SOCKS and HTTP proxies are two types of proxies commonly marketed by vendors. Both can meet the most popular need of proxies which is providing online anonymity, privacy and access. However, they have features that differentiate them and make them ideal for various applications. Unfortunately, ignorance about these features and characteristics leads to confusion among users. In this article, we look at both proxy types, how they are best used, and how they compare to each other.

What is a Socks Proxy

SOCKS (Socket Secure) proxies are proxies that operate at the transport layer of the OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) model. Their standout feature is the ability to handle any type of traffic, including HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, SMTP, and more. This differs from other proxy types that are protocol-specific. As a result, they are more versatile and useful for a wider range of applications. 

There are two types of SOCKS proxies, SOCKS4 and SOCKS5. SOCKS4 is older, suitable for TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) traffic alone, and supports only IP-based authentication. As a result, it is still fairly limited. SOCKS5 proxies are, however, suitable for both TCP and UDP (User Datagram Protocol), and support more sophisticated authentication mechanisms. 

The above differences also mean that SOCKS5 proxies are more versatile than SOCKS4 but harder to set up. Differences in features and use cases aside, though, they roughly work the same way. 

How do they work?

1. The user of the SOCKS proxy configures and enables a proxy profile or server on their device
2. They then initiate or send a request for access to the target site
3. The traffic is rerouted to the proxy server
4. The proxy server then forwards the request to the destination server of the target site
5. The target site processes the request and responds appropriately
6. The response is transmitted to the proxy server
7. The proxy server alters or modifies the reply in accordance with the configuration of the proxy’s settings
8. The proxy server forwards the altered response to the user’s device

The above-summarised process occurs in seconds (depending on the quality of the network) and appears as a direct connection to the user. It is important to note that the additional overhead created by additional features of the SOCKS5 may make connections slower on that type of SOCKS proxy. 

Benefits

1. Versatility. SOCKS proxies can handle many types of traffic. It’s arguably their major features and selling card. It also makes them useful for many applications, which is a big positive for users.
2. Privacy and security. Like all proxies, they provide online privacy as a result of their intermediary action in the routing of traffic. It also secures users by flummoxing IP-based tracking attempts. However, SOCKS proxies benefit from their additional authentication support. It can improve online privacy and convenience. Despite lacking encryption, SOCKS proxies can also boast enhanced security because of the authentication support.
3. Better web scraping. The capacity to handle all types of traffic can give users an edge when they are integrated with scraping tools.
4. Increased performance and compatibility. The best SOCKS proxies are capable of handling both IPv4 (Internet Protocol version 4) and IPv6 addresses. Consequently, they are compatible with all websites and web applications, improving their reliability and performance in tasks, even without using a private proxy.

Example Use Cases

Web browsing

SOCKS proxies are suitable for normal web browsing because of their compatibility with all addresses (the older IPv4 and the new IPv6). They can also handle all types of traffic.

Streaming

Their versatility with traffic types, the fact that they are built for performance, and their authentication support can also aid streaming. This might be especially important for streamers using multiple platforms, having wider tastes in content types, or craving additional security and privacy. 

File transfers

The ability of SOCKS proxies with FTP traffic can be an advantage for users in various forms of file transfer activities, including uploading and downloading of content, file sharing, software distribution, backups and recovery, etc.

Communication 

SOCKS proxies are a handy tool to facilitate secure proxy-mediated communication on platforms that require both TCP and UDP. 

What is an HTTP Proxy?

HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol) proxies are intermediary proxy servers capable of handling only HTTP and HTTPS requests between a user’s device or web browser and a web server. In other words, they are good for only web traffic. Nevertheless, they have their peculiar advantages to offset this limitation. Firstly, though, how do HTTP proxies work? Simply put, they work similarly to any other proxy, but below is a summary to help. 

How do they work?

1. Setting up and activating the proxy. The user of the SOCKS proxy configures and enables a proxy profile or server on their device or browser.
2. Initiating a request to a website. They then initiate or send a request for access to the target site
3. Intermediary action from the proxy server. The traffic is rerouted to the proxy server. It then forwards the request to the destination server of the target site
4. Target site. The target site processes the request and responds appropriately.
5. Response relay. The response is transmitted to the proxy server. It alters or modifies the reply in accordance with the configuration of the proxy’s settings. 
6. Sending of response to the user. The proxy server forwards the altered response to the user’s device

The above-summarised process occurs in seconds (depending on the quality of the network) and appears as a direct connection to the user. It is important to note that the additional overhead created by encryption and decryption in an HTTPS proxy may make connections slower on that type of HTTP proxy. Other sources of overhead may include alterations to the response from the target site, like caching, filtering, etc.

Benefits

1. Faster browsing. HTTP proxies can improve the speed of connection in some cases and enhance the efficiency of bandwidth usage, as in caching benefits when loading frequently visited webpages. 
2. Access control. When configured right, an HTTP proxy can help prevent connection to certain sites or access to certain malicious or harmful resources. On the flip side, they can help their user obtain access to resources by spoofing another location.
3. Anonymity or privacy. The main benefit of a hTTP proxy is its ability to provide online anonymity for basic browsing activities at relatively low costs. 
4. Logging and monitoring. HTTP proxies can log web traffic over a network, which is useful for monitoring internet usage, troubleshooting issues, and enforcing compliance policies.

Example Use Cases

Parental control 

Thanks to the access control capacity of HTTP proxies, parents popularly employ them to prevent child access to unsuitable sites and resources. They can also use the logging capacity of these proxies to monitor what their child does over the network. 

Improving browsing efficiency

HTTP proxies traditionally cache frequently visited pages to help load them faster on subsequent visits and reduce bandwidth usage. Organizations might employ them for this purpose. Website admins may also use reverse HTTP proxies to distribute incoming traffic to their sites and better deal with traffic congestion. 

