A 2026 list of SOCKS5 and HTTP CONNECT providers. WinSocks is not on this list as a vendor. You buy a combo elsewhere, paste host:port:user:pass, and the local relay talks to that hop.
Names people actually issue combos from in 2026. Not a paid ranking. Ports and product names move — match the protocol to what the dashboard printed, not the brand lore.
00 LAUNCHER
Free Windows client. It does not rent residential IPs. Paste a SOCKS5 or HTTP CONNECT combo, start the relay, launch isolated Chrome or Firefox with remote DNS. Stop restores leftovers.
Download Setup 1.3.0
IPRoyal
HTTP / SOCKS5
Resi / DC
:12321 HTTP
Residential, ISP, datacenter, and mobile. Combo format fits WinSocks. Port 12321 is HTTP CONNECT, not SOCKS — leave the profile on HTTP or Chrome waits until timeout. Use their SOCKS host/port only when the dashboard actually gives SOCKS5. iproyal.com
Bright Data
HTTP / SOCKS5
Enterprise
Gateway
Large residential and datacenter network. SOCKS5 usually goes through a gateway host and port from the zone, not a raw peer IP. Paste that host:port:user:pass. Price is enterprise. brightdata.com
Oxylabs
HTTP / SOCKS5
Enterprise
Gateway
Same class as Bright Data: residential, ISP, datacenter, user:pass on a gateway. SOCKS5 and HTTP CONNECT both show up in 2026 docs. Set WinSocks to the protocol printed for that user. oxylabs.io
Decodo
HTTP / SOCKS5
Mid-market
ex-Smartproxy
Decodo is the 2025–2026 name for Smartproxy. Residential, ISP, mobile, datacenter. HTTP, HTTPS, SOCKS5. Endpoints look like host:port:user:pass — drop them on the Profile tab. decodo.com
SOAX
HTTP / SOCKS5
Resi / mobile
City target
Residential and mobile with city targeting. SOCKS5 and HTTP. Good when the exit country has to match a leak test, not when you only need a cheap datacenter hop. soax.com
Webshare
HTTP / SOCKS5
DC + free tier
List / rotating
Datacenter lists and a small free SOCKS5/HTTP tier for tests. Residential is a separate product. Easy first combo if you only want to confirm WinSocks tunnels before paying for residential. webshare.io
Proxy-Cheap
HTTP / SOCKS5
Budget
IPv4 / IPv6
Budget datacenter and residential SKUs. Check whether the line you bought is SOCKS5 or HTTP before you start the relay. WinSocks will not guess from the brand name. proxy-cheap.com
DataImpulse
HTTP / SOCKS5
Resi GB
Traffic billed
Residential billed by traffic. HTTP and SOCKS5 gateways. Same rule: protocol on the profile must match the port they issued. dataimpulse.com
WinSocks does not force every upstream to SOCKS5. Wrong protocol on the right port is how Chrome sits on ERR_TIMED_OUT.
IPRoyal 12321 and many “residential HTTP” gateways. Profile protocol: HTTP CONNECT. Chrome still uses local 127.0.0.1:8080.
Real SOCKS5 endpoints (Bright Data / Oxylabs / Decodo SOCKS ports, IPRoyal SOCKS SKU). Hostname stays a domain so DNS is remote.
If a site ships “free residential” inside the client, that is a provider. This app is the launcher. Donate is optional and does not unlock IPs.
No. Download the launcher, buy an upstream, paste the combo. Local listeners are 127.0.0.1:8080 and 1080.
Any SOCKS5 or HTTP CONNECT user:pass. This page lists IPRoyal, Bright Data, Oxylabs, Decodo (ex-Smartproxy), SOAX, Webshare, Proxy-Cheap, and DataImpulse.
No. It is HTTP CONNECT. Set the WinSocks profile to HTTP CONNECT. SOCKS on that port never completes a handshake.
Match the provider port. Chrome always hits the local HTTP relay. The hop out is whatever you selected.