Are Free Proxies Safe?

Free proxies are rarely "free." If you don't pay with money, you may pay with privacy, security, or reliability. Some free proxy operators log traffic, inject ads, or resell browsing data.

Why Free Proxies Can Be Risky

• Logging: Your requests can be recorded and tied to your activity.
• Traffic tampering: A proxy can inject scripts, ads, or modify pages.
• Credential theft: If you type passwords over an insecure connection, you increase risk.
• Unstable IPs: Free proxy IPs are often blocked or flagged.

When a Free Proxy Might Be "Okay"

For low-risk browsing (no logins, no sensitive data) and short tests. Even then, prefer HTTPS sites and don't reuse credentials.

Safer Alternatives

• VPN: Encrypts your traffic and hides your IP across apps.
• Tor Browser: Designed for anonymity (with tradeoffs).
• Secure DNS: Reduces DNS-based tracking in some cases.

If you're trying to reduce IP tracking, read How to Protect Your IP Address, and compare Proxy vs VPN.

How Sites Detect Proxy IPs

Sites often look at reverse DNS, the owning ASN/ISP, and common proxy header patterns. You can try our Proxy Checkand Reverse DNS Lookupfor clues.