What is a Proxy Site?
A proxy site (also known as a proxy server or web proxy) is an intermediary server that acts as a gateway between your device and the internet. When you use a proxy, your internet traffic is routed through this intermediary server before reaching its final destination. This process effectively masks your original IP address, replacing it with the proxy server's IP address, thereby providing a layer of anonymity and privacy while browsing online.
Think of a proxy as a middleman in your internet communication. Instead of your computer directly requesting data from a website, the proxy server makes the request on your behalf. The website sees the proxy's IP address rather than yours, providing privacy and security. This fundamental concept has evolved significantly since proxies were first introduced in the 1990s, now serving various purposes from simple privacy protection to complex business operations like web scraping, market research, and competitive intelligence.
Simple Analogy: Using a proxy is like sending mail through a friend's address. The recipient sees your friend's address instead of yours, providing privacy while still allowing communication. Similarly, websites see the proxy's IP address instead of your actual location, protecting your identity and privacy.
How Proxies Work: The Technical Process
Understanding the technical workflow helps you appreciate how proxies protect your privacy:
- Client Request: Your browser or application sends a request to access a website or online resource
- Proxy Interception: Instead of going directly to the target server, the request is first sent to the configured proxy server
- IP Masking: The proxy server strips your original IP address and replaces it with its own IP address
- Request Forwarding: The proxy server forwards your request to the target website using its IP address
- Response Reception: The website processes the request and sends the response back to the proxy server
- Content Delivery: The proxy server receives the data and forwards it to you, completing the anonymous browsing cycle
This entire process happens in milliseconds, making proxy usage seamless and transparent to end users. The key advantage is that the target website never sees your real IP address, location, or identifying information—only the proxy server's details.
Types of Proxy Servers
Not all proxies are created equal. Different types of proxy servers serve different purposes, offer varying levels of anonymity, and come with distinct advantages and limitations. Understanding these differences is crucial for choosing the right proxy solution for your specific needs—whether it's personal privacy, business operations, or web scraping.
Residential Proxies
Real IP addresses assigned by ISPs to homeowners. Most legitimate and hardest to detect type of proxy.
- Extremely difficult to detect and block
- Highest success rate for restricted sites
- Real geographical locations (city/state level)
- Trusted by websites as legitimate traffic
- Lower ban rates compared to other types
Best For: Web scraping, social media management, ad verification, accessing geo-restricted content
Price Range: $5-$15 per GB
Datacenter Proxies
Generated from cloud servers and data centers. Not affiliated with ISPs but extremely fast and affordable.
- Extremely fast speeds (up to 10 Gbps)
- Much more affordable ($1-$5 per proxy)
- Reliable uptime and performance
- Easy to scale for large operations
- Available in bulk quantities
Best For: SEO monitoring, price comparison, general browsing, testing
Price Range: $1-$5 per proxy/month
Mobile Proxies
Route traffic through mobile devices using cellular data (3G/4G/5G). Highest trust score and lowest block rate.
- Highest trust score from websites
- Dynamic IP rotation (carrier-grade NAT)
- Perfect for mobile-specific apps
- Excellent for social media automation
- Mimics real mobile user behavior
Best For: Social media, mobile app testing, sneaker copping
Price Range: $50-$500+ per month
HTTP/HTTPS Proxies
Designed specifically for web traffic. Can cache pages, compress data, and filter content.
- Optimized for web browsing
- HTTPS provides SSL encryption
- Can cache frequently accessed content
- Content filtering capabilities
- Widely supported across browsers
Best For: Web browsing, accessing websites, basic privacy needs
Price Range: Free to $10/month
SOCKS Proxies (SOCKS5)
Versatile proxy that handles any type of traffic, not just web browsing. SOCKS5 is most advanced.
- Works with all protocols (TCP/UDP)
- Supports authentication
- No content restrictions
- IPv6 compatible (SOCKS5)
- Lower overhead than HTTP proxies
Best For: Torrenting, gaming, streaming, P2P applications, email clients
Price Range: $3-$15 per proxy/month
Shared vs. Dedicated Proxies
Choose between sharing IP addresses with others (cheaper) or having exclusive access (more reliable).
- Shared: Affordable but slower performance
- Shared: Higher risk of IP bans
- Dedicated: Exclusive IP, maximum speed
- Dedicated: Better security and control
- Dedicated: Lower ban risk
Shared Price: $1-$10/month | Dedicated Price: $5-$50+/month
Expert Recommendation: For personal use, HTTPS proxies or residential proxies offer the best balance of security and anonymity. For business web scraping, residential proxies are the gold standard despite higher costs. For high-speed tasks where detection isn't critical, datacenter proxies provide excellent value.
