17 Best SOCKS5 Proxies (Cheap & Premium) in 2024
Posts by Colin TanMarch 12, 2024
SOCKS5 is one of the most comprehensive types of proxies that you can use to stay safe and anonymous online.
You can use a SOCKS proxy if you want to make sure nobody can see your real IP address, or you need to access websites that are restricted where you’re located, or you want to scrape web data from them.
If you’re looking for the best SOCKS5 proxy provider and you’re not sure what’s worth checking out and what you should avoid, we’ve got a list that will save you a ton of time.
Let’s take a look.
First Look
1. Best of the Best: Oxylabs
“I love the more established providers out there, but I also like finding new companies to put my money into as well. If you want to try a new, cheap SOCKS5 proxy provider, I recommend Oxylabs.”
2. Best for Premium: Bright Data
“Once you try Bright Data, you’re going to struggle to go for anything else. Yes, when I first started using them, I felt like they were really expensive. However, as time went on, I understood why they charge so much for their premium SOCKS5 proxies, and it was paying off so well that I stuck with it.”
3. Best IP Pool: ProxyEmpire
“While Bright Data has some amazing features, they are a little on the expensive side. If I had more to my budget, I would be with Bright Data, but because I don’t, I choose ProxyEmpire. They’re basically the same thing, except for a couple of things. Either way, if you don’t have that much to spend, I suggest ProxyEmpire as a cheaper option.”
4. 4th Best: Proxy-Seller
“I love Proxy-Seller because they really care about me. They are the type of proxy provider that of course is going to make it easy for me to get the cheap SOCKS5 proxies that I need, but they can help me with so much more than this as well – that’s what makes them special.”
5. Best for Security: BeeProxy
“If you need a bit more than just a cheap SOCKS5 proxy to do what you need to do online, I suggest you check out BeeProxy. They also have residential IPs in their database as well, which have worked awesome when regular proxies wouldn’t get the job done.”
6. Best for Support: Smartproxy
“I like Smartproxy because they are trending right now, and they have everything I need, including a lot of options when it comes to finding the best SOCKS5 proxy. I like that they’re user-friendly, and they also have a great customer support team too.”
Best SOCKS5 Proxies in 2024
1. Best of the Best: Oxylabs
Oxylabs is top of our list and is considered the best proxy service in the industry.
We love that they offer a free trial that will last you seven days, and we also like that they have bonus features, including sessions control.
If you need SOCKS5 proxies for things like web data extraction as well as webpage crawling, Oxylabs has what you need.
2. Best for Premium: Bright Data
As our reviewer said, Bright Data is easily one of the best premium SOCKS5 proxy services in the industry.
Bright Data do come with one of the biggest price tags you’ll come across and are going to set you back as much as $500 a month.
However, this will cover all of your proxy needs, so if you’re a bigger business and you rely on proxies to collect as much data as possible, then they could definitely be worth your time.
3. Best IP Pool: ProxyEmpire
ProxyEmpire is pretty similar to Bright Data, just as our reviewer mentioned.
In fact, one of the only differences between these two companies is the price.
ProxyEmpire could cost you as little as $15 per month, which, when compared to Bright Data’s $500, is looking pretty cheap.
They have one of the biggest location databases in the world, as well as one of the biggest server databases, too, so you know that you’re getting a lot out of what you’re paying.
4. 4th Best: Proxy-Seller
Proxy-Seller is helpful if you are trying to find a proxy provider that is going to help you with both HTTPS and SOCKS5 proxies.
A lot of the time, a proxy provider will focus just on one type of proxy, so it certainly stands out that they are willing to help you with both.
They have a personal assistant who pops up in the beginning who can help answer any questions you might have, and they also have an easy way to figure out what type of proxy you need.
If you need a proxy from a specific location and you need to specify the rental time, you can do this on their homepage.
This way, they aren’t just going to send you a random proxy that doesn’t have anything to do with what you need. Below this, they detail how much your proxy is going to cost depending on which country it is coming from.
It’s hard to achieve this level of transparency and honesty at such a cheap price.
Want to buy cheap SOCKS5 proxies?
Look no further.
5. 4th Best: BeeProxy
If you’re looking for unlimited bandwidth with your cheap SOCKS5 proxies, BeeProxy has you covered!
In fact, BeeProxy has been voted the #1 cheap SOCKS5 proxy provider of 2024!
