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Proxy Extension vs System Proxy vs Antidetect Browser Proxy

What each way of setting a proxy actually covers, and a quick rule for picking one.

Three ways to set a proxy, and what each one covers

A browser extension uses the browser's own proxy interface. Chrome has the chrome.proxy API and Firefox has proxy.onRequest, which runs for each request and decides whether to proxy it. That is why extensions can send some sites through a proxy and others direct. It only affects that browser: email clients, terminals and other apps keep using the normal connection.

The system proxy lives in the operating system and is read by programs that choose to follow it. Chrome can take its proxy from the system settings, but the Chromium docs list policy, command-line flags and extensions as other sources, so check which one is active. On Windows, programs built on WinHTTP have a separate setting you can read with netsh winhttp show proxy.

An antidetect browser profile is a separate environment with its own proxy field. Hubstudio's help describes each environment as a separately configured virtual computer that has no network of its own, so without a proxy it goes out through the computer it runs on. Multilogin gives each profile a built-in, custom, template or none option, and none means the profile uses your device's public IP.

Side by side

Side by side
ItemBrowser extensionSystem proxyAntidetect browser profile
Traffic it coversOne browser (and its profile)Programs that follow the OS settingOnly that profile's browser window
Separate address per accountNo: one setting for the browser, switch by handNo: one setting for the whole computerYes: each profile has its own proxy field
Login with SOCKS5Chrome: SOCKS5 has no authentication, use an HTTP proxy or a local forwarderDepends on the programUsually a built-in field for the type, host, port, username and password
Setup effortMinutes, no admin rightsOperating-system settingsSeparate software, one profile per account
Suited toQuick checks from one browser, per-site rulesOne machine, one exit for everythingSeveral accounts that each keep one address

Compiled from the Chromium proxy documentation, the Chrome and Firefox extension API pages and the Hubstudio and Multilogin help pages, all read on 14 November 2026.

Which one for which job

Checking a page as a visitor from another country, one browser, a few minutes: extension. In Chrome that means an HTTP proxy with a username and password; if you only have SOCKS5 with a login, the guide on SOCKS5 in browsers covers the workarounds.

A dedicated work computer or virtual machine where scripts, API clients and the browser should all exit from one address: system proxy. Verify afterwards, because a program that does not read the system setting will go out directly.

Several shop, social or ad accounts that should each keep their own address: antidetect profiles, one static IP per profile. Hubstudio's help advises against using one proxy for several environments.

Scripts with Puppeteer, Playwright or Selenium: pass the proxy in the code instead of relying on an extension or on the system setting.

Step 1 to 4: check that the proxy really covers what you think

  1. Step 1: note your own IP first

    Open an IP check page with the proxy off and write down the address, country and network.

  2. Step 2: turn the proxy on and reload

    The address, country and network should now be the proxy's. If they are still yours, the program is not reading that setting.

  3. Step 3: test the other channels

    Run a WebRTC test, because a SOCKS5 proxy in Chrome relays only TCP, not UDP, per the Chromium docs. Then open a second program that should use the proxy and check it too.

  4. Step 4: recheck after updates

    Another extension, a policy or an update can change which setting is active, so repeat Steps 1 and 2 when something looks off.

Which Proxy302 IP goes with which way

For antidetect profiles that keep an account signed in, give each profile one static ISP IP: it stays the same for the whole lease, from US$0.50 for 1 day to US$7.99 for 30 days, the same in every country. HTTP or SOCKS5 is chosen when you buy, and one order takes up to 100 IPs, bought one by one.

For an extension or the system proxy on short research sessions, rotating residential works from US$1.50 per GB through proxy.proxy302.com, HTTP on port 2222 and SOCKS5 on port 3333.

Proxy extension and system proxy questions

What is the difference between a proxy extension and a system proxy?

An extension covers only the browser it is installed in and can apply rules per site. The system proxy covers programs that follow the operating system setting, and not every program does.

Can a Chrome extension use a SOCKS5 proxy with a username and password?

Not directly. The Chromium docs say SOCKS5 supports no proxy authentication in Chrome. Use the HTTP version of the proxy, or put a local forwarder in front.

Do I need an antidetect browser for one account?

Usually not. One account on one stable IP works with an ordinary browser and a proxy. An antidetect browser helps when you keep several accounts and want each in its own environment.

Why does my IP check still show my own address?

The program you checked in is not reading the setting you changed: an extension in another browser, or an app that ignores the system proxy. Check which setting is active, then test again.

Should I use the same proxy in several browser profiles?

Hubstudio's help advises against it, so that the environments stay unrelated to each other. Give each profile its own IP.

Reference links

7
  1. Proxy302 product facts and price list

    Product observation · Confirmed on:

    Product facts file of the site, checked 14 November 2026: products, prices in US$ (1 PTC = US$1), lease terms, protocols and ports, quantity limits, no free trial.

  2. Chromium network docs: proxy settings

    Official documentation · Confirmed on:

    Read on 14 November 2026: Chrome takes proxy settings from policy, command-line flags, per-profile extensions (chrome.proxy) or per-network system settings; it does not use credentials embedded in proxy settings; HTTP and HTTPS proxies authenticate through the normal prompt flow; SOCKS5 supports no authentication and relays only TCP, not UDP.

  3. Chrome extensions: chrome.proxy API

    Official documentation · Confirmed on:

    Read on 14 November 2026: the API supports the schemes http, https, quic, socks4 and socks5; a mode "system" uses the operating system's configuration; the effective setting may be controlled by another extension or by a policy.

  4. MDN: proxy API for Firefox extensions

    Official documentation · Confirmed on:

    Read on 14 November 2026: the proxy.onRequest listener fires for each web request Firefox is about to make and decides whether and how to proxy that request.

  5. Microsoft Learn: netsh winhttp

    Official documentation · Confirmed on:

    Read on 14 November 2026: programs that use WinHTTP have their own proxy configuration, shown with netsh winhttp show proxy, and it can be imported from the Internet Explorer settings with netsh winhttp import proxy source=ie.

  6. Hubstudio help center (Chinese): why set a proxy

    Official documentation · Confirmed on:

    Read on 14 November 2026: each environment is like a separately configured virtual computer with no network of its own; without a proxy it connects through the computer running Hubstudio; using one proxy for several environments is not recommended; Hubstudio does not provide proxies.

  7. Multilogin help: Profile settings, Proxy section

    Official documentation · Confirmed on:

    Read on 14 November 2026: each profile has its own proxy setting with the options built-in, custom (HTTP, HTTPS or SOCKS5), template or none; with none, the profile uses the device's current connection and public IP.

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