First things first, what is a proxy? A proxy server helps to mask your identity, bypass geo-restrictions, manage multiple accounts, automatically gather large amounts of data, and much more. However, each type of proxy has different characteristics, so it’s easy to get lost in the plethora of options.
Let’s break down proxy types by different identifiers and learn which one suits your needs best.
Technical details aside, first, let’s break down proxies by price. There are two options: you can choose between free and paid addresses. In most use cases, paying for proxies is a better option.
Free proxies, as the name states, can be used without paying for them. But there’s a catch – they are not very reliable or good, for that matter. Free addresses are often slow and blocked on popular websites. Additionally, free proxies may compromise your privacy and security, as they are sometimes operated by malicious entities aiming to collect user data or inject advertisements.
Paid proxies are IP addresses you buy from a proxy provider. Paying for a service comes with benefits like better performance, faster speed, and better uptime. Also, other users will be less likely to abuse such proxies, so you will have better chances of successfully accessing a website. A reliable provider won’t steal your data and will maintain the service from a technical point of view.
You can get proxies that are static – the IP stays the same with each request, or rotating – with every single request you get a new address.
Static proxies allow you to connect to a website via the same IP address until you change it yourself. These proxies work best when you need an address different from your own but want to keep the same identity for a longer period of time. These proxies work best in cases like account management but aren’t the best choice for web scraping.
Rotating proxies automatically gives you a new IP address from a pool of addresses. They can change with every connection request or at intervals of 1, 10, or 30 minutes. To illustrate this, you can make 100 requests and appear as 100 different people. Rotating proxies are usually used for automated tasks like web scraping, where you need to constantly change your IP address so you won’t get blocked for sending too many requests.
The most popular proxy classification is by source. Some proxies are stored in data centers, and others come from real residential user devices.
Datacenter proxies originate in data centers. They are easy to detect and more likely to be blocked because the addresses are owned by cloud hosting companies, which are used mainly by VPNs or bots. The key benefits of datacenter proxies are lower price and speed.
Residential proxies come from real user devices like mobiles or computers with Wi-Fi connections. These addresses are hard to block because websites identify them as real people’s IPs. They are usually used for web scraping on well-protected websites. However, they are pretty slow and expensive compared to datacenter proxies.
Mobile proxies use cellular connection – SIM instead of Wi-Fi. They are the most difficult to block because each public IP address represents hundreds of customers. However, they are even slower than residential proxies and more expensive.
Static residential proxies (ISP) have characteristics similar to those of both datacenter and residential addresses. These proxies are registered with an internet service provider (ISP) but do not involve end users. They are hard to block and offer high uptime, but the price is steep, and they have fewer locations.
Proxy direction defines which end of the connection benefits from a proxy server: the user that sends the request or the server that receives it.
Forward proxies act on behalf of a user. When you send a request, it connects to the forward proxy first. The proxy then forwards the request to the internet and returns the response to you. You can browse anonymously, change your location, and undertake other tasks.
Reverse proxies handle all traffic when it reaches the server instead of routing traffic from your device. Such proxies are used to save bandwidth and increase security, protecting servers from direct exposure to threats.
Whenever you connect to a website, you send and receive HTTP headers. They include information about your device parameters. Proxies can hide the information sent with those headers to a certain level. Based on the level of anonymity, proxy servers are categorized as follows:
Transparent proxies show that you are connected through a proxy server. A great example of using such servers is when you connect to a public Wi-Fi. They allow you to modify and block traffic based on specific rules. Transparent proxies are used to authenticate users, filter content, monitor activity, and save bandwidth.
Anonymous or semi-transparent proxies change your real IP address and location. But they still send headers to the target server and show you connect via a proxy server. These proxies are used to browse anonymously with websites that do not care if you use a proxy.
Elite proxies, or highly anonymous proxies, work with any website. They hide your computer’s identifying information and don’t disclose that you are using a proxy. Elite proxies scrub away all the headers and appear as real users connecting to a website directly.
Currently, three proxy protocols allow you to connect to websites: HTTP, HTTPS (SSL), and SOCKS5.
HTTP Proxies use the HTTP protocol, which is compatible with all websites and sends all traffic in plain text. However, you should avoid HTTP proxies because this protocol doesn’t use encryption, making it easier for someone to access your information.
HTTPS (SSL) proxies, on the other hand, use the SSL protocol to encrypt data, making it extremely difficult for anyone to intercept or access your transmitted information. This robust encryption makes them the most secure option for your online activities.
SOCKS5 Proxies work by sending your information without reading it. So, you can work with websites and different types of traffic, like streaming or gaming. However, SOCKS5 proxies support the UDP protocol, which is not encrypted yet much faster than TCP.
Now that you’re familiar with different types of proxies, it should be much easier to choose the right service for your needs. You can break down your options by price, direction, the level of anonymity, source, source, protocol, and rotation. The choice depends on specific use case, your budget, and the scope of your project.