They can also help you with other features that not every proxy company offers such as residential proxies and incredible support.
Save yourself some money and give BeeProxy a try.
Thank me later.
6. Best for Support: Smartproxy
Reliable SOCKS5 proxies are difficult to come by, especially if you’re looking for a high quality option, so definitely make the most of the next one on our list.
This proxy provider can help you with this type of protocol when it comes to your proxies, but they can also help you with plenty of other protocols as well.
You can also make the most of their static and rotating proxies, and you can source your proxies from many different places around the world.
They’re going to be able to help you do virtually anything that you are trying to do on the Internet, and considering that they have a free trial that you make the most of, you’re going to be able to have a good experience with these guys from the very start.
They want to consult with you in the beginning about what your needs are as well.
7. Buy Personal Proxy
It’s getting more and more difficult to find companies out there that not only care about making a profit but also care about making sure their customers are satisfied too.
Buy Personal Proxy is like your local proxy company because they really care about what you need from a proxy.
They will even help you learn more about using a proxy, too, which is not something you’ll find every day.
8. High Proxies
High Proxies not only separate their proxies into different groups, but they also have a three-day money-back guarantee, so if you choose one and you find that it’s not for you, you can still get a return on your investment.
A lot of their reviews online talk about how they are a great option if you’re going to be using your proxies for social media activity, so if this is you, then we suggest you give them a try.
9. Blazing SEO Proxy
Sometimes, it pays to check out a new company, even when you don’t know too much about them and don’t think they’re looking all that great yet.
Blazing SEO Proxy, as the reviews talk about on third party websites, is one to look out for.
They know what their customers need, and they’re working hard every day to give it to them. While their database and location number is nowhere near the bigger proxy companies yet, we believe that one day, they will be.
10. Soax
Soax offers its clients some of the best SOCKS5 proxies, as well as mobile and residential proxies.
They say that they are one of the cleanest options out there, and they have a proxy pool that they regularly update, with more than 8 million IP address active around the world at any given time.
They also have flexible targeting that can be specified by region, country, city and provider. All of their geo-locations are available whenever you need them, there is no usage limitation, and they offer 100% whitelisted options.
We think that their pricing is pretty good as well, starting from just $75 a month, which is going to give you 5GB and 300 port.
11. Shifter.io
Shifter.io is one of the biggest proxy networks in the world, and definitely a great choice if you’re looking for a SOCKS5 proxy that can get you through anything. They say that their orders are automatic, and they have a 3-day money-back guarantee.
They also offer around-the-clock support, and their services are designed for all of your proxy service needs. They have a price comparison so that you can see how affordable they are compared to other companies out there, and they say that they are lightning-fast.
Unlimited sessions are available, and an advanced control panel is going to make sure that you’re never left in the dark.
12. Rsocks
Rsocks is an excellent provider of SOCKS5 proxies where you can purchase high-quality proxies, as well as residential proxy lists that are back-connected.
You can register with them right now and try them out for free, and they say that they have exclusive Wi-Fi and more than 7000 IP addresses that are located in Europe.
When it comes to their residential proxies, they have more than 8 million in circulation, with 68 personal proxy countries and 24 VPN servers around the world.
They have concise and well-thought-out proxy plans so that you can get what you pay for and you don’t have to compromise when it comes to your budget.
13. Proxy Rack
Proxy Rack is a proxy provider that can help you buy SOCKS5 and HTTP proxies, and they say that they have an average of more than 300,000 unique proxies online, and this is just in the last 24 hours.
They say that the thing that sets them apart from their competitors is the fact that they are really good value for money, which is great if you’re someone who doesn’t have a huge budget to dedicate to proxies right now.
With more than 3000 satisfied customers, they believe that they are your complete proxy solution, and have been in the industry for long enough to know what their clients are looking for.
14. Hydra Proxy
Hydra Proxy is a great service for proxies if you are looking for SOCKS5 proxies, as well as residential proxies.
One of the features that we like a lot about this company is that they say that there is no monthly commitment, so that you can opt out of their services whenever you feel like it.
They also say that they have flexible billing periods, and no additional fees beyond what you are going to pay for them in the beginning.
We love that they have a money-back policy that operates 24 hours, and with more than 5 million IP addresses in their database, we think that they have a pretty good thing going.
15. Proxy Guys
Proxy Guys is a proxy provider that can assist you with SOCKS5 proxies, and they say that all of their plans include more than 39 American locations, download speeds that exceed 40Mbps, and unlimited immediate IP address changes.