Why Do People and Companies Use Proxies?
The reasons for using proxies span from personal privacy concerns to complex business intelligence operations. Understanding these diverse applications helps illustrate why proxies have become such an integral part of modern internet infrastructure.
Top Reasons for Proxy Usage
- Privacy Protection: Hide your IP address and prevent tracking by websites, advertisers, and ISPs
- Security Enhancement: Add an extra layer of protection when using public Wi-Fi or accessing sensitive information
- Geo-Restriction Bypass: Access content and services that are blocked in your region
- Web Scraping: Collect large amounts of data without being blocked by rate limits
- Social Media Management: Safely manage multiple accounts without triggering bans
- Ad Verification: Ensure ads display correctly in different geographic locations
- Price Monitoring: Track competitor pricing and discover location-based price discrimination
- Brand Protection: Monitor for counterfeit products and trademark violations globally
- SEO Monitoring: Check search rankings from different locations without personalization
- Market Research: Gather competitive intelligence and consumer sentiment data
Top 10 Best Proxy Sites & Services 2025 (Tested & Ranked)
After months of rigorous testing across 100+ proxy providers, we've identified the services that actually deliver on their promises. We evaluated each based on real-world performance: speed, reliability, IP pool quality, success rates, customer support, and value for money.
Quick Navigation: If you're ready to get started, we recommend Oxylabs for enterprise-scale operations with unlimited budget, or Decodo for the best balance of features, performance, and price. Both offer industry-leading IP pools and reliability—scroll down to see full comparisons.
Oxylabs
Editor's Choice: Enterprise-grade proxy network with unmatched scale and reliability
When it comes to large-scale data collection, web scraping, and enterprise operations, Oxylabs stands in a class of its own. With over 100 million residential IPs spanning 195+ countries and the most advanced anti-detection technology available, Oxylabs has earned its reputation as the go-to solution for businesses that can't afford downtime or IP blocks.
Type: Residential, Datacenter, Mobile & ISP Proxies
IP Pool: 100+ Million IPs across 195+ countries with city-level targeting
Starting Price: Custom enterprise plans (Contact for pricing)
Best For: Enterprise web intelligence, large-scale scraping, ad verification, brand protection, market research
Why Oxylabs Ranks #1:
After extensive testing, Oxylabs consistently delivered the highest success rates (99.95%) and the most reliable connections for demanding enterprise use cases. Their Headless Browser technology and advanced fingerprinting systems bypass even the toughest anti-bot measures on sites like Amazon, Google, and social media platforms.
✓ Pros:
- Massive 100M+ global IP pool with exceptional geographic coverage (country → city → ZIP targeting)
- All proxy types in one platform: residential, datacenter, mobile (3G/4G/5G), and ISP proxies
- Enterprise-grade infrastructure built for high-scale projects with 99.95% success rates
- Advanced scraping tools: Headless Browser, auto-retry logic, dynamic fingerprinting, and CAPTCHA handling
- Ethically sourced & compliant: GDPR and CCPA compliant with transparent IP sourcing
- Developer-friendly: Easy API integration, comprehensive documentation, and intuitive dashboard
- 24/7 dedicated support with account managers for premium clients
- Unmatched reliability with SLA guarantees and minimal downtime
✗ Cons:
- Premium pricing — better suited for businesses than individual users
- Enterprise-focused — may be overkill for small projects or beginners
- Custom pricing only — no transparent pricing on website (must contact sales)
Expert Recommendation: If you're running serious web scraping operations, need reliable ad verification, or require enterprise-level data collection, Oxylabs is worth every penny. Their superior infrastructure and support justify the premium pricing for businesses that need guaranteed results.
Decodo
Best Value: Massive IP pool with enterprise features at affordable prices
If you want enterprise-level features without enterprise pricing, Decodo is your answer. With an impressive 115 million IP pool and coverage across 195+ locations, Decodo delivers the scale and reliability of premium services at prices that won't break the bank. Perfect for growing businesses and serious users who need quality without compromise.
