9 Best Proxy Server Providers of 2026: Free & Paid

  • Webshare.io

    • Affordable Pricing
    • Proxy Rotation
    • Multiple Locations
    • User-Friendly Dashboard
  • Bright Data

    • Extensive Proxy Pool
    • Advanced Targeting
    • High Performance
    • API Integration
  • Oxylabs

    Oxylabs
    • Large Proxy Network
    • High Anonymity
    • Fast and Reliable
    • Global Coverage

Are you searching for the best proxy server providers in 2026? Protecting your online privacy and security is important. Whether you're browsing the web, working, or managing a business, using a proxy server can help keep your information safe.

A proxy server acts as a middleman between your device and websites, hiding your IP address and keeping your online activity private.

With numerous proxy providers available, selecting the best one can be challenging.

In this guide, we will explore some of the best proxy Server providers of 2026, examining their features, benefits, and drawbacks to help you make an informed choice. Let's get in..

What Actually Is a Proxy Server?

A proxy server acts as an intermediary between your device and the internet. When you use a proxy, your traffic is routed through the proxy server, masking your real IP address with the server's IP address.

This offers several benefits, including increased privacy, anonymity, and the ability to bypass geo-restrictions or web filtering.

Different types of proxies are suited to different tasks, including residential proxies (which use real home IP addresses), data center proxies (which come from data centers and are faster but more detectable), and mobile proxies (which use mobile IP addresses).

There are several types of proxy servers:

  • Residential proxies (appear as real user devices for undetectable access)
  • Datacenter proxies (ultra-fast and ideal for cost-sensitive tasks)
  • Mobile proxies (mask as phones/tablets for specialized scraping and app testing)
  • Rotating, static, and SOCKS5/HTTP/HTTPS proxies for custom use cases

Benefits of Using Best Proxy Servers

  • Enhanced privacy and reduced risk of tracking
  • Bypassing regional blocks or content restrictions
  • Improved security for individuals and organizations
  • Better performance for automation, scraping, and bots

10 Best Proxy Server Providers of 2026

Now, let's take a look at the best proxy server providers.

1. Webshare.io

Webshare.io absolutely deserves its place among the best proxy server providers 2026 for anyone who values an easy-to-use platform with affordable pricing.

Webshare Proxy Overview

As a leading datacenter and residential proxy solution, Webshare.io offers over 1 million datacenter IPs in 35+ countries and a residential pool of 80 million IPs—making it incredibly versatile for small projects, web scraping, social media management, or app testing.

Webshare.io stands out in the best proxy server providers 2026 list thanks to unlimited bandwidth on all plans, support for HTTP and SOCKS5 protocols, and a free trial with 10 working proxies.

Sticky sessions for up to 30 minutes are ideal for tasks that require stable connections, while the comprehensive API simplifies bulk proxy management. A user-friendly dashboard lets you buy and manage proxies easily, while 24/7 ticket-based support ensures quick assistance.

Features:

  • 1 million datacenter IPs in 35 locations.
  • 80 million residential IPs available.
  • Unlimited bandwidth on all plans.
  • Supports HTTP and SOCKS5 protocols.
  • Free trial with 10 proxies.
  • Sticky sessions for up to 30 minutes.
  • API for bulk proxy management.
  • 24/7 support via ticket system.

Pros

  • Affordable pricing starting at just $0.60 per GB for residential proxies.
  • Instant setup with no delays.
  • High uptime at 99.97%, ensuring reliability.
  • Clean IPs suitable for social media tasks.
  • Easy-to-use proxy lists.
  • No long-term contracts required.
  • Fast download speeds.

Cons

  • Fewer location options compared to larger providers.
  • Support is available only via the ticket system.

2. Bright Data

Bright Data (formerly Luminati) is always in the top recommendations for the best proxy server providers 2026, especially when you need massive scale and advanced targeting.

Bright Data Proxy Overview

It has a huge network of 72 million residential IPs in 195 countries, giving you access to a wide range of locations. This makes it one of the best proxies for web scraping from sites like Amazon or Google without getting blocked.

The proxies automatically rotate to keep your connections fresh, making it harder for websites to detect or block your requests. Bright Data also provides tools to help businesses comply with laws such as GDPR, ensuring everything remains legal when gathering data.

