17 Best Proxy Servers for Anonymous Web Browsing (Free and Paid)

In the interconnected real world of the internet, where our lives are increasingly growing with digital connectivity, safeguarding online privacy has become a significant concern.

Many internet individuals are actively exploring avenues to fortify their sense of anonymity while browsing the web.

A potent remedy that has gained prominence is the adoption of free proxy servers, acting as portals to navigate the online landscape incognito.

What are Proxy Servers?

Proxy Servers act as an intermediate level between the user’s device and the internet. They facilitate anonymous web browsing that hides the user’s IP Address with an add-on layer of security, functions, and privacy.

One can choose a proxy server depending on the needs of the individual or the company’s policy.

When you visit any website, your IP address gets recorded. To avoid or hide the IP address, one can show a substitute IP address using a proxy server.

There are a variety of available servers on the internet. A proxy server can be used for multiple reasons. Students and employees use it to access sites that might be blocked at their school, college, or workplace.

Proxy servers are also useful while traveling as you can access sites from your home country that might be barred in the country that you are visiting.

Another useful way to access restricted or blocked content from anywhere is by using a reliable VPN called Ivacy VPN, which is an award-winning VPN service provider in the market.

Advantages of Using Free Proxy Servers

Some of the advantages or benefits of using Free Proxy Servers includes:-

• Improves Privacy: Proxy servers enable users to browse the internet without showing their true IP addresses. This gives you an add-on layer of privacy for users who want to protect their online identity and sensitive information.
• By Pass Geo-Restrictions: It offers a solution by allowing users to access region-specific content, expanding their online experience.
• Internet Security: It enhances overall internet security, by concealing IP addresses which reduce the risk of cyber threats and potential malicious activities targeted at their devices.
• Cost Effective: There are several free proxy servers available to users, that do not incur any subscription fees.

Disadvantages of Using Free Proxy Servers

Some of the disadvantages of using Free Proxy Servers include:-

• Risk of Security: Some free proxy servers may compromise user data or introduce security vulnerabilities, leading to potential risks.
• Internet Speeds: It can sometimes result in slower internet speeds, impacting the overall browsing experience.
• Limited Features: Free proxy servers may lack advanced features and customization options when compared with Premium.

What to Consider While Choosing a Proxy Server?

The following are the factors you should consider while choosing the right proxy server that will help you fulfill your needs and provide a secure and efficient browsing experience.

• Decide whether you need a simple web proxy for regular browsing or a more advanced option like a VPN or SOCKS proxy for additional security and functionality.
• Check how well the proxy keeps you anonymous. Some proxies might show your IP address, while others give you more privacy.
• Consider the server’s speed and performance, as a slow proxy can impact your internet browsing experience.
• Choose a proxy server with locations that suit your needs.
• Make sure to look at the proxy provider’s logging policy. Choose services that focus on keeping your privacy safe and have little or no data retention policies.
• Check the security features offered including encryption protocols and additional security measures.
• Ensure that the proxy is compatible with your devices and operating systems.
• Look for a proxy service with a good history of reliability and high uptime
• It’s important to also check the level of customer support the proxy service offers

Free Proxy Servers

Let’s look at the different proxy servers that are available for free and understand their functionality.

1. Tor Browser

The Tor Browser is a web browser that is specifically designed for anonymous web browsing and accessing the Tor network, It is based on the Mozilla Firefox web browser and comes pre-configured with privacy-enhancing features to protect your online identity and maintain anonymity.

The Tor Browser connects to the Tor network, a decentralized network of volunteer-operated servers that anonymize internet traffic. This network helps protect your online privacy by routing your internet traffic through multiple relays, making it difficult to trace back to your IP address.

2. Webshare

Webshare is a free proxy service that allows users to browse the internet anonymously and access blocked websites. It provides a network of proxy servers that users can connect to in order to route their internet traffic through different IP addresses.

3. ProxyScrape

ProxyScrape is a website that provides free and paid proxy lists for various purposes, including web scraping, anonymous browsing, and other internet activities.

It offers a range of proxy types such as HTTP, HTTPS, SOCKS4, and SOCKS5. Users can obtain proxy lists from ProxyScrape to configure their applications or tools to route their internet traffic through these proxies.

4. Hide.me

Utmost privacy is maintained on Hide.me proxy site as it does not store any logs of your online activity. It also allows an ad-free service even in the free package. The Chrome web store also has an extension available for hide.me.

