Best Free Proxies and Lists in 2026

How Are Free Proxy Lists Made?

Free proxy lists are collected by scanning the web for devices with open connections. They’re gathered from multiple sources, some of which may not want to share their IP, while others may have malicious intentions. There’s really no way to know who hosts them.Proxy lists require setup and work best with web scraping tools, automation software, and other apps.

They differ from free web proxies, which are websites that let you enter URLs and surf through them. Such websites often have known hosts (for example, VPN services) and are best suited for quickly unblocking a resource or browsing from a different location.

This article focuses on proxy lists. But if you believe a web proxy would meet your needs better, you can try services like KProxy, VPNBook, or CroxyProxy. Do it at your own risk.

What to Expect from a Free Proxy List

While free proxy lists can be useful, you should have realistic expectations about them.

First, these proxy servers are public – anyone can use them to their heart’s content. As a result, they’re often slow, unstable, and don’t stay online for very long. They’re also denylisted by popular websites like Google or Instagram, unless you manage to snatch a free proxy server very early in its life cycle. So, strengthen your patience and prepare to constantly juggle between IPs.

For example, we tested 35 HTTPS IPs from ProxyScrape’s list that was allegedly checked two minutes prior. Only 15 of them worked, meaning they could connect at all. Half an hour later, only 11 addresses out of 35 remained functional. That’s about par for the course with free IP lists.

Second, you don’t know who’s behind a public proxy server. It can be run by hackers or other people with malicious intent. They have the power to log your personal information or inject unwanted content into pages, especially if you use HTTP proxies. While research has found that relatively few free proxy servers are malicious, you should be very careful about sending private data through them and always consider the risks.

If possible, we strongly suggest getting a paid service. Many of them offer free trials or at least money-back guarantees.

How to Check Proxy Lists

The biggest challenge with proxy lists is to find and maintain working IPs. This can be burdensome. While proxy sites periodically filter their addresses, some of them will be dead in any case. That’s why it’s useful to test the IPs by yourself.

There are plenty of proxy checkers to help you do that. We have an online proxy checker of our own where you can enter a list of proxies into your browser and receive the main information about them. Feel free to use it.

Just keep this in mind: because public proxies are so unstable, it’s very possible for multiple tests to show different data, even when done seconds apart.

Alternatives to Free Proxy Servers

If you find free proxies too slow or unreliable, you’ll need to go paid.

For web scraping or automation tasks, a VPN will do you little good. Instead, you should opt for a commercial proxy server. You can get thousands of shared datacenter IPs that rotate automatically for $50/month or less. Sophisticated targets like Google may require residential proxies which are more expensive.

Some providers offer free trials for you to try. Below we list several providers with free plans and trials. They’ll give you free access to much better quality proxies. While limited, it should be enough to run a small project or ease into a paid service.

Providers with Free Plans

1. Webshare

10 free proxies from multiple locations.

Get 50% off your first purchase.

Protocols: HTTP(S), SOCKS5
Rotation: every request, sticky sessions
Support: via email, chat. Slack (11PM-11AM PST)
Extras: API, basic documentation

Webshare offers a nice deal: 10 static datacenter proxies from 50 different locations. These IPs are private, which ensures predictable uptime and performance. Webshare also gives you the option to rotate the proxy list, though with so few IPs, it’s unclear how much benefit that would provide. The catch? You get 1 GB of traffic (per month) with max 50 parallel threads.

Getting the proxies is easy: register, and Webshare will assign you a list automatically.

For more information and performance tests, read our Webshare review.

2. Oxylabs

5 free IPs for newly registered users.

Claim your free proxies.

Protocols: HTTP(S), SOCKS5
Rotation: every request, sticky sessions
Support: 24/7 support via email, chat
Extras: API, unlimited bandwidth, comprehensive documentation

Oxylabs comes with a great package for those looking to use a premium service for free. The provider has a free plan, giving you 5 shared datacenter proxies from the U.S. with 5 GB of monthly traffic across all IPs. Traffic also renews every month.

You will be limited to 20 concurrent threads to prevent abuse, though. Nevertheless, it’s a great way to test proxies without paying or even adding your credit card. All you need to do is register for the service.

For more information and performance tests, read our Oxylabs review.

