SOCKS5 or HTTPS? Choosing a Proxy Protocol Without the Jargon
In plain English: a protocol is the language your app and the proxy use to talk to each other. When you set up a proxy you'll usually be asked to choose one of two: HTTP/HTTPS or SOCKS5. Both send your traffic through another IP address. HTTPS is made for websites, while SOCKS5 is a simpler, lower-level relay that will carry nearly any kind of connection.
If you only remember one thing, make it this: for websites, pick HTTPS; pick SOCKS5 when your app asks for it or the traffic isn't web pages. And there's no risk in getting it wrong. Every plan we sell includes HTTP, HTTPS and SOCKS5, and you can change protocol in your dashboard whenever you like.
Written and kept up to date by the people who run Budget Proxies. If a step no longer matches what you see on your screen, let us know through the contact page.
What this guide walks you through
- HTTPS and SOCKS5 in everyday words
- The two protocols side by side
- Picking one for your project
- Logging in, and fitting it into your app
- One mix-up to avoid, then getting started
HTTPS and SOCKS5 in everyday words
HTTPS: made for websites
An HTTP proxy understands web requests, the kind your browser makes when it loads a page. An HTTPS proxy goes a step further: it passes encrypted traffic through a tunnel (using a method called CONNECT), so what you send stays sealed all the way from your app to the website. Because it understands the web, it's the natural partner for browsers, scrapers and anything that fetches web pages or APIs.
SOCKS5: carries almost anything
SOCKS5 sits lower down. It passes data along without reading what's inside, which is why people call it protocol-agnostic: it doesn't mind what kind of traffic it carries, so web pages, email apps and game traffic all work. It handles both TCP and UDP (two basic ways data travels online) and has its own login step. When your traffic is more than ordinary web pages, SOCKS5 is the more flexible choice.
The two protocols side by side
For everyday browsing and scraping you're unlikely to notice a speed difference between them. What decides it is the kind of traffic you send and what your app supports, as the table shows.
| Factor | HTTPS proxy | SOCKS5 proxy |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | Understands web requests (HTTP/TLS) | Passes data along without reading it |
| What it carries | Web pages and APIs | Almost anything: web, email, games and more |
| TCP / UDP | TCP | TCP and UDP |
| Good for | Browsing, scraping, API calls and SEO checks | Non-web apps, UDP and tools that ask for SOCKS |
| Included here | Yes, on every plan | Yes, on every plan |
Picking one for your project
- Pick HTTPS if everything you do happens on websites, such as browsing, collecting public web data, API calls or SEO checks, and your tool speaks HTTP. It's supported almost everywhere and drops straight into browsers and scraping tools.
- Pick SOCKS5 if you need to carry traffic that isn't web pages, need UDP, or your app asks for a SOCKS proxy by name. It works with a wider range of programs.
Plenty of people run HTTPS for web work and switch to SOCKS5 only when a particular app needs it. Since every plan has both, you're never locked in.
Logging in, and fitting it into your app
Both protocols work with either of our two login methods. A username and password goes wherever you go, so it works at home, at work or on the move. An IP whitelist means adding your own IP address to an approved list, so there's no password to look after; it suits a computer or server whose address doesn't change.
Either way, our proxies fit the usual tools, from cURL, Requests, Scrapy, Playwright, Puppeteer and Selenium to the proxy settings in your browser, across our datacenter, residential, mobile and premium types. Not sure which login to use? Proxy authentication explained walks through both.
One mix-up to avoid, then getting started
Don't confuse an HTTPS proxy with an HTTPS website. The padlock in your browser means the website encrypts your connection, and that stays true whichever protocol you choose. SOCKS5 doesn't add any encryption of its own, so pick it for flexibility, not for privacy.
Ready to try? Choose any type from $2.49/GB, pick HTTP, HTTPS or SOCKS5 in your dashboard, and change it whenever you like at no extra cost. Estimate your data on the proxy calculator, compare the types on the pricing page, or buy now. As with everything here, keep your use within each website's terms of service and the law that applies to you.
Questions beginners ask
Not sure what to buy? Start at step 1
Here are our four types, from the lowest price per GB upwards. Try a small amount of the first one that could work for your project, and only move up a step if a quick test lets you down.
Sites without bot protection, big batches of public pages, automation and SEO tools
Protected sites, ad checks, market research and seeing what one place really sees
Apps and platforms built for phones, plus testing your own mobile app
Well-guarded sites, where a better success rate is worth the higher price
Small first order? Datacenter from $2.49/GB · billed on the data you actually move · ready straight away · 30 days to use it · no traffic logs.
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Read the guide →Got a particular job in mind?
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