To choose the best proxy service, consider their proxy types, features, traffic limits, and IP pool size. Otherwise, you may end up paying a lot of money for an inadequate proxy. In this article, we will go through critical considerations to make when choosing a proxy service.
What is a Proxy Server & How Does It Help?
Proxy servers are intermediaries between users and websites - helping to avoid and bypass blocks on protected sites. This is because proxies provide a different IP address to your own. Think of it as a gateway between end-users & the internet.
Best Proxies (Ranked 1 to 5)
While learning how to choose the best proxy service, it’s important to be aware of the 5 different types of proxy server. This is because each proxy-type has its own use cases, features, perks & downsides.
If you subscribe to a proxy service without knowing exactly what it offers, you may end up getting stuck with an undesirable proxy - like a datacenter or ISP proxy.
1- Mobile Proxies
Mobile proxies get used for account creation, management, and web scraping. The main perk is mobile proxies are hard to block. This is because IPs of 4G antennas get shared across hundreds of devices.
Other benefits include the ability to bypass captchas & IP bans through IP rotation. Like residential proxies, you gain access to a large IP pool. Meaning, getting banned can become a thing of the past.
If you're looking for a reliable mobile proxy, consider opting for AnyIP. Our prices are from $2.00+ per GB, which is cheaper than other mobile proxy services.
Our mobile proxies are cheaper than other proxy services, as they charge around $15 or more per gigabyte.
2 - Residential Proxies
Use cases of residential proxies include web scraping, ad verification, sneaker shopping, & social media management.
Each residential IP is a desktop used to pinpoint locations. This means requests appear human-like. Therefore, advanced anti-automation systems are unable to detect web scraping on online stores.
They route requests to targeted websites through router-based IPs from any desired region. Meaning, you can test and see actual data from anywhere, as residential proxies rarely share the same subnet. Reason being, they're difficult to block, & offer large IP pools with a wide range of locations.
3 - ISP Proxies
While offering cheap proxy services, ISP proxies buy whole subnets. Unfortunately, they’re easily detected by anti-automation tools on protected sites. This makes them an unreliable solution to IP bans and blocks.
4 - Datacenter Proxies
Datacenter proxies are created with cloud-based servers. These proxies are okay for accessing unprotected websites, but you need to know what you're doing when using them.
Also, datacenter proxies have higher chances of getting detected by anti-automation tools on websites. Meaning, they’re easy to block compared to their counterpart proxy types.
Many say that datacenter proxies are low-cost and fast, but they're unreliable. Because your IP will get exposed and banned, as their ASN gives them away.Two other proxy types include public and HTTPS proxies. Each comes with its own perks and downsides, but they're less dependable than the five main types of proxy servers. Thus, keep them in mind while searching for more dependable proxy types.
5 - Public Proxy
Public proxies are available online and don't cost a dime. They're suitable for people who lack the funds to subscribe to a proxy service, but they compromise on security. This means your data could get into the hands of third parties. In addition, most platforms have already blocked them.
Factors to Consider When Buying a Proxy
It’s important to learn what to look for to be able to distinguish between dependable and unreliable proxy services. Otherwise, you may get IP getting exposed or your data could get into the hands of third party individuals.
We have listed the factors you need to consider to give you an insight into what you should be looking for.
Concurrency Threads
Concurrency thread refers to the number of threads simultaneously connected to a proxy. This means an X number of threads will provide a maximum of said figure of connections working side-by-side.
Think of It This Way: The more threads you have, the more you're able to process larger work queues at a faster pace.
Executing 100 requests in a single thread could take several minutes to complete. Although, running 100 parallel requests delivers fast results within seconds, as all requests get executed in a parallel fashion.
In other words, you can execute all 100 requests at once. One of the main perks of AnyIP is that we offer no limit to the number of parallel requests a user can make.
Unlimited threads speeds up your workflow. For example, scrapping a webpage involves getting every image and resource on a page through individual requests within a browser. Meaning, scraping an entire page may require around 100 requests to obtain all of its content.
Scrapping a shoe website page would have the indicator show as follows:
20.3 kb Transferred, and 2.2 MB Resources.
With a limited number of thread scrapping this page will take a long time. Fortunately, AnyIP offers unlimited concurrency requests to maximize speed.
Traffic Limit/Bandwidth
Bandwidth refers to the amount of data a proxy service offers. Depending on your intended usage, this can be 5 GB to 500 GB. Therefore, the appropriate traffic limit depends on your use case.
AnyIP offers excellent deals ranging from $25.00 to $1,000 per month, depending on data amounts. Therefore, the more you pay, the lower the cost per GB you'll be quoted.
We suggest opting for the basic $80.00 for $4.00 per GB to undergo automated activity. The $300.00 service comes with $3.00 per GB.