They also say that they have a number of different subscription terms that you can choose from, as well as instant account setup which is great if you’re on the go and you don’t have a lot of time to put into it.
We love that their live chat support is there whenever you need it, and we also love that they offer plugins for Chrome and Firefox.
This is a comprehensive proxy service that can keep you safe online at any stage of the process.
16. Lime Proxies
Lime Proxies is a great option for a SOCKS5 proxy that can help you get ahead, and the best part is that they offer you a demo.
This way, you can get to know them and how they work before you decide on anything.
They say that you can cancel with them at any point, and they have a 5 minute setup time, as well as enterprise support that is available 24/7.
They offer their clients a pool of millions of IPs that are never going to get blocked – and they are backed by a super supportive team.
They believe that they are trusted by more than 5000 companies, and they offer rank tracking so that you can keep your eye on Google rankings.
You can even scrape data if you need to. You can refresh your IP address at any time, and they offer more than 50 geo-locations.
17. Best IP Pool: Proxy-Sale
Proxy-Sale can help you with cheap SOCKS5 proxies, and they do so in a way that is discreet, yet helpful. They can help you with personal proxies for web scraping, social media sites, gambling, and more.
Proxy-Sale can also help you with proxies that are specified based on location, as well as price so that you ultimately get to choose how much you’re going to spend on your proxy, and you also get to choose exactly where it comes from.
As soon as you visit the website, you will see a comprehensive list of proxies that they have on offer right now, based on where you want your proxy to be sourced from in the world. You’re also going to be able to choose your price, based on how much you have in the budget.
FAQs
What is a SOCKS5 Proxy?
SOCKS is a protocol for the internet that uses a proxy server to connect a server and a client.
This offers you a good level of anonymity, so that you can go about your daily activities online without being worried about people seeing you, or your personal information being taken.
SOCKS5 has enhanced security features which makes it a great way to do everything you need to do online through a proxy.
The great news is that you don’t need authentication to connect to a proxy, and you don’t need to provide any login details to connect to the proxy.
The Benefits of Using SOCKS5 Proxies
Let’s take a look at all of the reasons why you might want to use a SOCKS5 proxy for your internet activity:
Gets Around Internet Blocks
Proxy servers act as the middle man between a device and the internet, which means that SOCKS5 proxies are great for getting around any internet blocks that might be getting in the way.
If your IP address has been blocked by a particular website, you can route your traffic through a SOCKS5 proxy to get around this and continue to access the website. This means that you can access restricted or limited websites without having to worry.
No Traffic or Protocol Limitations
If you use an HTTP proxy, you can only work within website that are protected by HTTP or HTTPS. However, with a SOCKS5 proxy, you can work with any website on the internet, no matter what.
This high level proxy can help you with any protocol, whereas an HTTP proxy is designed for specific protocol.
This means that you can get secure connections that other proxies can’t typically offer. A low level proxy like SOCKS5 can take care of any traffic or program protocol.
More Reliable Connections – And They’re Quicker Too
There aren’t too many proxies out there that can offer you a reliable internet connection and efficient performance. While they might be great at getting around certain limitations, the reality is that they can’t guarantee efficient speeds.
SOCKS5 proxies can. With SOCKS5, you use a TCP internet protocol that makes sure any information from the client arrives at the server in a timely manner, without any gaps.
This way, SOCKS5 proxies offer you a reliable connection that can get your information across quickly.
Less Errors and Improved Performance
There are many other proxies out there that rewrite packet headers when they receive them. This leaves a lot of room for error, and it means that the information can even get redirected at times.
The good thing about SOCKS5 proxies is that they don’t rewrite data headers, so there’s little to no chance of it making mistakes along the way.
This means that it can do its job a lot quicker and better, and its overall performance is going to improve dramatically.
Improved P2P Platform Performance
The reason why SOCKS5 proxies are quicker than other proxies out there is because they transfer smaller packets of data.
This means that it has quicker download speeds, so that you can get more information translated in a smaller amount of time.
Why You Shouldn’t Use a Free Proxy
You might have seen a few free proxies out there floating around, and if you’ve got a limited budgeted right now for being online with your brand, the idea of using a free proxy is probably pretty appealing.
However, it comes with a price greater than what you would pay for it.