Providers with Free Trials

1. Decodo (formerly Smartproxy)

Robust residential proxies with 100MB of free traffic.

Try 100 MB for free.

Protocols: HTTP, HTTPS, SOCKS5 (+UDP)
Rotation: every request, sessions up to 24 hrs, auto after 60s of inactivity
Support: award winning 24/7 support
Extras: API, browser extension, extensive documentation

Decodo is a prominent proxy provider that offers a 3-day free trial with 100MB of residential proxy traffic. Its IPs are very fast, reliable, and stable. During the trial, you’ll be able to enjoy all the perks the provider offers – global locations, targeting up to ZIP code, and 24/7 customer support. Besides, if you decide to jump straight to the paid plan, Decodo pricing is very competitive and the infrastructure is reliable.

Read the Decodo review for more information and performance tests.

2. Bright Data

2GB of free datacenter proxy traffic.

Use the code PROXYWAY60 to get 60% off all proxy plans and Browser API. New users only.

Protocols: HTTP, HTTPS, SOCKS5 (+UDP)
Rotation: every request, customizable sticky sessions with Proxy Manager
Support: 24/7 via live chat, tickets, dedicated account manager
Extras: API, browser extension, Proxy Manager, extensive documentation
Additional 7-day free trial for businesses (all types of proxies), $2 trial credit, match of first deposit up to $500

Bright Data is one of the largest proxy providers that caters to businesses. It offers up to 15 datacenter IPs and 2GB/month for free. If you want to try residential, mobile, or ISP proxies, there’s an option to do so for business customers. Bright Data’s proxies are one of the best in the market, and the provider has got you covered for whatever features you need.

Read the Bright Data review for more information and performance tests.

3. Byteful (ex Ping Proxies)

1GB of residential proxy traffic.

Protocols: HTTP, HTTPS, SOCKS5 (UDP in beta)
Rotation: every request, as long as available, custom
Support: 5AM-7PM European time via tickets, chat, or email
Extras: proxy tester, Smartpath optimization engine

Byteful offers 1 GB of free residential proxy traffic, making it one of the more generous trials available. There are advanced targeting options, allowing you to filter IPs by factors like stability and quality in addition to location. Byteful’s platform is easy to use, with transparent network statistics, detailed request monitoring, and traffic optimization. Have in mind, you’ll have to verify yourself to get a trial.

Read the Byteful review for more information and performance tests.

Best Free Proxy Lists

1. ProxyScrape

Three easy-to-export and frequently updated proxy lists.

ProxyScrape’s proxy list isn’t the biggest, nor is it the most feature complete. But it offers the right combination of features and convenience to take the first place.

You can actually choose from three lists based on the protocol: HTTP(S), SOCKS4, and SOCKS5. They range from 200 to 2,000 IPs, which isn’t much. That’s because ProxyScrape updates the IPs every five minutes to filter out dead proxies. You can filter the lists by speed, location (two letter country codes), anonymity level, and encryption status. All in all, there are around 40 countries to choose from.

To evaluate the proxy pool, we tested 10 randomly selected HTTP IPs using our Proxy Checker tool. Here are the results:

Unlike some other websites, ProxyScrape offers generous exporting options. You can download the filtered list to a .txt file or use the provided API free of charge.

What we don’t like is that you can’t see the actual list before exporting it. And while frequent refresh times should ensure live IPs, you have no way to know if they’ll stay online, as there are no uptime metrics.

2. Hidemy.name

A decently-sized list that charges for exporting IPs.

Hidemy.name is a VPN provider that also offers a list of free proxies. But don’t get your hopes up: these IPs are no different from the other lists reviewed in this article. They’re still aggregated from various online sources.

Still, as of 2026 June, Hidemy.name’s lists constantly contain over 10,000 proxies from more than 60 countries. Of course, most of them congregate in several locations. Alongside popular locations like the USA and Russia you can find the likes of Seychelles or Belize. You can filter the list by location, protocol, and anonymity; the list also shows the proxy’s speed and when it was updated. It’s nice that you can combine several toggles at once, for example, to include both anonymous and elite addresses.

