HTTPS proxies are the universal standard for encrypted web traffic routing — every major scraping framework, browser automation tool, and proxy management library supports HTTP/S CONNECT proxies out of the box. Whether you are running Puppeteer, Playwright, Selenium, or Scrapy, the first proxy type you configure is an HTTPS proxy. Unlike SOCKS5, which requires lower-level socket configuration, HTTPS proxies work natively with every HTTP client, browser, and automation tool without additional setup.
The reason HTTPS proxies dominate web scraping and browser automation is their protocol alignment. Modern websites operate exclusively over HTTPS, and an HTTP/S CONNECT proxy handles TLS encryption transparently — your tool connects to the proxy, the proxy tunnels the encrypted connection to the target site, and the target site receives a legitimate HTTPS request from the proxy's IP address. This is the same mechanism browsers use, which is why HTTPS proxies achieve the highest compatibility across all target sites.
This guide covers the 10 best HTTPS proxy providers in 2026, evaluated on proxy pool quality, framework compatibility, authentication methods, IP diversity, and pricing. Every provider on this list delivers reliable HTTP/S proxy endpoints compatible with the full range of browser automation and scraping tools in active professional use.
What Are HTTPS Proxies?
An HTTPS proxy (also called an HTTP CONNECT proxy or HTTP/S proxy) routes your web requests through an intermediary server using the HTTP CONNECT tunneling method. When you configure Puppeteer with a proxy, it sends a CONNECT request to the proxy server, which establishes an encrypted tunnel to the target website. Your IP address is replaced by the proxy's IP, and all traffic between your tool and the target site is encrypted end-to-end.
HTTP vs HTTPS proxy is a common source of confusion. An HTTP proxy handles only unencrypted HTTP traffic and can inspect or modify requests. An HTTPS proxy (using CONNECT tunneling) handles encrypted HTTPS traffic — the proxy cannot see the content of the requests, only the destination hostname. Modern web scraping exclusively uses HTTPS proxies because virtually all target sites now enforce HTTPS.
HTTPS proxies vs SOCKS5 proxies come down to compatibility vs flexibility. HTTPS proxies work natively with every browser, HTTP client library, and scraping framework with no extra configuration. SOCKS5 operates at a lower level and can proxy any TCP/UDP traffic, not just HTTP — but requires SOCKS5-specific support in your tools. For web scraping and browser automation, HTTPS proxies are the correct default. SOCKS5 is better suited for non-HTTP protocols, VPN-like use cases, and tools that need lower-level network access.
What Makes a Good HTTPS Proxy Provider
Not every provider delivers HTTPS proxies that perform reliably across modern web targets. These are the criteria that separate capable providers from ones that will fail on protected sites:
- TLS/SSL handling — The proxy must correctly tunnel TLS connections without certificate errors or intercepting encrypted traffic. Providers that use SSL inspection at the proxy layer cause certificate validation failures on strict targets.
- Framework compatibility — Puppeteer, Playwright, Selenium, Scrapy, curl, and Python's
requestslibrary all have specific HTTPS proxy configuration patterns. Quality providers supply clear documentation and working endpoint formats for each. - Authentication methods — Username/password authentication and IP whitelisting are the two standard methods. Username/password is more flexible for distributed setups; IP whitelisting suits fixed-IP environments. The best providers support both.
- IP pool quality and diversity — An HTTPS proxy is only as good as the IP behind it. Residential HTTPS proxies bypass bot detection better than datacenter ones. Pool size determines how long you can rotate before repeating IPs.
- Speed and latency — HTTPS proxies add a network hop. Providers with geographically distributed proxy infrastructure minimize latency to target sites. Check datacenter locations relative to your primary targets.
- Pricing model — Per-GB billing suits scraping workloads with unpredictable volume. Flat-rate or unlimited plans suit high-volume or long-running HTTPS proxy sessions.