They offer 24/7 support via live chat and email for any issues or questions. Although Bright Data is mainly built for large projects, smaller teams can also use it. Custom plans are available for big users, but it can still work for smaller teams too.

Some useful features include the ability to target specific cities or regions and the option to run unlimited sessions at once. Bright Data also promises 99.99% uptime, ensuring the service stays reliable.

They use IPs that are sourced ethically from real devices, making the service more secure.

Learn More About Bright Data

Features:

  • 72 million residential IPs in 195 countries.
  • Target IPs by specific cities or regions.
  • Unlimited sessions at the same time.
  • 99.99% uptime for reliability.
  • Ethically sourced IPs from real devices.
  • Web unblocker to bypass difficult sites.
  • 24/7 support through live chat and email.
  • Custom plans for larger users.

Pros

  • High success rates with e-commerce and search engine sites.
  • Flexible pricing with pay-as-you-go options.
  • Easy-to-use dashboard for tracking usage.
  • Works well with most scraping tools.
  • Fast speeds, averaging 100 Mbps.
  • Detailed reports on data usage.
  • Free 7-day trial to test the service.

Cons

  • Lacks SOCKS5 support for additional security
  • Starts at $8.40 per GB, which can be expensive for small users.
  • The setup can be tricky for beginners.

3. Decodo

Decodo, previously known as Smartproxy, is a popular choice among scraping experts.

Overview of Decodo Proxy

This platform stands out on the best proxy server providers 2026 list for its 65 million residential IPs across 195 locations, offering great global coverage coupled with support for SOCKS5 and HTTP protocols.

This makes it especially useful for scraping e-commerce sites or social media platforms. Their web unblocker tool helps bypass restrictions on difficult-to-access websites, and the dashboard is simple to use and shows the status of each session.

It's a great choice for marketers and developers who need a cost-effective solution without sacrificing performance. Decodo offers the option to target IPs by city or internet service provider, and its proxies support both SOCKS5 and HTTP protocols.

They also offer unlimited bandwidth on most plans, making it ideal for large-scale scraping tasks. With a no-code API and a Chrome extension for quick proxy swaps, Decodo ensures that even users with little technical knowledge can easily set up and use their proxies.

Features:

  • 65 million residential IPs globally.
  • Target proxies by city or internet provider.
  • Unlimited bandwidth on most plans.
  • Supports SOCKS5 and HTTP protocols.
  • No-code API for easy scraping.
  • Chrome extension for quick proxy swaps.
  • 99.95% success rate for requests.
  • 24/7 support via email and chat.

Pros

  • Affordable pricing at $4 per GB for residential proxies.
  • Simple and quick setup process.
  • Rarely gets blocked on tough sites.
  • Free 3-day trial with 100MB of data.
  • Excellent for mobile proxy needs.
  • Easy-to-read usage tracking.
  • Fast response times from customer support.

Cons

  • Free tier has limited data.
  • The dashboard could benefit from more filter options.

4. Oxylabs

When we talk about the best proxy server providers 2026 for high-performing businesses, Oxylabs is among the name that comes up.

Oxylabs Proxy Overview

It is a powerful proxy provider, designed for businesses that need to handle large-scale data tasks. With a network of 177 million IPs across 195 countries, it’s trusted by many Fortune 500 companies.

These proxies can easily handle large-scale scraping jobs, pulling clean, structured data for tasks such as ad verification, price comparison, or AI model training.

Oxylabs offers a rock-solid network, ensuring high reliability even during heavy traffic. For professionals who need scale and performance, Oxylabs is the go-to choice.

Their built-in web scraper API simplifies data extraction, and their web unblocker technology helps bypass tough website restrictions.

Their network allows targeting proxies by city, state, or ISP. Additionally, there are no limits on the number of threads per proxy, making it an excellent choice for users who require high performance.

Free 7-day trials and true 24/7 support also make Oxylabs an elite choice among the best proxy server providers.

Features:

  • 177 million ethical IPs worldwide.
  • Target proxies by city, state, or ISP.
  • Unlimited threads per proxy.
  • Built-in web scraper API for easy data extraction.
  • 99.9% uptime guarantee.
  • AI-powered unblocker technology.
  • Custom integration options for businesses.
  • 24/7 dedicated support team.

