Table of Contents
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Smartproxy: Best Proxy Provider
- 3. Oxylabs: Best Proxy Provider
- 4. Bright Data: Best Proxy Provider
- 5. SOAX: Best Proxy Provider
- 6. Infatica: Best Proxy Provider
- 7. Other Noteworthy Providers
- 8. Choosing the Right Provider: Best Proxy Provider
- 9. Conclusion: Best Proxy Provider
1. Introduction
Residential proxies have become indispensable tools in today’s digital landscape, enabling users to navigate online anonymity, access geo-restricted content, and perform data scraping activities efficiently. As the demand for reliable residential proxy services continues to grow, several providers stand out for their performance, features, and customer support. This article reviews some of the best residential proxy providers in 2024 to help you make an informed decision based on your specific needs.
2. Smartproxy
Overview:
Smartproxy is recognized for its cost-effective solutions and robust features designed to meet various user needs.
Proxy Types Offered:
- Residential Proxies (55M+ IPs from 195+ locations)
- Mobile Proxies (10M+ IPs from 700+ mobile carriers)
- Datacenter Proxies (Shared and Dedicated)
- ISP/Static Residential Proxies
Key Features:
- Extensive global IP pool and location coverage
- Rotating and sticky session options
- Support for HTTP(S) and SOCKS5 protocols
- 99.99% uptime and <0.5s average response time
- Advanced targeting (country, city, zip code, ASN, mobile carrier)
- 24/7 customer support
Pricing:
- Residential Proxies start at $4/GB with pay-as-you-go option
- Datacenter Proxies start at $0.60/GB for shared, $2.50/IP for dedicated
- Mobile Proxies start at $13/GB
- ISP/Static Residential Proxies start at $3/IP
Web Scraping Solutions:
- SERP Scraping API
- eCommerce Scraping API
- Social Media Scraping API
- No-Code Scraper
- Free trial available
Smartproxy is consistently ranked as one of the best value residential proxy providers, offering a large IP pool, advanced features, and competitive pricing for individuals to enterprises. Their proxy management tools like browser extensions also receive positive reviews.
3. Oxylabs
Overview:
Here are the key points about Oxylabs, a leading proxy service provider:
Proxy Types Offered:
- Residential Proxies (100M+ IPs from 195 locations)
- Mobile Proxies (10M+ IPs from 700+ mobile carriers)
- Datacenter Proxies (2M+ dedicated IPs, 22K shared IPs)
- ISP/Static Residential Proxies
Key Features:
- Extensive global IP pool and location coverage
- Rotating, sticky session, and unlimited concurrent session options
- Support for HTTP(S), SOCKS5 protocols
- 99.9% uptime and fast response times (<0.6s)
- Advanced geo-targeting (country, city, zip, ASN, mobile carrier)
- 24/7 customer support and account managers
Pricing:
- Residential Proxies start at $8/GB
- Datacenter Proxies start at $50/month for shared, $8.25/IP for dedicated
- Mobile Proxies start at $9/GB
- ISP/Static Residential Proxies start at $2.10/IP
Web Scraping Solutions:
- SERP Scraper API ($49/month)
- eCommerce Scraper API ($49/month)
- Real Estate Scraper API
- Custom Parser for creating parsing rules
Oxylabs is consistently praised for its large IP pool, reliable performance, advanced features like geo-targeting, and responsive customer support. It is considered a premium proxy service suited for businesses and enterprises needing robust web scraping capabilities.
4. Bright Data
Overview:
Here are the key points about Bright Data, a leading proxy service and web data collection platform:
Proxy Services:
- Offers residential, mobile, datacenter, and ISP/static residential proxies
- Massive proxy pool of over 72 million residential IPs from 195+ countries
- Provides advanced targeting options like city, ASN, carrier, etc.
- Rotating, sticky session, and unlimited concurrent session capabilities
- High performance with 99.99% uptime and fast speeds
Web Scraping Solutions:
- Web Unlocker for bypassing blocks and CAPTCHAs while scraping
- SERP API for accessing real-time search engine results data
- Scraping Browser and Web Scraper IDE for custom scraper development
- Browser extension for residential/datacenter IP browsing
Data Solutions:
- Marketplace of pre-collected datasets across various industries
- Custom data collection services for specific data needs
Key Features:
- Ethical sourcing of residential IPs through opt-in peer sharing model
- Strict compliance processes and acceptable use policies
- Advanced proxy management tools like Proxy Manager
- 24/7 customer support and account managers
- Flexible pricing with pay-as-you-go and subscription options
Bright Data is consistently praised for its large IP pool, powerful features, reliable performance, and robust data collection capabilities. It is considered a premium proxy and web data service catering to businesses and enterprises
5. SOAX
Overview:
SOAX is a prominent proxy service provider known for its extensive network of residential, mobile, ISP, and datacenter proxies. Here are the key details about SOAX:
Proxy Types Offered
- Residential Proxies: Over 191 million IPs from 195 countries.
- Mobile Proxies: IPs from real mobile devices, covering various mobile carriers.
- ISP/Static Residential Proxies: IPs leased from ISPs for commercial use.
