Rotating proxies are specialized proxy servers that automatically change IP addresses at regular intervals, making it difficult for websites to track activities and avoid getting blocked. These proxies ensure anonymity online and help individuals and businesses perform various tasks, such as web scraping, extracting business data, bypassing restrictions, etc.
Apart from distributing web scraping tasks across multiple IPs to reduce the load on any single connection, enhancing performance, and preventing throttling, there are 4 benefits of using rotating proxies for web scraping, privacy, and market research:
- Masks your IP address with real residential IPs to avoid detection and bypass geo-restrictions, ensuring activities remain anonymous.
- Minimizes the risk of IP bans and CAPTCHA by rotating through IP rotation options, making web scraping efforts more efficient and less likely to be flagged.
- Gathers more accurate and unbiased data by mimicking real user behavior with residential IPs, crucial for market research and competitive analysis.
- Gains access to region-specific information and content by using residential rotating proxies from various geographic locations.
Geekflare has tested and listed the best rotating proxies based on response time, worldwide coverage, proxy pool performance, and pricing.
- Bright Data – Best Overall
- Oxylabs – Best for Web Scraping
- IPRoyal – Best Dedicated Residential IPs
- Smartproxy – Best for Developers
- MarsProxies – Best for Marketing Professionals
- Webshare – Best for Affordable Global Rotating Proxy
- Froxy – Best for Data Rollover
- Nimbleway – Best for High-Performance Proxy Pool
- NetNut – Best for Integrated CAPTCHA Solver
- Zyte – Best for Advanced Web Scraping Needs
- Infatica – Best for SEO and Market Research
- Rayobyte – Best for Advanced Web Scraping
- Soax – Best for Supporting Multiple Protocols
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Disclaimer: Proxies can have legitimate uses, such as protecting privacy or accessing geo-restricted content. However, they can also be misused. We encourage readers to use proxies ethically and responsibly and to research local laws regarding their use. We are not responsible for any consequences arising from the use or misuse of the information provided in this article.
Bright Data
Best Overall
- Proxy Pool72 Million+
- Locations195 countries
- Customer SupportEmail
About Bright Data
Bright Data, formerly Luminati, offers residential proxies with extensive city, state, country, and ZIP level targeting with 99.99% uptime. For users concerned with complaints, it offers CCPA and GDPR compliance.
Bright Data’s proxy serves different purposes, with the residential proxy coming in handy for web scraping, ad verification, SEO monitoring, social media management, bypassing geo-restrictions, etc. Bright Data ensures that the IPs are ethically sourced through a unique SDK model while offering automated session management, IP rotation, and advanced web unlocking technology with their residential proxy.
Bright data includes a Chrome Extension, Proxy Manager, and API to facilitate proxy management. These exclusive offerings, paired with high speed, scalability, and reliability, have made Bright Data one of the top choices for developers and businesses.
Bright Data Features
Provides a massive IP pool of over 72 million IPs across 195 countries.
Includes proxy manipulation, a random header generator, and built-in CAPTCHA solving.
Offers no bandwidth limit on rotating proxies, allowing for consistent data flow and minimal downtime.
Comes with GDPR and CCPA-compliance, offering the best security.
Integrates seamlessly with automation tools like Puppeteer and Selenium, making it ideal for developers.
Bright Data Pros/Cons
Extensive global coverage in 195 countries.
High performance and reliability with 99.9% uptime.
Comprehensive 24/7 customer support and documentation.
Initial setup and configuration require technical expertise.
Pricing is slightly higher compared to IPRoyal.
Oxylabs
Best for Web Scraping
- Proxy Pool100 Million+
- Locations195 countries
- Customer SupportEmail, Chat
About Oxylabs
Oxylabs residential rotating proxies are designed to geo-target at the continent, country, city, and state levels, ensuring access to geo-restricted content for free. With 99.95% success rates and a 0.6s response time, Oxylabs meets not only the requirements of an individual user but that of businesses too.
Oxylabs’ residential rotating proxies enhance anonymity for web scraping projects, making them ideal for large-scale scraping, ad verification, and cybersecurity. It provides additional security through HTTP, HTTPS, or SOCKS5 protocol. While bypassing geo-restrictions is free with Oxylabs, it is effective, too, as their network spans 195 countries.