To evaluate the proxy pool, we tested 10 randomly selected SOCK5 IPs using our Proxy Checker tool. Here are the results:

The list refreshes pretty frequently. When we last checked, the newest proxies were updated a minute ago, and the oldest ones around four hours prior. The biggest issue is actually getting the list out of the website: you can export them in multiple ways, but only after paying $5. That’s one way to monetize.

3. Spys.one

A huge list of free proxies that you can filter by city and ASN.

Spys.one is among the old timers that’s still up and running. It offers one of the largest proxy lists, with over 28,000 proxies in ~160 countries. The proxies are updated at different times, so some will be checked a few minutes ago, while others will have stayed there for over a year.

Spys.one lets you filter the IPs by various parameters like protocol, anonymity, and location. It also includes rarer filters such as city, ASN, Squid, and Mikrotik proxies. You have several ways to narrow down the IPs you need, the simplest one being tabs at the top of the page. There’s additional information by each address, such as its latency, uptime, and the date it was checked.

Here’s a sample of 10 HTTP proxies selected by port, as analyzed with our Proxy Checker tool:

Despite its size and wealth of options, Spys.one isn’t the easiest proxy list to work with. While you can choose to show between 30 and 500 IPs, there’s no pagination, so you’re never sure how many addresses there are in total. Then, you can’t really sort the columns, for example by uptime. And finally, you have no way to export the proxies in bulk. So, there’s a lot of handpicking involved.

4. ProxyDB

Over 27K IPs with various filtering options.

ProxyDB maintains one of the largest free proxy databases we’ve seen, with around 27,000 proxies supporting HTTP, HTTPS, and SOCKS5 protocols. The service collects and regularly checks public proxies from more than 100 locations.

We like the platform’s balance between simplicity and functionality. You can filter proxies by protocol, anonymity level, and country, while each entry includes useful information such as uptime, response time, anonymity status, and gateway details. Moreover, ProxyDB prominently displays performance metrics, making it much easier to identify reliable proxies than on lists that only show an IP address and port.

ProxyDB also includes several utility tools, such as a proxy extractor and country lookup feature. The interface is modern, responsive, and easy to navigate, avoiding the clutter that often characterizes older free proxy directories.

Here are the results of testing 10 random HTTP proxies with our Proxy Checker tool:

The service isn’t as feature-rich as some of the more specialized proxy aggregators. However, if you’re looking for a large, regularly updated pool of public proxies with transparent performance statistics, ProxyDB is one of the more polished free proxy lists available today.

Frequently Asked Questions About Free Proxies

What is a Free Proxy Server?

A free proxy server is an intermediary that routes your internet traffic through another IP address. It can help access geo-restricted content, test websites from different locations, or hide your original IP address. Free proxies are publicly available and usually don’t require payment or registration.

Are Free Proxies Safe to Use?

Not always. Many free proxies are operated by unknown individuals or organizations, making it difficult to know how your data is handled. Avoid using free proxies for sensitive activities such as online banking, shopping, or accessing personal accounts.

What's the Difference Between HTTP, HTTPS, and SOCKS5 Prixues?

HTTP proxies are designed primarily for web traffic. HTTPS proxies add encryption between your device and the proxy server. SOCKS5 proxies are more versatile and can handle various types of traffic, including gaming, streaming, torrenting, and applications beyond web browsers.

Why are Free Proxies Often Slow?

Free proxies are shared by many users at the same time and often run on limited infrastructure. High demand, overloaded servers, and poor maintenance can lead to slower speeds, higher latency, and frequent connection failures.

How Often Do Free Proxy Lists Update?

It depends on the provider. Some proxy lists check and refresh their databases every few minutes, while others may leave inactive proxies listed for days or even months. Regular testing is important because public proxies frequently go offline.

2 Responses

Ahmetik says:

July 17, 2024 at 1:31 am

best

Skillter says:

September 11, 2025 at 2:27 pm

solid breakdown. those public lists are handy but still a roulette, half the IPs die fast or push ads
I ended up coding a free scraper that grabs the same sources (and a lot more), checks each IP against a judge so hijacks and misconfiguration get filtered out, then auto-drops the fresh .txt of proxies to GitHub every 30 min

Im the dev, totally free if you wanna peek or just yoink the lists
https://github.com/Skillter/ProxyGather

Best Free Proxy Lists for Web Scraping & Anonymity