Proxy servers, or proxies, in short, are widely used networking technology that is essential to the World Wide Web structure. A proxy is a third-party device that handles online communication between clients and servers. Instead of letting the user’s device communicate with online servers directly, the traffic is first sent to the proxy server, which then forwards it to the target destination.
Because a proxy manages online data flow, it assigns a new IP address, obfuscating the original user device simultaneously. IP address obfuscation neutralizes IP-based surveillance methods and cyberattacks like DDoS. So proxy servers provide limited cybersecurity benefits and add an extra layer of online privacy, which is particularly important nowadays when user data mining is common.
Another highly valuable proxy benefit is geographical restrictions evasion. Countries that have strict internet censorship laws block access to specific websites. For example, numerous Western online services are unavailable in the Middle East and Asian countries due to political tensions. Sometimes, it limits access to valuable resources, like the freedom of the press and unbiased news. A proxy allows connecting to a server in a different country and issues a local IP address. Previously blocked websites will see a new IP address and provide access, so proxies are invaluable for bypassing geo-blocks.
Many proxy service providers compete for customers by providing different benefits. To make things easier, we evaluated popular and worthwhile proxy service providers to narrow the list down to the 5 best proxy servers. IPRoyal came out on top, but each proxy service on this list has something valuable to offer.
Table of Contents
Our 5 Best Proxy Server Providers
Some proxies focus on residential proxy servers for unrestricted internet access and online privacy. Meanwhile, others offer datacenter proxies for load balancing or public data scraping. Our selected proxy servers are the best at their fields, depending on what you’re looking for.
IPRoyal
The Best Overall Proxy Servers
IPRoyal offers a variety of proxy servers with a massive 34M+ IP pool. The provider ensures a 99.9% uptime and easy integration with tools like Puppeteer, Apify, and more. There are residential, datacenter, mobile, and ISP proxies, so this is a versatile service suited for most business and personal needs.
Key Features
This is a fully-developed proxy service that covers 195 countries. It has fully customizable and affordable plans, supports city, state, and ISP-level geo-targeting, offers customizable IP rotation, static IPs, Chrome and Mozilla Firefox browser extensions, and a free proxy tester. What really separates IPRoyal from the rest is the non-expiring residential proxy traffic. Most providers have an expiration date on all plans, but IPRoyal lets you come back and use leftover gigabytes at your convenience.
Pros
- Over 34M+ IP address pool
- Non-expiring residential proxy traffic
- Competitive prices
- 24/7 customer support
- Great online self-help content and an active blog
Cons
- Fairly limited mobile proxy locations
- No free trial
MarsProxies
Highly Rated and Awarded Proxy Servers
MarsProxies may have a less extensive server network, but it’s a perfect example of quality over quantity. PCMag even awarded it the Best Proxy Service of 2024 award, outlining an ideal mix of proxy quality, affordability, and a broad spectrum of use cases. Currently, MarsProxies offers residential, datacenter, mobile, ISP, and sneaker proxies.
Key Features
Our two top picks have one similar feature rarely found elsewhere. Like IPRoyal, MarsProxies also supports non-expiring residential proxy traffic. It has 1 million+ IPs, so we’d like to see some growth. However, they cover 190 countries, which is more than enough for unrestricted internet access, worldwide data scraping, and market research. MarsProxies offers customizable proxy rotation and sticky sessions, supports HTTP(S) and SOCKS5 protocols, and has 24/7 customer support in case you encounter any issues.
Pros
- Non-expiring residential traffic
- Servers in 190 countries
- 24/7 customer support
- SOCKS5 support
- Offers sneaker proxies
- Customizable proxy rotation
Cons
- Limited IP pool
- No free trial
- Only 1 browser extension
Bright Data
Proxy Servers for Data Research
Bright Data can be your top pick if you use data gathering for business purposes, like market research, consumer sentiment analysis, price comparison, etc. The service can be a bit costly for personal use, but it is perfect for companies that want to invest and expand. Currently, it offers residential, datacenter, ISP, and mobile proxies.
Key Features
Bright Data has a massive proxy server network with over 72 million residential IPs, so it is suitable for tasks of any scale. Alongside proxies, it also offers web scraping API, a scraping browser, and a SERP API. This makes Bright Data one of the best choices to gather publicly available online data and optimize SEO operations. Although this service is somewhat expensive, it offers a free trial to try out its advanced features.
Pros
- 72 million residential IPs
- Offers free trial
- Excellent web scraping capabilities
- Provides API services
- Suited for SEO optimization
- Perfect for business growth
Cons
- Too expensive for personal use
- Requires some technical knowledge
- Requires eKYC for identification
NetNut
Large and Reliable Proxy Server Network
NetNut has an elaborate proxy server network that is known for its stability and excellent connection speed. Its servers are located in 195 countries, so it can easily compete with other top picks on this list. Like BrightData, NetNut also offers API services. Regarding proxies, you can get static or rotating residential and mobile proxy services.
Key Features
The key NetNut selling point is a huge network of 85 million residential IP addresses. What’s more, it has one of the best connection speeds. Combined with its scraping features, you get a proxy service to gather online data faster than your competitors to maintain an advantage. Although there are no ISP or sneaker proxies, NetNut also offers website unblocker, SERP scraper API, and LinkedIn scraper API.
Pros
- 85 million residential IPs
- 195 worldwide coverage
- Excellent connection speed
- offers SERP scraper API
- Perfect for LinkedIn data gathering
Cons
- No pay-as-you-go plans
- Relatively pricey service
- Customer support is a bit laggy
Oxylabs
Outstanding Proxy Servers for Businesses
OxyLabs is a well-known proxy service provider. Because it has been in the industry for a while, OxyLabs built an impressive proxy server with 102 million+ IPs in 195 countries. It has 11 million in the US, so if you are looking to expand in the United States, this can be your priority choice.
Key Features
OxyLabs offers residential, ISP, mobile, datacenter, and dedicated datacenter proxies. It has a proxy manager for Android and a Chrome browser extension. What’s more, it provides an AI-powered web unblocker, so this service excels at bypassing geographical blocks. Alongside OxyLabs offers web scraper API and business datasets for e-commerce data, developer trends, and more. Although it’s another service with slightly higher prices, there is a free trial and a pay-as-you-go option.
Pros
- 102M+ IP addresses
- 195 country coverage
- Excellent proxy type variety
- Android proxy manager & Chrome extension
- Offers business datasets
- Provides web scraper API
Cons
- Priced above market average
- A bit slow on faraway servers
- No residential proxy free trial
Conclusion
These 5 proxy service providers outperformed dozens of competitors regarding proxy type variety, quality, connection speeds, and pricing. Proxies are an excellent business growth tool for enterprises that use a lot of user data. Because proxy servers overcome geographical restrictions, some companies use them to expand globally. Simultaneously, casual internet users can check out our top pick, IPRoyal, for more streaming content and an additional layer of online privacy.