The easy integration through developer-friendly documentation and public API, along with a well-designed dashboard and browser extension, makes Oxylabs one of the top choices for businesses seeking high-quality, scalable proxy solutions. When it comes to security, it meets the ISO/IEC 27001:2017 standard, meeting the highest regulatory requirements.
Oxylabs Features
Offers an extensive IP pool of 100 million+ residential IPs across 195 countries.
Retrieves data efficiently with an average response time of 0.6 seconds and a 99.95% success rate.
Improves usability with unlimited concurrent sessions, free geo-targeting, and flexible proxy rotation.
Enhances security with HTTP, HTTPS, and SOCKS5 protocols backed by patented solutions.
Integrates seamlessly with popular automation tools like Selenium and Puppeteer, ideal for developers.
Oxylabs Pros/Cons
Extensive and reliable global IP pool.
High success rate and fast response times.
Comprehensive support and flexible integration options with automatic tools like Selenium and Puppeteer.
There is no in-house proxy extension for Chrome or Firefox. They need to be set up either manually or through a third-party extension.
The pricing per gigabyte is on the higher side,
IPRoyal
Best Dedicated Residential IPs
- Proxy Pool34 Million+
- Locations195 countries
- Customer SupportChat
About IPRoyal
IPRoyal has residential proxies with locations in 195 countries with exclusivity, automation, and flexibility that suit multiple user requirements from developers, individual users, and businesses. Their residential proxies have never-expired traffic, so users are not pressured to meet a usage deadline. It promotes self-service through detailed usage insights and manual or automatic top-ups.
With its residential proxy, IPRoyal lets users avoid IP bans, minimize CAPTCHA challenges, and effortlessly access geo-restricted content. The user gets an intuitive dashboard, browser extension, and traffic control; however, for residential proxies, the data is limited.
Besides these, city/state targeting and API access capabilities make IPRoyal ideal for businesses and developers, specifically in account creation, web scraping, and other related activities.
IPRoyal Features
Provides a global pool of 34 million+ ethically sourced IPs across 195 countries with a high success rate of approximately 99.7%.
Supports unlimited concurrent sessions with no monthly commitment required.
Enhances security with sticky residential IPs and TCP connections.
Allows users to manually change IPs via the dashboard or API and set auto-rotation intervals.
Includes comprehensive support with whitelisting IP addresses and detailed usage insights.
IPRoyal Pros/Cons
High success rate of 99.7% and reliability.
Flexible usage without monthly commitments.
Detailed usage insights and whitelisting capabilities.
The browser extension is limited to Chrome and Firefox.
Data is limited when opting for Residential proxies.
Smartproxy
Best for Developers
- Proxy Pool55 Million+
- Locations195+ locations
- Customer SupportEmail, Chat
About Smartproxy
Smartproxy offers users residential IPs that are ethically sourced and focused on providing the best speeds with less than 0.5 seconds response time and reliability with 99.99% uptime.
For users and businesses focused on multi-account management or public data collection, Smartproxy helps bypass CAPTCHA, anti-bots, IP blocks, geo-restrictions, etc. Users are allowed unlimited concurrent sessions as well.
Smartproxy’s residential rotating proxies offer advanced targeting options, including country, city, and ZIP code. The user-friendly dashboard, browser extension, advanced configurations, and integrations, paired with free tools, serve all users, including businesses and developers.
Smartproxy Features
Offers a large IP pool of 55 million+ residential IPs across 195+ locations.
Provides efficient data retrieval with an average response time of less than 0.6 seconds.
Ensures a high success rate of 99.68% and unlimited concurrent sessions.
Supports HTTP(S) and SOCKS5 protocols for enhanced security.
Features include rotating and sticky sessions with country and city-level targeting.
Smartproxy Pros/Cons
Fast and reliable proxy network.
High success rate and detailed targeting options.
Excellent customer support.
Limited 3-day trial.
The traffic expires at the month-end for monthly plans, unlike other providers.
MarsProxies
Best for Marketing Professionals
- Proxy Pool1 Million+
- Locations190+ countries
- Customer SupportEmail
About MarsProxies
MarsProxies offers residential proxies geared toward individuals and medium-sized businesses based on user needs, like accessing ads for verification, web scraping, and access to geo-restricted content.