Best HTTPS Proxy Providers in 2026
Here is a quick comparison of all ten providers before the detailed breakdown:
| Provider | Proxy Types | Pool Size | Framework Support | Starting Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NodeMaven | Residential, ISP | 30M+ | Full (Puppeteer, Playwright, Selenium) | From $2.00/GB |
| Bright Data | Residential, DC, ISP, Mobile | 150M+ | Full + Scraping Browser | From $5.04/GB |
| Decodo | Residential, DC, ISP, Mobile | 100M+ | Full + X Browser | From $2.00/GB |
| SOAX | Residential, Mobile | 155M+ | Full | From $0.32/GB |
| IPRoyal | Residential, DC, ISP, Mobile | 35M+ | Full | From $3.00/GB |
| DataImpulse | Residential | 90M+ | Full | $1.00/GB |
| ProxyEmpire | Residential, DC, Mobile | 50M+ | Full | From $1.50/GB |
| Infatica | Residential, DC | 25M+ | Full | From $2.40/GB |
| Geonode | Residential, DC | 2M+ | Full | From $0.79/GB |
| Proxy-Seller | Residential, DC | 20M+ | Full | From $2.20/GB |
1. NodeMaven — Best HTTPS Proxy for Social Media and Account Management

NodeMaven is a residential proxy provider built around clean IP quality — the property that matters most when using HTTPS proxies for social media management, multi-account operations, and automation workflows where IP reputation directly affects account safety. With a global pool of 30M+ residential IPs and full HTTP/S CONNECT proxy support, NodeMaven delivers HTTPS proxy endpoints that pass platform legitimacy checks on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, and Twitter/X without triggering security flags.
Configuration is straightforward: NodeMaven provides standard http://user:pass@host:port endpoint format compatible with every scraping framework and browser automation tool. Puppeteer, Playwright, and Selenium users can plug NodeMaven's HTTPS proxy credentials directly into the proxy launch options with no additional setup. The dashboard generates endpoint URLs with optional country and city targeting, and supports both per-request IP rotation and sticky session modes for extended session tasks.
Pricing starts at $2.00/GB. For social media automation where sessions are bandwidth-light but IP reputation is critical, NodeMaven's HTTPS residential proxies deliver the clean IP history that shared rotating pools often lack. The antidetect browser integrations with Dolphin Anty, AdsPower, and Multilogin make it a natural fit for multi-account operators who configure individual HTTPS proxy credentials per browser profile.
| Proxy Types | Framework Compatibility | Auth Methods | Starting Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential, ISP | Puppeteer, Playwright, Selenium, Scrapy, curl | Username/password, IP whitelist | From $2.00/GB |
Pros:
- ✅ High-quality residential HTTPS proxies — clean IP history for account management
- ✅ Standard endpoint format compatible with all frameworks out of the box
- ✅ Antidetect browser integrations (Dolphin Anty, AdsPower, Multilogin)
- ✅ Both rotating and sticky HTTPS session modes
- ✅ Competitive $2.00/GB pricing for residential HTTPS proxies
Cons:
- ❌ Not optimized for high-volume technical scraping at the datacenter end
- ❌ Smaller global pool than enterprise competitors
- ❌ Limited advanced targeting on entry plans
2. Bright Data — Best Enterprise HTTPS Proxy

Bright Data operates the most comprehensive HTTPS proxy infrastructure available commercially, with 150M+ IPs across residential, datacenter, ISP, and mobile types — all accessible via standard HTTP/S CONNECT proxy endpoints. For enterprise teams running large-scale Puppeteer, Playwright, or Scrapy deployments against heavily protected targets, Bright Data's HTTPS proxy layer offers the deepest feature set: rotating residential proxies, static ISP proxies, datacenter proxies, and managed Scraping Browser instances (Chromium pre-configured with HTTPS proxy routing, TLS fingerprint spoofing, and CAPTCHA solving) all through a unified API.
Bright Data's HTTPS proxies support username/password authentication with inline geo-targeting parameters embedded directly in the proxy username — for example, user-country-us-city-newyork:pass@host:port — which eliminates the need for separate API calls to configure targeting. This approach is fully compatible with Puppeteer's --proxy-server launch flag, Playwright's proxy option, and Selenium's Proxy class, making geo-targeted HTTPS proxy setup a single-line configuration in any framework.
