ProxyWins claims its proxy servers are super fast and can help you access tons of content. The service offers dedicated IP addresses for exclusive use, which should be able to avoid overcrowding and easily bypass firewalls and blocks. But is ProxyWins really better for unblocking and faster than a provider offering public IPs?
To verify this, I tested all of its features, such as connection speeds, unblocking abilities, privacy policy, and ease of use. I also found out how good it is for streaming, gaming, and torrenting.
All things considered, I don’t recommend ProxyWins. Although it works well for accessing most streaming platforms, its limited speeds make streaming a chore. Additionally, it offers no encryption, and it’s quite expensive. It’s better to stay safe and try one of the best VPNs from this list with thousands of servers for the price of only 1 ProxyWins IP address in the US.
Short on Time? Here Are My Key Findings
Pros
Cons
ProxyWins Features — 2024 Update
3.5
💸
Price
|
11.02 USD/month
|
📝
Does VPN keep logs?
|
No |
🖥
Number of servers
|
100+ |
🛡
Kill switch
|
No |
🗺
Based in country
|
Belize |
🛠
Support
|
Live chat |
Streaming — Good for Unblocking, but Poor for Streaming
4.0
Although ProxyWins can access most US platforms, it’s too slow for streaming. While I could access Netflix US without issues, I often had to wait for the videos to load. To be fair, my base speed isn’t that high, and I was using a server that’s over 9000 km away from my location. So, you may get better results.
You can’t target specific European countries, so unblocking its content is tough. The list of offered countries constantly changes based on availability. Additionally, you don’t get to choose which European country you get an IP in, as the only choices are Russia, Ukraine, Europe, and the US. Asia, Africa, and Latin America aren’t available, so you can’t access popular Netflix libraries like Japan or Brazil.
If your base speed is very high, and you plan on streaming content from Russia, Ukraine, or the US, ProxyWins might be a good choice. However, if you need to access content from several different countries, you need to pay for each location separately. Meanwhile, there are VPNs with worldwide server networks at a similar price.
Unblocked: Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, and ESPN+
I accessed Netflix US without any issues. Netflix is notorious for blocking VPNs, so this is an impressive feat. However, I had to wait a few seconds for the videos to load. I had the same experience with Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, and ESPN+. The services didn’t detect I was using a proxy, and (apart from much slower speeds) everything went well.
Blocked By: Hulu
Hulu immediately detected I was using a proxy and blocked my access. I couldn’t even log in. After entering my login information, I saw the following error message: “Hulu is available in the U.S. only, and cannot be used with an anonymous proxy service”. This platform is usually tough to unblock, so this isn’t a big surprise.
Overall, I can’t recommend ProxyWins for streaming because of the slow speeds and lack of servers. Even though my base speed is low, I don’t have issues streaming with the top VPNs. If you want to unblock platforms from around the world, try streaming without long load times on tons of servers worldwide with one of the top VPNs.
Speeds — Significant Speed Losses on Every Server
1.0
ProxyWins is not as fast as advertised. I got an IP address in the US (Bend, Oregon), around 9,000 km from my location. It takes some time for data to travel back and forth at this distance, so speed losses were expected. However, it reduced my average download speeds by 68%. This is a significant loss, especially if your base speed is already low.
My connection speed wasn't that great to start with, but still fast enough for HD streaming
While my base speed is relatively low, I can watch videos in 4K without issues. The recommended streaming bandwidth for UHD is between 20 Mbps and 25 Mbps. Additionally, my ping was 46, which is good enough for gaming without lag. On the other hand, my ping with ProxyWins was 229, which is way too slow for a good gaming experience.
My upload speeds didn’t fall as far as the download speeds and ping
As a comparison, I tested my connection speeds with ExpressVPN, using a server closest to the ProxyWins’ one. It slowed me down by only 0.5%.
All of ExpressVPN’s US servers were faster than ProxyWins
Every other ProxyWins server gave me comparable speeds. If I had multiple tabs open, even simple websites took a really long time to load. With fast speeds being one of the main advantages of ProxyWins (according to its website), these results are truly disappointing. You can get much better speeds if you try one of the fastest VPNs around in this list.
Are ProxyWins’ Speeds Fast Enough for Gaming? No
2.0
ProxyWins is too slow for online gaming. It reduced my download speeds by 68%, and my ping went from 46 to 229. Ping is the main factor that impacts your gaming experience. It tells you the time it takes for a system to respond to an action, like pressing ‘W’ to move forward. Generally, a ping rate under 50 ms is exceptional, while anything over 150 ms will cause lag.
In my test, I tried to load Dota 2 on Steam and couldn’t connect after accepting a match. This caused me to receive a ban. After I set the graphics to low, I could start playing. But the connection to the server was lost mid-game. So, I can’t recommend ProxyWins for online gaming. Instead, pick one of the top VPNs for fast and safe gaming from this list.
Server Network — Offers 4 Countries With Poor Coverage in Europe and the US
4.0
The service provides IP addresses in Russia, Ukraine, Europe, and the US. Most of the IPs are in Russia and Ukraine, with the rest of Europe and the US taking up only a small portion of the network. However, I don’t like that ProxyWins offers IPs in Europe without disclosing the actual countries. Additionally, when I asked customer support which European countries are covered, I was told that they don’t have the full list.
