Best free proxies 2024

Table of Contents

What is VPN proxy

The best free proxies provide the essential features of paid services, such as IP masking and bypassing geo-restrictions, making them a popular choice among budget-conscious users. A VPN proxy is a service that combines the functionalities of both a Virtual Private Network (VPN) and a proxy server to enhance privacy, security, and access to geo-blocked content. It works by creating an encrypted tunnel between your device and a remote server operated by the VPN service, masking your IP address and encrypting your data to ensure your online activities are hidden from your Internet Service Provider (ISP), hackers, and other third parties. Simultaneously, it acts as an intermediary between your device and the internet, routing your internet requests through the proxy server, which then forwards them to the target website. This process allows the website to see the IP address of the proxy server instead of your real IP address. The VPN proxy offers enhanced privacy by masking your IP and encrypting your data, access to geo-blocked content by making it appear as if you are browsing from a different location, improved security through encryption, and the ability to bypass internet censorship imposed by governments or institutions. Unlike using a VPN or proxy alone, a VPN proxy provides the benefits of both, such as the security of a VPN and the potential speed advantages of a proxy. This makes it ideal for streaming region-locked content, enhancing privacy, protecting sensitive information, and accessing restricted websites and services.

Best free proxies

The best free proxies provide safety and security without paying any money.

When it comes to finding reliable free proxies, it’s essential that they offer core functionalities akin to those provided by paid services. These include IP masking and access to geo-blocked websites, all without the added expense.

While proxies don’t offer the same level of security and privacy as top-tier VPNs, free proxies can still be a great option for those wanting to safeguard their digital footprint on a budget.

In our evaluation of the best free proxies, we considered several factors: their safety, efficiency, ease of use, and the availability of tutorials for manual setup and accessing blocked content. Additionally, we examined how seamlessly these proxies integrate with other applications and their performance with multiple users.

For those in need of advanced features, exploring premium proxies or specialized data center proxies might be worthwhile. However, here are our top recommendations for the best free proxy services:

Hide My Ass

“Hide My Ass” (HMA) is a popular proxy and VPN service that enables anonymous and secure internet browsing. Here’s a detailed look at what HMA offers:

Hide My Ass Overview

Started as a proxy service, now a full-fledged VPN provider
Aims to protect users’ privacy and enable access to restricted content

Hide My Ass Features

IP Masking: Conceals your real IP address to prevent tracking
Geo-blocked Content Access: Allows bypassing geographic restrictions by routing connections through servers in different countries
Privacy Protection: Provides data encryption to prevent interception by third parties
Server Network: Large network of servers worldwide for diverse connection options
Ease of Use: User-friendly apps for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS

Hide My Ass Additional Features:

Kill switch: Disconnects from the internet if the VPN connection drops
Split-tunneling: Chooses which apps use the VPN and which don’t

Proxy Service

Offers web proxy functionality for anonymous browsing without software installation
Useful for temporary use cases where full VPN capabilities are not needed

Advantages

Accessible and easy to set up, even for non-tech-savvy users
Wide selection of servers globally
Enhanced security features compared to typical proxy services

Disadvantages

VPN service is not free, although it provides more features and security than free proxies
Potential slower speeds depending on server load and location

ScraperAPI

Next on the list is ScraperAPI. Unlike HMA, ScraperAPI is designed specifically for developers and companies engaged in extensive web scraping tasks, rather than just lightweight browsing.

ScraperAPI boasts a pool of over 40 million IPs, ensuring a high success rate when extracting data from websites. This API-based proxy service intelligently routes requests through different IPs to minimize the risk of being blocked. Additionally, it automatically retries failed requests to provide a smooth scraping experience.

Due to its highly technical nature, ScraperAPI might be challenging for non-tech-savvy users to operate.

Why to buy ScraperAPI