VPNBook is best known for its free VPN, and its web proxy sits alongside it as a quick, no-download way to open a site through another server. You can choose the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada or a random server, which makes 3 countries in total. For a check from one of those places, it does the job: in our test, all three countries exited where chosen.
The page around the proxy tells you how the site is funded. When we checked it, the web proxy page carried dozens of affiliate links to NordVPN, Surfshark and ExpressVPN, next to "Best VPNs 2026" review content. Those links are how VPNBook earns from free visitors, and they shape what the page puts in front of you. The proxy itself is clearly the secondary product.
People usually look for a VPNBook web proxy alternative for one of two reasons: they need a country that is not on the short list, or they want a proxy page that is a tool rather than a shop window for other companies. Shifter Web Proxy covers 54 countries, exits through residential IPs and has no ads or affiliate links. The trade-off is a firm free allowance of 30 minutes and 100 MB a day.
Shifter Web Proxy vs VPNBook Web Proxy
| Feature | Shifter Web Proxy | VPNBook Web Proxy |
|---|---|---|
| Countries | 54 countries | 3 countries |
| Exit IP | Residential | Datacenter |
| Ads | None | Yes |
| Allowance | 30 minutes and 100 MB a day | No published limit |
| Account | Not required | Not required |
| Logs | No page logs | No policy |
| Operator | Shifter | VPNBook |
| Funding | Proxy plans | VPN affiliates |
| Site pages | One for all | YouTube, Instagram |
Facts checked on each site's own pages. Where we could not confirm something, the table says so.
What we measured
VPNBook Web Proxy figures come from our scripted browsing session. Shifter Web Proxy figures come from its own service configuration and code.
| Test | Shifter Web Proxy | VPNBook Web Proxy |
|---|---|---|
| Median page load | 1287 ms | 6585 ms |
| Pages that loaded | 100% | 80% |
| Ad slots added to proxied pages | 0 | 0 |
| YouTube playback | Worked | Failed |
| Countries listed / verified in our test | 54 listed | 3 listed, 3 of 3 verified |
| Ad-network requests per page | 0 | 5 |
| Exit IP observed | Residential | Datacenter |
Why people switch from VPNBook Web Proxy
54 countries instead of 3
VPNBook's proxy stops at the US, the UK and Canada. If you need to see a site from Germany, Brazil, Japan or most other markets, you have to look elsewhere. Shifter lets you choose from 54 countries before you start and switch from the toolbar while you browse.
A proxy page, not a VPN storefront
VPNBook funds its free services with affiliate links to other VPN brands, so the proxy page doubles as a place to send you to them. Shifter Web Proxy carries no ads and no affiliate links. The only paid product it points to is Shifter's own residential and ISP proxy plans.
Residential exit IPs
VPNBook does not say what kind of IPs its web proxy uses, and in our test all three countries exited through OVH, a hosting company. Shifter Web Proxy exits through residential IPs, addresses that belong to home broadband lines, so the sites you open generally treat the visit like an ordinary local one rather than traffic from a known server.
Built for checking a site as a local sees it
Because you pick the exact country, Shifter suits quick checks of prices, search results, ads or content in a specific market. With 3 fixed countries plus a random option, VPNBook is better suited to simply getting around a block.
No log of the pages you visit
Shifter publishes its position: no history of visited URLs is kept for the free tool. We could not find a privacy policy covering VPNBook's web proxy specifically, so its logging is not disclosed for the proxy.
No ad network calls inside the pages you open
In our test, each page opened through VPNBook's proxy made a median of 5 requests to ad networks, even where no ad was visible. Shifter Web Proxy made none, because it is funded by Shifter's proxy plans rather than by advertising or affiliate deals.
VPNBook Web Proxy pros and cons
- No download and no signup, as the page states
- Run by a named company based in Zurich, Switzerland
- Dedicated YouTube and Instagram proxy pages
- A free VPN on the same site if you need to cover a whole device
- All three countries exited where chosen in our test
- Only 3 countries: the US, the UK and Canada
- Proxy page is surrounded by VPN affiliate links and review content
- Logging for the web proxy is not disclosed
- Exits ran through OVH hosting IPs in our test
Verdict
VPNBook's web proxy is fine for a quick visit through the US, the UK or Canada, and its free VPN is a real option if you need more than a browser tab. If you need any other country, residential IPs or a page without affiliate links, Shifter Web Proxy is the better fit, as long as 30 minutes and 100 MB a day covers what you do.