Top 10 Free and Cheap Proxy Services for 2026

Looking for a way to hide your IP or access geo-blocked content without breaking the bank? You're in the right place. Proxy servers act as intermediaries between you and the internet, masking your IP address and helping you appear to browse from another location. People use proxies for everything from privacy and anonymity to accessing global content and web scraping for data and even businesses leverage them for market research and SEO monitoring.

Why focus on free and cheap proxies? Well, not everyone has an enterprise budget for proxies. Free proxy options and affordable proxy services let you get the job done without spending a fortune. All the proxy providers listed here offer either a free service, a free trial, or budget-friendly plans. They also have global proxy networks (including datacenter and residential proxy IPs around the world), so you can route your connection through various countries as needed.

Note: Completely free proxies often come with trade-offs. Many free proxy servers have slow speeds or downtime, and some might even track your activity or inject ads. In other words, you get what you pay for. Our list emphasizes reputable services, even the free offerings here are from trusted providers. If you need serious reliability and privacy, consider the cheap paid options, which generally perform much better than random free proxy lists.

1. Webshare.io

Webshare is a popular choice for those seeking an easy-to-use proxy platform with low costs. It offers a large network of both datacenter and residential proxies. In fact, Webshare provides over 1 million datacenter IPs across 35+ countries and a pool of 80 million residential IPs worldwide. That’s a huge selection for a service geared toward affordability. All plans come with unlimited bandwidth and support both HTTP and SOCKS5 protocols, so you don't have to worry about data caps.

One standout feature is Webshare’s free trial, you get 10 proxies to use with no time limit, perfect for testing the service or doing a short project without paying a penny. The platform’s dashboard is newbie-friendly, allowing you to sort and download proxy lists easily. Webshare is great for small-scale web scraping, social media management, or any scenario where you need a handful of proxies quickly. Just keep in mind its free tier has a limited proxy pool and locations, so for more variety you’d upgrade to the paid plans.

2. Bright Data

Bright Data (formerly Luminati) is a heavyweight in the proxy world, known for its massive proxy pool and powerful features. It has a huge network of 72 million residential IPs across 195 countries, plus a wide range of proxy types (datacenter, residential, mobile, ISP). This means you can route through almost any region globally, which is fantastic for web scraping large sites or accessing region-locked content. Bright Data supports city-level targeting and rotation, and it boasts a 99.99% uptime for reliability. The service is designed with businesses in mind, offering advanced tools (like a web unblocker and API) and 24/7 support via live chat.

The trade-off for all these features? Cost. Bright Data is one of the pricier options out there, plans start around $8.40 per GB, which can add up quickly for small users. They do have flexible plans and even a 7-day free trial for new users to test the waters, but this platform shines brightest for enterprise-level needs. If you have a serious project (like scraping e-commerce data at scale) and budget isn't a big issue, Bright Data’s performance and immense IP pool can be worth it. For hobbyists or those on a tight budget, though, one of the cheaper providers might be a better fit.

3. Decodo (Smartproxy)

Decodo, previously known as Smartproxy, is a bang-for-your-buck proxy provider that balances price and performance. It offers 65 million residential IPs across 195 locations around the globe, along with other proxy types like datacenter, ISP, and mobile proxies. Decodo’s global coverage and proxy variety make it suitable for tasks like scraping websites that have geo-restrictions or managing multiple social media accounts in different regions.

One reason Decodo is loved by marketers and developers is its affordable pricing; residential proxy plans start at about $4 per GB, which is far more budget-friendly than many competitors. They also include unlimited bandwidth on most plans and offer a free 3-day trial (with 100MB data) so you can test the service. The user experience is smooth: a simple dashboard, a Chrome extension for quick proxy switching, and even a no-code scraping API for those who aren’t hardcore coders. Decodo’s proxies have a solid success rate (the service reports around 99.5% success on requests) and rarely get blocked on tough sites, which is impressive for a low-cost provider. The only downsides are that the free tier is very limited on data, and the dashboard could use more filtering options for power users, but overall, it’s a top pick if you need reliable proxies on the cheap.

