Usually everyone can see what you are doing online. When you connect to an unsafe website, advertisers, hackers and government agencies can see where you are and what computer you are using. This information can be used to serve targeted advertisements and may prevent you from viewing certain web content.
Web proxies protect your privacy and help you avoid restrictions. These restrictions can be imposed by governments, workplaces, schools, or others. Either way, a web proxy helps make the internet as free and anonymous as it could be.
How a Proxy Keeps You Safe
When using a proxy, your website requests are filtered via web forms or sometimes a browser extension. The proxy server then acts as an intermediary. It accepts your request, finds the correct information on the internet, and returns it to you.
Without this intermediary, the connection between your computer and the website is wide open. However, if you are using a proxy, curious views cannot see both sides of the exchange.
As far as the website is known, the request originates from the proxy server and not your computer. Personally identifiable information – such as your IP address – on the other hand, is not.
Unless it’s clear who you are, the website won’t know if you can “visit”. When your national government blocks a website, they can only block it from people in that country. However, if the site thinks you are visiting from a strange server, you will usually be missed.
In this way, a proxy can help you determine whether reading certain information on the Internet has consequences. However, it is important to note that only proxies offer a basic level of protection. They usually have a small number of IP addresses that can be blocked once discovered as proxies.
What to Look for in a Free Proxy
Free web proxies have some limitations. However, they are a good choice for people who need short-term anonymity or one-time access to blocked content.
Of course, some proxies are better than others. You need to do some research before choosing which one to use. Always use a service with a solid reputation. Unknown or unverified proxy servers may not function as advertised or may even pose a risk of malware infection.
The first feature to look for in a free web proxy is the number and variety of servers. When there are many choices, you are less likely to lose your connection. And if several available servers are nearby, you will likely get better internet speed.
Not all proxies provide details about their servers. And not all of them let you choose which one you want to connect. If this information is not available, you should be skeptical. But don’t completely refuse this service. If other users have had a good experience with it, please let the server owner select one for you.
Another thing to look for in a free web proxy is adaptability. All good proxies play the same role as intermediaries in browsing the Internet. However, some offer additional services apart from hiding your IP address.
Many of the web proxies recommended in this article provide additional security by encrypting URLs and page content. Many of them allow you to block scripts and objects, which can increase your risk of malware infection. Some also disable cookies to minimize the storage of your browser history.
These tools can help you get the most out of your web proxy without paying for adequate protection. However, the same tools are usually enhanced with paid upgrades. And if you really want the best possible protection, nothing beats a well-tested VPN.
Disadvantages of Proxies
Regardless of which free web proxy you choose, the added features are just a bonus. And they usually come with strict limits. You may find that only a certain number of cookies can be encrypted per month. Blocking certain elements of a site can make you more secure, but can also prevent them from displaying properly.
What’s worse is that popular proxies – especially free proxies – come with traffic restrictions. If you want to be protected from surveillance, hackers, and malware 24/7, you may want to upgrade to the paid version. Better yet, you’ll want to choose a VPN.
Proxies are good enough to bypass firewalls and unblock content. But that’s not a good guarantee not to be monitored by hackers or your ISP. Free proxies are also more likely to track some of your activity. Premium VPNs like NordVPN have strict no-registration rules. One of our best suggestions is when we look at the overall performance.
A VPN also eliminates the hassle of manually routing all web traffic through the service. To use a web proxy you have to go to the proxy site and from there enter the url. With a VPN, you can install applications on your device and run them automatically.
The advanced VPN options mean you are protected when you connect to the internet using third-party applications instead of your web browser. These days, browsers are definitely not the only app that needs protection. But that’s where most free web proxy services end.
Premium VPN services like NordVPN offer you a 30-day money-back guarantee so you can enjoy a risk-free trial of their superior protection.
Best Free Proxy Servers
Despite the drawbacks, all you need is a free proxy. In this regard, there are many good options to consider.
We checked existing reviews and tested some free proxy services for ourselves. And from what we found, these are the ten best free proxy servers:
1. KProxy
It seems like this is the most recommended free proxy server. This doesn’t mean it’s the best. But that means it’s good enough to keep most users happy all the time.
With KProxy you have ten servers to choose from. You can select it manually and switch at any time. So if you lose access to the server, you are still protected. Like some proxies, there is no speed limit. And KProxy has a good track record of evading detection and blocking by websites and ISPs.
You can access the KProxy server directly from the website or download browser extensions for Firefox or Chrome.
2. ProxySite
You can also switch between servers manually with this free web proxy. It also has more than twice as many servers as Kproxy.
You can select ProxySite automatically from servers in the US and EU. Or if you have difficulty you can try them one by one. However, the specific location has not been identified so you are not sure how this will affect your connection speed.
ProxySite has been tested for compatibility with YouTube. There’s even a home button that takes you through a proxy to popular websites like Reddit and Twitter. ProxySite is specially designed to anonymize your daily online activities.
