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 . If you want a web scraping giant, you want Oxylabs (which at the time of this writing is offering 50% off with the code OXYLABS50).

Recommends Oxylabs The best proxy server service for scraping The best proxy server service for scraping Oxylabs View now View at Oxylabs MarsProxies The best plug-and-play proxy service The best plug-and-play proxy service MarsProxies View now View at MarsProxies IPRoyal The best proxy server service for residential proxies The best proxy server service for residential proxies IPRoyal View now View at IPRoyal Bright Data The best proxy server service for business The best proxy server service for business Bright Data View now View at Bright Data Show more (1 item)

Best web services deals of the week

• Decodo - use code '' to get 35% off all web-scraping proxy plans, including 700k requests plan :  $99 (save $35)
• Oxylabs - use code 'OXYLABS50' to save 50% off residential proxies, including Advanced plan :  $600 (save $300)
• Webshare - 20% off first purchase, including 1,000 proxy plan :  $27 (save $5)

Deals are selected by the CNET Group commerce team, and may be unrelated to this article.

What is the best proxy server service right now?

The 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 proxy server service that's the easiest to get started with is MarsProxies , an affordable option with a range of plans and products, along with great customer support. However, if you're interested in enterprise-level industrial web scraping using a proxy server service, our choice is Oxylabs . The company has the largest pool of ethically-sourced residential proxies, a deep API for performing scraping activities, and an AI that can help with the conversion of raw data to actionable insights.

Read on to find the best proxy server service for you in 2025.

Sort by All

The best proxy server services of 2025

Show less View now at Oxylabs

If you're looking for proxies suitable for market research and data scraping, check out Oxylabs.

This is our top pick for industrial web scraping, 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.

Also: This proxy provider I tested is the best for web scraping - and it's not IPRoyal or MarsProxies

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. At the time of this writing, you can get 50% off with the code OXYLABS50.

Oxylabs features -- Proxy types: Residential, ISP, data center  Mobile? Yes  Pool size: 175 million IPs, 195 countries  Support: Live chat, email  Pricing: $1.20 per IP, residential $4 per gigabyte, various  Trustpilot rating: 4.3

---

Pros

• Web unblocker
• Mobile app
• Open-source tools
• Dedicated data center proxies

Cons

• Some reported billing issues

Oxylabs

The best proxy server service for scraping

If you're looking for proxies suitable for market research and data scraping, check out Oxylabs.

This is our top pick for industrial web scraping, 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.

Also: This proxy provider I tested is the best for web scraping - and it's not IPRoyal or MarsProxies

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. At the time of this writing, you can get 50% off with the code OXYLABS50.

Oxylabs features -- Proxy types: Residential, ISP, data center  Mobile? Yes  Pool size: 175 million IPs, 195 countries  Support: Live chat, email  Pricing: $1.20 per IP, residential $4 per gigabyte, various  Trustpilot rating: 4.3

Read More Show Expert Take Show less Show less View now at MarsProxies

MarsProxies has earned a 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

---

Pros

• Clear documentation
• Proxy solution range
• Pay-as-you-go models
• Mobile support

Cons

• No free trial

MarsProxies

The best plug-and-play proxy service

MarsProxies has earned a 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

Read More Show Expert Take Show less Show less View now at IPRoyal

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

---

Pros

• Reasonable residential proxy plans
• Large pool
• Integration, API support

Cons

• Expensive mobile proxies

IPRoyal

The best proxy server service for residential proxies

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

Read More Show Expert Take Show less Show less View now at Bright Data

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

---

Pros

• Proxy range
• AI tools
• Useful APIs
• Dataset marketplace

Cons

• Reports of unpopular billing, verification practices

Bright Data

The best proxy server service for business

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

Read More Show Expert Take Show less

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.

View at NordVPN

Best VPN alternative for speed

ExpressVPN

If you want a fast VPN instead of a proxy server service, ExpressVPN is our top choice. ExpressVPN is multiplatform compatible, operates a no-logs policy, and has a server network spanning 105 countries. Though it's more expensive than most of its competitors, ExpressVPN is a solid choice for IP masking, streaming, and gaming. 

View at ExpressVPN

Best value VPN alternative

Surfshark VPN

Surfshark should be on your radar if you're looking for an affordable, secure VPN as an alternative to a proxy server. It's one of the most consistently affordable VPNs on the market, with about 100 countries in its server network. This VPN is also perfect for beginners. 

View at Surfshark

Best proxy server services, compared

Best proxy server service	Price	Residential or commercial?	Scrapping, sneaker drops?	Mobile?	Free trial?
Oxylabs	$4 per GB, various	Both	Scraping	Yes	3-7 days
MarsProxies	$0.86 per proxy, various	Both	Both	Yes	No
IPRoyal	$1.39 per proxy, various	Both	Both	Yes	Business only
Bright Data	$0.90 per IP, residential $2.94 per GB, various	Both	Scraping	Yes	Business only

Show more

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. 

Show more

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 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. 

Show more

Which is the right proxy server service for you?

Choose this proxy server service...	If you want...
Oxylabs	A proxy for web scraping. Oxylabs has numerous proxy options, alongside dedicated scraper systems, including an API and AI assistant.
MarsProxies	The best plug-and-play 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.
Bright Data	To explore AI. Bright Data offers are best suited for businesses, especially if they want to combine AI technologies with proxy use.

Show more

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. 

Show more

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.

Show 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.

Show more

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.

Show more

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. 

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Alternative proxy server services to consider

Best residential proxy alternative

PacketStream

PacketStream is a popular service for residential proxies. Pricing is metered at $1 per gigabyte.

View at PacketStream

Best alternative for dedicated proxies

Storm Proxies

Storm Proxies is an option if you need dedicated proxies or you're interested in sneaker sites. A discount is available using the code 50YEA.

View at Storm Proxies

Best alternative for web scraping

Decodo

Decodo, previously known as Smartproxy, is worth considering if your primary wish is data collection. You can save using the code DECODO30. 

View at Decodo

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