4. Oxylabs

Oxylabs is often mentioned in any top proxy provider roundup, and for good reason. It’s a premium service geared toward businesses and power users who need scale and performance. Oxylabs boasts a whopping 177 million IPs worldwide, covering almost every country. This includes an enormous pool of residential proxies and a robust network of datacenter IPs. If you have a large-scale web scraping project, Oxylabs can handle it: their infrastructure is rock-solid, with 99.9% uptime guarantees and the ability to run unlimited concurrent threads without issues. They also provide extras like a web scraper API and an AI-based “unblocker” to get past anti-bot measures on sites.

However, Oxylabs is not the cheapest option (it’s one of the priciest on this list alongside Bright Data). Its pricing is competitive for the enterprise segment, roughly ~$4 per GB for residential proxies on large plans, but there’s no low-budget plan for casual users. They do offer a free 7-day trial for business accounts and have 24/7 support (including a dedicated account manager for big clients), which underscores their focus on professional clientele. In short, Oxylabs is overkill for a casual user looking for a few proxies, but if you need thousands of proxies with high success rates and enterprise-level support, it’s an excellent choice.

5. ProxyEmpire

ProxyEmpire is a newer contender that has earned a spot among the best by focusing on flexibility and affordability. It offers about 9.5 million rotating residential IPs across 170 countries, which is a healthy pool for most use cases. One of ProxyEmpire’s standout features is its non-expiring bandwidth model: you can buy data and use it whenever, without monthly expiration. In practice, they have a pay-as-you-go system starting at roughly $4 per GB and you won’t lose your remaining traffic at the end of the month. This is great for smaller projects or intermittent needs, you pay only for what you use.

Despite being affordable, ProxyEmpire still provides useful features like city-level and ISP targeting for its proxies, and it allows unlimited concurrent sessions. There’s also a handy browser extension to manage proxies easily, and 24/7 live chat support if you hit any snags. In terms of performance, ProxyEmpire’s proxies are reliable for tasks like ad verification, market research, and general web scraping. The trade-offs: the total IP pool, while large, is smaller than giants like Oxylabs, and occasionally during peak times the speeds might dip a bit. Also, they offer mobile proxies too, but the mobile pool is not as vast as some competitors. If you need a cost-effective, no-expiry proxy solution for steady but not huge usage, ProxyEmpire is a solid pick.

6. MobileProxy.space

As the name hints, MobileProxy.space specializes in mobile proxies, meaning IP addresses coming from real mobile network connections (3G/4G/5G). If you need to test mobile apps or scrape websites that are sensitive to mobile vs desktop traffic, this has you covered. MobileProxy.space provides genuine mobile carrier IPs from various regions, and it offers unlimited data usage on all plans (great for data-intensive tasks). Another plus is the flexibility in pricing: you can even get proxies on very short terms, like daily or weekly plans, which keeps costs low if you only need a proxy for a short project.

For anonymity and social media automation, mobile IPs can be golden, since they appear as regular cellphone users. MobileProxy.space allows sticky sessions and high rotation frequency, which is useful for staying under the radar on sites like Instagram or Facebook. They also have a free 2-hour trial so you can see how the mobile IPs perform before committing. Because this provider is focused only on mobile proxies, you won’t get other proxy types here (no datacenter or residential options). And while the coverage is global, the pool size is smaller compared to huge multi-purpose providers. It also lacks some advanced features (like API integration) that bigger services have. But if mobile proxies are what you need, MobileProxy.space is an affordable and very specialized solution.

7. IPRoyal

IPRoyal is a budget-friendly proxy service that punches above its weight. It provides a network of 32 million+ residential IPs across 195 countries, which is pretty extensive coverage. The company is known for ethically sourcing its IPs (through its Pawns.app program), so the IP pool quality is maintained and not just a bunch of dodgy open proxies. One cool thing about IPRoyal is that it offers non-expiring bandwidth options, any unused traffic can roll over, which means you won’t waste data you paid for. This, combined with already low prices, makes it extremely cost-effective.