The Web Unlocker product sits above the standard HTTPS proxy layer and handles Cloudflare, DataDome, PerimeterX, and other bot-protection services automatically — useful for teams whose scraping targets require more than a residential HTTPS proxy to succeed. For targets that a plain HTTPS proxy can handle, the standard residential pool delivers near-100% success rates on most commercial web properties.
| Proxy Types | Framework Compatibility | Auth Methods | Starting Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential, DC, ISP, Mobile | Puppeteer, Playwright, Selenium, Scrapy, all HTTP clients | Username/password with inline geo params | From $5.04/GB |
Pros:
- ✅ 150M+ IPs — largest HTTPS proxy pool on this list
- ✅ Inline geo-targeting via username parameters — one-line framework setup
- ✅ Scraping Browser for targets that require full browser fingerprint spoofing
- ✅ Web Unlocker for Cloudflare and advanced bot-protection bypass
- ✅ All proxy types (residential, ISP, DC, mobile) on one HTTP/S endpoint system
Cons:
- ❌ Most expensive option — starts at $5.04/GB for residential HTTPS proxies
- ❌ Learning curve for full platform utilization
- ❌ No refund policy after purchase
3. Decodo — Best HTTPS Proxy for Developer Teams

Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) has built its reputation on developer-friendly proxy infrastructure, and its HTTPS proxy offering reflects this. With 100M+ residential IPs and dedicated documentation for Puppeteer, Playwright, Selenium, and Scrapy HTTPS proxy configuration, Decodo is the go-to HTTPS proxy provider for engineering teams that need proxies that work without friction in their existing automation stack.
The HTTPS proxy endpoint format follows the standard http://user:pass@host:port pattern with inline geo-targeting via username parameters — the same approach as Bright Data but at a significantly lower price point. Residential, datacenter, ISP, and mobile proxies are all accessible via HTTPS endpoints. For teams running multi-threaded Puppeteer clusters or distributed Playwright deployments, Decodo's concurrent connection handling and session management are well-optimized for high-request-volume workflows.
The X Browser integration and support for major antidetect browsers make Decodo practical for account management alongside scraping. Developer support documentation includes working code samples for Python, Node.js, Go, and PHP HTTPS proxy configuration. The 3-day money-back trial lets teams validate HTTPS proxy performance on their specific target sites before committing to a plan.
| Proxy Types | Framework Compatibility | Auth Methods | Starting Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential, DC, ISP, Mobile | Puppeteer, Playwright, Selenium, Scrapy, all HTTP clients | Username/password, IP whitelist | From $2.00/GB |
Pros:
- ✅ Strong developer documentation with framework-specific HTTPS proxy code samples
- ✅ 100M+ IPs across all proxy types on unified HTTPS endpoints
- ✅ Inline geo-targeting via username parameters
- ✅ Antidetect browser and X Browser integrations
- ✅ 3-day money-back trial for HTTPS proxy testing
Cons:
- ❌ Concurrent session limits on lower-tier plans
- ❌ ISP proxy HTTPS endpoints limited in country coverage on entry plans
- ❌ Pricing slightly higher than DataImpulse and SOAX for bulk residential
4. SOAX — Best Flexible HTTPS Proxy

SOAX operates a 155M+ IP pool with full HTTP/S CONNECT proxy support across residential and mobile proxy types. What sets SOAX apart for HTTPS proxy use cases is its pricing flexibility — plans start at $0.32/GB on volume tiers, making it one of the most cost-efficient HTTPS proxy options for bandwidth-heavy scraping workflows that need genuine residential IP attribution.
SOAX's HTTPS proxy endpoints use standard username/password authentication with geo-targeting parameters embedded in the proxy username string. Country, city, and carrier targeting for mobile HTTPS proxies are all accessible through the same endpoint format. The dashboard generates proxy lists, API-based endpoint URLs, and sub-user credentials for agency setups managing multiple HTTPS proxy configurations for different clients.
Traffic rollover on select SOAX plans prevents bandwidth waste for teams with uneven scraping schedules. The mobile HTTPS proxy tier adds carrier-level IP attribution — mobile carrier IPs are treated as higher-trust by many anti-bot systems than residential broadband IPs, and SOAX's carrier targeting lets you specify KT, SKT, Verizon, AT&T, or other carriers depending on your target audience's expected location.
| Proxy Types | Framework Compatibility | Auth Methods | Starting Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential, Mobile | Puppeteer, Playwright, Selenium, Scrapy, all HTTP clients | Username/password, IP whitelist | From $0.32/GB |
Pros:
- ✅ Among the lowest per-GB HTTPS proxy pricing available
- ✅ Mobile HTTPS proxies with carrier targeting
- ✅ Traffic rollover on select plans
- ✅ Sub-user management for agency HTTPS proxy deployments
- ✅ API-driven endpoint generation
Cons:
- ❌ No dedicated datacenter or ISP HTTPS proxy option
- ❌ Advanced carrier targeting requires higher-tier plans
- ❌ Pool size per country not publicly disclosed as standalone figures
5. IPRoyal — Best Budget HTTPS Proxy

IPRoyal offers a strong budget HTTPS proxy option with residential, datacenter, ISP, and mobile proxies all accessible via standard HTTP/S CONNECT endpoints. With 35M+ residential IPs sourced through the Pawns.app ethical opt-in network, IPRoyal's HTTPS residential proxies carry genuine home broadband attribution that passes IP intelligence lookups on major platforms.
