Are you concerned about ensuring your online privacy? Or do you need to access restricted websites while travelling? There is a solution – Proxy server services. But with the advent of so many service providers, it can be hard to find out which one is the most suitable and secure for all your needs.
Online security and privacy have never been more important, especially in the era of digital transformation. Proxy server services provide an additional layer of security by routing connections through multiple proxy servers at once, making it difficult to track or hack. Many new and experienced internet users are turning to proxy servers as a way to access the web securely from any location.
Whether you’re looking for added protection or just want access to geo-restricted content abroad, there are now numerous options for starting up a private proxy server. In this article we’ll guide you through some of the best proxy server services available in 2023, so that you can make an informed decision on which one is right for you.
What is a proxy server?
A proxy server is a system which provides an intermediary service between client systems and the internet. It can be configured to be either transparent or anonymous in terms of requests for resources available on other servers.
5 reason we need proxy server?
1) Anonymity: To stay anonymous online, use a proxy server. This can prevent tracking of browsing habits and searches, which is helpful for people who have witnessed criminal activities.
2) Access Blocked Websites: If certain sites are restricted in your location, you can use a proxy server to access them. You must connect to the IP address provided by your service provider, allowing you to visit unrestricted websites of your choice.
3) Protect Your Device from Malware: Accessing malicious websites through a secure proxy service can help protect against potential infections from malware or other harmful programs. Safety first!
4) Lower Latency Rates: Proxies help when playing games or streaming videos. They reduce latency for smoother gameplay, and secure connections for less buffering and lag time. Quality proxy services offer a seamless viewing/gaming environment.
5) Utilize Content Filtering & Data Monitoring: Companies can set up secure proxies in their networks to protect themselves from data leakage, malware attacks and monitor employees’ internet usage for increased productivity. This will strengthen security for sensitive information stored or shared online.
Proxy types
Proxies can mediate connections in different ways—each of which affects only a subset of the connection. In addition, different types of hardware and software are used to configure these proxies, each of which produces a unique type of proxy.
As a result, various types of proxy servers are available. Choosing the best one for the job can be difficult. It doesn’t help that your choices will have a real impact on what you can and cannot do with the proxies.
we have classified proxy servers using four criteria:
- By the Internet Communication Protocol (ICP) they use
- By accessible, they are (Access Restriction)
- By how they work with IP addresses (Rotation)
- By source of their IP addresses
- By cost of service
Also read: Sendwin: How to use block page feature in sessions?
5 Best Proxy Server provider in 2023
To get the best proxy services, you need to work with a trusted and reliable proxy provider. Proxy providers are a huge factor in assessing the credibility of a proxy service. We created a list of 5 providers of quality proxies for you. We also added promo codes to help you get the best deals as incogniton.com users when you are ready to purchase one.
Oxylabs
Oxylabs is a premium residential proxy provider with the largest pool of IPs, about 100 million, covering cities and countries worldwide. The provider allows you to target proxies based on the ASN (autonomous system number).
Oxylabs offer proxies to suit different needs, including mobile, dedicated datacenter, and scraper APIs. Their data center proxies grant access to their 20k pool with auto IP rotation from 6 different locations – USA, France, Netherlands, Germany, UK, and Romania. Multi-user use helps keep costs down without compromising on quality.
Oxylabs’ next-gen residential proxy utilizes ML and AI to simulate user’s activity, so that it can bypass blocks and captchas. Plus, you get a dedicated account manager for support.
One big drawback is that the Oxylabs proxy service is expensive. It might not be ideal for a casual internet user. They offer a 7-day free trial if you’re interested.
Bright data
Bright Data is one of the largest premium proxy providers today. It has a huge collection of 72 million IPs available to deploy for proxy users.
They offer four different services: Residential, Data Center, ISP Proxy, and Mobile proxy networks. With all these proxy servers, you can target any country, city, and carrier. They have the largest geographical coverage and the best response time in the industry.
For a beginner, Bright Data’s services may be too powerful and intimidating for you, as they demand technical knowledge. Also, its services are expensive.
IPRoyal
IPRoyal has a collection of up to 400,000 residential IPs in over 190 countries including the US, UK, China, and Germany. They provide a range of dedicated proxy types, including sneaker proxies for shoe enthusiasts who are unable to make mass purchases on the sales site.
Their starting price ($4 per GB) can go down even further to just $0.8 per GB, depending on the amount of traffic you buy. All their proxies are exclusive to the user. You also get HTTP(S) and SOCKS5 support, advanced session control (sticky and rotating IPs), and a support team available 24/7.
Smartproxy
Smartproxy service is feature rich. It has a pool of more than 40 million IPs from 195+ locations. It is suitable for both business and personal use. And you can comfortably access geo-blocked services with the proxy.
Smartproxy limits the plan by bandwidth but allows you to run an unlimited number of concurrent threads. You can also filter proxies with desired parameters like location. The proxy services give you a lot of flexibility in pricing and usage options.
DoveIP
DoveIP provides instant access to more than 20 million proxies in 195 locations around the world. The proxy service is suitable for web tasks like social media, Digital Marketing, and Web Scraping.
They excel in mobile proxy network service. With their IP filter, you are guaranteed clean and authentic 3G/4G mobile proxies that suit your tasks. They also offer API support and chrome extensions.
The proxy service is relatively new. They have fewer features compared to the other providers, yet they provide quality service.
Think before choosing proxy services!
When selecting a proxy service, consider features such as bypassing geo-restrictions, browser extensions, unlimited bandwidth capacity, and a large proxy pool.
When choosing a proxy, it is important to assess the server speeds and locations for achieving high performance, the encryption level for optimal security and the pricing for adhering to your budget.
There are various types of proxies available, depending on purpose and budget.
Once you have an understanding of the different types, you can make better decisions that will aid you in reaching your goals.