Speaking of price, IPRoyal’s residential proxies start at just $1.75 per GB, one of the lowest rates in the market. They also have some insanely cheap monthly plans (for example, a few bucks for a small pool of datacenter proxies) and even a free proxy list available on their website. In fact, IPRoyal curates a list of open proxy servers that anyone can use for free, updated every 10 minutes, a handy resource if you truly need a quick proxy server free of charge (just note those public proxies can be hit-or-miss). For their premium services, IPRoyal supports HTTP(S) and SOCKS5, offers 24/7 chat support, and lets you do sticky sessions or rotating as needed. The main drawbacks are that their proxy pool, while large, is still smaller than giants like Oxylabs, and they don’t have as many advanced features for enterprise users. But if you’re a solo user or small business on a tight budget, IPRoyal is definitely one of the best cheap options out there.

8. Shifter.io

Shifter (formerly Microleaves) is a veteran in the proxy space, known for its massive rotating proxy network and unique pricing model. It offers 31 million rotating residential IPs around the world, which are great for high-volume web scraping, sneaker botting, or any scenario where you need to continuously cycle through fresh IP addresses. All Shifter plans come with unlimited bandwidth, instead of paying per GB, you pay for the number of ports (proxy gateways) you need, and you can send unlimited traffic through them. This port-based approach can be very cost-effective if you run heavy data through each port.

Shifter’s proxies automatically rotate IPs (you can set rotation intervals) and support unlimited concurrent connections, making them well-suited for big tasks like flash sale bots or large-scale data harvesting. They claim a 99.5% success rate on requests, which speaks to the network’s reliability. Shifter also provides a free trial so you can test the waters. On the downside, the entry cost is a bit high for casual users, plans start at around $124 per month for a basic port package. So, this is not a “cheap” proxy service in the sense of low monthly cost, but it is cheap in the sense of unlimited usage (if you know you’re going to push a ton of bandwidth, Shifter gives you a flat rate). Also, their support is via a ticket system and can sometimes be slow to respond. In summary, Shifter is ideal for power users who need lots of IP rotations and unlimited data, but not the best choice if you just occasionally need a proxy or two.

9. NetNut

NetNut takes a different approach to proxies by routing through direct ISP connections rather than peer-to-peer networks. The result is a very stable and fast proxy network. NetNut has 52 million IPs in 150+ countries at its disposal, comprising both static ISP proxies and rotating residential proxies. Because of their direct-to-ISP setup, NetNut proxies tend to have low latency and high speeds, up to ~200 Mbps in real-world use. This makes NetNut a favorite for tasks like real-time data scraping (e.g. stock prices, news sites) where speed matters, or for users who need to maintain persistent sessions with minimal downtime.

Another strong point is reliability: NetNut guarantees 99.9% uptime and showed about a 93% success rate under heavy load in independent tests. They also provide a week-long free trial so you can see if their performance lives up to the claims before you commit. The main catch with NetNut is the pricing model, it’s geared towards professional use. Plans reportedly start at around $100 per month for a basic package. There’s no pay-as-you-go small plan, so if you only need a tiny amount of data or have a small project, NetNut likely won’t be cost-effective. It’s best for larger scale projects or businesses that can utilize its speed and are willing to invest in a premium service. In short: NetNut is a top performer in the proxy arena, but make sure you actually need its horsepower (and can justify the cost).

10. Storm Proxies

Storm Proxies is a long-standing budget proxy provider that’s perfect for beginners or anyone who needs a simple, low-cost proxy solution. It doesn’t have the millions of IPs that some others boast, but it does offer a usable mix: around 40,000 rotating residential IPs, primarily in the US and EU, supplemented by some datacenter IPs as backups for reliability. Storm Proxies operates on a rotation system, IPs change every 5 or 20 minutes (depending on the service you choose), which works well for things like sneaker drops, ticket purchasing, or basic web scraping where you just need a new IP periodically to avoid blocks.