- Datacenter Proxies: Shared and dedicated options available.
Key Features
- Global Coverage: Proxies available in 195 countries with precise geo-targeting down to the city and provider level.
- High Performance: 99.9% network uptime and fast response times (0.55s).
- Unlimited Concurrent Sessions: No limitations on the number of simultaneous connections.
- Automatic IP Rotation: Ensures uninterrupted scraping by rotating IP addresses automatically.
- Sticky Sessions: Allows maintaining the same IP for a longer duration for session continuity.
- Multiple Protocols: Supports HTTP(S), SOCKS5, and UDP/QUIC protocols.
- Ethically Sourced Proxies: Committed to regulatory compliance and ethical sourcing of IPs.
- User-Friendly Dashboard: Easy management of proxies with a customizable dashboard and API access.
- Customer Support: 24/7 support via live chat, email, phone, and Telegram.
Pricing
- Residential Proxies: Starts at $99 per month for 15 GB ($6.60/GB) with various plans scaling up to 5,000 GB at $2.20/GB.
- Mobile Proxies: Similar pricing structure with plans starting at $99 per month for 15 GB.
- ISP/Static Residential Proxies: Pricing starts at $99 per month for 15 GB.
- Datacenter Proxies: Shared proxies start at $49 per month for 75 GB ($0.65/GB).
Use Cases
- Web Scraping: Efficient for large-scale data collection with high success rates.
- Ad Verification: Ensures accurate ad placement and performance monitoring.
- Market Research: Gathers competitive intelligence and market data.
- SEO Monitoring: Tracks search engine rankings and keyword performance.
- Price Monitoring: Monitors pricing across e-commerce platforms.
Advantages
- Extensive IP Pool: One of the largest IP pools in the market, ensuring high availability and reliability.
- Advanced Targeting: Precise geo-targeting capabilities for specific needs.
- High Success Rate: 99.5% success rate in accessing target sites.
- Ethical Practices: Strong commitment to ethical data collection and compliance with regulations.
Disadvantages
- Higher Cost: More expensive compared to some other providers, with plans starting at $99 per month.
- No Browser Extension: Lacks a browser extension or mobile application for easier integration.
6. Infatica
Overview:
Infatica is a Singapore-based proxy provider that offers residential, mobile, and datacenter proxy solutions. Founded in 2019, Infatica has quickly grown to become a major player in the proxy market, serving businesses across various industries.
Proxy Solutions
Residential Proxies
Infatica’s flagship offering is its residential proxy network, which consists of over 15 million IP addresses from over 195 countries/regions worldwide. Key features include:
- Rotating and sticky session options
- Unlimited concurrent sessions
- Support for HTTP(S) and SOCKS5 protocols
- Advanced geo-targeting down to city/ISP level
- 99.9% uptime and fast response times (<0.6s)
- Ethical IP sourcing through peer-to-peer model
Residential proxies are ideal for web scraping, ad verification, SEO monitoring, market research, and other use cases requiring high anonymity and minimal detection.
Mobile Proxies
Infatica offers a network of over 10 million mobile proxies sourced from real mobile devices across 700+ mobile carriers globally. These are suitable for specialized use cases like mobile app testing, ad verification on mobile platforms, etc.
Datacenter Proxies
In addition to residential/mobile proxies, Infatica provides shared and dedicated datacenter proxy solutions with over 2 million IPs. These are optimized for high-speed data transfer and large-scale web scraping tasks.
Pricing
Infatica’s pricing is flexible and based on proxy type, bandwidth consumption, and commitment level. Some example pricing points:
- Residential Proxies: Start at $8/GB, with discounted rates for higher volumes
- Mobile Proxies: Start at $9/GB
- Datacenter Proxies: Shared plans start at $49/month, dedicated at $8.25/IP
They offer a free 7-day trial for residential proxies to test the service.
Customer Support
Infatica provides 24/7 customer support via live chat, email, and phone. They also have dedicated account managers for enterprise clients. Their knowledge base has detailed guides and documentation.
7. Other Noteworthy Providers
Aside from the leaders mentioned above, several other residential proxy providers deserve attention based on specific needs and preferences:
8. Choosing the Right Provider
When selecting the best residential proxy provider, consider these essential factors:
IP Pool Size and Coverage:
Ensure adequate coverage in locations relevant to your operations.
Rotation and Session Control:
Look for options to manage IP rotation and sessions effectively.
Performance Metrics:
Evaluate speed, success rates, and uptime guarantees.
Ethical Practices:
Verify the provider’s approach to ethical sourcing of residential IPs.
Pricing and Trials:
Compare pricing models and utilize free trials to assess performance.
Customer Support:
Assess the availability and quality of customer support resources.
9. Conclusion
Choosing the best residential proxy provider is crucial for achieving your online goals efficiently and securely. By evaluating the offerings of top providers like Smartproxy, Oxylabs, Bright Data, SOAX, and Infatica based on your specific requirements, you can make an informed decision that aligns with your business needs in 2024. Take advantage of trial periods and consider testing multiple providers to find the optimal solution for your proxy requirements.