3. Hide.me
This option also appears on many “best” lists, although its functionality is somewhat limited. Hide.me doesn’t work with YouTube, Instagram, or Pinterest and only relies on servers in three places to mask user IPs. However, some of these drawbacks are offset by added security.
Hide.me allows you to disable cookies, scripts, and objects on any website. This service not only hides your IP address behind a proxy, but also adds a layer of encryption and ensures that the URL expires after each browser session.
The proxies don’t store databases or IP addresses, so you can be sure that your information won’t get into the hands of hackers or advertisers. This makes it a good choice for people who are more interested in security than online entertainment. Hide.me also offers users a complete VPN service in addition to a proxy server.
4. HMA
This web proxy allows you to connect to any server or choose from six servers. They are located in opposite countries in the United States and in four different European countries. Geographical coverage as good as you’d expect from a small number of servers.
HMA Proxy will also ask you to set up your connection with three options. You can encrypt URLs, disable cookies, and delete scripts. But so far without upgrading to HMA VPN, the site will try to sell you.
5. Hidester
Recent customer reviews have given Hidester a reputation for reliability. However, it cannot be guaranteed that its reputation will go up because this proxy is relatively new.
However, it looks like this option is as good as the other, more established proxies on this list. Hidester operates its own servers in the US and Europe. Access to this server is secured with 128-bit encryption and SSL (Secure Socket Layer).
Its commitment to security extends to free users, but paying customers have access to hundreds of additional servers.
Apart from its web proxy, Hidester also offers a number of free tools. This includes a secure password generator and DNS leak tests. This can be a huge boon for users who want to be safe online.
6. Anonymouse
If Hidester is the new kid on the block, Anonymouse is the older web proxy statesman. It’s been around since 1997 and still appears on many lists of the most trusted proxy servers.
Anonymouse’s main page features information that spies can see when you are linked to a site. And it allows you to compare this to what they see when you connect through their proxy server. However, they choose a special proxy for you so all you have to do is trust them.
The actual testing shows that it is quite easy to identify the proxy you are using via Anonymouse. So security may not be the best. However, the old service still seems to be improving. Paid users get SSL encryption, and Anonymouse has recently released their own VPN.
Together with a web proxy you can use Anonymouse to send anonymous emails and publish them on newsgroups. After all this time, there is still much to offer.
7. Megaproxy
It is more difficult for Megaproxy to identify Snooper compared to some free proxy servers. And all this without the added security of the paid version.
You can use Megaproxy by installing a toolbar that allows you to enter a web address and route it through a proxy server. This is a convenient setup and you can easily switch between normal and safe browsing.
Unfortunately, this can be important with the free version. Megaproxy limits non-paying users to 60 site visits in five hours. And only encrypt 20 cookies at a time. However, it adds more privacy that all free proxies don’t have.
8. NewIPNow
The service previously recognized some of its own limitations. It should be noted that free proxy servers may not be compatible with certain websites. This kind of credibility in advertising can be a sign of reliability.
NewIPNow will show you the approximate speed of each server you can connect to. There are about a dozen, although most are limited to the United States. However, the user will still receive a new IP address for each session.
You can use NewIPNow locally or via the Firefox browser extension. There are budget paid options that promise 100 percent compatibility. And when you run into a problem, customer support is just a click away.
9. 4everproxy
Before connecting to 4everproxy you can choose a server and IP location. There are more than ten choices for the first choice and even more for the second choice. Trying out different options will help you find the perfect balance between security and connection speed.
Speed shouldn’t be a problem. Each 4everproxy server has one gigabit per second connection. Each connection is also available with optional SSL encryption and cookie and script blocking.
10. ProxFree
With seven servers in North America and four in Europe, this web proxy offers reasonable geographic coverage and solid security. Once you select a server, you will be redirected to the fastest IP location. However, this can also be changed manually.
ProxFree is customizable like most free web proxies. SSL encryption is enabled by default, but can be disabled. There are bookmarks for deleting scripts, objects, cookies and page titles. You can also disable the “Referrer” and “User Agent” headers. That way, the sites you visit won’t know what you clicked on to access them or what kind of computer you are using.
ProxFree has a special page for visiting Facebook, YouTube, and other video streaming sites. Rest assured that you can surf social media anonymously and avoid geoblocks on most videos.
Conclusion
Neither of these proxies will be our first recommendation for people looking to protect their privacy and be safe online. Trusted VPNs do a better job than others. You can find a full explanation in our VPN Beginner’s Guide. Our top pick for a VPN is NordVPN, but a free web proxy is a convenient option, especially for temporary use.
As you can see, there are many great options. The main functions are usually the same, but different services have unique advantages. Luckily, all of them are free to use in your browser. So, you can test them individually if necessary.
Free web proxies can be the best way to learn about and protect yourself from the risks associated with Internet browsing. And since some of these providers also have their own VPNs, a web proxy can be a step towards more comprehensive protection. We also looked at different proxy protocols if you’d like to know what other options are available.