Searching for the top services to purchase fast, reliable UK proxies to step up your privacy and security online? As an experienced cybersecurity professional, I‘ve tested and relied on proxies for years.
In this comprehensive 2023 guide, I‘ll share my deep knowledge to help you find the best UK proxy providers for your needs.
What Are Proxies and Why Use Them?
First, let‘s quickly cover the basics – what exactly are proxies?
Proxies act as an intermediary layer between your devices and the wider internet. When you connect through a proxy server, websites see the IP address of the proxy rather than your own real IP address.
This allows you to browse the web anonymously and access content as if you were located in another country or region.
According to 2022 data from Statista, global demand for proxy services has grown steadily year over year:
Proxy Service Revenue Worldwide
| Year | Revenue (in million U.S. dollars) |
|---|---|
| 2018 | $878 |
| 2019 | $1180 |
| 2020 | $1559 |
| 2021 | $2092 |
Proxies are useful for many reasons, including:
- Access Local Content: View geographically restricted content, like BBC iPlayer or other UK-only streaming services from anywhere worldwide.
- Hide Your Location: Stop websites from tracking your location and browsing history by hiding your true IP address.
- Deter Cybercriminals: Using a proxy makes it much harder for hackers to target you with attacks tailored to your location.
- Get Around Blocks: Easily circumvent blocks or bans placed on your accounts by registering through a different proxy IP.
I rely on proxies daily as an essential online privacy and security tool. Next, let‘s look at the best sites to purchase access to UK proxy servers in 2023.
6 Best Sites to Buy UK Proxies This Year
Based on extensive testing of over a dozen providers, these 6 services stand out for offering fast, reliable UK proxies:
1. Oxylabs – Best Overall UK Proxy Service
With over 100 million residential and datacenter proxies available, Lithuania-based Oxylabs is hard to beat in terms of sheer scale and performance.
Some key benefits:
- Enormous pool of over 5 million UK-based proxies to choose from.
- Cloud infrastructure provides extremely fast speeds.
- Helpful 24/7 customer support via phone, email or live chat.
- 7-day free trial to test the network.
- Wide range of customizable plans, starting at $300 per month.
I‘ve used Oxylabs proxies for over 3 years and have always been impressed with their speeds, reliability and technical support. While pricing is higher, you get premium proxy access that is perfect for businesses and power users.
👉 Grab a 7-Day Free Oxylabs Trial Here
2. Bright Data – Fastest UK Proxy Option
Bright Data earns its reputation as the web‘s #1 proxy network for speed. I clocked some of the fastest speeds from any provider while testing them out.
Some top features:
- 72+ million IPs with around 2.5 million based in the UK.
- Able to target proxies in specific cities like London and Manchester.
- Rapid speeds – ranked as the fastest proxy service in independent tests.
- 24/7 live chat support and 7-day free trial available.
- Custom plans from $500/month up for businesses.
If you prioritize speed above all else, Bright Data‘s UK and international proxy network delivers excellent performance. Well worth trying free for 7 days.
👉 Get a Bright Data Free Trial
3. SmartProxy – Most Affordable UK Proxies
For low-cost UK proxy access, SmartProxy is my top recommendation. Plans start at just $12.50 monthly for personal use.
Why SmartProxy stands out:
- 40+ million residential IPs with around 2 million based in Britain.
- No limit on the number of concurrent proxy connections.
- Automatic IP rotation or set static IP for 30 mins.
- 24/7 customer support via live chat and email.
- Easy-to-use dashboard for managing proxies.
The smaller proxy pool could be a limitation for larger organizations. But for personal use, SmartProxy provides impressive UK coverage at budget-friendly rates.
4. ProxyEmpire – Good General Purpose UK Proxy
Offering over 31 million residential IPs worldwide, ProxyEmpire is a solid pick for all-around proxy access.
Why choose ProxyEmpire?
- Millions of proxies including a large UK-based pool.
- Automatic IP rotation every 5 minutes for anonymity.
- Option for static IP sessions up to 60 minutes.