Pros

  • Extremely fast speeds, averaging over 150 Mbps.
  • Free 7-day trial to test the service.
  • 96% success rate when scraping Google.
  • Competitive pricing starting at $4 per GB.
  • Strong focus on ethical sourcing of IPs.
  • Tools for video data scraping.
  • Robust enterprise dashboards for easy management.

Cons

  • Not all plans offer a pay-as-you-go option.
  • The system may take time to learn for new users.

5. Live Proxies

Live Proxies earns its place among the best proxy server providers in 2026 for anyone who wants fewer bans more than a low price.

Overview Of Live Proxies

Founded in 2020 in Studio City, California, it began with sneaker botting and now serves ecommerce monitoring, ad verification and SEO tracking. Its big difference is private IP allocation, so other customers on your plan don't use your IPs.

Live Proxies stands out in the best proxy server providers 2026 list thanks to real-device residential and mobile IPs and month-to-month billing with no auto-renewal. Plans start at $70 per month. Support runs through live chat, a help desk and Discord.

Features:

  • Private IPs, not shared with others on your plan.
  • Rotating residential proxies with sticky sessions up to 60 minutes.
  • Rotating mobile proxies with sticky sessions up to 30 minutes.
  • Real-device IPs from residential and mobile connections.
  • Metered and unmetered plans.
  • Country and state targeting.
  • HTTP/S support, plus SOCKS5 on enterprise plans.
  • Dashboard to replace IPs and check usage.

Pros

  • Private IPs cut the risk of shared-IP bans.
  • Low block rates on hard sites, according to reviewers.
  • Real-device IPs that pass most detection tools.
  • Plans run 30, 45, 60 or 90 days.
  • No auto-renewal.
  • Support on live chat, help desk and Discord.
  • Unmetered plans from $130 per month.

Cons

  • Pricier than budget providers, with no refunds apart from limited cases.
  • No datacenter proxies or scraping tools, and mobile coverage is mostly the US, Canada and the UK.

6. ProxyEmpire

ProxyEmpire earns its spot as one of the best proxy server providers 2026 thanks to its 9.5 million IPs in 170 countries and flexible features like non-expiring bandwidth (pay only for what you use).

Overview Of ProxyEmpire Proxy

Their rotating residential proxies are particularly good for maintaining anonymity, which is important for scraping, data collection, or market research.

With ProxyEmpire, you can target specific countries, cities, or ISPs, making it a great choice for tasks that require precision.

ProxyEmpire’s unique pay-as-you-go pricing and 24/7 live chat set it apart from other proxy server providers. Non-expiring bandwidth is great for long-term, low-volume projects.

Their mobile proxies are ideal for app testing, while the browser extension simplifies proxy swapping. This provider is perfect for ad tech, market research, or anyone who needs to gather data anonymously without interruption.

Learn more: ProxyEmpire Review: Is It Worth Trying For Online Privacy?

Features:

  • 9.5 million IPs across 170 countries.
  • Ability to target proxies by country, city, or ISP.
  • Unlimited concurrent sessions.
  • Both rotating and static proxy options.
  • Mobile proxies for app testing.
  • Non-expiring bandwidth plans.
  • Browser extension for easy proxy management.
  • 24/7 live chat support.

Pros

  • Pay-as-you-go pricing starting at $4 per GB.
  • High uptime at 99.9%, ensuring reliability.
  • Strong anonymity for sensitive tasks.
  • Easy to integrate with popular tools.
  • Free setup guides are available for new users.
  • Fast proxy rotations for seamless browsing.
  • Great for mobile app testing.

Cons

  • Smaller pool of mobile IPs compared to other providers.
  • Speeds may slow down during peak usage times.

7. IPRoyal

IPRoyal is consistently ranked among the best proxy server providers 2026 for users on a tight budget.

Overview Of IPRoyal Proxy

With 32 million ethically sourced residential IPs across 195 countries, it offers a reliable service at a lower cost.

Whether you need to scrape data or bypass geo-blocks, IPRoyal gives you the tools to do so without breaking the bank.

Their non-expiring traffic plans allow you to save money by rolling over unused data. Additionally, IPRoyal uses Pawns.app to create a trustworthy IP pool, ensuring the quality and legitimacy of their proxies.

This makes it an excellent option for small businesses or solo users looking for a cost-effective solution.

IPRoyal offers a range of useful features, including sticky sessions for stability and an easy-to-use API for quick access to proxies.