So, if you need lots of private IP addresses in Russia or Ukraine, this might be a good option. If not, it’s better to use one of these premium VPNs for Europe that have servers in multiple European countries, including many city-level locations. These VPNs openly disclose their server locations, so it’s easy to see if they cover the country you need.
Security — No Added Security Features
5.0
ProxyWins changes your IP address, but doesn’t encrypt your data. When buying the subscription, you’ll be asked whether you want an HTTP or a SOCKS proxy. Using the HTTP protocol isn’t recommended, as it’s quite outdated. The more secure HTTPS protocol has been widely used for years. SOCKS5 is mainly used for P2P file sharing, as it transfers smaller data packets, which makes it faster than other proxies.
Neither one of these options is secure. Most premium VPNs nowadays use the virtually uncrackable AES 256-bit encryption. And they come with a kill switch to protect you from data leaks. ProxyWins lacks both, so if you care about protecting your sensitive information, I recommend checking out this list of the most secure VPNs.
Privacy — Logs and Shares Your Private Data
3.0
Although it has “No Logging” as one of 6 main selling points on its homepage, ProxyWins logs too much data. Not only does it log identifiable information such as your IP and email address, it also shares this data with third parties. Additionally, it logs the pages you visit and the time of access. Its privacy policy also states it will share your data with governments if necessary.
Its privacy policy is very short and vague, and there’s no official English translation
Because of this, I wouldn’t trust ProxyWins with my data. I recommend you check out the top VPNs with strict no-logs policies to protect your privacy online.
Torrenting — Slow and Risky
2.0
I don’t recommend using ProxyWins for torrenting. It’s too slow, and it would have taken me 1.5 hours to download a 5 GB file.
Additionally, it’s not secure since there’s no kill switch. If your device goes into sleep mode while you’re torrenting, you’ll get disconnected from your proxy, and your real IP address will be visible.
Another issue is its privacy policy. ProxyWins logs too much data and openly admits to sharing it with third parties. If you want to stay private, it’s much safer to pick one of the best VPNs for torrenting from this list instead.
Torrenting is legal in most countries, but it’s never legal to download copyrighted material. My team and I don’t condone any illegal activities. We recommend you read your local rules and regulations to avoid breaking any laws.
Does ProxyWins Work in China? Possibly
ProxyWins’ customer support claims that it works in China. This might be true, as the IP addresses are used exclusively by one person, so they’re less likely to be detected and blocked. If you go for it, pick a SOCKS5 proxy, as it’s more likely to work there. But based on the issues I had with support, I wouldn’t take their word for it. It’s safer to try a VPN that’s tested and proven to work in China.
The Chinese government has blocked many VPNs and proxies. However, it usually only goes after the technology rather than individual users. We recommend reading up on the current laws and regulations before using a VPN or proxy in China.
Simultaneous Device Connections — Depends on Your Subscription Plan
Only one device can claim an IP address at a given time, so it depends on how many you buy. You can get batches ranging from 1 to 1000 IP addresses or talk to customer service and get a special offer for your specific needs. However, this can be very expensive. It’s easier and cheaper to get a VPN, like IPVanish, with unlimited device connections and thousands of servers.
Installation & Apps
5.3
Device Compatibility — Available for Any Device With Access to Proxy Settings
ProxyWins’ website states it can be set up on Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Opera and Internet Explorer. The customer service is ready to help you set it up on just about any browser.
However, you can set it up on any device with access to proxy settings. I highly recommend setting it up on your device instead of the browser. This way, all your apps will use your new IP address. The process isn’t that complicated, but it’s easier to use one of the top VPNs that don’t force you to access your device’s settings.
Setup & Installation — Could be Complicated for Beginners
Setting up ProxyWins is quite tricky. If I didn’t need to review it, I’d have simply given up and found another service.
First, I kept getting an error message when I tried to get a subscription. I talked to the customer service agent, who told me it might be because of my location. They recommended using a VPN to connect to Russia or Ukraine. Having to use a VPN to get another VPN is odd, but I tried, and it didn’t work.
After countless trials, I finally found a solution. I don’t speak Russian, so I had Chrome automatically translate the ProxyWins’ website into English. When I turned off the automatic translation, I could pay without issues.
After buying the IPs you need, an activation code is sent to you via email. You need to send this code to customer support via live chat and ask for it to be activated. After 15 minutes, I received a text file with my login details and proxy address. I had to set it up manually on my Windows 10 laptop, which isn’t that complicated. Here’s how it’s done:
Quick Guide: How to Set Up a Proxy Server on Windows in 3 Easy Steps
- Find your Proxy settings. Go to Settings in your Start menu, then click on Network & Internet and select Proxy.
- Enter your proxy address. Under Manual proxy setup, click on the toggle under Use a proxy server, and enter the address you received from ProxyWins’ customer service.
- Start browsing. After opening your browser, you’ll see a pop-up asking you to enter your login details. Once you’ve done that, you’re all set and your IP is changed.
While setting up a proxy like ProxyWins isn’t too difficult, there are easier ways to change your IP address. I find it much easier to use a premium VPN that you can activate through a simple app.