Best free proxy lists in 2026, compared

A free proxy list is only as good as how it is maintained. A page boasting "50,000 free proxies" is usually worse than one showing 500, because a giant static dump is mostly dead entries, while a smaller continuously checked list reflects what is actually live. So the honest way to compare free proxy sources is not by headline count but by method: how fresh the data is, how accurately each entry is labelled, and whether the operator is straight about the risks. Popular sources include spys.one, geonode, ProxyScrape, free-proxy-list.net and various GitHub-hosted lists — each with different trade-offs on exactly those axes.

Below are the criteria worth applying to any of them, including ours, before you trust an entry.

Freshness. Is the list re-checked continuously, or is it a stale snapshot? A last-checked timestamp per entry is the single most valuable feature, because free proxies die fast (see how long free proxies live).

Anonymity labelling. Good lists mark each entry transparent, anonymous or elite — the difference between one that leaks your real IP in X-Forwarded-For and one that does not. If a list does not label anonymity, you cannot filter for the level you need.

Protocol accuracy. HTTP, HTTPS, SOCKS4 and SOCKS5 behave differently; a list that mislabels them wastes your time. Metadata: country/GeoIP, latency and uptime help you pick. Honesty: does the operator warn you not to send sensitive data through open proxies, or does it oversell safety?

Our free proxy list records check results. The catalogue retains historical records, including entries marked as not working. A recorded success does not guarantee a connection now. Review the status and timestamp, then validate an endpoint before use. Treat public proxies as untrusted and avoid sensitive traffic.

For account-based access, compare paid proxies and dedicated IP and their published terms. Verify an endpoint with the tools before relying on it.