MarsProxies provides a global ethical proxy pool of 1 million+ proxies with locations spanning 190+ countries. Though it does not provide in-built browser extensions, it does make up for this through easy third-party browser integrations and the bonus of non-expiring traffic.
With MarsProxies’ custom rotation feature, users are allowed a new IP address for each requested connection or if they require keeping the same IP for longer. Sticky sessions can range from 1 to 7 days.
MarsProxies’s payment process is flexible, accepting credit card or crypto payments. This, along with city-level targeting, HTTP/HTTPS & SOCKS5 support, and no interruptions from CAPTHAs or IP bans, makes MarsProxies worth considering.
MarsProxies Features
Offers over 1 million residential IPs across 190+ countries.
Provides non-expiring traffic with flexible pay-as-you-go plans.
Supports HTTP/HTTPS and SOCKS5 protocols, ensuring compatibility with various software.
Allows custom rotation settings from 1 second to 7 days, catering to different needs.
MarsProxies Pros/Cons
Ethical sourcing of residential IPs.
Competitive pricing and flexible plans.
High success rates and reliable performance.
There is no free trial, so users must buy a minimum amount of traffic to test the proxies.
No in-house browser extensions are provided; users must use third-party options like FroxyProxy.
Best for Affordable Global Rotating Proxy
- Proxy Pool30 Million+
- Locations195 countries
- Customer SupportEmail
About Webshare
Webshare has an ethically sourced residential proxy pool of 30M+ with a stable uptime of 99.7%. Users are able to have a more in-depth understanding of their proxy usage through an intuitive user dashboard and analytics.
For users interested in Webshare’s SEO and web scraping options, the residential proxies have the ability to mimic organic user behavior, making them most suited to block-free scraping. As a result, they easily bypass IP blocks and CAPTCHAs, simplifying the web scraping process.
Webshare unlike many other proxy providers, has its own in-built proxy server extension for Chrome so that users do not need to integrate with a third-party extension. Apart from this, it provides 10 free proxies upon signing up, with no credit card details required.
Webshare Features
Offers a vast pool of 30 million+ IPs from 195+ global locations.
Ensures high stability with a 99.97% uptime.
Provides flexible proxy rotation through customization.
Supports HTTP/SOCKS5 protocols for enhanced compatibility and security.
Offers detailed API documentation for seamless integration.
Webshare Pros/Cons
Highly stable and reliable proxy network with 99.7% uptime.
Flexible rotation settings and comprehensive global coverage.
Competitive pricing with unlimited bandwidth.
Customer support is not instant, as there are no chat or phone options.
There is only a Chrome extension provided.
Froxy
Best for Data Rollover
- Proxy Pool8 Million+
- Locations200+ countries
- Customer SupportChat, Email
About Froxy
Froxy is a proxy service provider known for offering multiple proxy solutions. Its rotating proxy automatically changes IP addresses, unlocks geo-restrictions, and overcomes CAPTCHAs.
Froxy provides an intuitive dashboard for better usage monitoring and proxy management. Users get up to 3600 second IP rotation and sticky sessions of up to 20 minutes.
Froxy’s rotating residential proxies provide additional features such as rollover traffic, customizable rotation settings, integration support, browser extension, and the ability to handle up to 1000 simultaneous connections, which are beneficial to both individuals and businesses.
Froxy Features
Offers an IP pool of 8 million+ IPs across 200+ countries.
Ensures high anonymity and the ability to bypass CAPTCHAs.
Provides rollover traffic and supports up to 1000 simultaneous connections.
Features customizable proxy rotation settings and an intuitive usage dashboard.
Froxy Pros/Cons
Extensive global coverage.
Competitive pricing with flexible plans.
High success rates and reliable performance.
Sticky sessions are limited to 20 minutes.
There is no direct free trial, though a three-day trial at $1.99 can be availed with each plan.
Nimbleway
Best for High-Performance Proxy Pool
- Proxy PoolUnspecified
- Locations84 countries
- Customer SupportEmail, ZenDesk, Teams
About Nimbleway
Nimbleway, unlike other proxy providers, the residential rotating proxies are paired with AI capabilities. They are designed specifically to meet the needs of businesses for efficient data extraction methods, such as web scraping, market research, and maintaining online privacy.