IP Pool Size
Appropriate IP pool size depends on your use case. The number of locations that you need to access the internet from - preventing connectivity issues. Because the more IPs you have access to, the less likely you are to get blocked. Also, this will enhance precise targeting.
Features
It's essential to consider your intentions. These features include IP rotation, location filtration, IP whitelisting, and concurrency threads.
Below is a breakdown of these features to give you an idea of what they are:
- IP Rotation: Invest in a rotating proxy that has a continuous flow of IP addresses to avoid detection by websites.
- Location: Target your proxy to access the internet from various countries. This is useful for ad verification.
- IP Whitelisting: IP Whitelisting is a simple and secure way to authenticate & list trusted IP addresses. Adding IPs to your selected proxy service via a dashboard or API will allow you to access your proxies without entering your credentials. It's an alternative to sending a proxy authorization header, as users use their assigned IP addresses. When scraping, this feature comes in useful.
IP4 or IP6?
IPv4 proxy servers are more dependable than IPv6. As compared to their predecessor, IPv6 proxies get detected by websites. Reason being, a lot of sites don't support IPv6.
If one IPv6 IP address gets blocked by a single website, the IP pool may be unable to reaccess the website. Therefore, IPv4 proxy servers are a better option.
In case you are unaware of the two types, below is a breakdown of the 2 IPv types:
- IPv4: With around 4.3 billion unique IP addresses available, IPv4 is the fourth version that routes traffic & packet-switched networks. An IPv4 address is a series of four eight-bit binary numbers that get separated by a decimal point. As the number of connected devices grows, IPv4 is running out of addresses.
- IPv6: IPv6 is the next generation of IP standards built to replace IPv4. It was designed to deal with IPv4 exhaustion caused by the hundreds of millions of devices being manufactured yearly.
Private and Shared Proxies
A shared proxy server has more than one user at any given time. It's a good solution for people who lack the funds to support a high-quality connection.
The main downside is that you can get the blame for another person's activity. This means you can get IP banned from a website when another client decides to go against their terms of service.
A private proxy provides a unique IP address per user - you get more control & anonymity. Meaning, you don't have to worry about other people performing malicious activity.
Below are two examples of using a private proxy in the industry:
- Ad Verification: Ad verifiers use mobile proxies to check client ads on host websites. Ad fraudsters block them from accessing their sites. Proxies bypass blocks and allow ad verifiers to access host sites from any location.
- Market Intelligence: Generate consumer insights, and analyze competitors by monitoring marketing content undetected.
Ease of Setup
Some proxies have complicated setups, as they have long and tedious installation procedures. Thus, it’s worth looking for proxy services with simple and straightforward installations with a single click. If you don't possess the tech know-how to use an advanced installer, it’s important to make sure a proxy's installation is easy.
Reputation & Legitimacy
According to our research, up to 40% of proxy services falsely advertise their proxies and mobile & residential. Therefore, It can be hard to find a legit proxy.
Before committing to a paid proxy service, it's wise to confirm its IP type. It’s worth noting 99.90% of AnyIP IPs are correctly labeled, constantly updated, and checked by our systems to maximize anonymity & security.
Pricing
As a rule of thumb, remember that a decent proxy will set you back financially. Also, bare in mind high-quality proxy services offer encryption, good speeds, security, IP rotation (or country level targeting), unlimited whitelisting, and anonymity. Whereas, free services don't offer these things.
When it comes to pricing, reasonably priced proxy services charge from $5.00 to $25.00 per GB.
With AnyIP, you can get an incredible deal by paying a mere $25.00 - $80.00 per month on our basic packages.
You're guaranteed reliability and excellent customer service. Although, we'll let you be the judge of that! Other proxy services charge higher rates and offer less dependability and functionality.
Serious users can opt for 100 GB for $300.00 per month and 500 GB for $1,000 monthly. This may seem expensive, but the bulk rule is implemented. Therefore, you'll only be paying a mere $2-3 per gigabyte.
Customer Service
Sometimes, errors can occur within a dependable proxy. We understand only some people are tech-savvy, and technical issues may occur. Therefore, you may need to gain the expertise to resolve them on your own.
It's worth ensuring a proxy service has 24/7 customer support to resolve technical issues, as the ideal support team tells you the cause of errors. In other words, they should provide insights into how to deal with them.
Some reviews will include honest feedback about their assistance and professionalism. Meaning, you will be able to see whether or not a proxy service has a reliable tech-support team or not.
Note: It’s worth noting low-quality proxies lack decent customer service & support.
Static, Sticky, or Rotating?
A rotating proxy is a better choice for maintaining anonymity. Because rotating proxies are far less likely to experience IP bans from sites, as you'll have a different IP address when you use your proxy service, due to a continuous rotation of new IP addresses.
