ProxyOrb is one of the newer free web proxies. Its site gives a founding date of 15 January 2025, and in that time it has built a "Start Proxy Browser" flow, a browser extension, a blog and a GitHub presence. It is completely free, with no paid tier, and AdSense on the site pays for it.
Its homepage makes big claims: HD YouTube, zero logs and "Trusted by 5M+ Users". In our test a YouTube video did play, though we did not check its quality; the logging and user claims we could not verify. Its server countries are described only as "global server nodes" without a list, and the free tool has no location picker. ProxyOrb has also published a post on how to identify the real ProxyOrb, which suggests copycat sites use its name. If you landed on a lookalike, that alone is a reason to check where you are browsing.
Shifter Web Proxy takes the opposite approach on disclosure. It names its 120 countries, states that every exit is a residential IP, shows no ads and has no time limit. The one extra step is a quick check before each session, which keeps residential IPs free.
Want our test results first? Read our ProxyOrb review
Shifter Web Proxy vs ProxyOrb
| Feature | Shifter Web Proxy | ProxyOrb |
|---|---|---|
| Countries | 120 countries | No location choice |
| Exit IP | Residential | Not published |
| Ads | None | Yes |
| Allowance | No time limit | No published limit |
| Account | Not required | Not required |
| Logs | No page logs | No page logs |
| Operator | Shifter | ProxyOrb |
| Extension | No | Yes |
| Server list | Published | Not published |
Facts checked on each site's own pages. Where we could not confirm something, the table says so.
What we measured
ProxyOrb figures come from our scripted browsing session. Shifter Web Proxy figures come from its own service configuration and code.
| Test | Shifter Web Proxy | ProxyOrb |
|---|---|---|
| Median page load | 1287 ms | 8424 ms |
| Pages that loaded | 100% | 80% |
| Ad slots added to proxied pages | 0 | 1 |
| YouTube playback | Worked | Worked |
| Countries listed / verified in our test | 120 listed | No location choice |
| Ad-network requests per page | 0 | 10 |
| Exit IP observed | Residential | Not measured |
Why people switch from ProxyOrb
Countries you can see before you start
ProxyOrb refers to global server nodes but does not list them. Shifter shows all 120 countries in the launcher, and you can switch from the toolbar while browsing.
No ads to fund it
ProxyOrb is 100% free because ads pay for it, with AdSense on the site. In our test it also put a "Free VIP Upgrade" share dialog in front of every page we opened, and ad network requests continued on the proxied pages. Shifter Web Proxy carries no ads, on its page or in the sites you open, because Shifter's paid proxy plans fund it.
Claims you can check against a table
ProxyOrb's zero-logs and user-count figures are its own marketing. Shifter's facts sit in the comparison table above, from the countries to the exit IP type, and the same rubric is used for every proxy we review.
Residential exit IPs
ProxyOrb does not say what kind of IPs it uses. Shifter Web Proxy exits through residential IPs, the kind sites generally treat as an ordinary local visitor, which helps with sites that block known server addresses.
One official address
Shifter Web Proxy lives on shifter.io, run by Shifter, a residential and ISP proxy provider. There is one address to remember: shifter.io/web-proxy.
An upgrade that is a real plan
ProxyOrb has no paid tier, and its "Free VIP Upgrade" dialog asks you to share the site instead. When you need more than a browser tab, the next step is a paid residential or ISP plan with city and ISP targeting on the network you already tried.
ProxyOrb pros and cons
- Free with no paid tier, as the site states
- Polished proxy browser flow and an optional extension
- No published daily limit
- Blog and FAQ content that explains how web proxies work
- A YouTube video played in our test
- AdSense on the site
- Server countries are not listed, and the free tool has no location picker
- A "Free VIP Upgrade" share dialog appeared before every page in our test
- Zero-logs and 5M+ user claims are unverified marketing
Verdict
ProxyOrb is free, played a YouTube video in our test and publishes no daily limit, but it was the slowest proxy we timed and put a share dialog before every page. If you want to know which country you exit from, prefer residential IPs and would rather not see ads, Shifter Web Proxy is the clearer choice, with no time limit. If you outgrow a browser tab, look at Shifter residential.