Nimbleway’s AI-driven IP selection ensures optimal proxy performance and security, seamlessly adapting to various web environments. It offers global geo-targeting capabilities and the ability to target by country, state, and city.
Nimbleways API offers ease of use through easy integration, a user-friendly dashboard, and auto-scaling capabilities, making it ideal for different types of users. With its average 0.25s response time and auto-scaling infrastructure, it suits small to medium businesses looking to expand.
Nimbleway Features
Offers a large pool of residential IPs across numerous global locations.
Ensures fast data retrieval with an average response time of 0.25 seconds.
Supports unlimited concurrent requests and offers granular geotargeting.
Enhance security with AI-optimized IP selection and encrypted connections.
Integrate seamlessly with third-party tools through a comprehensive API.
Comes with real-time usage analytics.
Nimbleway Pros/Cons
High-speed performance and reliability.
Advanced AI optimization and geotargeting features.
Comprehensive support and detailed analytics.
The interface is not easy for beginners.
There isn’t a dedicated browser extension, but it offers integration with the Froxy proxy.
NetNut
Best for Integrated CAPTCHA Solver
- Proxy Pool85 Million+
- Locations200 countries
- Customer SupportEmail, Chat, Form
About NetNut
NetSuite has a hybrid of P2P and ISP proxy server networks so that users get the best performance and are able to do web data extraction at scale. NetNut’s proxies have been designed considering user requirements for SEO monitoring and SERP tracking, Ad verifications, price comparison, market research etc.
NetNut’s inbuilt machine learning CAPTCHA solver enhances the efficiency of automated tasks, which is the most commonly used and requested feature. Apart from these, the user benefits from advanced IP management tools, allowing for precise geo-targeting.
NetNut residential proxies are ready to address small-scale projects to enterprise-level needs, and as a user, the straightforward dashboard, API support, and integration with the Web Scraper browser extension further enhance ease of use.
NetNut Features
Provides 85 million+ residential IPs across 200 countries.
Ensures fast data retrieval with an average response time of 0.6 seconds.
Supports unlimited concurrent requests and bypasses CAPTCHAs.
Enhances security with HTTP, HTTPS, and SOCKS5 protocols.
Offers usage statistics via API and integrates seamlessly with browsers.
Comes with real-time proxy management and dedicated account managers.
NetNut Pros/Cons
High-speed performance and reliable connections.
Advanced CAPTCHA bypassing capabilities.
Comprehensive global coverage and high success rates.
The pricing is on the steeper side for individual users and smaller businesses.
Live support is available only with the higher tier plans.
Zyte
Best for Advanced Web Scraping Needs
- Proxy PoolUnspecified
- Locations200+ countries
- Customer SupportTicket
About Zyte
Zyte is a premier provider of proxy services, and it stands out from the rest with its unique proxy offering, where the user pays for what they use. While this creates a sense of confusion, the Zyte API takes care of everything and addresses different user needs through automated proxy management.
Zyte’s automated proxy management switches residential and data center proxies for you based on site requirements. This makes it difficult for websites to track your activities, and it is especially effective for multiple tasks, specifically for scraping competitor pricing data or accessing geo-restricted content.
As a result, Zyte saves money and reduces the need for constant monitoring and adjustments, allowing businesses to focus on high-value tasks. While the entire process is handy, implementing the HTTP API or Zyte API can be complex for most users and requires assistance.
Zyte Features
Provides a vast IP pool of residential IPs globally.
Ensures high anonymity and bypasses IP blocks and CAPTCHAs.
Includes advanced proxy management that dynamically switches between residential and data center proxies.
Offers real-time IP rotation and session management.
Supports HTTP/HTTPS protocols with seamless integration.
Zyte Pros/Cons
Advanced Smart Proxy Manager for optimized performance
High success rate with reliable and ethically sourced IPs
Excellent customer support and comprehensive analytics
The plans are based on requests, which is confusing for new users.
Pricing needs to be more transparent as the Zyte AI switches between datacenter and residential proxies based on its analysis.
