Cheapest proxy services of 2024

Fibre optic cables glowing like hundreds of stars
(Image credit: Unsplash / JJ Ying)

Proxy services are perfect for re-routing your internet traffic privately, allowing you to bypass geo restrictions, anonymously examine a competitor, or purchase multiple restricted tickets for an event. But all of this shouldn't cost the world.

That's where the cheapest proxy services come in. They work by routing your internet traffic through a computer or server in a different location, tricking the site you are viewing into thinking you are based in a different location and hiding your IP in the process.

Our experts have testedover 10 of the cheapest proxy services to find their pros and cons, examining their speed, security, server options and locations, number of IPs available, encryption, SOCKS5 support, and their price and ease of use to determine the best cost-to-feature ratio.

We have also looked at the best free proxy services and the best residential proxy service. But here are my top picks for the cheapest proxy services:

Reader offer: Smartproxy is offering a full-service free trial option

Reader offer: Smartproxy is offering a full-service free trial option

Test the most efficient residential proxies for free. Get a full self-service free trial from Smartproxy and experience unrivaled speed and infrastructure reliability with 55M+ ethically sourced residential proxies across 195+ global IP locations. This is the only available full self-service free trial option on the market right now.

We've also rate the best VPN services.


The cheapest proxy services of 2024 in full:

Best overall

Reasons to buy

+
Vast range of products and features
+
Large proxy pool across 195 countries
+
Intelligent web scraping technologies
+
Free trial

Reasons to avoid

-
Above average prices
-
Steep learning curve
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No direct phone support

For the occasional proxy user, a low cost plan is essential, and Oxylabs answers that need. Their entry level, appropriately called ‘Pay as you go’ fits the bill of providing a proxy for less. For less than the cost of a few cups of coffee, at $15/GB, users get access to up to 50 GB of data each month. Combine that with 24/7 support, a 99.95% success rate, and a 0.6 ms response time, and it becomes clear why this is a popular choice. Finally, it also supports unlimited concurrent sessions.

Best global coverage

Reasons to buy

+
Huge proxy pool
+
Useful apps and browser extensions
+
24/7 support
+
Available mobile proxies

Another option for a proxy server comes from provider, Smartproxy. This service gets supported via a 24/7 support team, with options to Skype, Telegram and a chat box all right from the main homepage. It has worldwide locations, with over 7 million addresses in the US alone among its 65 million proxies. The Pay As You Go plan is a cost effective option, with proxy data sold by the GB, at an affordable rate of $8.5/GB, via an account that can be used by the single user.

Best unlimited bandwidth

3. ScraperAPI

Reasons to buy

+
Free trial
+
Unlimited bandwidth

For those looking for more than a low end pay as you go option, ScraperAPI answers that call. Its Hobby plan offers unlimited bandwidth, with 20 concurrent threads that can target the US and EU. The premium features are included even on this entry level plan, with a free trial, automatic retries, and professional support all for $49/month.

Best ease of use

4. ProxySite

Reasons to buy

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Free proxy available
+
Quick setup

Sometimes you just need a quick proxy to get a specific job done. For example, when off of your home network, in a location when certain content is blocked, such as YouTube, or Facebook, and you need to get onto either of them. ProxySite answers this need, and has a free proxy for each of these services so you can connect. There is no limit on bandwidth, and the video can be streamed in HD.

Best occasional use

Reasons to buy

+
P2P available
+
30-day money-back guarantee

Reasons to avoid

-
Never provided a working service
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Support took days to reply to one email, ignored the others
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Four server locations only
-
Some session logging

VPNBook offers a number of services, including a free proxy. All that is needed is to go to the free proxy area, and you can visit whatever site is needed by entering into the bar via this web based proxy. You can also choose between a choice of three geographic areas: US, UK or Canada. For occasional use, this no cost option for a proxy is an attractive option, and the price may not be the best feature as it is so simple to use.