Type: Residential (Rotating & Sticky), Mobile (3G/4G/5G), Datacenter, Static Residential
IP Pool: 115+ Million IPs across 195+ locations with city-level targeting
Starting Price: $12.5/GB (Residential), $2.50/IP (Datacenter) — 14-day money-back guarantee
Best For: Mid-sized businesses, SEO monitoring, social media management, e-commerce, web scraping
Why Decodo Ranks #2:
Decodo strikes the perfect balance between power and affordability. While Oxylabs caters to Fortune 500 companies, Decodo gives small and medium businesses access to a massive IP network, advanced anti-detection features, and professional-grade tools—all with transparent pricing and no long-term contracts.
✓ Pros:
- Huge 115M+ global IP pool — even larger than many "enterprise" providers
- Multiple proxy types: residential (rotating/sticky), mobile (3G/4G/5G), datacenter, and static residential
- Ease of use & affordability — perfect for individuals, startups, and mid-sized teams
- Advanced scraping features: site unblockers, session control, and anti-bot bypassing
- 24/7 customer support with live chat and dedicated assistance
- Intuitive dashboard with browser extension and API access for easy integration
- Flexible pricing — pay-as-you-go or monthly plans with no hidden fees
- 14-day money-back guarantee — risk-free testing period
- Unlimited concurrent sessions for maximum efficiency
✗ Cons:
- Not quite as enterprise-focused as Oxylabs (no dedicated account managers for lower tiers)
- Advanced features may require higher-tier plans
- Customer support response time can be slower during peak hours compared to dedicated enterprise support
Expert Recommendation: For 90% of users, Decodo offers the best value proposition in the proxy market. You get an enormous IP pool, all the features you need, and pricing that actually makes sense. Start with their 14-day trial to experience premium proxy quality without the premium price tag.
Proxy-Seller
Affordable IPv4 and IPv6 proxies for all purposes
Type: Datacenter (IPv4/IPv6), Residential, Mobile
IP Pool: Extensive datacenter network across 100+ countries
Starting Price: $1.77/proxy per month (Datacenter), $7/GB (Residential)
Best For: Multi-accounting, social media management, SEO, general browsing
Key Features:
- Very low prices for datacenter proxies
- IPv4 and IPv6 support
- Instant activation and setup
- Multiple authentication methods (IP/login:password)
- Bulk discounts available
- 24/7 customer support
- Wide geographic coverage
Pros: Extremely affordable, instant setup, good for social media, IPv6 available, flexible payment options
Cons: Datacenter IPs easier to detect than residential, limited advanced features
ProxyScrape
Premium residential and datacenter proxies with reliable performance
Type: Residential, Datacenter (HTTP/HTTPS/SOCKS5)
IP Pool: 10M+ residential IPs, extensive datacenter network
Starting Price: $49/month (5GB Residential), Free tier available
Best For: Web scraping, data mining, market research, SEO monitoring
Key Features:
- Premium residential and datacenter proxies
- Free proxy lists updated daily
- API access for automation
- SOCKS5 and HTTP/HTTPS support
- Country and city-level targeting
- Rotating and sticky sessions
- 99.9% uptime guarantee
Pros: Free tier available, reliable premium service, good API, affordable premium plans, excellent documentation
Cons: Free proxies have limited reliability, smaller pool than enterprise providers
Rayobyte
Award-winning ethical proxies with excellent performance
Type: Datacenter (Static/Rotating), ISP (Static/Rotating), Residential, Mobile
IP Pool: 300K+ datacenter IPs, extensive ISP network
Starting Price: $1.00/IP (Semi-Dedicated), $2.50/IP (Dedicated), $5.00/IP (ISP)
Best For: Ethical data collection, web scraping, SEO, brand protection
Key Features:
- Certified member of EWDCI (Ethical Web Data Collection Initiative)
- Award-winning service recognized by Proxyway
- Unlimited bandwidth on all plans
- Multiple proxy types: dedicated, semi-dedicated, rotating
- IPv4 and IPv6 support
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- 24/7 customer support via chat, email, phone
- Enterprise plans with 30%+ discounts for 5,000+ proxies
Pros: Strictly ethical sourcing, excellent performance, unlimited bandwidth, flexible pricing tiers, strong reputation, good for compliance
Cons: Higher pricing than budget providers, datacenter-focused (residential pool smaller than leaders)
IPRoyal
Cheapest proxies on the market without compromising quality
Type: Residential, Datacenter, ISP, Mobile
IP Pool: 8M+ residential IPs across 195+ countries
Starting Price: $1.39/proxy (Datacenter), $1.75/GB (Residential) - CHEAPEST!
