Whether you’re an individual trying to access geo-specific games or streaming platforms or a business user looking to scrape massive amounts of data, proxy servers can help. The key is to use quality proxies that are also affordable. For that reason, we suggest five of the best proxy providers for casual internet users and businesses looking to scale.
However, let’s remind you what proxies are and how they work so you can understand how each proxy type can boost your online experience.
Proxies are online servers that function as intermediaries between your client or device and the internet. When you make a request to access a web source, the request goes to the proxy server which then forwards it to the target web server.
Once the target server sends the response, the proxy server takes it and sends it back to your client. This way, the proxy keeps your real IP address hidden, improving your online privacy and freedom. By using a proxy server in a specific location, you’ll be able to access and view web content as a local user from that region.
There are different types of proxies, each suited for specific activities. Residential proxies are the most popular, coming from actual online users and ISPs and providing the highest level of anonymity and reliability. They are great for market research, web scraping, social media management, and any other task requiring rotating IPs with high trust scores.
Datacenter proxies are not associated with ISPs and are housed in data centers or cloud services. This is why they are ideal for tasks requiring high speeds, such as SEO monitoring, automation, etc.
ISP proxies combine the speed of data center IPs and anonymity of residential proxies by carrying static IPs tied to real ISP infrastructure but hosted on data center servers. Their common use cases include e-commerce, social media management, gaming, streaming, etc.
Mobile proxies are a great choice when you need to mimic real mobile traffic from a selected region, whether to access geo-restricted apps, manage multiple social media accounts, or test apps.
Now that you know how proxies work and their most significant benefits and use cases, let’s see where to find the best options for your private or business needs and budget.
1. MarsProxies
Why We Picked It
MarsProxies has a trustworthy and reliable proxy infrastructure and flexible plans and pricing. The company has one of the most versatile proxy catalogs, including sneaker proxies. Their high-speed proxies are compatible with all websites and tools and come with the latest features without additional costs.
Who It’s For
MarsProxies’ proxy servers are easy to use, so they are great for users with all levels of tech experience. Their network is of decent size, their IPs are of the highest quality, and their prices are affordable, making them a great choice for any small to medium-sized project like web scraping, gaming, sneaker copping, market research, social media management, etc.
PROS
- Authentic residential IPs in 190+ locations
- Non-expiring residential traffic
- ISP, datacenter, mobile, and sneaker proxies with unlimited bandwidth
- Highly customizable plans and affordable prices
CONS
- Mobile IPs in 2 locations
- No free trial
2. IPRoyal
Why We Picked It
IPRoyal has a residential IP network built from scratch, guaranteeing 100% ethical, reliable, and trustworthy proxies. Compliance with the industry’s highest data protection standards and top-notch customer support make them a go-to option for business and enterprise clients. Cost-savvy users appreciate the flexible plans with no hidden fees.
Who It’s For
While being one of the leaders in the proxy industry, the company has maintained their reasonable pricing throughout the years. Their large IP network and high-performance proxies with unique features like high-speed pool and IP skipping ensure uninterrupted data scraping, ad verification, social media management, market research, web testing, and much more.
PROS
- Ethical network of over 34M+ IPs in 195+ locations
- High-performance proxies with SOCKS5 support
- Intuitive dashboard and non-expiring residential traffic
- Flexible plans and pricing
CONS
- No free trial
- No rotating datacenter proxies
3. Webshare
Why We Picked It
Webshare is one of the providers on our list thanks to its large IP network, versatile proxy catalog, and free data center proxy trial. You can find residential IP addresses in almost every country in the world, although city and state-level targeting options are not available. The proxies are reasonably priced, following a subscription-based pricing model.
Who It’s For
This company is a good option for private and business clients with small to medium-sized projects. The global proxies have solid performance, and the dashboard is user-friendly. You can use them for general-purpose data scraping, eCommerce scraping, managing multiple accounts, etc.
PROS
- 30M+ residential IPs in 195+ countries
- A user-friendly dashboard
- A free datacenter proxy plan with 10 IPs
- Static datacenter proxies with the option to rotate
CONS
- No state or city-level targeting
- Multiple upsells
4. Infatica
Why We Picked It
Infatica offers multiple proxy types and web scraping APIs. The proxies come with advanced features at no extra charges and have decent success rates. While the company’s products are priced reasonably compared to enterprise providers, they are still not the most affordable option on the market. Thanks to the paid trial, you can test their proxies for seven days and see if they are the best option for you.
Who It’s For
This proxy provider is a good choice for businesses with medium-sized web scraping projects as their subscription plans become more affordable with higher-tier options. Aside from web scraping, you can also use the service for business intelligence, social media automation, ad verification, etc.
PROS
- Residential IPs in worldwide locations
- Pay-as-you-go plan available for residential proxies
- Web scraping APIs
- A 7-day paid trial
CONS
- Slow speeds
- Only US datacenter IPs
5. Dataimpulse
Why We Picked It
Dataimpulse offers the main types of proxies at affordable rates. You can find ethically sourced residential, rotating datacenter, and mobile proxies. While the provider has a relatively smaller pool size than their competitors, they offer all the essential features like sticky sessions, SOCKS5 support, and API access in fixed plans.
Who It’s For
All Dataimpulse proxies are rotating, so they are suitable for anyone looking for rotating IPs. While the fixed plans have reasonable prices and great features like non-expiring traffic, some essential features like state and city-level targeting cost extra. These proxies are good for SERP tracking, ad verification, price comparison, web scraping, and more.
PROS
- Ethical residential proxies
- Rotating datacenter proxies
- Non-expiring traffic
- Reasonable prices
CONS
- Limited proxy pool size
- State and city-level targeting at an additional cost
Final Words
Proxies might just be the tool you need to use the internet to the fullest without worrying about restrictions or limits of any kind. However, it’s crucial that you use reliable proxy IP addresses to ensure success, whether you are planning to scrape data, bypass geo-restrictions, or play online games without lags. Consider the options we suggested and keep your budget in mind.