Best web-based proxy

Reasons to buy

+
Servers in 210+ countries
+
Responsive live chat support
+
Independently audited no logging policy

Reasons to avoid

-
Doesn't unblock US Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Prime Video, Disney Plus
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No WireGuard
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Limited configurability
-
Support website has some issues

Another web based proxy is Hide My Ass, which goes by HMA these days. While the main focus of this company is a VPN, going to the bottom of their homepage, looking under ‘Services,’ and selecting ‘Free Web Proxy’ brings us to the web based proxy, which offers a choice of six locations. We also like that HMA offers options to disable cookies, and remove scripts.

Best ISP targeting

7. ProxyEmpire

Reasons to buy

+
24/7 support
+
Solid number of features

ProxyEmpire offers another option in this space, with the entry point the Pay As You Go tier. This company’s standout feature is that the $15/GB never expires, making this a great option for intermittent use. It also offers access to over 170 countries, with 24/7 support, with available city and ISP targeting adding up to a full feature set that covers the basics and beyond.

Best browser extension

Reasons to buy

+
Unlocks Netflix and BBC iPlayer
+
Simple to use
+
Double VPN option
+
VPN masking

Reasons to avoid

-
Not many servers
-
Short on features

For those that want more than just a free web based proxy in an address bar, Whoer is worth a look. This option provides an extension for your browser, with options for Chrome, Firefox, and even Opera and Yandex. Once in place, there is a free tier that can then connect you to a proxy in the Netherlands, with an available speed of 1 mb/s to provide anonymity. Plans start at just under $10/month to allow for unlimited speeds, and a choice of 21 different countries for your proxy.

Best free tier

Reasons to buy

+
Free trial available
+
Available free tier
+
Robust speed monitoring
+
Emphasis on anonymity
+
Multiple available tiers

Reasons to avoid

-
No free trial of higher tiers
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Less proxy locations
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Limited direct support option

Webshare is a proxy provider, with plans starting at an affordable $2.99/month, which provides unlimited bandwidth, and 100 proxies. Still too much, or undecided? They actually sweeten this by offering a generous free tier, which is not a time limited trial, and gives the user 10 proxies, and 1 GB of bandwidth monthly, which can be used on a long term basis, or a trial of the service before moving ahead with signing up for a paid tier from them.

Best uptime

10. InstantProxies

Reasons to buy

+
Cheap with refund available
+
Unlimited bandwidth

InstantProxies is another quite affordable proxy offering, with over 99% uptime, which gets publicly tracked. We also like that they are willing to refund 100% of the latest payment for those not satisfied. Support is included, and the plan starts at $10/month, for unlimited bandwidth, and 10 proxies.

Best mobile

Reasons to buy

+
Affordable
+
Versatile proxy network
+
A selection of subscription options
+
Available 24/7/365 direct support

Reasons to avoid

-
Limited self-help resources
-
Proxy speeds are on the slow side
-
No phone support

IPRoyal is an affordable proxy service with a very responsive support team. The service offers plenty of proxy solutions - 3G/4G/5G mobile, residential, datacenter, and sneaker proxies. The service also has over 8 million IPs. As such there’s quite a selection of subscription options, depending on your needs. From $1.75 per GB for residential to $81 per month for mobile. IPRoyal provides 24/7 live chat and email support, and their support agents are knowledgeable and quick to help you out.

We've listed the best business VPN.

Benedict Collins
Staff Writer (Security)

Benedict has been writing about security issues for over 7 years, first focusing on geopolitics and international relations while at the University of Buckingham. During this time he studied BA Politics with Journalism, for which he received a second-class honours (upper division),  then continuing his studies at a postgraduate level, achieving a distinction in MA Security, Intelligence and Diplomacy. Upon joining TechRadar Pro as a Staff Writer, Benedict transitioned his focus towards cybersecurity, exploring state-sponsored threat actors, malware, social engineering, and national security. Benedict is also an expert on B2B security products, including firewalls, antivirus, endpoint security, and password management.

With contributions from