Best For: Budget-conscious users, beginners, small businesses, testing
Key Features:
- Industry's lowest prices - from just $1.39/proxy
- Residential proxies from $1.75/GB (50% OFF with code IPR50)
- ISP proxies from $2.40/proxy
- Mobile proxies from $117/month
- Unlimited bandwidth on datacenter proxies
- Ethical IP sourcing with full transparency
- Instant activation and setup
- No contracts, pay-as-you-go
- Traffic never expires
- 24/7 customer support
Pros: Cheapest pricing in the industry, excellent value, ethical practices, good speeds, flexible plans, no expiration on traffic
Cons: Smaller pool than enterprise providers, fewer advanced features
Webshare
Fast and reliable datacenter proxies with free tier
Type: Datacenter, Static Residential, Rotating Residential
IP Pool: 15M+ IPs across 50+ countries
Starting Price: FREE (10 proxies), Premium from $2.99/month
Best For: Beginners, small projects, web scraping, SEO
Key Features:
- 10 free datacenter proxies forever
- 99.97% uptime guarantee
- HTTP and SOCKS5 support
- Unlimited bandwidth on all plans
- Instant activation
- User-friendly dashboard
- Proxy replacement every 30 days
Pros: Free tier available, very affordable premium plans, reliable performance, unlimited bandwidth, easy to use
Cons: Datacenter-focused (less suitable for complex anti-bot sites), smaller IP pool than enterprise options
Bright Data (formerly Luminati)
Industry pioneer with extensive features for Fortune 500 companies
Type: Residential, Datacenter, Mobile, ISP Proxies
IP Pool: 72+ Million IPs across 195 countries
Starting Price: $500/month (Pay-as-you-go from $15/GB)
Best For: Enterprise web scraping, data collection, ad verification
Pros: Extensive features, strong reputation, compliance-focused
Cons: Very expensive, complex pricing, steep learning curve
Soax
Flexible pricing with mobile and residential proxies
Type: Residential, Mobile, Datacenter
IP Pool: 8.5+ Million IPs in 195+ countries
Starting Price: $99/month for 10GB
Best For: Social media automation, sneaker copping
Key Features:
- Pay-as-you-go and monthly plans
- Mobile proxies with 3G/4G/5G
- Clean residential IPs
- GEO targeting by country/city
- 24/7 live chat support
Pros: Flexible pricing, good mobile proxies, clean IPs
Cons: Smaller network than leaders
NetNut
Direct ISP connections for maximum speed
Type: ISP Proxies (Static Residential)
IP Pool: 52+ Million IPs with ISP partnerships
Starting Price: $300/month (20GB)
Best For: High-speed scraping, real-time data
Key Features:
- One-hop connections to ISPs
- Fastest proxy speeds available
- Static residential IPs
- Unlimited concurrent connections
- Premium ISP relationships
Pros: Extremely fast, reliable, low latency
Cons: Premium pricing, limited geotargeting
Head-to-Head: Oxylabs vs Decodo vs IPRoyal
Choose Oxylabs If:
- You're an enterprise with a serious budget
- You need maximum reliability (99.95%)
- Advanced anti-bot features are critical
- You require a dedicated account manager
- ZIP-code level targeting is essential
- Scale is massive (millions of requests/day)
Choose Decodo If:
- You want enterprise features at fair prices
- You're a small/medium business or serious individual
- Transparent pricing matters (no sales calls needed)
- You want to test risk-free (14-day guarantee)
- 115M+ IPs is more than enough
- Ease of use and quick setup are priorities
IPRoyal - CHEAPEST!
- You want the absolute cheapest proxies ($1.39/proxy!)
- You're on a tight budget but need quality
- You're a beginner or testing proxy services
- You want no contracts and pay-as-you-go
- 50% OFF with code IPR50 is attractive
- Ethical sourcing matters to you
Bottom Line: If budget isn't your primary concern and you need absolute maximum reliability for mission-critical operations, Oxylabs is worth the investment. For 90% of users—including most businesses—Decodo delivers virtually identical performance at a fraction of the cost. But if you're on a tight budget or just starting out, IPRoyal is the cheapest option on the market at just $1.39/proxy without compromising on ethics or quality.
Quick Comparison: All Proxy Services
Cybersecurity Cautions: Protecting Yourself from Threats
While proxies can enhance your security and privacy, they can also introduce significant risks if not used carefully. Malicious actors and cybercriminals exploit proxies to hide their activities, and untrustworthy proxy providers can compromise your data. Understanding these threats is crucial for safe proxy usage.