With 24/7 chat support, you can always get assistance if needed. This provider is great for tasks such as web scraping or managing online accounts, especially for budget-conscious users.

Features:

  • 32 million residential IPs.
  • Coverage in 195 countries.
  • Unlimited bandwidth options.
  • Supports SOCKS5 and HTTPS protocols.
  • Free proxy trial available.
  • Sticky sessions for better stability.
  • API for easy access and integration.
  • 24/7 chat support.

Pros

  • Extremely affordable, starting at just $1.75 per GB.
  • Ethically sourced IPs for better reliability.
  • Fast speeds up to 140 Mbps.
  • Simple setup, making it beginner-friendly.
  • Works well for tasks like eBay scraping.
  • Clear refund policy for peace of mind.
  • Clean and reliable IPs.

Cons

  • Smaller proxy pool compared to larger providers
  • Limited advanced features for enterprise users

8. Shifter

Shifter has earned its place among the best proxy server providers for users needing rotating residential proxies at massive scale, ideal for sneaker drops, bots, and scraping.

Overview Of Shifter Proxy

This makes it a strong choice for users who need to scrape data from websites without getting flagged. With unlimited bandwidth, Shifter.io can easily handle large-scale scraping tasks, such as price monitoring or product data collection.

Shifter.io provides geo-targeting, allowing you to select IPs from specific regions worldwide. Their built-in scraper APIs make data extraction smooth and provide clean, reliable results.

The provider offers a port-based pricing model, which makes it a cost-effective option for those looking to control their budget.

This provider is well-suited for high-demand tasks like sneaker drops, where speed and reliability are critical. It also allows unlimited concurrent sessions, ensuring you can scale your tasks as needed.

Shifter.io promises a 99.5% success rate, making it a dependable choice for large scraping operations.

Features:

  • 31 million rotating residential IPs.
  • Global geo-targeting options for location-specific data.
  • Unlimited bandwidth on all plans.
  • Customizable rotation intervals for IP switching.
  • Built-in scraper APIs for easy data extraction.
  • 99.5% success rate for scraping tasks.
  • Port-based pricing model for flexibility.
  • Support available via tickets.

Pros

  • Affordable pricing with ports starting at $124.
  • Low error rates make it reliable for scraping tasks.
  • Ideal for sneaker drops and time-sensitive tasks.
  • Unlimited concurrent sessions for scaling projects.
  • Quick setup with minimal delays.
  • Handles heavy loads without performance issues.
  • Free trial available to test the service.

Cons

  • Support response times can be slow.
  • Some connection errors may occur during high-demand tasks.

9. Storm Proxies

Storm Proxies is a budget-friendly provider known for its rotating proxies. It offers a pool of 40,000 residential IPs, along with backup datacenter IPs, to ensure a reliable connection.

Overview Of Storm Proxies

The proxies rotate every 20 minutes, helping you stay anonymous when performing tasks such as grabbing tickets or managing social media accounts.

With unlimited bandwidth, Storm Proxies allows you to run tasks without worrying about data limits. Their simple proxy lists make it easy to access and use proxies quickly.

This provider is best suited for smaller-scale tasks such as botting, sneaker drops, or other basic web scraping operations.

It also provides support via email and offers a 24-hour refund policy, giving you peace of mind if the service doesn’t meet your needs.

Storm Proxies may not match the pool size of bigger rivals, but its $14/month plan, fast onboarding, and robust refund policy make it one of the best proxy server providers for beginners.

Features:

  • 40,000 residential IPs.
  • IP rotation every 20 minutes.
  • Unlimited bandwidth on all plans.
  • Datacenter IPs available as backup.
  • US and EU proxy locations.
  • SOCKS5 protocol support.
  • Simple proxy lists for easy access.
  • Email-based customer support

Pros

  • Affordable pricing at $14 per month.
  • Great for sneaker drops and time-sensitive tasks.
  • Instant access to proxies with no delay.
  • Unlimited threads for large-scale tasks.
  • 24-hour refund policy for peace of mind.
  • Easy setup for beginners.
  • Decent speeds for smaller tasks.

Cons

  • Small IP pool compared to larger providers.
  • Limited location options, mainly the US and the EU.

How I Picked These Best Proxy Server Providers?