Infatica
Best for SEO and Market Research
- Proxy Pool15 Million+
- LocationsMajor
- Customer SupportEmail
About Infatica
Infatica provides users with dynamic residential proxies with 99.9% uptime. While most residential proxies meet users’ web scraping and account creation requirements, Infactica’s proxies integrate with major programming languages like Java, Node.js, and Python.
The use cases of Infatica’s proxy include performance tracking, SEO, cybersecurity, brand protection, data collection, academic research, and more. It provides country/city/ISP level targeting, rotation time selection, IP whitelisting, and up to 20 proxy lists at a go.
Infatica’s proxy offers the ability to avoid CAPTCHAs and IP bans, making it ideal for businesses that require reliable and efficient data extraction. Apart from these, the user-friendly interface and API make it accessible to different types of users, including businesses and developers.
Infatica Features
Offers over 15 million residential IPs in major cities across the Americas, Europe, and Asia.
Ensures high anonymity and bypasses IP blocks and CAPTCHAs.
Provides 99.9% uptime with fast and reliable performance.
Supports HTTP/SOCKS5 protocols with customizable rotation settings.
Features an easy-to-use dashboard and API for seamless integration.
Offers detailed analytics for performance monitoring.
Infatica Pros/Cons
Extensive global coverage with a large IP pool of 15 million.
High uptime and reliable performance with a 99.9% uptime.
Advanced anti-blocking capabilities.
The user must pay for a 3-day trial to try any plans.
A third-party extension or plugin is required to use the proxy on a browser.
Rayobyte
Best for Advanced Web Scraping
- Proxy PoolUnspecified
- Locations130+ locations
- Customer SupportEmail, Chat
About Rayobyte
Rayobyte provides the same proxy features, such as unlimited threads, sticky sessions, city/state/country targeting, etc., with each plan and a large pool of ethically sourced IPs.
Rayobyte’s residential rotating proxies offer geo-location targeting and are designed to ensure success in web scraping, SEO, and various other IP-related tasks. The ability to dodge CAPTCHAs and anti-scraping technology makes it handy for different users, especially businesses.
To ensure ease of use, Rayobyte includes advanced data analytics paired with an intuitive dashboard, allowing users to monitor and manage their proxy usage effortlessly in real time.
Rayobyte Features
Offers a vast IP pool of ethically sourced residential IPs.
Ensures high anonymity and bypasses IP blocks and CAPTCHAs.
Offers the ability to set up custom proxy solutions tailored to specific business needs.
Supports HTTP(S) protocols and real-time analytics.
Features a dedicated account management and comes with 50MB free trial.
Rayobyte Pros/Cons
Ethically sourced residential IPs.
High customization and advanced analytics.
Excellent customer support.
Lacks browser extensions.
Does not provide transparency on the proxy pool.
Soax
Best for Supporting Multiple Protocols
- Proxy Pool155 Million+
- Locations195+ countries
- Customer SupportEmail, Form
About Soax
Soax is ideal for users interested in data collection, consumer trends, brand protection, SEO monitoring, etc. It allows users to web scrape with its SOCKS5 or HTTP(S) proxies without facing CAPTCHA interruptions or blocks.
With a proxy success rate of 99.55% and a 0.55-second response time, Soax works well for individual users and businesses. While its IPs are ethically sourced, it offers automatic IP rotation to further protect user privacy, with sticky sessions that are customizable when users require the same entry point
Soax has a user-friendly dashboard, browser extension, and support for multiple protocols. It provides geo-targeting at a city level for accurate ad verification and better local SEO monitoring. With its customizable parameters like Web Optimizer, users are able to increase web browsing stability while with MaxIP they are able to boost the number of unique IPs for tasks where extensive IP rotation is required.
Soax Features
Offers an IP pool of 155 million+ residential IPs across 195+ locations.
Ensure high anonymity and the ability to bypass CAPTCHAs.
Provide 99.9% network uptime and automatic IP rotation.
Support HTTP(S), SOCKS5, and UDP/QUIC protocols.
Feature advanced geo-targeting and a user-friendly dashboard.
Comes with API access for easy management.
