Proxy hosting services have reported a significant increase in business from UK users since the introduction of online safety laws, citing a recent increase of 65%. Following this law, some UK internet users feel it is trustworthy vpns It’s more expensive than they expected and instead relies on a proxy. To some extent, this makes sense. Because if you want a decent VPN that can handle streaming and other demanding uses, you won’t get it for free, but you can get a free proxy.
Free proxy servers are easy to find and can help you avoid blocking certain content, but more secure “residential” proxy servers (proxies that use IP address ranges reserved for residential use) are less common and are rarely reviewed. Conversely, the best VPN providers receive considerable scrutiny from reviewers and auditors. For this reason, if you are concerned about online safety and privacy, using a VPN is much better suited.
However, if you don’t know what you’re looking for, it’s easy to use a dangerous proxy site, be provided with lots of adware and probably not even find a way around blocking content. If you’re following a gaming VPN and accessing locally-specific games and content, many proxies aren’t going to hack.
It’s getting worse. Some free proxies can provide malware and firmware passwords and account details when logging in to an existing account through the proxy. On the other hand, accessing the site via a proxy will slow down your internet speed. Using a VPN for gaming or other purposes will have a slight impact on your internet speed, but with a proxy, there is a considerable slowdown.
There is also the risk of violating the terms of use of the website.
No matter where you are in the world, free proxy sites are risky. Competitors like DeCodo and Oxylabs work hard to make housing commissioners a secure alternative to VPNs, but VPNs guarantee privacy through encryption, while proxies do not.
In May 2025, Trend Micro identified cybercriminals using housing proxy to reduce data, commit advertising fraud, click on fraud, and check banking systems bypassed reflection measures and more. It’s true that dangerous VPNs are there as well, but they’re not as common as dangerous proxies. And if you use one of the big services in the public eye, you are safe.
Proxy servers have uses, but maintaining privacy online and avoiding censorship is not one of them. If that’s what you’re looking for, you need a VPN like this nordvpn, ExpressVPNor Surf Shark.
For guidance on using VPNs in specific games, read our guide to the best Warzone VPNs and the best Minecraft VPNs. They highlight all the benefits that arise from the grab.