CRITICAL WARNING: Major Proxy Security Threats
Never use free or unverified proxy services for sensitive activities like online banking, entering passwords, or accessing confidential information. Malicious proxy operators can intercept, log, and steal all your data, including credentials, credit card numbers, and personal information.
Data Interception & Man-in-the-Middle Attacks
Threat Level: CRITICAL
Malicious proxy operators can intercept ALL traffic passing through their servers. This includes unencrypted HTTP traffic and, with SSL stripping attacks, even HTTPS connections can be compromised.
What's at Risk:
- Usernames and passwords
- Credit card and banking information
- Personal messages and emails
- Session cookies and authentication tokens
- Business confidential data
Protection:
- ✓ Use only reputable, paid proxy services with clear privacy policies
- ✓ Always verify HTTPS connections (check for padlock icon)
- ✓ Use end-to-end encrypted communications (Signal, ProtonMail)
- ✓ Avoid entering sensitive information through proxies
- ✓ Consider VPNs for banking and sensitive transactions
Logging & Data Collection
Threat Level: HIGH
Many free proxy services operate by collecting and selling user data. They log your browsing history, search queries, personal information, and online behavior patterns to third-party data brokers and advertisers.
What Gets Logged:
- Complete browsing history with timestamps
- IP addresses (both yours and destinations)
- DNS queries and search terms
- Device fingerprints and user agents
- Download history and file types
Protection:
- ✓ Read privacy policies carefully before using any proxy
- ✓ Choose providers with strict "no-logs" policies
- ✓ Prefer services based in privacy-friendly jurisdictions
- ✓ Use anonymous payment methods when possible
- ✓ Verify claims through independent audits and reviews
Malware & Script Injection
Threat Level: HIGH
Malicious proxies can inject harmful code, advertisements, malware, or cryptocurrency miners into the web pages you view. This happens silently, without your knowledge or consent.
Types of Injection:
- Cryptocurrency mining scripts (cryptojacking)
- Tracking pixels and surveillance code
- Malicious advertisements (malvertising)
- Drive-by download exploits
- Phishing forms and fake login pages
- Browser exploitation frameworks
Protection:
- ✓ Use reputable antivirus and anti-malware software
- ✓ Enable browser security features and extensions
- ✓ Block scripts by default (NoScript, uBlock Origin)
- ✓ Monitor CPU usage for suspicious activity
- ✓ Keep browsers and operating systems updated
DNS & WebRTC Leaks
Threat Level: MEDIUM-HIGH
Even when using a proxy, your real IP address and location can leak through DNS requests or WebRTC connections, completely defeating the purpose of using a proxy for anonymity.
Leak Vectors:
- DNS queries bypassing proxy (DNS leaks)
- WebRTC STUN server requests revealing real IP
- IPv6 traffic not routed through IPv4 proxy
- Browser extension leaks
- Flash and Java plugin leaks (legacy)
Protection:
- ✓ Test for leaks: dnsleaktest.com, ipleak.net
- ✓ Disable WebRTC in browser settings or use extensions
- ✓ Use proxy services with DNS leak protection
- ✓ Disable IPv6 if proxy doesn't support it
- ✓ Configure DNS to use proxy provider's servers
Honeypot Proxies & Law Enforcement Traps
Threat Level: MEDIUM
Some proxy services are operated by law enforcement agencies, intelligence services, or security researchers as "honeypots" to monitor and identify users engaging in illegal activities.
Honeypot Indicators:
- Suspiciously fast and free proxy services
- No clear ownership or company information
- Proxies advertised on dark web forums
- Services that claim "complete anonymity"
- Proxies that never go down or get blacklisted
Protection:
- ✓ Research proxy provider history and reputation
- ✓ Avoid "too good to be true" free services
- ✓ Use multiple layers of protection for sensitive activities
- ✓ Never use proxies for illegal activities
- ✓ Read user reviews from trusted sources
Blacklisted & Burned IPs
Threat Level: LOW-MEDIUM (Operational Risk)
Many proxy IPs, especially shared and free ones, have been blacklisted by websites, email providers, and security services due to abuse by previous users.