Soax Pros/Cons
Extensive global coverage with a large IP pool
High uptime and reliable performance
Advanced targeting and multiple protocol support
It doesn’t offer a Pay As You Go plan for users who prefer flexibility.
Users have to pay for a 3-day trial.
Comparing Our Top Picks of Rotating Proxies for Web Scraping and Marketing Needs
Here is a quick comparison of the rotating proxies based on overall ratings, price per GB, proxy pool, and location coverage.
Rotating Proxy | Rating Geekflare’s ratings are determined by our editorial team, considering various factors to help you choose the right business software for your needs. | Price/GB | Proxy Pool | Location Coverage | Go to |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bright Data | $8.40 | 72M+ | 195 countries | ||
IPRoyal | $4.55 | 34M+ | 195 countries | ||
Oxylabs | $8 | 100M+ | 195 countries | ||
Smartproxy | $4.5 | 55M+ | 195+ locations | ||
MarsProxies | $3.49 | 1M+ | 190+ countries | ||
Webshare | $5.50 | 30M+ | 195 countries | ||
Froxy | $8 | 8M+ | 200+ countries | ||
Nimbleway | $8 | Unspecified | 84 countries | ||
NetNut | $6 | 85M+ | 200 countries | ||
Zyte | On request | Unspecified | 200+ countries | ||
Infactica | $8 | 15M+ | Major | ||
Rayobyte | $5.5 | Unspecified | 130+ locations | ||
Soax | $4 | 155M+ | 195+ countries |
What is a Rotating Proxy?
A rotating proxy automatically changes your IP address at regular intervals. This makes it difficult for websites to track your activity, ensuring continuous access to data without getting blocked.
Rotating proxies is particularly useful for tasks like web scraping, accessing geo-restricted content, and conducting market research. They enhance online privacy and provide seamless, uninterrupted data collection by using a pool of multiple IP addresses that switch periodically.
How Does Rotating Proxy Work?
A rotating proxy works by automatically changing the IP address used for your internet connection at regular intervals or after each request. This helps to hide your real IP address and makes it look like your requests are coming from different locations, enhancing privacy and reducing the chance of being blocked by websites.
Benefits of Using Rotating Proxies
Rotating proxies has 3 benefits, as listed below.
- Enhanced Anonymity: Rotating proxies frequently switch your IP address, making it harder for websites to track your activities. This ensures that your online presence remains anonymous, protecting your privacy and data.
- Reduced Risk of IP Bans: Rotating proxies significantly reduces the risk of IP bans by frequently changing IP addresses. This is especially useful for tasks that involve accessing large amounts of data from the same website, as it prevents detection and blocking.
- Access to Geo-Restricted Content: Rotating proxy providers provide IP addresses from various locations around the world, bypassing geo-restrictions and enabling you to access content that might be restricted in your region, giving you a broader range of information and resources.
Drawbacks of Using Rotating Proxies
There are 3 drawbacks to using rotating proxies.
- Potential for Slower Speeds: Rotating proxies can slow your internet connection. This is because each request goes through different proxy servers, which can add extra steps and cause delays.
- Cost Considerations: Using rotating proxies can be costly. High-quality proxies, especially those needed for large-scale tasks, can be expensive and add up over time.
- Complexity of Setup and Management: Setting up and managing rotating proxies can be complicated. It requires technical know-how to configure the system properly and keep it running smoothly, which can be difficult for non-technical users.
How to Choose the Best Rotating Proxies
Here are 6 factors to keep in mind when choosing the best rotating proxies.
- Proxy Pool Size: The IP pool size is crucial when choosing rotating proxies. A larger pool means more IP addresses, reducing the risk of detection and bans. Hence, look for services that offer thousands or even millions of IPs.
- Location Coverage: Ensure the proxy provider has IPs from various countries. This is essential for tasks needing specific locations, like accessing region-locked content or doing local SEO research and many more.
- Authentication Options: The best services offer both IP whitelisting and username/password authentication. Hence, it is important to consider them, as they offer secure access to the proxies and fit different user needs.
- Rotation Settings: Rotation settings decide how often IPs are changed. Choose a service that lets you customize these settings based on your needs. Whether you need IPs to rotate with every request or at specific times, having control over this can enhance your tasks.
