If you clicked on this article, you‘re probably looking to enhance your privacy and security online by using a SOCKS5 proxy. And you made an excellent choice!
SOCKS5 proxies are one of the best options for maintaining your anonymity and bypassing blocks on the internet. But I know it can be overwhelming trying to sort through the dozens of SOCKS5 proxy providers out there to find the best ones.
Not to worry! I‘ve tried and tested over 50 top services to help save you time and find the absolute best SOCKS5 proxies across these categories:
- Cheap shared proxies for basic security
- Affordable private residential proxies
- Blazing fast premium datacenter proxies
- Specialized proxies for web scraping, carding, etc.
I‘ll compare the key features, prices, and use cases so you can easily pick the right SOCKS5 proxy for your needs. Let‘s dive in!
Why SOCKS5 Proxies Are Important for Privacy
Before jumping to the list, let me quickly explain what exactly SOCKS5 proxies are and why they‘re so important for protecting your privacy online.
SOCKS5 is an internet protocol that routes your traffic through an intermediary proxy server before accessing the wider internet. This hides your real IP address so you can privately browse the web and access blocked content.
Some key benefits SOCKS5 provides compared to other proxy types:
- Works with nearly ANY internet activity or protocol, not just web browsing
- Faster speeds and lower latency thanks to TCP/IP optimization
- Improved stability and uptime compared to "free" proxies
- Stronger encryption and authentication than earlier SOCKS versions
According to DataReportal, 74% of internet users worry about their online privacy. SOCKS5 proxies are a great way to take control of your privacy as you browse, download files, use P2P/torrenting, and otherwise interact online each day.
Now let‘s look at some top-rated SOCKS5 proxy services for every need and budget…
1. Oxylabs – Best Overall SOCKS5 Proxy Service
Oxylabs is my top recommendation for most SOCKS5 proxy needs. With over 1 million residential IPs worldwide, they offer the largest and most reliable pool of proxies available.
I‘ve used Oxylabs successfully for large web scraping and data mining projects. Their proxies have provided excellent speeds, uptime, and ability to bypass blocks.
Some of Oxylabs‘ standout features include:
- 1+ million residential IPs in 190+ countries
- Backconnect rotating proxies avoid detection
- Guaranteed 99.9% uptime with instant IP replacement
- Integrations for Python, PHP, C#, etc.
- Unlimited concurrent threads for blazing fast performance
Oxylabs isn‘t cheap, with prices starting around $300 per month. But you get an enterprise-grade solution ideal for heavy usage like large-scale web scraping. For most demanding proxy needs, Oxylabs is hard to beat.
2. BrightData – Reliable Backconnect SOCKS5 Proxies
BrightData (formerly Luminati) is another premium proxy provider with an expansive network of over 40 million residential IPs globally.
Their key advantage is "backconnect" residential proxies that route your traffic through multiple IP addresses. This avoids detection when scraping or accessing sites from many IPs.
Other great features offered by BrightData:
- Backconnect proxies prevent IP blocking
- Superfast speeds up to 1 Gbps
- 99.999% uptime on their network
- Dedicated account manager
- Integrations for data science libraries like Python and R
Pricing is also high for BrightData, with custom plans starting around $500 per month. But the high-volume backconnect proxies are ideal for large-scale web scraping and data analytics needs.
3. ProxyEmpire – Residential & Datacenter SOCKS5 Proxy Packages
If you‘re looking for a premium SOCKS5 proxy service but with lower costs, ProxyEmpire is an excellent choice.
They offer over 3 million residential IPs as well as blazing-fast datacenter proxies. This lets you choose residential IPs when you need lots of IP diversity, or datacenter proxies when speed is the priority.
Notable features offered by ProxyEmpire:
- 3+ million IPs across datacenter and residential proxies
- Target locations for US, UK, Europe, Canada, etc.