5. ProxySite

If you are looking to access social media websites, Proxysite is the best proxy server for you, as it supports sites like YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, and Google. No more do you need to wait to be out of your office or be in a particular country to browse the website of your choice.

It ensures browsing safety with Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption. Irrespective of whether the destination site is secure or not you connect to a secure site.

This proxy server also gives you the option to block ads and have a seamless experience, which makes it widely liked by all. It also allows you to switch between multiple proxies to allow you to access multiple countries at a time.

6. Kproxy

The Kproxy server has different subscription plans available to suit the user. Some of the offerings include unlimited downloads, no ads, and access to premium servers. Kproxy also has its Firefox & Chrome extensions available.

Kproxy server allows you to hide the top menu, an option that is not available with any other proxy servers. The Kproxy server has a disadvantage – it often requires you to wait for 30 minutes or prompts you to buy the Pro version after using the extension for a certain amount of time.

Although this is often a break in the flow of browsing for the user, we still recommend Kporxy for the other benefits it offers.

7. VPN Book

VPN Book has a number of servers across Europe, the US, and UK based servers. One of its major attractions is that it is 100% free. It also unblocks websites and is easily accessible as there is no sign-up or registration requirement. It also goes to the extent of bypassing government censorship.

8. Whoer.net

With servers based in 21 countries, Whoer.net is a VPN that gives you a wide variety of choices.

You can even leave it to random server selection in case you aren’t very particular about what you want. It is safe to use on public Wi-Fi and even protects your browsing history.

It is recommended for online purchases, bank transactions, and secure password login for sites that are done on public Wi-Fi.

It also ensures data safety and anonymity, eliminating the fear of surveillance and the chance of data leakage. For additional security, it also has 2 different encryption points before the site reaches you.

9. MegaProxy

Megaproxy has some unique features that draw it apart from other proxy sites. It allows you to stop all ads and also block cookies from websites. What also sets it apart is the provision to disable or enable OS and browser user agent identification.

One of its limitations is that you can browse only a limited number of pages in a limited amount of time and it also cannot be used to stream media files or access HTTPS sites.

10. Croxyproxy

One of the delights of using the Croxyproxy server is that it can be used for any audio and video streaming. Without any additional software download, it allows you to anonymously use YouTube and all its features like commenting or liking. It can also be used on any operating system including Android and Chrome OS.

11. 4everproxy

4everproxy is like a secret passage on the internet. It is a web proxy and VPN service that allows users to access the internet without revealing their identity.

When you use it, 4everproxy stands in the middle, hiding your real identity (IP address) from the websites you visit. It’s a handy tool for staying anonymous while browsing the internet

While 4everproxy aims to provide a platform for secure and unrestricted browsing, users should be careful about the potential limitations, like reduced speed and occasional disconnection issues.

4everproxy can be a useful tool, but users should consider their requirements and preferences before relying on it

12. Proxyium

Proxyium is a free web proxy service that enables users to unblock websites and browse anonymously and securely without installing any software. It has a clean and easy-to-use interface and supports popular websites, including YouTube, Google, Facebook, and Twitter.

Proxyium is a good option, but, remember, it’s not as secure as a VPN (Virtual Private Network), and it might not unblock all websites.

So, if you need high security or access to all sites, you might want to consider using a VPN instead.

Paid Proxy Servers

Following is the list of Paid Proxy servers.

13. Oxylabs

Oxylabs is the leading provider of proxy services founded in 2015, providing a wide range of proxy solutions for businesses, individuals, and organisation of all sizes. Their proxy network includes over 102 million IPs spanning over 195 countries.

Oxylab proxies are high-performance and reliable services, ensuring users access proxies based on specific criteria such as location, ISP, and device type, enhancing versatility for tasks such as data collection, web scraping, market research, and accessing geo-blocked content.

Oxylabs offers a variety of pricing plans to suit different needs and budgets, and they have a team of experts who can provide support and assistance.

14. Bright Data

Bright Data is an award-winning proxy service, offering a vast network of over 72 million IPs across 195 locations. The Bright Data proxy server offers a vast and diverse IP network, incorporating residential, mobile, and data center proxies.

Renowned for its ethical and transparent approach, Bright Data enables users to access web data ethically and efficiently. They pay attention to following rules and ensure the information they provide is of good quality.

