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Proxy Server

Also known as: Proxy, HTTP proxy, SOCKS proxy

An intermediary server that forwards traffic between a client and a destination, masking the client's original IP address from the destination.

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What is a proxy server?

A proxy server sits between a client (a browser, app, or script) and a destination server, receiving the client's request, forwarding it, and relaying the response back. From the destination's perspective, the request appears to come from the proxy's IP address, not the client's. Proxies are used to mask the client's original IP, cache content, enforce access policies, filter traffic, or bypass geographic restrictions.

Types of proxy

The proxy ecosystem has diverged into several categories that behave quite differently:

  • HTTP/HTTPS proxies — understand HTTP semantics and can inspect, modify, or cache requests. Common in corporate networks.
  • SOCKS proxies (SOCKS4, SOCKS5) — protocol-agnostic TCP (and optional UDP) forwarders. Work for any TCP-based protocol, not just HTTP.
  • Transparent proxies — intercept traffic without client-side configuration, used by ISPs and public Wi-Fi networks
  • Reverse proxies (nginx, HAProxy, Cloudflare) — sit in front of servers rather than clients, for load balancing and TLS termination
  • Residential proxies — use IPs from real consumer ISPs, making detection much harder than datacenter proxies
  • Datacenter proxies — use IPs from hosting providers; cheaper but easier to detect and block

Proxy vs. VPN vs. Tor

All three mask the client's IP, but they differ in scope and trust model:

  • A proxy usually routes one application's traffic (often just a browser) and typically offers no encryption between client and proxy.
  • A VPN encrypts and routes all of the device's traffic through one tunnel.
  • Tor routes traffic through three volunteer-operated relays with layered encryption, providing much stronger anonymity at the cost of latency.

Proxy IPs are also widely flagged in GeoIP and threat-intelligence feeds, because they're the cheapest option for scraping and abuse. Our IP lookup flags known proxy, VPN, and Tor exit IPs on every result.

Frequently Asked Questions

A proxy usually routes a single application's traffic (often just the browser) and typically does not encrypt the connection between you and the proxy. A VPN encrypts and tunnels all traffic from the entire device through a single endpoint. Proxies are lighter and faster for one-app use cases like geo-unblocking a site or scraping; VPNs give device-wide privacy and stronger protection on untrusted networks.
Generally no. Most free public proxies inject ads, log every request for resale, modify HTML in transit, strip HTTPS, or harvest credentials submitted through them. A 2024 study of public proxy lists found a majority of nodes were either honeypots, malware distributors, or actively manipulating traffic. If you need a proxy, run your own on a VPS or use a paid provider with a clear no-logs policy and audited infrastructure.
A residential proxy routes your traffic through an IP that belongs to a real consumer ISP, usually borrowed from a peer-to-peer network of opted-in (or sometimes unwittingly enrolled) home devices. Because the destination sees a normal residential IP rather than a datacenter IP, residential proxies are far harder to detect and block. They are the standard tool for sneaker-bot purchases, ad-verification scraping, and circumventing geo restrictions.
No. Your ISP still sees that you are connecting to the proxy server, and (for non-HTTPS proxies) can often see the destination too via DNS or SNI. A proxy hides your IP from the destination website, not from your network provider. If you need to hide both source and destination from the local network, use Tor or a VPN with encrypted DNS.
A transparent proxy intercepts traffic without any client-side configuration — the user does not know it is there. ISPs use them for caching and policy enforcement, public Wi-Fi networks use them for captive portals and content filtering, and corporate networks use them for compliance logging. Transparent proxies do not change the apparent source IP for outbound traffic; they only inspect or cache it.
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