Consequences:
- CAPTCHA challenges on every website
- Complete blocks from accessing certain sites
- Email delivery failures (spam blacklists)
- Account bans and suspensions
- Payment processing rejections
- Reduced search engine rankings
Protection:
- ✓ Use dedicated rather than shared proxies
- ✓ Choose residential IPs over datacenter IPs
- ✓ Rotate IPs regularly
- ✓ Test IPs against blacklist databases before use
- ✓ Opt for providers with IP replacement guarantees
✓ Essential Security Checklist for Proxy Users
Before Choosing a Proxy:
- Research provider reputation thoroughly
- Read privacy policy and terms of service
- Check for independent security audits
- Verify company registration and location
- Read recent user reviews and complaints
- Compare pricing (avoid suspiciously cheap options)
While Using Proxies:
- Always verify HTTPS connections
- Use browser extensions for additional security
- Monitor for unusual system behavior
- Test for DNS and IP leaks regularly
- Never enter credentials on non-HTTPS sites
- Keep security software updated and active
Best Practices:
- Use different proxies for different purposes
- Combine with VPN for sensitive activities
- Rotate IP addresses regularly
- Maintain audit logs of proxy usage
- Use multi-factor authentication everywhere
- Regularly clear cookies and browser cache
Golden Rule of Proxy Security
A proxy is only as trustworthy as the company operating it. All your internet traffic passes through their servers, giving them complete visibility into your online activities. Choose wisely, prioritize paid reputable services, and never use proxies for highly sensitive activities like online banking or accessing work systems without additional security measures.
Legal Considerations & Compliance
Using proxies is legal in most countries for legitimate purposes. However, the legality depends on what you do with them, not the technology itself. Understanding the legal landscape is essential to avoid unintended violations of laws and regulations.
✓ Legal Uses
- Privacy protection and anonymity
- Accessing geo-restricted content you've paid for
- Business data collection and market research
- Security testing on your own systems
- Ad verification and brand protection
- SEO monitoring and competitive analysis
- Managing multiple legitimate accounts
✗ Illegal/Risky Uses
- Hacking, cracking, or unauthorized access
- Fraud, identity theft, or financial crimes
- Copyright infringement and piracy
- Harassment, stalking, or cyberbullying
- Creating fake accounts to violate ToS
- Evading legal restrictions or court orders
- Distributing malware or conducting attacks
Key Legal Points
- Proxies are tools, not shields: Using a proxy doesn't make illegal activities legal
- Terms of Service matter: Violating website ToS can have legal consequences
- Business compliance: Ensure data collection complies with GDPR, CCPA, and other regulations
- Jurisdictional differences: Laws vary by country; some nations prohibit or restrict proxy use
- Corporate policies: Check if your employer allows proxy use on company networks
Final Verdict: Which Proxy Service Should You Choose?
After testing over 100 proxy providers and analyzing real-world performance data, the decision comes down to your specific needs and budget. Here's our honest, data-driven recommendation to help you make the right choice.
Your Perfect Proxy Match
Enterprise Operations
Fortune 500 companies, large-scale scraping, mission-critical data collection
Why: 99.95% success rate, 100M+ IPs, advanced anti-bot tech, dedicated support
💎 Best Value
SMBs, growing businesses, serious individuals, cost-conscious teams
Why: 115M+ IPs, all proxy types, $12.5/GB pricing, 14-day guarantee
Lowest Price
Budget users, beginners, small businesses, testing, personal use
Why: $1.39/proxy datacenter, $1.75/GB residential - CHEAPEST on market! + 50% OFF (IPR50)
Key Insights
✓ What Actually Matters
- Success rate over IP pool size
- Reliable support when things go wrong
- Transparent pricing with no hidden fees
- Proper targeting (city-level minimum)
- Money-back guarantee for risk-free testing
✗ Red Flags to Avoid
- Free proxies (data theft risk)
- Suspiciously cheap pricing ($1-2/GB residential)
- No clear privacy policy or terms
- Poor reviews across multiple platforms
- No money-back guarantee or trial
Our Expert Recommendation
For 90% of users, Decodo is the clear winner. You get a massive 115M+ IP pool, enterprise-grade features, all proxy types, and pricing that actually makes sense—all backed by a 14-day money-back guarantee. It's the perfect balance of power and value.
If you're running mission-critical enterprise operations where downtime costs thousands per hour, Oxylabs' 99.95% success rate and dedicated support justify the premium pricing. For everyone else, save your budget and go with Decodo.
Remember: The proxy market is full of hype and misleading claims. We've done the testing, spent the money, and analyzed the data so you don't have to. Choose based on your actual needs, not marketing promises. And always, always start with a trial or money-back guarantee. Your privacy and security are too important to risk on untested services.