The best proxy server services: Expert recommended
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Though both Proxy servers and virtual private networks (VPNs) can hide your IP address, they're vastly different security tools. Many consumers might be best off with a VPN to protect their privacy, but a proxy server can be most effective in some business use cases.
Proxy servers are gateways between devices and the Internet. They handle requests while creating a boundary between end users and online services, concealing IP addresses and potentially allowing access to geolocked content. If you want a simple proxy instead of the security a VPN offers, or you need a data scraping solution for business, you have plenty of choices, including MarsProxies and IPRoyal.
What is the best proxy server service right now?
The ZDNET team has extensive experience in the proxy server and VPN industries, and while compiling our recommendations, we keep a close watch on the overall market, new offerings, and recent customer feedback. Our top pick for the best proxy server service is MarsProxies, an affordable option with a range of plans and products, along with great customer support.
Read on to find the best proxy server service for you in 2025.
The best proxy server services of 2025
MarsProxies has earned the top spot in our recommendations list thanks to its wide range of services, affordable pricing, and use cases.
Whether you want a residential proxy for ethical projects, geotargeting for market research, sticky sessions, SOCKS5 support, the ability to avoid geolocation blocks, or a gaming proxy, MarsProxies likely will work for you.
MarsProxies has a Trustpilot rating of 4.8, and many customers applaud its customer support team. If you're interested in trying out MarsProxies, pricing starts at $0.86 per sneaker proxy, though there's a range of options depending on your needs. For example, a residential proxy plan begins at $3.49 per gigabyte, or you could opt for a mobile proxy for $2.83 per day.
There's no trial, but you can sign up for a basic, short-term proxy to explore the proxy server system.
MarsProxies features -- Proxy types: Residential, ISP, data center, sneaker proxies | Mobile? Yes | Pool size: Over 1 million IPs, 190 countries | Support: Email, live chat, Discord, social media | Pricing: $0.86 per proxy, various, pay-as-you-go | Trustpilot rating: 4.8
IPRoyal is an excellent option if you're on the hunt for a solid, reliable residential proxy.
IPRoyal's residential services are currently available with a 50% discount (from $2.57 per gigabyte) and no monthly commitment. They're available in four plans: 1GB, 2GB, 10GB, or 50GB of traffic. These residential proxies can be used to improve your online privacy, localize online monitoring and research, bypass content blocks, automate tasks, or for sneaker use.
API access is granted, sticky sessions are available, and SOCKS5 is supported.
Customers have applauded IPRoyal's customer service and mentioned that this is an affordable and solid residential proxy offering.
Business users can take advantage of a free trial.
IPRoyal features -- Proxy types: Residential, ISP, data center, enterprise | Mobile? Yes | Pool size: 32 million IPs, 195 countries | Support: Email, live chat, social media | Pricing: $1.39 per proxy, various | Trustpilot rating: 4.6
If you're looking for proxies suitable for market research and data scraping, check out Oxylabs.
This is another top pick, with generally positive customer reviews, especially regarding its data collection capabilities. Oxylabs provides a range of proxies -- from residential to dedicated and mobile -- a web scraper API, a web crawler, and headless browser functionality.
There's also an AI assistant for generating web parsing and scraping requests.
Customer feedback indicates that Oxylabs shines when it comes to data scraping and market research, with some users saying they find the support and reliability of their proxies -- especially their mobile options -- to be solid and great value for the money.
A three-day trial is available for some individual users, or a seven-day trial is possible for enquiring business customers.
Oxylabs features -- Proxy types: Residential, ISP, data center | Mobile? Yes | Pool size: 102 million IPs, 195 countries | Support: Live chat, email | Pricing: $1.20 per IP, residential $4 per gigabyte, various | Trustpilot rating: 4.3
Bright Data is our favorite proxy server service for business use.
This company focuses heavily on business intelligence and artificial intelligence and markets itself to match. You can explore a range of services focused on structured data collection and workflows, and if you intend to use multiple proxies, a proxy manager is also available.
Bright Data customers generally say that customer support and the overall service are excellent, although some billing and verification practices aren't popular.
Though I consider this solution to be business-focused, you can try out residential proxies on pay-as-you-go or monthly models with up to 678GB in traffic. Data center, ISP, and mobile proxies are also available. Business customers can sign up for a free trial to explore Bright Data services.
Bright Data features -- Proxy types: Residential, data center, ISP | Mobile? Yes | Pool size: Over 150 million IPs, 195 countries | Support: Email, WhatsApp | Pricing: $0.90 per IP, residential $2.94 per gigabyte, various | Trustpilot rating: 4.3
VPN alternatives to consider
If you think a VPN might be a better option, we recommend the following VPNs for beginners and experienced users alike.
Best VPN alternative
NordVPN
NordVPN is one of the most widely used VPNs, and for most users, it ticks all the boxes. It's secure, fast, suitable for streaming, and has all the features you'll likely need. It's also one of the fastest VPNs around, with solid security, peer-to-peer (P2P) sharing support, and high levels of encryption provided by its Double VPN functionality.