The best part of Storm Proxies is the pricing. Plans start at $14 per month, which gets you a port with unlimited bandwidth. In an industry where many providers charge dozens or hundreds of dollars, that $14 plan is about as cheap as it gets for an entry-level paid proxy. Of course, that plan has a limited number of IPs and threads, but you can scale up a bit if needed and still stay well under big-budget territory. Storm Proxies has a very quick setup (you get your proxy endpoints immediately after purchase) and a 24-hour refund policy if it doesn’t work out, which is a nice safety net. The trade-offs: the IP pool is much smaller than others on this list, and locations are basically limited to the US and Europe, so it’s not suitable if you need proxies in, say, Asia or South America. Also, because the service is no-frills, you won’t get fancy features or APIs. But for basic needs and cheap proxies, Storm Proxies is a trustworthy option that has been around for years.

Frequently Asked Questions about Proxies

What is the meaning of a proxy?

A proxy (or proxy server) is essentially a middleman between your device and the internet. When you connect through a proxy server, your internet traffic is routed through that server first, which means websites will see the proxy’s IP address instead of your own. In simple terms, the proxy hides your real IP and can make it look like you’re browsing from another location. People often use proxies to improve privacy, bypass geo-blocks (e.g. to view content available in another country), or manage multiple connections without revealing their identity.

How does a proxy work?

When you use a proxy, the process goes like this: you send a web request (say, you click a link or open a website) and that request is sent to the proxy server first, rather than directly to the website. The proxy server then forwards your request to the target website on your behalf. The website responds to the proxy (thinking the proxy is the original requester), and then the proxy passes that data back to you. This way, the proxy acts as an intermediary for all data. From the outside, any web server just sees the proxy server’s IP and not yours. The proxy can also sometimes cache data or filter content, but the basic idea is the same: it stands in between you and the internet, handling requests and responses.

How do I use a proxy?

Using a proxy can be straightforward. Generally, you need two things: the proxy server address (IP or hostname) and a port number. These are usually provided by your proxy service. You take this info and enter it into your application or device settings. For example, in a web browser you can go into the network settings and find the proxy configuration section, on Windows, you’d go to Settings > Network & Internet > Proxy, and then input the proxy address and port there. Once that’s set, your browser traffic will go through the proxy. Similarly, you can configure proxies on your smartphone’s Wi-Fi settings or use software tools. Some providers offer their own apps or browser extensions to make this easier (you log in and it automatically routes your traffic). If you’re using proxies for a specific app (like a scraping script, a game, or a bot), the app might have its own proxy settings where you plug in the details. The key is to get the proxy address:port and any required authentication (some proxies require a username/password or IP whitelisting) from your provider, then update your device or app settings accordingly. After that, you should be able to browse or run your tasks and have the traffic go through the proxy.

What’s the difference between a proxy and a VPN?

Both proxies and VPNs can hide your IP address by routing your traffic through a different server, but there are important differences. The biggest one is that a VPN encrypts all your internet traffic, while a proxy typically does not add encryption (unless you’re using an HTTPS proxy for a specific website). A VPN creates an encrypted tunnel between your device and the VPN server, which gives you a higher level of privacy and security, it’s great if you’re on public Wi-Fi or handling sensitive information. A proxy, on the other hand, will forward your traffic but without that blanket of encryption, so it’s mainly for anonymity and routing, not security.

Another difference is scope: a proxy is often configured per application or request. For example, you can set your browser to use a proxy, but other apps on your computer will still use your direct connection. VPNs typically operate system-wide, once you connect to a VPN, all your internet traffic goes through it (almost like your whole computer is now in a different network). Because of this, proxies are useful for tasks like web scraping or bypassing region blocks in a browser, whereas VPNs are commonly used for security, privacy, or streaming geo-blocked content with encryption. Also, using a proxy is generally lighter on resources (and often cheaper), while VPNs might be slightly slower due to encryption overhead. In summary: use a VPN for security/encryption or comprehensive privacy, use a proxy if you just need to change your IP for certain traffic and speed is crucial.

What are the best cheap or free proxy services?

