A Comprehensive Guide to the Best Free Proxy Lists for Web Scraping
Web scraping is a popular technique used by businesses and individuals to extract large amounts of data from websites. However, this activity often leads to rate limiting or blocking by websites due to the high volume of requests originating from a single IP address. Using proxies can help overcome these restrictions, but choosing the right proxy list for web scraping is crucial. Here are the top options:
1. ProxiesAPI
ProxiesAPI offers a constantly updating list of proxies at https://freeproxies.proxiesapi.com/
ProxiesAPI is not just a proxy service, but a complete web scraping solution that offers robust functionality even in its free version. With 1,000 free credits upon sign-up, users gain access to tools like JavaScript rendering and headless Chrome. One unique feature is rotating proxies, which help users circumvent rate-limiting websites and reduce the chances of getting blocked. The service also offers Python, NodeJS, PHP, and Go code snippets, making it easy to integrate into web scraping setups. However, extensive use of ProxiesAPI will likely require upgrading to a paid plan for more credits and support.
2. ProxyScrape
ProxyScrape is an excellent resource for completely free proxies. It allows users to download the list of proxies to a .txt file, which can be beneficial for running multiple proxy scrapers simultaneously. The list can be filtered by country, level of anonymity, and SSL connection status. ProxyScrape also offers HTTP proxies and lists of Socks4 and Socks5 proxies. While the proxies from this website are not guaranteed to be secure, a premium service is available for more reliable and secure datacenter proxies1.
3. Free-Proxy.cz
Despite its outdated user interface, Free-Proxy.cz is a longstanding resource for free proxies. It provides a unique list of free web proxies and a table with all available free proxies that can be filtered and sorted by various criteria. There's also a tool for viewing detailed information about the user's current IP address. However, as with many free services, there is no guarantee of security or reliability1.
4. GatherProxy
GatherProxy provides an organized selection of free proxy lists, allowing users to find proxies based on country or port number. It also offers a free proxy scraper tool and a proxy checker, useful for finding, filtering, and checking the status of millions of proxies. However, it's worth noting that some of these tools haven't been updated in a few years1.
While free proxies are a valuable resource for web scraping, users must be aware of potential security risks. Some proxies could alter the data returned or disconnect without warning. In addition, the IP address of a proxy could get blocked if misused. As such, it's crucial to select reputable sources for proxies and consider premium services for more substantial scraping needs1.
