Best SOCKS5/HTTP/HTTPS Proxy Providers

A proxy server is a program that mediates between the device from which you access the Internet and the sites you visit. If you use a proxy, when you visit different sites the information will first go through the proxy server and only then it will come to you or the sites.

Using certain types of proxy servers you can change your IP to the IP of a proxy server, mobile operator or another user. So, for example, if you are in Australia and you need Polish IP, you just need to buy a Polish proxy. The figure shows schematically the processes of direct data exchange and data exchange using a proxy server between two computers in the network.

Modern anti-detect browsers support major proxies (including IPv6), including Socks5/Http/Https/SSH.

Quick proxy selection

Why proxies are needed

Many people try to use proxies for fraudulent activities such as sending SPAM, I do not recommend doing so, there are other ways to do it. And any proxy provider will most likely just block your account.

Proxies are used to:

• Access blocked sites. You can use proxies to hide your real IP and replace it with the one given by the proxy server. For example, to bypass the blocking of Instagram, LinkedIn (and other social networks), work in the Etsy store, parsing with Key Collector or ZennoPoster.
• Masquerade as a real user. For example, to arbitrage traffic or publish reviews. It is important to note that just changing the IP is not enough to mask the data. This is due to the fact that in addition to the IP address, websites also look at many other parameters: data about your device, screen settings, time zone, language, etc. That’s why you should additionally use an anti-detect browser to stay anonymous online, protect your data or mimic real users.
• Accelerate access to sites. Some proxies add sites to the cache so that they load faster when re-opened.
• Protect your data online. Using some types of proxies, all sites you visit will see the IP address of the proxy server, not yours. This will prevent sites from collecting information about you, for example, to show ads. Moreover, some proxies can be used to protect against IP hacking since the attackers will not see your real address. However, proxies alone are not enough to fully protect your data.
• No limit on the number of connections. Some sites and services restrict the number of connections or requests at a time from a single IP address. Using a proxy can help remedy this situation.
• Check access to the site from all over the world. Using a proxy, you can connect to a site to check its availability from different countries or ISPs and networks.

Proxy like a VPN? The difference for the user is that the VPN uses end-to-end encryption, the data transmitted is protected from the point of entry to the point of exit. A proxy server is a less secure technology and cannot be used without an anti-detect browser.

What are proxies

Proxies are divided into different types depending on the level of anonymity, location, supported protocol, etc. Let’s look at proxies in a cross-section of the two most popular ones.

Anonymous proxy

Anonymous proxies replace your IP address with their address, and the proxy server address is displayed in the HTTP line. With such a proxy, the visited site will not know your real IP, and sites will see that you are using a proxy. You will be much less trustworthy because of this.

Anonymous proxies are not very good for parsing and working with Facebook, Google and other complicated sites. They can, however, be used to visit sites that are blocked in a particular country.

Elite anonymous proxies do not tell anyone that you are using a proxy and do not specify your or your IP. The advantage of these proxies is that the resource you are visiting cannot see that you are using a proxy. Such proxies are good if you want to imitate real user data, for traffic arbitrage, posting reviews, etc.

Transparent proxies – proxies that do not mask your IP address. They are used, for example, to speed up your access to the website: they add sites to the cache and, therefore, when you open the website again, it will load already saved data. Such proxies are often used by companies to save traffic.

Proxy placement

• Server proxies. They are also called data-center proxies. They are proxies in which you get the IP of a data center. Such proxies are inexpensive, but they have some disadvantages:
• They are defined as proxies. Because of this you will not be able to imitate the behavior of a normal user. On the other hand, some sites may deny you access to their resources because you are hiding your identity.
• They are not unique. Such proxies can be used by several users at once.

1. They are defined as proxies. Because of this you will not be able to imitate the behavior of a normal user. On the other hand, some sites may deny you access to their resources because you are hiding your identity.
2. They are not unique. Such proxies can be used by several users at once.

These proxies are good for visiting blocked sites, but are unlikely to pass anti-fraud systems.

• Resident proxies are IP addresses issued by ISPs to their private users. Such proxies can be used by only one person at a time and are not identified as proxies. Resident proxies do not raise any suspicions and are therefore used to bypass antifraud systems. Resident proxies have two major drawbacks: they cost considerably more than server proxies and are often slower.
• Mobile proxies are proxies issued by a mobile operator. Such proxies are dynamic and the service provider may assign an IP address to thousands of subscribers at a time. Being aware of this peculiarity, antifraud systems do not block such IPs and look for other ways to identify a user to see if it is a real person. Similar to resident proxies, mobile proxies cost more than server proxies because they help bypass antifraud systems.