Accessing content anonymously

HTTP proxies are good for basic browsing and helping their users access resources from any region without restrictions. Furthermore, they do so anonymously, thus preventing IP-based trackers from associating the activity with their user’s profiles.

Access control in organisations

Similar to their use in parental control HTTP proxies can play a role in helping organisations control and monitor employee activity while on the company network and premises. This can help facilitate and inform policies to improve productivity and troubleshoot sources of security risks. 

Comparison – Socks Proxy vs HTTP Proxy

Security

HTTPS proxies (which are an improvement on HTTP proxies) support encryption during data transmission. However, the HTTP protocol on its own doesn’t. Similarly, SOCKS5 proxies (which is a type of SOCKS proxy) support different types of authentication mechanisms that could secure access. The SOCKS4 proxies however are more limited in this regard. In summary, choosing a winner in terms of security is tricky because all HTTP and SOCKS proxies do not have uniform features that make them comparable in this regard.

Functionality

SOCKS have versatility and efficiency on their side. The way they handle data packet transmission and their versatility with traffic protocols vastly expand their functionality. HTTP proxies, though, are specifically designed to handle HTTP and HTTPS traffic, are limited to web browsing alone and are more basic. 

Performance

SOCKS proxies outperform HTTP proxies in terms of efficiency of data transmission and can support both UDP and TCP traffic as well. HTTP proxies, on the other hand, can be faster in some scenarios because of caching. They can also be slower because of constant filtering mechanisms. SOCKS proxies edge it in this one. 

Authentication

SOCKS proxies are popular for their authentication support, which helps to ensure that only authorized users can access the proxy and subsequently use the browser. HTTP proxies do not have the same expansive authentication support. 

Encryption

HTTP, specifically HTTPS, proxies intrinsically provide added security via encryption. The same can’t be said of SOCKS proxies, and this makes the former better in this regard than the latter.

Ease of use

SOCKS proxies are compatible with many applications, sites, and web protocols making them convenient and reliable. However, they are also complex and difficult to configure as a result. HTTP proxies, though, do not have the same compatibility advantage, but they are easier to configure. The choice will depend on the particular need and experience level of a user with proxies. 

Pricing

The cost of a proxy is dependent on the proxy provider or vendor, the type of proxy, the location of proxy servers, the number of users employing a proxy server at a time, etc. Nevertheless, SOCKS proxies are generally more expensive than HTTP proxies. The relative costliness is attributable to their versatility and authentication support advantages. 

Which is Better?

The choice of which of these proxy tools is better should factor in their potential use cases. In the table below, we give a summary of our recommendations:

 

Use Case	Proxy Type
Web scraping	HTTP proxies
Multiple account creation and management	SOCKS proxies
Transport fare aggregation	HTTP proxies
SEO research	SOCKS proxies
Sneaker proxies	SOCKS proxies
Social media	SOCKS proxies
Market research	HTTP proxies
Brand protection	SOCKS proxies
E-commerce and sales	SOCKS proxies
Ad verification	SOCKS proxies

There are many proxy providers on the market. However, none matches Proxy Cheap for value. We offer best-in-class proxies for every customer class. Here is why you should purchase proxies from us:

1. Wide variety of proxy types. In the Proxy Cheap stable of proxy solutions, you can get static residential proxies, rotating residential proxies, datacenter IPv4 proxies, datacenter IPv6 proxies, and mobile proxies.
2. Access to content. Our proxies guarantee access to content from multiple locations. We also allow users to connect from dedicated IP addresses and other chosen IP addresses without ever triggering security measures. 
3. Responsive customer support. We offer experience-specific onboarding to help prospective buyers facilitate purchases and 24/7 support to help users get the best out of our proxies.
4. Cost-effective proxy solutions. The best thing about how proxies is their affordability in addition to (or despite) quality. Users can also bulk-purchase deals to sweeten things. Put simply, with Proxy Cheap, you get market-leading proxies at a reasonable price for the present and long term. 
5. Broad geographical coverage. Proxy Cheap proxies provide access to 10M+ IP addresses in over 125 locations. We allow our customers to connect to websites and platforms from almost any country. This supercharges our rotating residential proxies for scraping.
6. User-friendly interface. Our friendly interface allows users to purchase, customize, and manage their proxies easily. This interface includes a proxy dashboard through which users can top up their accounts and view their purchased proxies, among other things.

Frequently asked questions

Which is better SOCKS5 or HTTPS?

The better option between SOCKS5 and HTTPS proxies depends on the needs of the user. For starters, SOCKS5 proxies are more versatile than HTTPS proxies regarding the number of protocols they support, and they also provide authentication support. However, HTTPS proxies are ideal for basic web browsing, more secure because of their in-built encryption, and less complex to set up than SOCKS5 proxies. 

Is SOCKS5 faster than HTTP proxy?

In a vacuum, SOCKS5 proxies are faster than HTTPS proxies, because they are built for performance in the way they transmit data and handle traffic. Nevertheless, the situations surrounding the use of both proxies are important. HTTPS proxies are expected to be slower due to the additional overhead for the encryption and decryption processes going both ways. However, they also cache frequently visited webpages (which SOCKS5 proxies don’t), thus reducing the loading time of such pages.  

Why do people use SOCKS5?

The most common reasons for using SOCKS5 proxies are versatility, efficiency, and support of UDP and authentication. A typical SOCKS5 proxy can support all types of traffic, including HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, and SMTP. In addition, it efficiently handles the traffic and its data transmission. Its support of UDP, alongside TCP, lends to its versatility and makes it perfect for online gaming, streaming, and other real-time tasks.