I compared these proxy providers based on pricing, IP pool size, speed, reliability, targeting options, ease of use, and their suitability for different proxy use cases.

ProviderWhy I Picked Them
Webshare.ioCheap, unlimited bandwidth, and simple setup, ideal for beginners and social media tasks.
OxylabsHuge IP pool, fast, reliable, and perfect for heavy tasks like AI with custom solutions.
DecodoAffordable, easy to set up, great for small businesses, and offers mobile proxies.
Bright DataLarge IP pool, fast speeds, and great for big projects with a 7-day free trial.
Live ProxiesFast residential and ISP proxies with reliable connections, flexible targeting, and easy setup for scraping, social media, and automation.
ProxyEmpireFast IP rotation, great for ad tech and research, affordable, and easy to integrate.
IPRoyalVery affordable, ethical IPs, easy setup, and good for small businesses and eBay tasks.
Shifter.ioAffordable, fast IP rotations, and great for large-scale scraping with a free trial.
Storm ProxiesBudget-friendly, fast setup, great for small tasks like sneaker drops, with unlimited bandwidth.

How to Choose the Best Proxy Server Providers for Your Needs 2026?

The right proxy provider depends on what you plan to do, how much traffic you handle, and the level of speed, targeting, and reliability your project requires. Consider these factors before choosing a provider.

Project Size:

  • Enterprises and large-scale scrapers: Bright Data and Oxylabs offer large proxy networks, advanced targeting, and tools designed for demanding workloads.
  • Small businesses and individuals: Webshare, IPRoyal, and ProxyEmpire offer simpler options for users who need affordable proxies without complex infrastructure.

Proxy Type:

  • Residential proxies: Bright Data, Decodo, and IPRoyal are suitable for web scraping, market research, and websites with stronger anti-bot protection.
  • Mobile proxies: Live Proxies is worth considering for mobile-focused applications, social media, and tasks that require mobile IP addresses.
  • Datacenter proxies: Webshare and Storm Proxies can work well when speed and cost are more important than residential IP authenticity.
  • ISP proxies: Live Proxies are useful when you need stable, ISP-assigned IPs for longer sessions, account management, or targeted automation.

Features & Support:

  • Look for providers offering 24/7 customer support, API access, flexible authentication, IP rotation, and detailed targeting options if you are running larger projects.
  • Check whether the provider offers a free trial or money-back option so you can test connection speed, success rates, IP quality, and reliability before committing.
  • Compare pricing models carefully, since some providers charge by bandwidth, others per IP, and some offer monthly plans.

Quick Links:

Conclusion on Best Proxy Server Providers

To conclude, when choosing a proxy provider, it’s important to consider your needs, whether it’s for personal browsing, data scraping, or business tasks.

Webshare and Oxylabs are great for large-scale operations, while Webshare.io and ProxyEmpire are more affordable for smaller users.

Choose any from this curated list of the best proxy server providers 2026 and enjoy safe, powerful, and versatile proxy solutions in 2026 and beyond.

FAQs For “Best Proxy Server Providers”

Look at proxy types, IP pool quality, location coverage, rotation and sticky sessions, speed, success rates, targeting options, pricing, bandwidth limits, authentication methods, and customer support. The right provider depends on your workload rather than one universal feature.

Residential proxies are commonly used when websites have strong anti-bot systems, while datacenter proxies can be useful for high-speed, lower-cost tasks. ISP and mobile proxies can also make sense for specific targets and longer sessions.

Neither is universally better. Residential proxies generally offer IPs associated with real residential networks and can be harder for some websites to detect, while datacenter proxies usually provide higher speeds and lower costs. The better option depends on the target website and workload.

Pricing varies considerably by proxy type, traffic volume, location, and whether you need dedicated IPs. Current provider comparisons show residential proxies commonly priced per GB, while datacenter proxies may be sold per IP or GB. Bulk purchases can also reduce the effective cost.

Paid providers generally offer more control over IP quality, locations, authentication, support, and infrastructure. Free proxies can have uncertain availability and performance, so they are usually less suitable for business-critical scraping, automation, or data collection.

Start with a free trial, small package, or pay-as-you-go option when available. Test latency, success rate, IP rotation, geographic targeting, block rates, concurrent connections, and the provider's support response before committing to a larger plan. Current comparison guides also emphasize testing providers against real workloads rather than relying only on advertised pool sizes.

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