Some of the best cheap or free proxy services in 2025 include providers like those in our top 10 list above. To highlight a few: IPRoyal is extremely cheap, starting at only $1.75 per GB for residential proxies, and even offers a free proxy list on their site that’s updated every 10 minutes (so you can grab a proxy server free of charge if needed). Webshare is another great option; it has an unlimited free trial (10 proxies with no time limit) for new users, and its paid plans are very affordable (just $0.60 per GB at entry-level) for the features you get. Storm Proxies stands out as well, with plans as low as $14 per month for unlimited bandwidth, one of the cheapest paid options around.

If you’re strictly after free proxies, you could also consider web-based proxies like Hide.me or VPNBook, or use IPRoyal’s free proxy list as mentioned. Just remember that fully free services often have limitations in speed or reliability. The providers we’ve listed balance cost and performance. In short: IPRoyal, Webshare, and Storm Proxies are among the top recommendations for cheap/free proxy needs, but any service in our above list can be considered one of the best in this category depending on your exact requirements.

Are free proxies safe?

Free proxies come with risks. It’s important to choose reputable ones. While a free proxy will hide your IP, it might not have proper security measures. In fact, many free proxies lack encryption or strong privacy policies, so you could be exposed to eavesdropping or tracking. Some sketchy free proxy servers have been known to log your data, inject advertisements into webpages, or even modify content, basically exploiting the fact that you’re funneling your traffic through them. They also tend to be unreliable (slow speeds, lots of downtime, or already blacklisted by websites).

That said, not all free proxies are malicious, for example, the free offerings from trusted companies (like the ones we mentioned above, who provide free trials or free proxy lists) are generally safe to use. Just avoid random proxy IPs you find on the internet without knowing where they come from. As a rule of thumb, never use a free proxy for anything sensitive (like logging into your bank or email). If you just want to bypass a simple block or do a quick task, a free proxy can be fine. For anything more important, consider paying a little for a reputable service or at least use a trusted free trial. Always double-check what data a proxy service might collect, if they have a vague or sketchy privacy policy, steer clear.

Are proxy servers legal to use?

Using a proxy server is legal in most countries, there’s nothing inherently illegal about routing your traffic through another server. Millions of people and businesses use proxies for legitimate purposes like content delivery, caching, or privacy. However, legality can get tricky if you’re using a proxy to do something illegal or against a service’s terms of service. For instance, using a proxy to commit cyber crimes or to access copyrighted content unlawfully would still be illegal. Additionally, a few countries heavily regulate or ban proxies/VPNs for general use (for example, regimes that want to control internet access might prohibit proxy tools). But in general, the act of using a proxy is not illegal, it depends on how you use it and where you are. If you’re in a country with internet censorship and you use a proxy to bypass it, you could be breaking local laws. For the average user in most regions: proxies are perfectly legal to use for boosting privacy, scraping public data, or any normal activity. Always make sure to comply with the law and the terms of the websites you’re accessing (some sites forbid using proxies in their ToS). When in doubt, a quick look at local regulations or consulting legal advice is wise, but for the most part proxies are a legit tool.

What is a “residential proxy” (vs. a data center proxy)?

A residential proxy is an IP address that comes from an actual ISP-issued connection, in other words, from a real device like a home computer or mobile phone on the internet. These proxies appear to websites as ordinary users surfing from their home or phone. Because of this, residential proxies tend to be harder for websites to detect or block (they blend in with normal consumer traffic). The downside is they are usually more expensive, since real IPs are a limited resource and often obtained via peer networks or ISP partnerships.

On the flip side, a datacenter proxy comes from a data center server. These are not associated with an Internet Service Provider’s customers; they’re from cloud providers or hosting companies. Datacenter proxies are typically very fast and relatively cheap (you can get lots of them for a low cost) but are easier for websites to identify as proxies since data center IP ranges are known. For example, a flood of requests from an Amazon Web Services IP range might tip off a website’s anti-bot system that you’re using proxies.

In summary: Residential proxies = real device IPs, better anonymity, higher cost. Datacenter proxies = server IPs, high speed, lower cost, but more detectable. The best choice depends on your task. If you need to appear as a genuine user (say, scraping a site that blocks proxies aggressively), residential is the way to go. If you need volume and speed and the target isn’t too strict, datacenter proxies can be very cost-effective.