- Pricing Structure: Consider the pricing structure of the proxy service. Look for clear pricing details. Some providers offer pay-as-you-go plans, while others have monthly subscriptions. Choose one that fits your budget and usage.
- Additional Features: Some services offer extras like API access, browser extensions, or advanced filtering options. These can add value and make managing your proxies easier.
Types of Rotating Proxies
There are 3 types of rotating proxies.
- Residential Proxies: Residential proxies use IP addresses assigned by Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to homeowners. These proxies are highly trusted because they appear as regular user IPs, making them harder to detect and block. The main advantages of residential proxies are their high trust level and the fact that they are less likely to be flagged or blocked. They are commonly used for web scraping, managing multiple accounts, and bypassing geo-restrictions.
- Datacenter Proxies: Datacenter proxies come from data centers rather than ISPs. They are faster and cheaper but can be more easily detected as they are not linked to real users. The primary benefits of data center proxies are their high speed and cost-effectiveness. They are typically used for high-volume web scraping, automated tasks, and bulk data collection.
- Mobile Proxies: Mobile proxies use IP addresses assigned by mobile carriers. They are particularly useful for tasks requiring mobile data and are very reliable because mobile IPs change frequently. The main advantages of mobile proxies are their high reliability and frequent IP rotation. They are often used for social media automation, app testing, and accessing mobile-only content.
How to Use Rotating Proxies
Here are 6 ways in which rotating proxies can be used.
- Choose a Rotating Proxy Service: Start by selecting a reliable rotating proxy service. Some popular options include Smartproxy, Bright Data, and ProxyMesh.
- Sign Up and Purchase a Plan: Sign up on the chosen service’s website and purchase a plan that suits your needs. Plans usually vary based on the number of proxies and the amount of bandwidth.
- Get Proxy Details: After purchasing, you’ll receive a list of proxies along with login credentials (username and password).
- Set Up Your Proxy: Configure your application or browser to use rotating proxies. Most services provide detailed setup guides or have dedicated customer support to help you with the setup.
- Use the Proxies: Once set up, start browsing or using your application as usual. The rotating proxy service will automatically change your IP address at regular intervals or with each request, depending on the service.
- Monitor and Manage Usage: Monitor your bandwidth usage and the number of proxies you’ve used. Most services provide a dashboard for this.
Best Practices for Using Rotating Proxies
Below are 10 best practices for using rotating proxies.
- Choose a Reliable Proxy Provider: Selecting a trustworthy proxy provider is crucial. Look for providers with good reviews, high uptime, and strong customer support. This ensures you get reliable and efficient proxies for your tasks.
- Optimize Rotation Frequency: Set an optimal rotation frequency to balance anonymity and efficiency. Too frequent rotations can slow down tasks, while infrequent changes might risk detection. Hence, adjust them based on your specific needs and activities.
- Use Residential Proxies for Sensitive Tasks: Residential proxies use IP addresses assigned to real users, making them harder to detect. Use these proxies for sensitive tasks to avoid being blocked or flagged by websites.
- Implement Rate Limiting: Avoid websites by implementing rate limiting. This means setting limits on the number of requests made per minute or hour to ensure you don’t get banned for excessive activity.
- Monitor and Manage Proxy Performance: Regularly check your proxies’ performance. Monitor speed, uptime, and reliability to ensure they are functioning correctly. Always ensure to replace any proxies that underperform or fail.
- Ensure Data Encryption: Always use proxies that support data encryption to keep your information secure and prevent data breaches, especially when dealing with sensitive or personal information.
- Respect Website Terms of Service: Abide by the terms of service of the websites you are accessing. Using proxies to scrape or bypass restrictions can violate these terms and result in bans or legal issues.
- Test Proxies Before Use: Before using proxies for large tasks, test them on a smaller scale. This helps identify any issues early and ensures they meet your performance and reliability standards.
- Leverage Proxy Management Tools: Utilize proxy management tools to streamline and automate your proxy usage. These tools can help with rotation, performance monitoring, and integrating proxies into your systems, including BI Tools.
- Maintain Privacy and Security: Ensure your proxy usage maintains high levels of privacy and security. Use proxies that offer robust security features and keep your personal information protected to avoid any potential risks.