The HTTPS proxy endpoint format is standard — username/password authentication with country targeting inline. Pay-as-you-go purchasing is available with no minimum monthly commitment, making IPRoyal accessible for teams that need HTTPS proxy access intermittently rather than continuously. HTTP/S and SOCKS5 protocol support means you can use IPRoyal's IPs in frameworks that prefer either protocol, with the same underlying IP pool.
The dashboard is simple with a minimal learning curve. IPRoyal's HTTPS proxy endpoints generate immediately after account creation, and the platform supports both rotating and sticky session modes. For lighter scraping workloads on targets that don't require enterprise-grade bypass capabilities, IPRoyal's $3.00/GB residential HTTPS proxies deliver solid value with ethical IP sourcing.
| Proxy Types | Framework Compatibility | Auth Methods | Starting Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential, DC, ISP, Mobile | Puppeteer, Playwright, Selenium, Scrapy, all HTTP clients | Username/password, IP whitelist | From $3.00/GB |
Pros:
- ✅ Ethical IP sourcing via Pawns.app — genuine residential HTTPS proxies
- ✅ Pay-as-you-go — no minimum commitment
- ✅ All proxy types (residential, DC, ISP, mobile) on HTTP/S endpoints
- ✅ Simple dashboard with immediate proxy access post-signup
- ✅ Both rotating and sticky HTTPS session modes
Cons:
- ❌ Smaller pool than enterprise providers — IP exhaustion possible on very high concurrency
- ❌ Success rates on heavily-protected targets inconsistent compared to premium options
- ❌ City-level targeting limited on basic plans
6. DataImpulse — Best Cheap HTTPS Proxy for Bulk Scraping

DataImpulse offers $1.00/GB flat pricing for HTTPS residential proxies from a 90M+ IP pool — the simplest value proposition in the market for cost-sensitive bulk scraping workloads. For teams scraping publicly accessible websites at high volume where per-GB cost is the primary constraint and residential HTTPS proxies are needed to avoid datacenter IP blocks, DataImpulse is the most competitive option available.
HTTPS proxy endpoints use the standard format and support country, city, state, ASN, and ZIP-level targeting — unusual depth at this price point. Non-expiring traffic after purchase is DataImpulse's most operationally significant feature for HTTPS proxy users: there is no 30-day expiry, so bandwidth purchased in one cycle carries to the next without waste. This suits teams with variable scraping schedules that cannot predict monthly bandwidth consumption.
A $5 trial plan provides 5 GB to test HTTPS proxy performance against your specific targets before scaling. The $50 minimum for the full plan (50 GB) suits teams with regular bulk scraping needs. SOCKS5 and UDP protocol support are also available for tools that prefer lower-level proxy protocols.
| Proxy Types | Framework Compatibility | Auth Methods | Starting Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential | Puppeteer, Playwright, Selenium, Scrapy, all HTTP clients | Username/password | $1.00/GB |
Pros:
- ✅ $1/GB flat pricing — most affordable residential HTTPS proxy option
- ✅ Non-expiring traffic — no monthly bandwidth waste
- ✅ City, ASN, and ZIP targeting at entry-tier pricing
- ✅ $5 trial plan to validate HTTPS proxy performance
- ✅ SOCKS5 and UDP support alongside HTTP/S
Cons:
- ❌ $50 minimum spend (50 GB) — no single-GB option
- ❌ No ISP or mobile HTTPS proxy tier
- ❌ Less established brand than top-tier providers
7. ProxyEmpire — Best HTTPS Proxy for Automation Workflows

ProxyEmpire specializes in residential and mobile HTTPS proxies for automation-heavy workflows, with rotating proxies starting at $1.50/GB and a free trial offering initial credits to test HTTPS proxy performance before committing. The platform's API integrates directly with common automation frameworks, and the HTTPS endpoint format is standard across all proxy types.