Proxy protocol

• HTTP proxy. As the name implies, this type of proxy only supports and is suitable for browsing web pages and downloading files from web services running on Standard 80. HTTP proxies are not suitable for viewing sites that work only through the SSL protocol. HTTP proxies cannot be chained together.
• HTTPS (CONNECT) proxy or HTTPS proxy. Proxies of this type support the HTTP CONNECT method, which involves HTTP tunneling. In this process, the top-level protocol (HTTP) is used to transmit a lower-level protocol (TCP). These proxies can connect to any port. Thus, proxies of this type can work with virtually any network application (TCP), including web servers over a secure SSL protocol. HTTP tunneling provides anonymity to HTTPS proxies and allows them to work in a chain.
• SOCKS proxy. Almost any network application can work through a SOCKS proxy. For example, you can use a SOCKS proxy to work with your mail client (POP3, SMTP, IMAP). Another distinguishing feature of SOCKS proxies is that you can use several SOCKS proxies in a chain simultaneously, increasing your level of anonymity. SOCKS proxies are always anonymous because they operate on a low-level protocol and do not update the HTTP headers. There are three versions of the protocol: SOCKS4, SOCKS4a and SOCKS5. The most functional is SOCKS5. It allows you to make DNS queries on the proxy side using the UDP protocol and the BIND method, opening the port for incoming connections.

How to choose a proxy

Proxies should be chosen based on the tasks you need to solve. For example, it is better to use resident proxies or mobile proxies for traffic arbitrage, work with electronic wallets and cryptocurrencies. But regular server proxies are enough for bypassing blocked sites in a particular territory.

From the point of view of a proxy server user, the fewer people have access to a given proxy, the better. First, the fewer users use a particular proxy, the higher its speed. Second, a breach of any online service’s rules by one user will result in a ban, making the proxy unusable for all other users of that service. Thus, proxies of all types can be conditionally divided by limited access to them.

How much does a proxy cost

There are many services online that offer free proxies. Such proxies are definitely not suitable for working with Google or Facebook, since these IP addresses are already blocked. Moreover, they can be dangerous for your device.

We recommend that you choose proxies from companies that specialize in selling proxies and have been on the market for several years. It will help to avoid unscrupulous sellers who may deceive you, hurt you or your device.

The cheapest proxies are server proxies. Mobile and resident proxies are more expensive.

Proxy providers

Below is a list of the best trusted proxy providers.

Astro — ethical dynamic proxies with a free trial access

Astro provides AML and KYC-compliant geo targeted proxies from $3.65 per 1 GB: residential, mobile, and datacenter ones. 

All proxy servers are dynamic, with an unlimited number of external IPs’ rotation within selected geolocation. Change IPs manually or automatically, at intervals or for every request – via the dashboard, URLs, and API.

Resident and mobile proxies are based on real devices in 100+ countries. This increases resistance to accounts’ freezing and eases CAPTCHA passing, thanks to NAT technology. Proxies are geo-targeted and distributed in IP pools by countries, cities, and ISPs/mobile carriers/data centers.

Use a unified dashboard to buy Astro proxies, set them up, maintain, and gain statistics. Pay-As-You-Go or get a traffic package from 100 MB to 300 GB. Astro charges only for inbound or outbound traffic, accepts bank cards and crypto.

Why use the Astro infrastructure?

Astro offers:

• SOCKS5 and HTTP(S) support for every proxy
• Preconfigured VPN settings for mobile and desktop OS
• IPv4 and IPv6 residential IPs
• 4G/5G/LTE mobile proxy servers
• Up to 250 TCP connections per IP
• 99.9% uptime
• Lifetime RevShare partner program.
• Strict ethical compliance with KYC-verification
• Astro’s Trust evaluation (DIEG): 4.5
• Astro’s Trust evaluation (Trustpilot): 4.4
• IP Number : 2,000,000+
• Geographic coverage : 100+ countries

Full-featured free proxy trial for new Astro users & discount up to 15% on traffic packages.

Alternative Proxy Networks & Ongoing Tests

To keep this guide useful and save your administration time, we continuously monitor the infrastructure of various proxy providers. Here is the current status of alternative networks we are frequently asked about:

• Proxy-Seller & SpaceProxy: We are currently setting up deep integration and dedicated use-case testing for these two networks in modern anti-detect workflows. Both platforms show solid uptime. While we are finalizing our long-term stability reports, you can already use our verified exclusive promo codes below to test their residential and mobile IP pools with significant discounts.
• Ninja-Proxy & GonzoProxy: Our technical team is currently reviewing these platforms. The initial testing processes are still in progress, and we cannot officially recommend them for production-ready setups or high-load automation at this time.
• Proxys: Due to ongoing connection issues and frequent global domain blocks affecting their primary infrastructure from multiple countries, running a stable, unbiased benchmark for this provider is currently highly problematic.

If you need a 100% verified option right now, we suggest relying on Astro for dynamic rotation or utilizing the special partner deals listed below.

Exclusive Promo Codes

Conclusion

There are many proxy providers on the market and each one provides different types of proxies. Not everyone needs expensive private proxies, sometimes public proxies are enough. So, when choosing a proxy type and a proxy provider, it is up to you what you want to do.