AIMultiple team evaluated 24 shared proxy services, including all proxy types (e.g., datacenter and mobile) from 7 different proxy providers, with a focus on those utilizing rotating proxies from an IP pool. A total of 5,000 URLs from 25 unique domains were tested.
| Vendor | Best for | |
|---|---|---|
1. | The fastest responses for shared ISP and datacenter proxies | |
2. | The fastest responses for shared rotating residential proxies | |
3. | Generous free plan | |
4. | ||
5. | The fastest responses for shared rotating mobile proxies | |
6. | The most affordable shared mobile proxies | |
The best shared proxy service providers pricing & performance
| Vendors | PAYG/GB | Monthly price | Traffic (GB) | Free trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|
$8.4 | $500 | 69 | 7 |
|
$3.5 | $6 | 2 | 3 |
|
$7 | $60 | 10 | 10 proxies free |
|
$8 | $100 | 13 | 7 |
|
Nimble | $8 | $150 | N/A | 7 |
IPRoyal | ❌ | $7 | 1 | N/A |
ProxyEmpire | $9 | $40 | 5 | Trial for $1.97 |
Rayobyte | $3.75 | $50 | 15 | 50 MB free |
The pricing details for the providers listed in the table are for shared residential proxies.
Success rates
Response times
Compare the response times of operators in our benchmark:
- The gray line in the center represents the median response time.
- The boxes show the variability, indicating the range between the upper and lower quartiles.
Bright Data
Bright Data offers 20,000 shared IPs, including residential, datacenter and mobile proxies. Shared proxies include two types of plans: Pay-per-GB and Pay-per-IP:
- Pay-per-GB: Proxies are shared with other users, and you only pay based on the data you use.
- Pay-per-IP: You gain access to a fixed set of shared proxies and are charged based on the number of IPs and your usage.
Features:
- Shared IP type: Datacenter, ISP, residential and mobile
- IP rotation: Assign a unique IP address for each request automatically, or opt to use the same proxy IP address for multiple requests if needed.
- Extras: Proxy manager, Proxy Chrome Extension and Bright Shield (blocking unapproved websites)
Pricing /monthly:
- Shared proxies: Datacenter ($0.60/GB), ISP ($18.75/GB), residential ($8.4/GB), mobile ($8.4/GB)
- Free trial: 7-day free trial for businesses, 3-day refund for individual users
Smartproxy
Smartproxy offers shared proxies with rotation and extended sticky sessions options. The proxy provider offers semi dedicated proxies including residential and datacenter IPs. If you need proxies that are particular to US, Smartproxy offers shared datacenter proxies that are located in the United States.
- Shared IP type: Residential, datacenter, mobile, ISP
- IP rotation: Rotating IPs for every request and sticky sessions up to 30 minutes
- Extras: API, Chrome browser extension, anti-detect browser, Proxy Checker, and Firefox Add-on
Pricing /monthly:
- Shared proxies: Residential ($6/GB), ISP ($14/GB), datacenter ($0.6/GB), mobile ($7.5/ GB)
- Free trial: 14-day money-back for mobile, datacenter and ISP proxies, 3-day trial for residential proxies
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Webshare
Webshare offers shared datacenter and ISP proxy networks. Datacenter proxies from about 40 countries, available in lists of sharedsemi-dedicated, and dedicated IP addresses. They offer 10 shared datacenter proxies for free, as well as 1GB of bandwidth.
Features:
- Proxy server types: Datacenter and static residential proxies
- Dedicated IPs: Offers shared and semi-shared IPs for datacenter and ISP proxies
- Protocol support: HTTPS and SOCKS5 protocols
Pricing:
- Starting price (GB) /mo:
- Residential proxies: $7
- Static residential proxies: $6
- Datacenter proxies: $2.99
- Free trial: 10 shared datacenter proxies free
Oxylabs
Oxylabs provides 22K shared datacenter IPs in 15 locations, such as the United States, Europe, and Asia. Unless the proxy user request a sticky session, shared datacenter IPs rotate for per connection request.
