A proxy server is a computer that makes requests to the internet on your behalf. Instead of connecting to a website directly, your browser or script connects to the proxy, and the proxy connects to the website. The website answers the proxy, and the proxy passes the answer back to you.
That simple detour changes one important thing: the website sees the proxy's IP address, not yours.
How a request travels through a proxy
- Your program opens a connection to the proxy — for example
203.0.113.10:8080. - It tells the proxy where it wants to go:
example.com, port 443. - The proxy opens its own connection to
example.com. - Data flows in both directions through the proxy until one side closes the connection.
For HTTPS sites the content stays encrypted the whole way. The proxy knows which host you visit, but cannot read the pages, passwords or cookies inside the encrypted tunnel.
What the website sees
- IP address — the proxy's exit IP. This also defines your apparent country.
- Headers — whatever your browser sends, plus anything the proxy adds. Some proxies add
X-Forwarded-Forwith your real IP; others add nothing at all. This is what anonymity levels are about. - Timing — requests through a distant proxy take longer, which is why we show the measured latency for every proxy in the free proxy list.
Main types of proxies
By protocol:
- HTTP proxies understand web requests. They are the easiest to use in browsers and scrapers.
- SOCKS4 and SOCKS5 proxies relay any TCP connection without looking inside. SOCKS5 also supports UDP and authentication. See HTTP vs SOCKS5 for a detailed comparison.
By origin of the IP address:
- Datacenter proxies run on servers in hosting companies. They are fast and cheap, but easy for websites to recognise.
- Residential proxies use IP addresses of home internet connections and look like ordinary visitors.
- Mobile proxies route traffic through cellular networks, where one IP is shared by thousands of real users.
By access:
- Public (free) proxies are open to anyone. Our list consists of such servers.
- Private proxies are rented by one customer and protected with a login and password.
What proxies are used for
- Seeing a website as it looks in another country: prices, search results, ads, available content.
- Collecting public data at scale without being limited to one IP address.
- Testing your own site, geo-targeting and firewalls from the outside.
- Hiding your home IP address from the sites you visit.
- Accessing resources that are blocked on your network.
Proxy vs VPN
A VPN encrypts all traffic of your device and sends it through one server. A proxy works per application: you configure it in the browser or in a script, and only that traffic goes through it. Proxies are more flexible — a scraper can use hundreds of different proxies at once — while a VPN is simpler for protecting a whole device.
Are free proxies safe?
A public proxy is a stranger's server. Treat it as untrusted: open only HTTPS sites, never send passwords or payment details through it, and expect it to disappear at any moment. For anything important, use private proxies from a provider you trust.
Getting started
Open the free proxy list, filter by protocol and country, and pick a proxy that was checked a few seconds ago. Our guide on how to use a proxy shows the exact settings for browsers, curl and Python.