A technical deep-dive into HTTP, HTTPS, SOCKS4, SOCKS5, and UDP proxy protocols. Understand how each works, when to use them, and which is right for your use case.
Web browsing, basic scraping
Secure browsing, account management
Gaming, torrents, versatile use
Legacy systems only
Application layer proxy for web traffic. Simple, widely supported.
Encrypted HTTP proxy using SSL/TLS. Secure for sensitive data.
Session layer proxy supporting any TCP/UDP traffic. Most versatile.
Legacy SOCKS protocol. TCP only, no authentication support.
| Feature | HTTP/HTTPS | SOCKS5 | SOCKS4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Layer | Application (L7) | Session (L5) | Session (L5) |
| HTTP Traffic | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| HTTPS Traffic | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| FTP Traffic | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| UDP Support | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Authentication | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| IPv6 Support | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| DNS Resolution | Client | Client/Proxy | Client |
| Speed | Fast | Fastest | Fast |
| Best For | Web scraping | Gaming/P2P | Legacy |
Key insight: HTTP proxies work at Layer 7 (Application) and only understand HTTP traffic. SOCKS proxies work at Layer 5 (Session) and can handle any TCP/UDP traffic, making them more versatile but requiring more setup.
import requests
proxies = {
"http": "http://user:pass@gate.proxies.sx:8080",
"https": "http://user:pass@gate.proxies.sx:8080"
}
response = requests.get("https://example.com", proxies=proxies)
print(response.text)import requests
proxies = {
"http": "socks5://user:pass@gate.proxies.sx:1080",
"https": "socks5://user:pass@gate.proxies.sx:1080"
}
response = requests.get("https://example.com", proxies=proxies)
print(response.text)import requests
# socks5h = resolve DNS through proxy (recommended)
proxies = {
"http": "socks5h://user:pass@gate.proxies.sx:1080",
"https": "socks5h://user:pass@gate.proxies.sx:1080"
}
# DNS queries also go through proxy - no DNS leaks
response = requests.get("https://example.com", proxies=proxies)SOCKS5 resolves DNS on your local machine before sending through the proxy.SOCKS5h (h = hostname) sends the hostname to the proxy server for resolution. Use SOCKS5h to prevent DNS leaks and ensure all traffic goes through the proxy.
Yes! SOCKS5 works great for web scraping. It's actually faster than HTTP proxies because it operates at a lower level. However, some scraping tools only support HTTP proxies, so check your tool's documentation.
Games often use UDP for low-latency communication (voice chat, real-time updates). HTTP proxies only support TCP. SOCKS5 supports both TCP and UDP, making it suitable for gaming where UDP performance matters.
When using HTTPS through a proxy, the connection between you and the destination is encrypted (TLS). The proxy can see the hostname (via SNI) but not the content. Use HTTPS proxies for sensitive browsing and SOCKS5h for maximum privacy.
PROXIES.SX supports HTTP, HTTPS, and SOCKS5 on all plans. Test them all with 1GB free.
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