- Shared IP type: Datacenter, residential and mobile
- IP rotation: IP rotation for each request and sticky sessions as long as available
- Extras: Public API, proxy extension for Chrome, and proxy manager for Android
Pricing /monthly:
- Shared proxies: Datacenter $50 for 77 GB ($0.65/GB)
- Free trial: 7-day free trial for businesses, 3-day refund for individual users
Nimbleway
- Shared IP type: Residential
- IP rotation: Automatically change IP addresses as a default feature, and offers sticky sessions that rotate after 10 minutes without activity.
- Extras: API for resellers
Pricing /monthly:
- Shared proxies:$150/month includes residential proxies and scraping API
- Free trial: 7-day free trial
IPRoyal
IPRoyal offers shared mobile and residential proxies to avoid geo-restrictions and other IP-based barriers.
- Shared IP type: Residential, mobile
- IP rotation: Rotating IPs for every request or a sticky session of up to 7 days.
- Extras: API
Pricing /monthly:
- Shared proxies: Residential ($1.75/GB), mobile ($10.11/GB)
- Free trial: N/A
ProxyEmpire
ProxyEmpire provides a range of shared proxies, including residential, mobile, and datacenter options. Their residential proxy network consists of over 9 million rotating IPs spanning more than 170 countries. Each residential proxy plan comes with VIP integration support to assist users in setting up their proxies.
- Shared IP type: Residential, mobile, datacenter
- IP rotation: Each connection request
Pricing /monthly:
- Shared proxies: Residential ($8/GB), mobile ($16.67/GB), datacenter ($0.62/GB)
- Free trial: $1.97 for 100 MB of residential proxy data and 50 MB of mobile proxy data
Rayobyte
Rayobyte, a proxy service provider based in the U.S. and established in 2015, offers a variety of solutions, offers semi-dedicated datacenter IP lists for sale in the U.S. and several European countries.
- Shared IP type: Residential, ISP, datacenter
- IP rotation: Each request, sticky sessions lasting between 1 and 120 minutes
Pricing /monthly:
- Shared proxies: Residential($7.50/GB), datacenter ($0.60/GB), ISP ($5/IP)
- Free trial: 50 MB free trial
What are shared proxies?
Shared proxies are proxy servers used by multiple users simultaneously. They are distributed among several users, making them ideal for situations requiring a high volume of proxy connections.
Types of shared proxies
Shared proxies commonly refer to datacenter IPs supplied by cloud hosting providers. Although residential and mobile proxies can also be shared, they are typically classified separately. Residential proxies are linked to actual user devices and ISPs, while mobile proxies are sourced from mobile network operators.
The term “shared” is often associated with affordability in the context of datacenter proxies. In contrast, residential and mobile proxies, due to their unique origins, tend to have a higher cost.
When to use shared proxies?
Static shared proxies for scraping smaller or less secure websites: Static shared proxies are good choice when targeting smaller or less protected websites (e.g., those with basic CAPTCHA or simple rate-limiting).
These sites typically lack the advanced defenses seen on major platforms like Google or Amazon. If you’re not sending a high volume of requests to the same site, static shared proxies can be an effective and budget-friendly option.
Rotating shared proxies for higher traffic websites: In general, shared proxy network are ideal for scraping low-security websites, especially when you’re on a limited budget and need a large pool of IPs to distribute traffic.
While they offer a cost-effective solution, they come with trade-offs in terms of performance and reliability. For high-security sites, large-scale scraping, or when performance is a priority, rotating shared proxies or private proxies are typically the more dependable choices.
How do shared proxies work?
When you use a shared proxy server, your internet traffic is combined with that of other users, meaning you’re not the only one accessing the proxy server at any given time. Here’s how shared proxies work:
- User Request: Your internet request is routed through the proxy instead of going directly from your device to the destination server.
- Request Sent to the Proxy Server: The proxy server receives your request and forwards it to the target website. This hides your real IP address, making it appear as if the request is coming from the proxy server’s IP. Since the proxy is shared, it also handles requests from other users.
- Receiving the Response: The target website or service sends a response to the proxy server, which then forwards it back to you.