For teams running browser automation bots that cycle through many HTTPS proxy IPs at high concurrency, ProxyEmpire's rotating residential pool handles the request volume well. Mobile HTTPS proxies with carrier attribution add an extra layer of authenticity for targets that apply stricter validation to residential broadband IPs — carrier IPs are treated as higher-trust on many platforms.
Sticky session HTTPS proxies are available alongside rotating mode, giving ProxyEmpire flexibility for workflows that require both: scraping runs using rotating HTTPS endpoints, account management using sticky HTTPS sessions on the same infrastructure. The free trial credits allow testing both session modes before selecting a plan.
| Proxy Types | Framework Compatibility | Auth Methods | Starting Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential, DC, Mobile | Puppeteer, Playwright, Selenium, Scrapy, all HTTP clients | Username/password | From $1.50/GB |
Pros:
- ✅ Competitive rotating HTTPS proxy pricing
- ✅ Mobile HTTPS proxies with carrier attribution
- ✅ Free trial credits — test HTTPS proxy performance before scaling
- ✅ Both rotating and sticky HTTPS session modes
- ✅ Clean API for automation framework integration
Cons:
- ❌ Smaller pool — IP exhaustion possible on very high-concurrency HTTPS deployments
- ❌ Support response times slower than enterprise providers
- ❌ Fewer third-party performance benchmarks than established providers
8. Infatica — Best HTTPS Proxy for Mid-Scale Scraping

Infatica operates a 25M+ IP pool with residential and datacenter HTTPS proxies across 100+ countries. For mid-scale scraping operations — teams running consistent Puppeteer or Playwright deployments against a defined set of target sites — Infatica's HTTPS proxies deliver reliable performance at a mid-tier price point of $2.40/GB, sitting between budget providers and enterprise options.
The HTTPS proxy endpoints use standard username/password authentication and support both rotating and sticky session modes. Country-level targeting is available across all supported markets, with city-level targeting for major locations. The dashboard provides API access for endpoint generation and session management, and the documentation covers HTTPS proxy configuration for Python requests, Node.js axios, Puppeteer, and Scrapy.
Support responds via live chat and email, which is useful for troubleshooting HTTPS proxy performance on specific target sites. Infatica's combination of residential and datacenter HTTPS proxies on a single platform makes it convenient for teams that use both types across different scraping workflows.
| Proxy Types | Framework Compatibility | Auth Methods | Starting Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential, DC | Puppeteer, Playwright, Selenium, Scrapy, all HTTP clients | Username/password, IP whitelist | From $2.40/GB |
Pros:
- ✅ Residential and datacenter HTTPS proxies on one platform
- ✅ Solid rotating and sticky HTTPS session support
- ✅ Mid-tier pricing accessible for growing teams
- ✅ Framework documentation for Python, Node.js, Puppeteer, Scrapy
- ✅ Responsive support for HTTPS proxy troubleshooting
Cons:
- ❌ Smaller pool (25M) — not for extreme-scale concurrent HTTPS deployments
- ❌ City-level targeting limited on entry plans
- ❌ Less established in the market than top-tier providers
9. Geonode — Most Affordable Entry-Level HTTPS Proxy

Geonode offers the most accessible entry point for residential HTTPS proxies on this list, with pricing starting at $0.79/GB. For individual developers, students, and small teams testing HTTPS proxy integration for the first time, Geonode removes the cost barrier while providing a standard-format HTTPS endpoint that works with any tool.
The platform covers residential and datacenter HTTPS proxies with country-level targeting across 140+ countries. The 2M+ IP pool is smaller than most competitors, but for lightweight HTTPS proxy use cases — occasional scraping, testing geo-restricted content, verifying ad placements — it is more than adequate. The interface is beginner-friendly: endpoint generation requires no technical knowledge beyond copying the proxy URL into your tool's proxy configuration field.
