The Best Free Proxy Servers for Online Freedom in 2024

Regardless of why you use the internet, you need to ensure your safety. Whenever you access the internet, you get an IP address that could reveal personal details like your Internet Service Provider’s (ISP’s) name and location. Cybercriminals can exploit these details for malicious activities.

Thankfully, you can leverage tools like proxy servers to protect your online privacy. In this article, we’ll explain all you should know about proxy servers. You’ll also find a list of top proxy servers you can choose from and other advantages of using these servers. Let’s begin.

What is a proxy server?

A proxy server is an application or system intermediating your browsing devices and the internet. When you go online or visit a webpage using this system, you enjoy a layer of security because the proxy server uses its IP address to get information. As such, you can browse securely and anonymously and even bypass restrictions like geo-blocking.

The benefits and drawbacks of using proxy servers

Proxy servers are open to all kinds of users. Whether you want to protect your company’s online privacy or you simply want to stream movies anonymously, you should know what to expect from using these servers.

Here are the benefits and challenges of using proxy servers.

The benefits

• Enhanced security: Proxies function as firewalls between the Internet and your device. They hide your IP address so that hackers cannot easily access it to infiltrate your network. Additionally, your browsing is safe and impossible to track.
• Browsing control: This feature is particularly useful for companies and large corporations. With proxy servers, you can prevent distractions by blocking certain sites from running on the computers within the organization.
• Geo-blocking bypass: Proxy servers with IP addresses from different countries are usually available. This fact implies that you can act like you are in another country to access content only available to computers in that location. For example, you can use free proxy servers in Pakistan, which makes it appear like you’re in the United States.

The drawbacks

• Lack of encryption: Proxy servers are not usually encrypted. If attackers intercept them, sensitive information like passwords might be at risk of being exposed.
• Extra configurations needed: You can only use a proxy server if it is manually programmed for your device. Also, safety might be compromised if it is not properly set up.
• Server overload: Most proxies have inadequate bandwidth yet support millions of users. Thus, there is usually poor internet speed due to the traffic.

Our best free proxy servers list

Check out our list of best-performing free proxy servers you can use today.

How we prepared our best free proxy server list

Using free proxy servers comes with many challenges, the most prominent one being their slow speed. However, we have selected options with a minimum uptime of 80% and would serve you well. Check out the other factors we looked out for in preparing our list.

• Anonymity grade: We selected servers that would not reveal your actual IP address. Also, no one can detect that you are connecting using a proxy.
• HTTPS connection: It is the secure version of HTTP that protects you from cyber attacks while accessing websites.
• Low latency: Latency refers to the delay in transmission between computers. Although free proxies are generally not fast, we did our due diligence to choose those with low latency.
• SOCKS5: SOCKS5 provides an extra layer of security by hiding your IP address from your browsing. Its enhanced protection uses Secure Shell (SSH) encrypted tunneling.

How to setup your proxy server

After considering our list of best proxy servers, we’ll walk you through how to set it up on both Windows and Mac devices.

On Windows 11

Below are the steps to get your proxy server started on your Windows manually:

1. Click the Start button and select Settings > Network & internet > Proxy.
2. Locate the “Use a proxy server” option below “Manual proxy setup,” and click on “Set up.”
3. Fill out the Proxy IP address or Proxy server name and Port in the respective boxes.
4. If there are some websites you want to reach without using the proxy server, an exception list is available. All you have to do is include the ending of the site’s address on the list.
5. Select the “Don’t use the proxy server for local (intranet) addresses” check box if your company does not allow proxy servers for intranet addresses.
6. Select the “Save” button.

On macOS

The following steps will guide you to set up a proxy server on your Mac using Safari:

1. Go to the Safari app on your Mac and select Safari > Settings > Advanced.
2. Beside “Proxies,” click on “Change Settings” to access the Network settings. 
3. Fill in the details for the proxy server you want to use.
4. Click “OK.”

Where to find free residential proxies

Residential proxies are one of the most demanded proxy services because they are credible and reliable. With them, you get an IP address from an ISP to your device. As a result, extensive operations like optimizing marketing campaigns and market research use these proxies. Sadly, there are no free residential proxies.

However, numerous residential proxy servers have free trials or money-back guarantees. Some popular ones include:

• Bright Data (with a 7-day free trial).
• Oxylabs (with a 7-day free trial).
• Smartproxy (with a 3-day money-back guarantee)
• NetNut (with a 7-day free trial)
• GeoSurf (with a 7-day free trial)

What you can do if your proxy server’s IP is blocked

There are many reasons why your proxy server’s IP can get blocked. You probably sent some unwanted messages or signed up using false details. It might also be that you might have violated the proxy’s terms of service. Unfortunately, unblocking might be difficult if you’ve violated the terms of service.

If your IP is blocked, here are some methods to unlock it so you can access the internet again.

• Check that your IP address is not on a blacklist: Proxy IP addresses that are already on a blacklist cannot be accessed. You can check your IP address; alternatively, you can call your ISP for clarity.
• Restart your router: This method works if you are not assigned a permanent IP address. Simply restart your router to get a different address. You just might get another address that is not blocked.
• Use a VPN: You can use a VPN to bypass your IP’s restriction. When you use a VPN, your computer gets a new IP address so you can escape the ban on your original IP address.

Are there alternatives to proxy servers?

Yes, there are other alternatives aside from proxy servers that you can use to ensure your online security and privacy. Let’s check them out below:

• Proxy browser: You can connect anonymously to the internet within a proxy browser. It routes your browsing request through a proxy server before accessing the website or files you want to view online. However, programs and apps outside the browser cannot use the privacy feature.
• Proxy website: Web proxy or proxy websites allow you to change your IP address easily. Like proxy servers, web proxies fake your actual IP address so you can hide your identity when visiting any website.
• VPN: VPNs are one of the most popular alternatives to proxy servers. They disguise your online requests as coming from another source, which makes you invisible. VPNs also have secure encryption and connection, so you can transfer sensitive information without fear that malicious actors can hack your network.

Best VPNs to consider over free proxy servers

Proxies are good, but VPNs are better. A VPN is an excellent solution to your online privacy needs, and there are many paid options if you want 24/7 protection. However, there are free versions of these paid VPNs that provide safe and secure connections for infrequent users. Below are our top three:

1. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is one of the best VPNs out there. With over 3,000 VPN servers across 94 countries, it is fast and easy to use. The VPN has world-class privacy features, and you can unblock numerous restricted streaming sites. It also has an amazing password manager that provides added security for you. You can use its 30-day money-back guarantee to see the VPN in action.

Read our ExpressVPN’s detailed review

2. Private Internet Access

Private Internet Access (PIA) protects your privacy and doesn’t keep your activity logs. You can escape network restrictions and ISP throttling. With one PIA account, you can connect this VPN to many devices. Also, it has unlimited bandwidth, so you can expect fast network speed. Finally, PIA has a 7-day free trial that you can leverage.

Read our PIA’s detailed review

3. ExtremeVPN

ExtremeVPN has strong privacy and security features without compromising a stable connection. It works well with major streaming platforms and unblocks any restrictions you might be dealing with. It has extra safety features like split tunneling, which improves your privacy experience. You can take advantage of its 30-day money-back guarantee to see how it works.

Read our ExtremeVPN detailed review

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