTube, and Netflix. While the service worked flawlessly on most websites, the streaming support was unreliable, failing more often than it worked.
Again, we’ll suggest you give it a go if all you want to do is access geo-blocked content. It doesn’t offer the same dexterity to customize the web request as you get with Hide.me, but it did manage to work with some streaming websites that we couldn’t with the former.
Best free proxies FAQs
1. Can I use a free proxy for streaming?
Yes, you can use a free proxy for streaming. However, the streaming experience might not be optimal due to bandwidth limitations and speed issues.
2. Are free proxies safe?
While free proxies offer anonymity, they may not provide the same level of security as premium services. Always opt for reputable providers and read their privacy policies carefully.
3. Can I use proxies for web scraping?
Yes, some proxies like ScraperAPI are specifically designed for web scraping tasks. They offer a large pool of IPs and intelligent routing to avoid getting blocked.
4. Do free proxies keep logs?
Policies vary among providers. While some like Hide.Me follow a strict no-logs policy, others might keep some user data. Always read the provider's privacy policy before using its service.
5. Can I use a free proxy for P2P file sharing?
While it's possible, many free proxies block or limit P2P traffic due to legal and bandwidth issues. It's better to use a VPN for such purposes.
6. How to set up a proxy server?
To modify or set up a proxy server on Windows 11, you need to access the proxy settings first. Start by opening Settings, which you can do by pressing Windows + I. Then, navigate to the 'Network & internet' section on the left. Here, you'll find the option for 'Proxy' on the right side.
Within the proxy settings of Windows 11, you'll notice the "Automatically detect settings" option is enabled by default. This feature is particularly handy in many corporate environments where proxy settings are often distributed via DHCP or group policies. These settings are automatically applied by your laptop or PC when you connect to the corporate network. Business users should ensure this option is activated. If not, they can simply click or tap on it to turn it on. For manual configuration of proxy settings, it's essential to have the specific IP address and port number of the proxy server you plan to use. Once you have this information, navigate to the Proxy page in the Settings app and click or tap the Set up button adjacent to “Use a proxy server.”
In the “Edit proxy server” dialog box, activate the “Use a proxy server” option by clicking or tapping on its switch. After enabling it, you can then proceed to fill in the necessary information.
7. Are proxy servers illegal?
The act of utilizing a proxy server is not inherently illegal, but the legality of its use is contingent on the purpose and the jurisdiction in which it is employed.
There are regions where employing a proxy to circumvent internet censorship or to access restricted websites is deemed illegal. Conversely, in other countries, the use of proxies for privacy protection is both legal and supported by law.
Conclusion
While you may opt to go for the best offering overall due to all of its “bells and whistles,” that doesn’t mean that it is the best option for your needs. Once you figure out why you need a proxy and how you will use it, figuring out which one to choose from the list above will become easier. A general rule of thumb is to pick the one with the best security options, easy setup, and a UX that is to your liking. If there are free options, we always prefer taking a test drive of all free options before making our final decision.
How to pick the best free proxy
Before we delve deeper into the topic, let’s help you understand how to evaluate a free proxy. Here we go!
Check for security
Free proxies often feature significant pitfalls. They may include malware-ridden ads, traffic monitoring risks, inadequate encryption, cookie theft, and privacy violations. You should be extremely careful when choosing your free proxy server.
HTTPS support is a priority, as connecting to a non-encrypted server can expose your data to unauthorized access.
In fact, it may elevate the chances of leaking important credentials or private communications. You should be extra mindful of these because some free proxy servers force their users to load pages in their unencrypted form. Don’t fall into that trap.
Furthermore, many free proxy operators attempt to generate revenue by embedding exploited ads into the content. This may make you a victim of malvertising. In addition, they may steal cookies that store your login credentials.
Consider the risks when choosing your free proxy server to avoid nasty instances.
Ideally, you should look for an alternative that offers AES 256-bit encryption and a no-log policy, ensuring top-notch security.
Weigh the performance
Free proxy services can sometimes compromise performance. Slow speeds and limited bandwidth can make your browsing experience frustrating and time-consuming. This becomes even more concerning when you use your free proxy to carry out data-intensive activities like streaming or downloading.
Remember, free proxy servers are extremely popular. Hence, they manage a massive number of concurrent connections. This may lead to connectivity and performance issues.
You can go through reviews and testimonials to measure the performance and reliability of your chosen server. Alternatively, you can look for services with unlimited bandwidth. This will help you obtain a smooth and seamless experience.
Does it hide me?
When it comes to using a proxy, the primary goal is, indeed, maintaining anonymity. However, while all free proxy servers claim anonymity, most fail to stick to their promise.
A handful of proxy servers have advanced attributes like IP rotation, ensuring more anonymity. Such servers change your visible IP address, allowing you to secretly carry out your web-scraping activity.
Check for global coverage
The number and spread of servers as proxy providers may significantly impact your browsing experience.
Providers with many servers across multiple countries are often better at bypassing geolocation restrictions. This allows you to access a wider range of content that may not be available in your location. Therefore, consider the geographic coverage of the proxy servers when selecting your provider.
Test for convenience
A user-friendly interface can greatly enhance your experience, especially if you're a beginner. Proxies that are easy to set up and navigate can save you time and frustration.
Look for services that offer clear instructions, intuitive controls, and responsive customer support.
Measure the Compatibility
Not all free proxies can work well with your device, so before signing up with one, carefully check if it's compatible with your device and operating system.
Additionally, look for a service that supports simultaneous connections to use the proxy across multiple devices and operating systems.
How we test the best free proxies
We test by evaluating numerous factors. To start with, we look at the feature set, the range of tools available, and what size of businesses this would be ideal for. We consider how easy the setup is, the simplicity of the interface, and whether there's sufficient documentation and tutorials for users to utilize necessary options optimally.
We assess how well the service integrates with other relevant apps, and check the overall scalability of the service. We also analyze whether there are collaboration features for multiple users, and lastly, we judge the quality of the customer service and the different pricing plans available.
Read more on how we test, rate, and review products on TechRadar.
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