Traffic rolls over on Geonode plans, which prevents waste for users with variable HTTPS proxy usage. For teams that are evaluating whether HTTPS proxies solve their specific problem before investing in a premium provider, Geonode's entry-level pricing makes it the right starting point.
| Proxy Types | Framework Compatibility | Auth Methods | Starting Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential, DC | Puppeteer, Playwright, Selenium, Scrapy, all HTTP clients | Username/password, IP whitelist | From $0.79/GB |
Pros:
- ✅ Lowest per-GB HTTPS proxy entry pricing on this list
- ✅ Traffic rollover — unused bandwidth carries forward
- ✅ Beginner-friendly dashboard with instant endpoint generation
- ✅ Residential and datacenter HTTPS proxies available
- ✅ No technical expertise required to start
Cons:
- ❌ Small pool — not suited for large-scale concurrent HTTPS scraping
- ❌ Success rates on heavily-protected targets lower than premium providers
- ❌ No ISP or mobile HTTPS proxy tier
10. Proxy-Seller — Best HTTPS Proxy for Datacenter Speed

Proxy-Seller offers a strong datacenter HTTPS proxy offering across 220+ countries alongside residential HTTPS proxy options. For scraping tasks where speed matters more than residential stealth — hitting publicly accessible APIs, scraping open product listings, testing geo-routing behavior — Proxy-Seller's datacenter HTTPS proxies deliver fast, stable connections at a lower per-GB cost than residential alternatives.
HTTPS proxy endpoints are available for both datacenter and residential proxy types. Private dedicated datacenter HTTPS proxies — assigned exclusively to your account — are Proxy-Seller's strongest differentiator, eliminating the shared-IP contamination risk that comes with rotating residential pools shared across many users. Pricing starts at $2.20/GB for the residential and ISP tier.
The 220+ country coverage for datacenter HTTPS proxies is the broadest on this list, making Proxy-Seller practical for teams that need HTTPS proxies in less common markets that other providers do not cover. Both HTTP/S and SOCKS5 endpoints are available across proxy types.
| Proxy Types | Framework Compatibility | Auth Methods | Starting Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential, DC | Puppeteer, Playwright, Selenium, Scrapy, all HTTP clients | Username/password, IP whitelist | From $2.20/GB |
Pros:
- ✅ 220+ country datacenter HTTPS proxies — broadest coverage on this list
- ✅ Private dedicated datacenter HTTPS proxies — no shared contamination
- ✅ Residential and datacenter HTTPS proxies on one platform
- ✅ HTTP/S and SOCKS5 support across all proxy types
- ✅ Fast datacenter HTTPS connections for speed-sensitive scraping
Cons:
- ❌ Datacenter HTTPS proxies more detectable by anti-bot systems on protected targets
- ❌ Residential pool smaller than specialized residential providers
- ❌ Less ecosystem tooling than Bright Data or Decodo
HTTPS Proxy vs SOCKS5 Proxy: Which Is Better for Web Scraping?
For most web scraping and browser automation use cases, HTTPS proxies are the correct choice. Here is how they compare:
| Feature | HTTPS Proxy | SOCKS5 Proxy |
|---|---|---|
| Browser automation (Puppeteer, Playwright) | Native support, one-line config | Requires SOCKS5-specific setup |
| HTTP scraping frameworks (Scrapy, requests) | Native support | Requires requests[socks] or similar |
| Protocol coverage | HTTP and HTTPS only | Any TCP/UDP protocol |
| Authentication | Username/password or IP whitelist | Username/password or no auth |
| TLS traffic handling | Transparent CONNECT tunneling | Transparent TCP tunneling |
| Use with curl | -x http://user:pass@host:port |
--socks5 user:pass@host:port |
| Speed difference | Minimal | Minimal |
Use HTTPS proxies when: Your target is a web URL (http:// or https://), you are using a browser automation tool or HTTP scraping library, or you want maximum framework compatibility with zero configuration overhead.
Use SOCKS5 proxies when: You need to proxy non-HTTP traffic (SSH tunnels, database connections, custom TCP/UDP protocols), or your tool specifically supports SOCKS5 and you are using lower-level network automation.
Most of the providers on this list support both protocols on the same IP pool — you get the same residential IPs regardless of which protocol endpoint you use.