Low Performance
The issue with free proxies is that they have fewer support personnel. This means that there will be less development within the infrastructure, and fewer configuration choices on your end.
This is all going to result in a slower and less secure proxy, which is the last thing you need if you’re trying to protect valuable information.
They might even reduce your speeds if they’re attempting to convert you into a paying client.
Issues with Privacy
Most of the time, free proxies will take your personal data that they have access to and sell it to a third party.
Why? Because you’re not their client, and they have no obligation to protect it. This is a big risk that you take, and it’s a good reason not to use free proxies.
Meaning of SOCKS5 Proxy
Let’s break down the meaning of a SOCKS5 proxy a little bit more. For those of you that don’t know, a proxy server is like a middle person who is between a user of the Internet, and website information that they want to access.
When you as the user send a request to a website that you want to access, the request is going to be received by the proxy first. The proxy is then going to be able to change the IP address and send through the request.
Once the website owner has approved this request, the information will then be accessible to the user.
For example, if you are overseas, and you want to access information from a company in another country or in your home country for a research project, all you have to do is use a proxy server.
If the website is only letting people from that country access their information, a proxy server can hide your location, and pretend that you are in that country so that you can access the information.
The bottom line is that with a proxy, you can access information that you otherwise wouldn’t have access to.
With a SOCKS5 Proxy, it is the process of exchanging packets through the network that are going to be sent or received from both user ends, which is the client and the server. The requirement of a proxy here is to make sure that any security issues are dealt with.
SOCKS5 proxies are a better version of socks. They are the latest edition in socks protocols, and they are considered to be one of the most effective proxies when it comes to security.
These kinds of proxies include a more stringent authentication process, including no need to provide any authentication to connect to a proxy, but you will need your username and password.
They will also require GSS-API authentication, which means that both you and the other user needs to be able to identify themselves to make the most of the server. SOCKS5 proxies are great for email activity, peer-to-peer activity, and web browsing in general.
Where Can You Make the Most of a SOCKS5 Proxy?
SOCKS5 proxies are a great choice for P2P activity as well as torrenting activity because it delivers a high level of performance.
When compared to a regular VPN, these guys are considered to be a lot quicker, so they are ultimately going to be able to help you save time.
They can help you easily configure software, no matter what the program is. Another way that a SOCKS5 proxy can help you is by bypassing limitations, including IP restrictions or blocks.
Lastly, because SOCKS5 use UDP and TCP protocols, you tend to get a more efficient connection as a result.
Why is SOCKS5 Proxy Better Than HTTPS?
Definition
When you are searching on your web browser, you will find many links that start with HTTPS.
When you see this, you need to understand that these web pages are using HTTPS protocol to function. HTTPS proxies function using a client and server model.
For example, as the client, you will enter the information into the web browser to access what you’re looking for. Your requests will be sent in the form of a URL link.
The server on the other end is going to respond to this link, along with the information that you have asked for. The resource that you receive is also going to be in HTTPS format.
With HTTPS, you can conduct safe actions with the help of more than one proxy server that is available in the industry. With SOCKS5 proxies, you are able to make the most of the latest protocols, and you’re able to keep safe while you’re browsing online.
The bottom line is that they offer better definitions when it comes to security and lowers the risk of your personal data and information being compromised when you go through a server like this.
Protocol Support
HTTPS proxies don’t allow for all of the protocols that are listed, but when it comes to SOCKS5, they do. SOCKS5 offers support for all different types of protocols.
With SOCKS5, you get a much bigger range in terms of protocols online, which is going to make a pretty big difference to your browsing experience.
How to Set Up a SOCKS5 Proxy
If you want to set up a SOCKS5 proxy, you will need to make sure that you take a good look at the instructions before you get started, and you might also want to consult a developer so that you know exactly what you’re getting into.
The majority of companies out there, especially the ones that we have talked about above, will have a step-by-step process that you can follow, so that you don’t get confused or lost.
Making the most of any of the companies that we have discussed above is going to save you a ton of time online and ensure that you can browse safely and efficiently, wherever you are located in the world.
Our Review Process
When we decide which proxy services to feature on our list of the best SOCKS5 proxies, we make sure to do a bit of background research first.
This is why we check out over 150 proxy services and read over 3700 customer reviews that talk about both good and bad things.
This way, we can guarantee that the providers on our list are the best of the best, and are going to be your best choices when it comes to using both cheap and premium SOCKS5 proxies.