To avoid using the same IP address three times in a row, you can alternate between IPs with a dynamic IP proxy. Whereas, automated rotating IPs come with better security, as they automatically assign a new IP address per request.
In case you are unaware of the two definitions, their similarities, and differences, below is a brief breakdown:
- Static: Static IP addresses don't change and get assigned to you upon subscribing to a proxy service.
- Rotating: Rotating proxies allocate new IP addresses per request.
- Sticky IP: Modern services, like AnyIP, allow users to create a sticky IP by simply inputting a name. The IP is usable for up to 10 Minutes - allowing you to use the same IP for multiple requests.
Good Practices When Buying a Proxy
When purchasing a proxy company's services, it's good to consider what you'll be using it for. This includes the following:
- Scraping: Web scraping is the act of obtaining content and data from web pages in bulk. This can be ten or more sites at a time. After obtaining information and data, it is turned into a spreadsheet or API. This can be price monitoring, competitor analysis, and data intelligence.
- Browser Anonymity: Masking your IP is essential to bypass bans from protected sites with anti-proxy tools. Large IP pools assign users with new IP addresses per connection. This prevents IP blocks.
- Sneaker Bot: Online retailers restrict new releases to one item per IP address. They are lower in price than their 'new release' phase. Sneaker bots automate purchasing them in bulk quantities and re-listing them.
- Ads Verification: Ad fraud is a problem faced by ad verification companies. A mobile or residential proxy will allow you to verify ads on suspected sites.
- Social Media Management: Use another IP to stand between you and social media, as platforms won't block an entire cell tower. Thus, you can create multiple social media accounts to gather data.
Conclusion
Choosing the best proxy service isn’t hard, as residential & mobile proxies cater towards all use cases. All you need to do is make sure they provide the maximum amount of features these proxy types should provide.
The best proxy service should provide IP rotation, unlimited whitelisting, IPv4 IP addresses, reliable tech support, optional sticky IPs, and feature high levels of encryption to cater towards your use case. In addition, they need to be unblockable with large IP pools.
Mobile & residential proxies have different uses. Mobile proxies are more suited towards ad verification, marketing intelligence, and ad verification. Whereas, residential proxies are perfect for web scraping and sneaker-shopping.
Also, it’s worth noting you’ll easily get detected doing these activities with datacenter, ISP, and public proxies, due to a lack of security and features. In other words, mobile & residential proxies offer better security.
AnyIP is an easy-to-use & reliable residential & mobile proxy service designed to cater for your needs. It’s worth keeping in mind our proxies are undetectable by anti-automation tools.
While offering competitive rates, our services are impeccable with excellent consumer feedback. The main features include global rotation, unlimited IP whitelisting, and diverse data limits.
If you're looking for a dependable proxy service with competitive prices and high-end features, don't hesitate to try AnyIP!
FAQs
We have answered the most commonly asked FAQs to give you an insight into what makes a good proxy service.
Which Proxies Are the Best?
Residential & mobile proxies are the most dependable proxy types, as they offer a healthy rotation from large IP pools. This means residential & mobile proxies are immune to bans, provide secure connections, grant you access to millions of protected websites, have unlimited concurrency threads, & offer sticky IPs.
These proxy types offer the same advantages but are tailored toward different use cases & have varied connection methods. Mobile proxies reroute requests & webpages through devices connected to phone masts. Residential proxies reroute requests through devices connected to home routers. Mobile proxies are ideal for social media management, data intelligence, and verification. Residential IPs proxies are suited for web scraping & sneaker shopping.
Which is the Most Important Factor to Look at When Buying Proxies?
The most important factor to consider is the IP pool’s size. Proxies with small IP pools offer little IP rotation and are likely to get blocked by sites & platforms. Proxy services like AnyIP with large IP pools deliver dependable residential & mobile IP rotation, which are undetectable by anti-automation tools.
Access to a large IP pool will stop you getting banned from targeted sites and social networking apps. With AnyIP residential and mobile proxies, getting IP banned will become a thing of the past. Our residential proxy is perfect for web scraping and sneaker shopping, as it offers ordinary and sticky IPs. The mobile proxies that we offer are ideal for market intelligence, social media management, and ad verification.
Which Type of Proxy Server Is the Best for Scraping?
Residential proxies offer a high amount of rotation to bypass bans when web scraping. They are hard to block, secure, and grant you access to millions of web pages. They connect to the internet through physical WiFi routers, which makes them undetectable. With AnyIP, all requests appear human-like to anti-automation tools.
AnyIP subscriptions are perfectly catered for scrapping. Our high-end residential proxies keep your IP protected at all times. Prices include $25.00 for 5 GB, $80.00 for 20 GB, $300 for 100 GB, and $1,000 for 500 GB.100 GB, and $1,000 for 500 GB.
