Nothing is free, and if not money, we give something else in exchange. Free proxies are often discouraged for this reason. Instead of hiding your identity, they create a risk of leaking your data to data brokers and other bad actors. But free proxies can still be useful if we know how to manage risks.
This article will argue that there is a balanced approach to free proxies. If you know their types, you can find scenarios where they are useful with risks that you can control.
What are free proxies?
As with every other proxy, a free one acts as a relay for your connection to the internet. You send your requests to the proxy server, and it then connects to the websites with its own IP address. If the proxy you use is anonymous, the web server will not know your real identity or that you are using a proxy.
But that’s where problems start with free proxies – there’s a lack of transparency. On the face of it, free proxies are just free intermediary servers and should function as any other type of proxy. Unfortunately, only rarely are you informed about what proxy you actually use. For all you know, it might be telling everyone about your identity.
Before rushing to dismiss free proxies, as most paid providers do in their blogs, let’s take a pause. If it’s possible to know more about free proxies before going all in to use them, then transparency could be achieved. This is possible with some extra steps and knowledge of free proxy types.
Types of free proxies
Paid proxies often come in three main types – residential, mobile, and datacenter. There are some subtypes, but this is not the aim of this article. Free proxies can also have similar setups, and most frequently, they are datacenter proxies.
These proxies are created virtually in large commercial datacenters with IPs unverified by residential Internet Service Providers (ISPs). These proxies are the cheapest, and some network administrators or proxy providers leave the ports open for anyone to use. Such free proxies are compiled into proxy lists.
Proxy lists
A free proxy list is just that – a huge list of proxy IP addresses and ports. Sometimes, there’s some additional information, such as country, protocol, type, speed, and ISP name. If the information is not on the list, you can figure it out with a proxy checker.
A proxy checker is a piece of software that can use the proxy connection to send a request to another special server (called proxy judge) to collect information about the proxy. The information that is omitted in most free proxy lists can be collected with a proxy checker.
It solves the transparency problem if you are willing to invest some time going through free proxy lists and checking proxies. However, there’s still a risk that the free proxy provider will intrude on your privacy or infect you with malware.
That’s why the best free proxy list is one from a reputable paid provider. Proxy lists from random websites or forums are a security hazard. You can never be sure who is snooping around your data or whether the IPs are sourced ethically. A provider would not risk its reputation even with a free proxy list.
Web proxies
When someone warns you against free proxies, they usually mean free web proxies. These are proxy websites where you can simply enter a URL and surf the web as with a proxy. Everything is happening in your browser window, so you don’t need to set anything up or use additional software.
I must admit, it is really convenient, but it also takes away any chance of control. These websites are full of intrusive ads, can infest you with malware, and you don’t even know what proxies you are using. Since you don’t get any proxy credentials, there is no way for you to use a proxy checker.
IP-checking websites are usually restricted to web proxies, so you are completely in the dark about what they are using. These websites are just targeting people who look for free proxies and are trying to steal their data. My recommendation is to avoid this free proxy type at all costs.
Free trials
While it’s not a free proxy type per se, it’s still worth a mention. Most providers will allow you to use a free proxy service for a month to advertise their services. Knowing how many providers there are online, you can use such free proxies for half a year at least.
This is the safest free proxy type. No reputable provider will spy on you or infect you with malware. You are a potential client, after all. However, don’t expect great performance with these free proxies. Good-performing connections are usually reserved for paying customers.
When using a free proxy is a good idea?
If you use a proxy checker and a credible source of free proxy lists, only performance is a serious drawback of free proxies. Such a usage method minimizes the risks as you can know much more about the proxies and their source.
Some anonymous browsing can be achieved with free list proxies, but it will not be a user-friendly experience. Web scraping or bulk purchasing is also off the list for this reason. What most people using free proxies find them useful for is software testing.
For example, if you are unsure whether a website has ant-scraping measures, you can use a free proxy with a scraper to check whether your project will be compatible. If it works with a free proxy, you can purchase one.
Wrapping up
While, in most cases, you are better off with paid proxy services, free proxies still can be helpful for testing. Understanding what free proxies are and what types it’s best to avoid, the risks are minimal. Of course, the more you use them, the more problems will come up. It’s best to use them sparingly.