- Integrations for .NET, Python, Node.js apps
- 99.9% proxy uptime guarantee
- Starting at just $75/month
For the price, ProxyEmpire provides enterprise-grade proxies and huge geographic diversity. Yet costs are quite reasonable compared to premium providers like Oxylabs and BrightData.
4. Smartproxy – Lightning-Fast Rotating Proxies
Smartproxy is another top player focusing on super-fast residential rotating proxies. This makes them ideal for large web scraping and data mining projects.
Some of Smartproxy‘s key benefits:
- 10+ million rotating IPs across 195 countries
- Backconnect proxies available
- Blazing speeds up to 10,000 concurrent threads
- 99.999% guaranteed uptime
- Integrations for Python, Node.js, Selenium
Smartproxy starts at $75 per month for 5GB of traffic which is very competitively priced. With their depth of features and dedicated support, Smartproxy is a top choice for medium and large-scale web scraping.
5. Geonode – Cheap Shared SOCKS5 Proxies
If you just need really basic shared SOCKS5 proxies for added security and privacy, Geonode is a great budget option.
They offer cheap shared datacenter proxies starting at only $2.99 per month. You can select location zones like US East Coast, Canada, Europe, etc.
Each shared IP address allows around 3 simultaneous users. While you won‘t get blazing speeds, Geonode proxies work great for basic privacy when browsing the web, shopping online, posting on forums, and related uses.
6. Soax – Diverse Selection of SOCKS5 Proxies
Soax is a nice one-stop shop for all your SOCKS5 proxy needs. They offer residential, backconnect, datacenter, and mobile proxies.
Some of their core proxy offerings include:
- Residential – Rotate IP addresses with each new request
- Backconnect – Routes through multiple IPs to avoid blocks
- Datacenter – Blazing fast static IPs ideal for low latency
- Mobile – For mobile device testing/simulation
So whether you need general-purpose residential IPs, ultra-fast datacenter proxies, or mobile proxies for app testing, Soax has you covered. Pricing starts at a reasonable $75 per month too.
7. HighProxies – Cheap Socks5 Proxies for Carding
HighProxies specializes in residential SOCKS5 proxies tailored specifically for uses like carding, sneaker bots, and local web scraping.
They carefully select proxies optimized for attributes like speed, uptime, anonymity, etc. All proxies support unlimited concurrent threads and handle SSL encrypted traffic without issues.
Starting at just $2 per proxy, HighProxies offers targeted residential IPs from locations across the USA and other countries. For carding, sneaker copping, and other activities needing regional proxies, they are a top choice.
8. BuyProxies – Private & Shared SOCKS5 Proxies
For affordable private SOCKS5 proxies, BuyProxies is a solid choice. They offer private residential or datacenter proxies starting at $4.99 each.
You can target proxies by country, state, city, ASN, VPN tunneling, and more. All proxies allow unlimited simultaneous connections.
BuyProxies also provides browser extensions that make it easy to quickly switch IPs and location while browsing. This adds an extra layer of privacy and security on top of your main proxies.
9. ProxyRack – Entry-Level Rotating Proxies
ProxyRack offers cheap rotating SOCKS5 proxies targeted for basic usage like retail bots, social media automation, and entry-level web scraping.
Their proxies are hosted on private residential IPs in various countries. You can buy individual proxies or packs starting at just $1 per proxy.
All ProxyRack proxies include unlimited bandwidth. While not as advanced as premium providers, ProxyRack is a solid low-cost option for basic proxy needs.
10. Luminati – Enterprise-Grade Rotating Proxies
On the flip side, Luminati (owned by BrightData) provides enterprise-level rotating residential proxies for large-scale data extraction.
With millions of superfast residential IPs, Luminati lets you target locations at the country, state, city, ASN, ISP, and carrier level. Pricing starts at $500 per month.
Luminati‘s network infrastructure and support staff are built for high-volume usage like large web scraping, analytics, etc. Definitely a top enterprise option.
