I’ll be honest, when I first started using proxies, I had no clue what I was doing. There were all these terms thrown around, “residential”, “rotating IPs”, “SOCKS5”, it felt like reading a foreign language.
Now, a year (and quite a few mistakes) later, I can finally say I get it. So here’s the guide I wish I’d had: no jargon, just the stuff that matters when picking a proxy provider.
1. First Off, Why Do You Need a Proxy?
I know it sounds obvious, but seriously, don’t skip this part. What you need proxies for completely changes what kind you should get. Are you scraping data from websites? Running multiple social accounts? Trying to access geo-restricted content from another country?
Each of those needs a different setup, and not every provider offers the right tools for the job. I made the mistake of getting datacenter proxies for Instagram got blocked within a day. Oops.
2. All Proxies Are Not Equal
I used to think “a proxy is a proxy” was wrong. There are a few main types:
- Residential proxies: look like regular users (safe, but can be pricey)
- Datacenter: fast & cheap, but easier to detect
- Mobile: super hard to block, also super expensive
- ISP: kinda a mix between residential and datacenter
If your tasks are sensitive (like automation or scraping), go with residential or mobile. If you just need basic IP switching, a datacenter might do.
3. Location, location, location
Some sites are picky; they treat users from one country differently from others. That’s why you might need proxies from a specific region.
So ask:
- Can I pick the country?
- Even better, the city or mobile carrier?
- Are the IPs fresh, or shared with 100 other users?
Spoiler: The good providers will let you choose, and they’ll be upfront about how many people use the same IPs.
4. Speed and stability matter more than you think
One provider I tried had good reviews but terrible speeds. Everything I did lag scraping took hours, and it just wasn’t worth it.
Make sure to test:
- How fast are the IPs?
- Do they disconnect often?
- Is there any weird throttling?
Some services offer trials (or at least money-back guarantees). Take advantage of that.
5. Pricing isn’t everything (but it still matters)
There are cheap proxy services, sure. And they can work sometimes. But I learned the hard way: you often get what you pay for.
Instead of just comparing prices, look at:
- How much bandwidth do you get
- Whether you’re charged per IP or GB
- How flexible are the plans (can you upgrade/downgrade easily?)
And please always read the fine print.
6. Reviews Marketing
Don’t trust what a provider says about itself. That’s just marketing. Look for independent reviews, Reddit threads, or proxy comparison sites.
Final thought
There’s no “best proxy” for everyone. What works for a sneaker botter won’t work for someone scraping Google. So figure out your needs first, then match them to a provider, not the other way around.
Hope this helps someone skip the trial-and-error phase I went through.