Major 3 Differences Between HTTP and SOCKS5 Proxy

Source: MaxPixel

Over 90% of data breaches come from cyber attacks like email compromise and ransomware. It means your online browsing is at high risk. One of the best ways of ensuring your online security and privacy is through proxies. 

There are many available proxies with varying functionality, performance, and specialty. Some are basic, while others are exceptionally advanced to perform their functions. 

In this HTTP vs. SOCKS5 proxy review, we will evaluate the differences between the proxies. Also, the article will assess the suitability of each proxy. But before we dive into that, let’s understand what a proxy server is and an overview of the two proxies. 

What Is a Proxy Server

Source: Seobility

A proxy server refers to an intermediary between you (your device) and an internet resource (web page). Put plainly, it separates web users from the websites they are browsing. Depending on user needs, you can get varying security, anonymity, privacy, and functionality. 

The proxy server working principle is pegged on your unique device ID- the internet protocol (IP) address. Usually, your online browsing makes your IP address visible to the websites you access. Every sensitive personal information like the location linked to your IP is accessible to the sites and hackers.

That’s where proxies come in. They act as intermediaries, thus handling requests to and from websites. Besides, they can mask your device’s IP allowing you to browse anonymously. And the best part is you can get a free list of proxy if you’re on a budget. 

Proxies vs. Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)

Proxies and VPNs have striking similarities based on their applications. However, VPNs offer more secure communication than proxies. Proxies are suitable for basic applications like by-passing geo-restrictions on internet content. However, VPNs encrypt all your data hence more security. 

But, you can use both of them simultaneously for maximum performance. 

Overview of HTTP and SOCKS5 Proxy

HTTP Overview

HTTP is a short form of Hypertext Transfer Protocol, the essential organizing framework for browsing services that rely on the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP). These programs run on three standard ports: 

• Port 80
• Port 8080
• Port 3128

HTTP proxy working principle is simple. When you make search queries on your browser, the requests are directed to the proxy server. The server will search for the resource (web page) and sends the data to you in the form of search results. 

It is worth noting that there is HTTP and HTTPS. The former is not secured, while the latter is a secured proxy. So, you can use the HTTPS proxies for secured communications like when proving your credit card data online. 

HTTP proxies have broad applications:

• Text filtering of some text formats like heavy banners that can impact the website’s speed.
• Monitoring web traffic and visitors logs
• Web caching to improve website performance. 
• Internet access restriction to some resources, e.g., adult sites. 

SOCKS5 Proxy Overview

SOCKS stands for Socket Secure, a networking protocol that re-routes network traffic across  firewalls. SOCKS uses tunneling or “port forwarding” that enables secure private communication in a public network. 

Proxies do not handle programs running on ports 1080 and 1081. That’s where SOCKS comes in. SOCKS can manage programs that do use proxies directly. It has evolved from the original SOCKS to SOCKS4 and now SOCKS5. Here are the differences: 

• SOCKS4 proxies only work with TCP connections. 
• SOCKS5 supports proxies support TCP, user datagram protocol (UDP), DNS-query, and password log-in authorization. 

Some of the SOCKS5 proxy server applications are highly specialized: 

• By-pass IP bans 
• Reliable and fast internet connections. Some are faster than VPNs.
• Drive fast download speeds on P2P websites

They offer complete anonymity with robust performance in terms of speed and accuracy. But, how does it compare to HTTP Proxy? Now that we have the overview, let’s get down to the key interest of the article. 

HTTP vs. SOCKS5 Proxy 

1. Functionality and Security Levels

HTTP proxies only depend on HTTP protocol hence are perfect for data extraction from websites. Besides, they can easily decode any network traffic on the TCP connections. 

But, SOCKS5 does not use HTTP protocol and is deemed low level. They offer low security because one can see the data it contains. Despite the security shortcoming, the SOCKS5 proxy is robust. It can handle several requests from different protocols like SMTP (simple mail transfer protocol), HTTP/HTTPS, and FTP (file transfer protocol). As a result, you can use it for file transfers, email forwarding, P2P, and P2P sharing. 

1. Speed and Performance 

Source: Raw Pixel

The speed of proxies vary with their categories. For example, HTTP proxies have different speeds and performance levels. Public HTTP proxies are always on overload making them slower. So are shared HTTP proxies. However, elite HTTP proxies are exceptionally optimized to achieve faster speeds. 

But, they can not match the SOCKS proxy server’s speed. They need less code with faster file download and transfer rates. As a result, major file download tools like BitTorrent and pirate bay use SOCKS proxies.

1. Compatibility 

You can use HTTP proxies alongside many tools across any sector. For applicable ports, port 80 is only for HTTP while port 443 is for HTTPS.

But ports 1080 and 1081 are reserved for SOCKS. Unfortunately, most proxies avoid them because ISPs will automatically know you’re using a proxy.

Take Away 

Selecting HTTP or SOCKS proxy server comes down to your needs. After covering security and anonymity, what else do you want to achieve your goal? 

If you’re after web scraping with high success rates, then the HTTP proxy server is your guy. Otherwise, for faster downloads and file transfer, the SOCKS proxy server will get you covered. The review allows you to choose the best proxy between the two for your needs.