11. Oxylabs PUP – Pay-Per-Use Residential Proxies
In addition to traditional monthly packages, Oxylabs also offers pay-per-use residential SOCKS5 proxies.
This billing model charges you based on usage volume rather than a fixed monthly rate. Rates start at around $0.50 per 1 million proxy requests.
Pay-per-use can save money if your proxy needs change drastically from month to month. It also provides full access to Oxylabs‘ residential proxy network on an as-needed basis.
12. GeoSurf – Targeted Residential Proxies
For straightforward region-targeted residential proxies, GeoSurf is a solid choice.
They offer private rotating residential IPs spanning North America, Europe, Latin America, and Asia. You can target proxies by country, state, city, ASN, ISP, VPN tunneling, and more.
Packages start at $300 per month for 1 million requests. Support options include email, live chat, and 24/7 Discord access in case any issues arise.
13. Storm Proxies – Rotating Proxies for Sneaker Sites
Storm Proxies focuses on providing residential rotating SOCKS5 proxies specifically for sneaker copping and related activities.
You can choose datacenter locations targeted to countries and cities that match your needs. All proxies auto-rotate IPs for maximum stealth. Pricing starts at $75/month for 5GB bandwidth.
With unlimited concurrent connections and fast speeds, Storm Proxies offer reliable regional proxies purpose-built for sneaker drops, carding, social media automation, and similar use cases.
14. Proxy-Seller – Shared & Private Residential Proxies
Proxy-Seller offers two tiers of residential SOCKS5 proxies:
Shared Proxies are just $2.95/month and great for basic security/privacy while browsing the web, shopping, posting on forums, etc.
Private Proxies ($2+) include dedicated IPs, unlimited threads, regional targeting, and advanced capabilities for web scraping, carding, sneaker bots, etc.
Having both shared and private proxy options from one provider is convenient for covering a range of use cases.
15. BuyProxies – Cheap Private & Shared Proxies
Similar to Proxy-Seller, BuyProxies also provides private and shared residential SOCKS5 proxies:
Private proxies start at $4.99/month for dedicated regional IPs with unlimited bandwidth and threads.
Shared proxies are just $2.49/month and great for basic security while browsing, streaming, using social media, etc.
Whether you need targeted IPs for bots/scrapers or just want cheap shared proxies for privacy, BuyProxies is a quality cost-effective provider.
16. Craxy – Budget-Friendly Private Proxies
If you need cheap private residential proxies, Craxy has some of the lowest rates available at just $1 per month.
You can target their proxies by country, city, state, VPN tunneling, and more. Unlimited bandwidth is included too. While not advanced for heavy scraping, the extremely low prices make Craxy proxies very budget-friendly.
17. Proxy-Sale – Pay-Per-Proxy SOCKS5 Proxies
Proxy-Sale takes a unique approach by letting you buy individual residential SOCKS5 proxies on demand starting at just $1 each.
This pay-per-proxy model is great if you only need specific proxies temporarily vs. an ongoing subscription. You can select proxies individually based on attributes like location, IP type, uptime, and price.
So there you have my complete breakdown of the top SOCKS5 proxy providers available in 2023!
To quickly recap:
- Oxylabs – Best overall enterprise-grade proxies
- BrightData – Top premium backconnect proxies
- ProxyEmpire – Great value residential & datacenter proxies
- Smartproxy – Blazing fast rotating proxies
- Geonode – Cheapest shared proxies
- ProxyRack – Budget rotating proxies
And depending on your specific needs:
- Web scraping – Oxylabs, BrightData, Smartproxy are best
- Carding & sneaker bots – HighProxies, ProxyRack, Proxy-Seller
- General privacy – Geonode, Proxy-Seller, BuyProxies shared proxies
I hope this guide gives you a much better understanding of the pros, cons, and best uses for the top SOCKS5 proxy services available right now. Let me know if you have any other questions! I‘m always happy to help.