This is useful for industries like e-commerce, cybersecurity, and market research, keeping digital information safe, and studying market trends.

So, if a company needs to use the internet in a secure and reliable way, especially for things like selling products online or protecting digital information, Bright Data is a good choice. They focus on making sure everything is done correctly and the information you get is trustworthy

The platform’s advanced features, including IP rotation and session control, make it a preferred choice for businesses requiring reliable and secure proxy services for tasks like web scraping and competitive intelligence.

15. Smartproxy

Smartproxy is the easiest-to-use data access solution. It has an advanced rotating network and high-quality servers in every corner of the world.

Smartproxy has disrupted the proxy industry thanks to its technically advanced live customer service agents and robust server architecture, gaining the highest quality results for its clients.

16. Hide My Ass (HMA)

Based on varied user requirements, the Hide My Ass proxy server caters to both the Free and Pro version to offer. The free version is recommended for simple private browsing, and the Pro version works on a range of devices and for games and apps too.

It also enables one to access restricted websites and do safe online banking with good connection speed.

17. Nimble

Nimble proxy server is a powerful and scalable proxy service that offers a wide range of features, including high performance, unlimited concurrent requests, a global proxy network, AI-powered proxy rotation, and 24/7 customer support.

Nimble is an ideal choice for both businesses and individuals, it helps protect privacy by masking IP addresses encrypting traffic, and improving web scraping and data collection activities.

Frequently Asked Question (FAQ’s)

Here are the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Proxy Server.

1. Is it legal to use a proxy server?

proxy server is generally a legal technology and is widely used for various purposes, such as improving privacy and security, accessing content in restricted regions, bypassing censorship, or Scraping data.

However, it’s important to note that the legality depends on how you use proxies. Any illegal activities or violence with the terms and services of the website may lead to legal consequences. So be mindful of the laws and regulations of your region, while utilizing any proxy servers.

2. What is the difference between a proxy server and a VPN?

The key difference between a proxy server and a VPN is their functionalities. A proxy server Proxy Servers act as an intermediate level between the user’s device and the internet, primarily for accessing content or improving privacy. It hides the user’s IP address but doesn’t encrypt the data traffic.

whereas, a Virtual Private Network (VPN) encrypts the entire data flow between the device and the internet, ensuring a secure and private connection. While both offer anonymity, a VPN provides a more comprehensive security layer, making it ideal for protecting sensitive information during online activities.

3. Are there alternatives to proxy servers?

There are other options instead of using proxy servers. Many people use Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), that are similar to proxy servers but with extra security features. VPNs make your internet connection secret by encrypting it, so it’s more private.

Another choice is the Tor network, which is famous for keeping things anonymous. While choosing the best solution for browsing the web privately and doing secure online stuff, it’s important to think about what you really need and like.

4. Can I use a proxy server on my mobile device?

Absolutely yes, you can use a proxy server on your mobile device. Nowadays many phones and tablets let you set it up by adjusting the proxy settings in your Wi-Fi or network settings. There are apps available on the internet, that one can download and make use of a proxy on a device super easily.

Just remember, it’s crucial to use proxies responsibly and follow the rules laid out by the laws and regulations

5. Are free proxy servers safe to use?

Using free proxy servers can be risky. Some free proxies may offer a level of anonymity, but some have problems. One of the big issues is security. free proxies may not protect your data well, making it easy for others to see.

It can be slow and limit how much internet you can use which affects your online experience. It’s important to be careful when using free proxies, especially if you want to keep your information safe.

If you need better security, it might be worth considering paid options or looking into alternatives like Virtual Private Networks (VPNs).

Conclusion

There are many available proxy servers and we’ve listed the best for you. No server suits all and before making your choice, know what you need. The advantages of a proxy server range from being able to hide your identity to being able to access region-locked content.

It allows you the freedom and choice of accessing any webpage without being identified or traced. While choosing a proxy server also look into its OS, service quality, country of origin, and its performance speed.

Hope this list helps you in browsing the websites without revealing your identity! Do let us know what proxy servers you used to browse the websites of your choice. Feel free to post the website names that you could seamlessly browse by using these proxy servers so that we can benefit too!

If you think we have missed out on any proxy server which according to you should have been in the list, please do let us know by filling up the form below! Till then, Happy Browsing!