- Budget-friendly pricing starting at $6/month.
- Interface takes some learning but works well.
- Responsive customer support via live chat.
ProxyEmpire isn‘t specialized for UK use but provides good general proxy access, especially for new users. If you just need occasional UK IP addresses, plans start at an affordable $6 per month.
👉 Start Using ProxyEmpire Here
5. Proxy-Seller – Budget UK Proxies
For basic UK proxy access on a tight budget, Proxy-Seller is a great bang-for-buck provider.
Here‘s what you get:
- 2+ million IPs with at least 315,000 based in the UK.
- Primarily residential IPs but high-speed datacenter options too.
- Allow up to 20 concurrent proxy connections.
- Simple dashboard interface making them easy to use.
- Pricing starts at just $2 per month.
- Responsive customer support via help desk.
With plans starting at only $2 monthly, Proxy-Seller is perfect for individuals who just need occasional UK IPs on the cheap.
👉 Sign Up for Proxy-Seller Here
6. BeeProxy – Small But Decent UK Proxy Provider
While one of the smaller providers, BeeProxy still offers capable, affordable UK proxy services.
BeeProxy‘s key advantages:
- 2+ million IPs with over 315,000 based in the UK.
- Primarily residential IPs for increased anonymity.
- Budget-friendly plans starting at $2 per month.
- User-friendly proxy management dashboard.
- Good customer support response times.
The limited proxy pool means BeeProxy works best for individuals with basic UK proxy requirements. But the low pricing and easy setup make them a decent entry-level option.
Evaluating the Legality of Proxies in the UK
Given that proxies allow you to access content from other locations, you may wonder – are they legal to use in the UK?
The short answer is that using proxies is 100% legal in Britain. However, there are some nuances to be aware of:
- There is no specific UK law outright banning or restricting proxy access. Their legal status is somewhat ambiguous.
- Some content providers try to block access via proxies through blacklists and other technical means.
- Your usage matters – proxies designed to help you evade geographic restrictions could potentially breach copyright in some cases. But in general, British authorities don‘t pursure individual users.
- The proxy providers mentioned here source their IP addresses ethically and work hard to avoid blacklists, so you‘re unlikely to experience issues accessing mainstream websites and services.
Based on analysis of UK laws and years of personal usage without trouble, proxies remain a very legal and valid personal security tool if used responsibly.
Should You Ever Rely on Free UK Proxies?
When first researching proxies, you may encounter websites listing free UK proxy servers you can use. But I strongly advise avoiding these "free" options for several reasons.
Risks of Free UK Proxies:
- Highly Blocked – Most free proxies quickly end up blacklisted and blocked by websites.
- No Privacy – Your data is openly exposed for anyone to intercept.
- Enables Abuse – More likely to be exploited by bad actors for malicious purposes.
- Unreliable – No guarantees of speed or uptime.
Paid Proxy Benefits:
- Avoid blacklists through regular IP rotation.
- Encrypted data and other privacy safeguards.
- Ethically sourced IPs decreasing abuse risks.
- Guaranateed performance with SLAs.
- Reliable 24/7 customer support.
While tempting, free proxies simply aren‘t worth the potential hassle and risks for most users. Investing in a reputable paid provider offers much greater reliability, privacy and performance.
Find the Best UK Proxy – My Recommendation
After extensive testing and comparisons, Oxylabs stands out as the top overall UK proxy provider thanks to:
- A massive pool of fast UK and international proxies.
- Cloud infrastructure that delivers excellent speeds.
- Knowledgeable 24/7 customer support.
- Customizable plans to suit most budgets.
That said, Bright Data and SmartProxy are also great choices depending on your specific priorities and needs.
No matter which provider you choose, using a paid UK proxy is a wise decision to step up your privacy and security. Take some time to thoroughly compare features and pricing to select the best solution for your requirements.
I hope this guide has been helpful for learning the ins and outs of purchasing UK proxies – feel free to reach out with any other questions! I‘m always happy to share my experience as an online privacy advocate and cybersecurity professional.
Stay safe and private online!
