Proxychains-ng review
A free command-line utility for routing supported TCP apps through configured proxy chains.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Proxychains-ng is a free, open-source Unix command-line utility for routing TCP connections from dynamically linked programs through configured SOCKS or HTTP proxies. It is aimed at people who need to run command-line TCP clients through one proxy or a chain, with Linux users chaining proxies as a particularly good fit. It uses proxies supplied by the user rather than providing proxy IP networks, so it addresses routing, not proxy sourcing.
Its chain controls are the central draw: Proxychains-ng supports strict, dynamic, and random modes, and chains can mix SOCKS4a, SOCKS5, and HTTP proxies. DNS requests can also be resolved through the proxy. Configuration files define proxy routing, with command-line and environment-variable options for selecting configuration. That makes it useful when routing needs to be applied to particular dynamically linked applications, but the libc-hook approach also sets a boundary: it may not work with every program. It is not suited to UDP or ICMP traffic.
The project is open source and free, with community support. It runs on Linux and macOS among its listed platforms, and supports self-hosted use; the project documentation also describes BSD and Haiku support. Its scope is intentionally narrower than a general proxy service: there is no proxy network or management and provisioning API described. Choose Proxychains-ng if the requirement is local, configuration-driven TCP routing for compatible command-line programs and the proxies are already available. Choose another approach if the target apps need UDP or ICMP, do not work with dynamic-linker hooks, or require proxy provisioning and broader management.
Proxychains-ng pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Chains SOCKS4a, SOCKS5, and HTTP proxies, including mixed types
- Offers strict, dynamic, and random chain modes
- Supports proxy-side DNS and configuration-driven routing
- Where it doesn't
- Does not provide proxy IPs; users must supply proxies
- Dynamic-linker hooks may not work with every program
- Does not support UDP or ICMP
Proxychains-ng fact sheet, pricing and score →
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