Proxy servers are used to change our IP address while we are browsing online, but without encrypting our data or the web traffic we generate. This enables us to surf the internet anonymously, as when you visit a page, all data is recorded that has been collected by trackers, spies and other collectors It is the proxy server’s own data (instead of us).
If we dig a little deeper, we can see that proxy servers have more utilities and that this is an extremely handy tool for Bypass geolocation blocks or access restricted websites when we surf the web from the company PC at our workplace. If your office, education center, or library is filtering internet access and you can’t access sites like YouTube or Facebook, you would have done all the work with a good web proxy server.
Of course, this also applies to pages that have been blocked by our own Internet provider for various reasons. Basically, a proxy server camouflages our IP address acts as an intermediary between our device and the website we want to visit. We pass the page on to the server, it requests access and then delivers the content to us. As Arguiñano would say: “Easy, quick and for the whole family”.
Differences between a web proxy server and a VPN
Although they both offer a similar service that consists of maintaining user privacy, VPNs and proxy servers are very different things. VPNs are much more efficient when it comes to surfing anonymously as they encrypt all of our traffic and provide a more robust service that typically incurs higher infrastructure costs.
Basically, this means that the most efficient VPNs tend to be paid for, while most proxies are free. Proxy servers also only provide data protection within the framework of our browser, while with a VPN we protect all our Internet output from both the browser and other applications or services installed on the computer.
The 5 best proxy servers for the browser
Using proxy servers is quite simple. We write the page we want to visit in your browser and the proxy shows us the content on the screen without us having to go to this website directly. Some proxies install a browser extension while others simply offer a web page with a frame into which all of the content is loaded. Let’s see which are the most famous!
HideMyAss
HideMyAss is one of the most popular and widely used proxy servers on the internet. It offers the classic functionality of hiding your IP address as well as a few extras like automatically blocking pop-up ads for safer navigation. The proxy service works with a browser extension (Chrome / Firefox) and it’s completely free with connections to the US, Germany, France and the UK, although they also offer better protection from a premium paid VPN.
The HideMyAss platform works with various VPN proxies around the world, enabling a fast and stable connection. But it also has its drawbacks, and that means it records both our IP address and the VPN server we are connected to at all times. From HMA they argue that they only use this information to improve the product and little else, but if you need something more “private” you should definitely look elsewhere. If not, go for one of the best service level proxy servers out there.
4everproxy
One of the best proxy servers for Access YouTube and other streaming services that use regional blocks. 4everproxy also offers unlimited bandwidth and is therefore ideal for watching HD videos without having to worry about using more megabytes than allowed.
The quality of the streaming is quite good, with little or no buffering or interruptions in playback. A very interesting additional function is that our history is automatically deleted every 2 hours so as not to leave any traces in the browser.
This web proxy server is one of the traditional ones: a webpage with a search engine and two options to choose which web server and IP location you want (in addition to other interesting settings). Simple and at best intuitive.
hide me
If you’ve ever heard about free proxy servers, hide.me probably sounds like you, a service that does does not keep logs or information about what you do on its servers. Once you close the browser, the temporary URL that was created to mask your identity is automatically deleted.
Today we are facing one of the fastest proxy servers capable of changing location and managing cookies and other settings in an agile and easy way. The only downside is that the number of free servers is very limited: we can only connect to the US, Germany and the Netherlands. Of course, the user interface is elegant and professional. It contains a web version as well as extensions for Chrome and Firefox.
ProxySite
ProxySite has a service very similar to HideMyAss, which offers similar protection as a VPN when browsing the internet. It offers SSL encryption as well as the obfuscation of our IP address so that we have unlimited access to online content.
The platform has various proxy servers around the world including the US and Europe that are free. It also has a premium VPN service, although we’ll have more than enough for most uses with the free version. You can also use it to control other details like cookies, ads, Javascript, etc., which is always welcome in these cases.
Whoer
Whoer is a web proxy with additional features that will be of great help to webmasters and network administrators. You can ping servers to control their response times, collect information about a specific website or test the speed of our internet connection.
The web proxy works through an extension available for Chrome, Firefox, Opera and Yandex 9 free servers to choose from (most of Europe and the United States). Since the service is free, it is monetized through ads so we cannot block them. This is the only downside to a notable proxy server in terms of specs and performance.
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