How to Configure an HTTPS Proxy
Puppeteer (Node.js):
const browser = await puppeteer.launch({
args: ['--proxy-server=http://host:port']
});
const page = await browser.newPage();
await page.authenticate({ username: 'user', password: 'pass' });
Playwright (Node.js):
const browser = await chromium.launch({
proxy: { server: 'http://host:port', username: 'user', password: 'pass' }
});
Scrapy (Python) — settings.py:
ROTATING_PROXY_LIST = ['http://user:pass@host:port']
# or via middleware:
DOWNLOADER_MIDDLEWARES = {'scrapy.downloadermiddlewares.httpproxy.HttpProxyMiddleware': 110}
os.environ['http_proxy'] = 'http://user:pass@host:port'
os.environ['https_proxy'] = 'http://user:pass@host:port'
Python requests:
proxies = {
'http': 'http://user:pass@host:port',
'https': 'http://user:pass@host:port'
}
response = requests.get('https://target.com', proxies=proxies)
curl:
curl -x http://user:pass@host:port https://target.com
For broader residential proxy options and pricing comparisons, the best residential proxy providers guide covers 18 providers across all proxy types.
FAQs
What is the difference between an HTTP proxy and an HTTPS proxy?
An HTTP proxy handles only unencrypted HTTP traffic and can read or modify request content. An HTTPS proxy (using HTTP CONNECT tunneling) handles encrypted HTTPS traffic — it establishes a tunnel to the target server without being able to inspect the encrypted content. For web scraping in 2026, virtually all targets use HTTPS, so an HTTPS proxy is the correct choice for nearly all use cases.
Do HTTPS proxies break SSL certificate validation?
Legitimate HTTPS proxy providers using CONNECT tunneling do not intercept or inspect TLS traffic — they simply tunnel the encrypted connection. Your scraping tool's TLS validation against the target site's certificate works exactly as it would without a proxy. Providers that perform SSL inspection at the proxy layer (man-in-the-middle) are rare in commercial scraping proxies and would cause certificate errors with standard tools.
How do I configure an HTTPS proxy in Puppeteer?
Pass the --proxy-server argument in Puppeteer's launch options: args: ['--proxy-server=http://host:port']. Then authenticate with page.authenticate({ username: 'user', password: 'pass' }). For providers that support inline credentials, you can use --proxy-server=http://user:pass@host:port directly in the argument without a separate authenticate call.
Can I use HTTPS proxies with Python's requests library?
Yes — pass a proxies dictionary to any requests call: proxies = {'https': 'http://user:pass@host:port'}. The key insight is that the proxy URL uses http:// even for HTTPS targets — this is the correct format because you are specifying the protocol used to connect to the proxy server, not the protocol of the target site.
What authentication methods do HTTPS proxies support?
The two standard methods are username/password (passed in the proxy URL or as a separate authentication header) and IP whitelisting (your outgoing IP is pre-authorized, no credentials needed). Username/password is more flexible for distributed setups and cloud environments where your outgoing IP changes. IP whitelisting is simpler but requires a static IP on the scraping side.
Are free HTTPS proxies safe to use for scraping?
Free HTTPS proxy lists are unreliable, frequently blocked by target sites, shared with thousands of other users, and can pose security risks (some perform SSL inspection to harvest credentials). For any professional scraping or automation workflow, paid HTTPS proxy providers are the only viable option. The reliability and IP quality difference is significant enough that free proxies typically waste more time in troubleshooting than they save in cost.
Which HTTPS Proxy Provider Is Right for You?
For social media management and account automation where clean IP quality matters most, NodeMaven is the top choice — purpose-built residential HTTPS proxies with antidetect browser integrations and high IP reputation standards. For enterprise scraping deployments against the most protected targets, Bright Data leads with its 150M+ IP pool, inline geo-targeting, and Scraping Browser for full browser fingerprint automation.
Decodo is the best HTTPS proxy option for developer teams that need strong framework documentation, code samples, and a mid-market price point. SOAX and DataImpulse serve bandwidth-heavy bulk scraping workflows where per-GB cost is the primary constraint — SOAX for flexible plans and mobile HTTPS proxies, DataImpulse for flat $1/GB pricing with non-expiring traffic.
IPRoyal covers the budget residential HTTPS proxy segment with ethical sourcing and pay-as-you-go access. ProxyEmpire suits automation-heavy teams with its free trial and dual rotating/sticky HTTPS modes. Geonode is the right starting point for individuals and small teams testing HTTPS proxies for the first time. Proxy-Seller is the best pick when fast dedicated datacenter HTTPS proxies and broad country coverage are the primary requirements.
The HTTPS proxy protocol is universal — every provider on this list delivers standard-format endpoints that work with any framework. The differentiator is the quality of the IPs behind those endpoints.