- Shared Usage: Because multiple users access the proxy at the same time, your internet traffic is less isolated compared to a dedicated proxy, which is used exclusively by a single user.
Comparing shared proxies with dedicated proxies
Performance
The key distinction between a shared proxy and a dedicated proxy lies in the number of users. A dedicated proxy, or private proxy, is exclusively used by a single user, while a shared proxy is used by multiple users.
With a dedicated proxy, you get a unique IP address, which improves speed and performance. In contrast, shared proxies assign the same IP address to multiple users. As more users share the same proxy, its speed and performance tend to decrease. A dedicated proxy ensures better performance since only one user utilizes the IP address.
Anonymity
Shared proxies offer high anonymity. Since multiple users share the same IP address, it becomes difficult for websites to track any single user’s activity. Even if your actions are monitored, your identity remains hidden due to the large number of users sharing the same IP.
Authority
With shared proxies, all users share the same IP address when browsing and making requests, and you have no visibility into the actions of others. This lack of control increases the risk of being blocked.
Since you can’t ensure that other users are following proper proxy usage practices, the risk of being flagged is higher compared to dedicated proxies. In contrast, a dedicated proxy grants full control over your activity, as no one else shares your IP. You are solely responsible for how it’s used.
Pricing
Dedicated proxies are more expensive due to their exclusive nature, as you bear the full cost. Shared proxies, on the other hand, are less costly because they distribute the same IP address across multiple users, reducing individual costs.
Main pros and cons of shared proxies
Pros
- Cost-Effective: Shared proxies are significantly more affordable as the cost is distributed among multiple users.
- Anonymity: Using rotating shared proxies enhances anonymity by frequently changing your IP address.
- Scalability: Shared proxies provide access to a broad pool of IP addresses at a low cost, making them ideal for scaling operations such as web scraping or testing multiple sites.
Cons
- Lower speed: Since the proxy server is shared by multiple users, bandwidth is divided, which can lead to slower connection speeds, especially during peak usage times.
- Limited control: Shared proxies offer fewer customization options than dedicated proxies. With no exclusive access to the server, you have less control over configuration and troubleshooting.
Pros
- Cost-Effective: Shared proxies are significantly more affordable as the cost is distributed among multiple users, resulting in a much lower price per user compared to dedicated proxies.
- Anonymity: Using rotating shared proxies enhances anonymity by frequently changing your IP address, making it more difficult to track your online activities.
- Scalability: Shared proxies provide access to a broad pool of IP addresses at a low cost, making them ideal for scaling operations such as web scraping or testing multiple sites.
Cons
- Lower Speed: Since the proxy server is shared by multiple users, bandwidth is divided, which can lead to slower connection speeds, especially during peak usage times.
- Limited Control: Shared proxies offer fewer customization options than dedicated proxies. With no exclusive access to the server, you have less control over configuration, maintenance, and troubleshooting.
Shared proxy applications: challenges and solutions
Cost-effective way to extract data
Shared proxies might be a viable option for your project. If you are:
- Scraping data on a small scale
- Working with a limited budget
- And the target website doesn’t have strict anti-bot protections.
To improve success rates, you can consider using shared residential proxies, which offer higher-quality IP addresses. Residential proxies provide better anonymity by using real IP addresses assigned to users.
2. Ensuring anonymity while accessing geo-restricted content
Different nations employ various methods of content suppression to block or filter public access to resources like social media platforms, television, and radio. (figure 1). The main aim is to control who can access certain information, which can be enforced by governments or businesses engaging in self-censorship. The content is often accessible in some countries but restricted in others.
Geo-blocking challenges can be addressed with shared proxies. These proxies mask the user’s IP address, preventing websites from identifying their location and tracking activities like browsing time or visit frequency.
Shared datacenter proxies set limits to maintain connection stability and speed. Shared datacenter proxies are generally a better choice than shared residential proxies to improve speed.
Figure 1: YouTube blocking by countries
Source: Wikipedia1
External Links
- 1. Censorship by country - Wikipedia. Contributors to Wikimedia projects
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