Best proxy server services, compared
Best proxy server service | Price | Residential or commercial? | Scrapping, sneaker drops? | Mobile? | Free trial? |
MarsProxies | $0.86 per proxy, various | Both | Both | Yes | No |
IPRoyal | $1.39 per proxy, various | Both | Both | Yes | Business only |
Oxylabs | $1.20 per IP, residential $4 per GB, various | Both | Scraping | Yes | 3-7 days |
Bright Data | $0.90 per IP, residential $2.94 per GB, various | Both | Scraping | Yes | Business only |
Factors to consider when choosing a proxy server service
These are the most important factors to consider when selecting a new proxy server service.
- Business or residential: Do you need a proxy solution for your business, or are you looking for a service you can use as an individual? Select a provider based on your needs, and keep in mind that typically, only business plans will be scalable.
- Use cases: What do you need a proxy for? To access geolocked content, scrape, or rotate your IP to snap up limited-edition sneakers? Pick a solution that meets your needs.
- Advanced features: You may want advanced features such as technical support, vast IP pools, rotating IPs, reputation scoring, and mobile proxies. Ensure that the provider you're interested in offers them.
- Security: You'll want to choose a trustworthy, secure proxy service. Check out the protocols it uses, whether encryption is available, authentication methods, and whether it collects user data or operates a no-logs policy.
- Free or paid: We recommend you opt for paid proxy server providers, because many free options won't be as trustworthy or may elicit payment in other ways -- such as through the sale of your data. Choose an option that's suitable for your budget.
- Contract terms: Before you take the plunge, learn about the proxy server service's contract terms and plans. Consider contract length, trial periods, customer support, and how you pay. This could be based on the number of simultaneous connections, ports, or proxy IP addresses, for example.
How do we choose the best proxy server services?
While compiling our top recommendations for the best proxy server services of 2025, we considered the following factors to be the most important:
- Business and residential: We've included scalable proxy server services that cater to businesses and the enterprise, as well as services for individual consumers looking for residential proxy servers.
- Use cases: In our recommendations, we've tried to cover as many use cases as possible, such as proxy use for individual security purposes, hiding original IP addresses, unblocking geolocked content, testing, and market research.
- Security: Security is a top priority for ZDNET reviewers regarding VPN and proxy server solutions. We like to see robust security and data protection standards in place, including the use of encryption, no-logs policies, SSL, and access control lists.
- Plan flexibility: We included a range of options that will suit as many users as possible. We wanted to include fixed plans where possible, entry-level and scalable options, and business-ready solutions.
- Trial periods: Since many proxy server services don't let customers set up their proxies until payment has been made, we've included solutions that offer a trial period of at least 24 hours.
Which is the right proxy server service for you?
Choose this proxy server service... | If you want... |
MarsProxies | The best proxy server service overall. MarsProxies has a wide range of proxy solutions, ranging from residential and sneaker to mobile, so you'll likely find a fit. Pay-as-you-go options are a bonus. |
IPRoyal | Residential proxies. IPRoyal offers relatively flexible residential proxy plans and no monthly commitment. This service is popular with residential proxy users and has earned strong, positive feedback. |
Oxylabs | A proxy for web scraping. Oxylabs has numerous proxy options, alongside dedicated scraper systems, including an API and AI assistant. |
Bright Data | To explore AI. Bright Data offers are best suited for businesses, especially if they want to combine AI technologies with proxy use. |
Proxy server service FAQs
What's the best free proxy server service?
We don't typically recommend using free proxy server services. Operating proxy networks isn't free, and the organizations providing the infrastructure need to be able to generate revenue. There are some free options out there, but many don't have great security standards.
How much does a proxy server service cost?
The cost of a proxy server service varies. You may pay based on the number of proxy IPs you want; whether you want static, dynamic, or mobile IPs; whether you need dedicated resources; GB levels: or a whole host of other factors. There's no straight answer to this question, beyond the fact that you can pay as little as a few dollars a month, or a vast amount more.
Should I use a VPN or a proxy server?
Though both VPNs and proxy servers route your traffic and can mask your IP address, they differ in many other ways. A VPN is a great way for individuals to improve their personal privacy and security online, encrypting their online communication and allowing them to access geolocked content. Proxy servers can also be used to bypass geolocation blocks and switch IP addresses, but they can also be used for filtering and network protection. A proxy server is enough if you just want to switch your IP address, but it won't usually offer the same levels of protection as a VPN.
How do I know if I'm connected to a proxy server?
One of the easiest ways to see if you're connected to a proxy server is to use whatismyipaddress.com. You can see if the IP address broadcast online matches your original IP address. You can also go into your system settings (under network) to see if you have proxy settings enabled.
How safe are proxy servers?
Proxy servers are often relatively safe, but they won't provide the same protection as a VPN. At best, they can mask your IP address and act as a middleman for internet traffic, but they won't encrypt your data or shield you as well from eavesdroppers. There's also the possible risk of data theft or malware if you use a free, untrusted proxy server service.