Imagine you‘re on a thrilling mission in the digital world and need to access restricted areas, gather valuable information, elevate your eCommerce business, and remain undetected. How can you accomplish this?
Yes, residential proxies!
But with the booming proxy industry, many providers now offer different residential proxies, proxy services, customer support capabilities, competitive pricing, quality of the buying experience, varying IP pool sizes, and more. Finding the best residential proxy provider is like going on an adventure to the unfamiliar mountains – it‘s pretty easy to get lost.
So, let us show you the way while you pick the most suitable residential proxy provider for your needs. Shall we begin?!
What are residential proxies?
First, let’s get the basics down. A residential proxy is an IP address provided by an Internet Service Provider (ISP) to a homeowner or individual user. Unlike datacenter proxies, residential proxies are sourced from real user devices.
These proxies enable you to route your internet traffic through residential IP addresses, making it seem like the requests come from real residential users rather than datacenters or commercial servers.
With a residential proxy, you become a resident of a virtual neighborhood equipped with a genuine IP address tied to a real home. It‘s as if you‘ve temporarily moved into a different house in another city.
Why do you need residential proxies?
That’s the real question. And when we say that the reasons are as plenty as a field of wildflowers in Spring – believe us!
Here‘re some of the main reasons why:
Anonymity and privacy. Residential proxies can help protect your online privacy by masking your actual IP address. Using a residential proxy makes your internet activities appear to originate from a residential user, enhancing your anonymity and reducing the risk of being tracked or monitored.
Web scraping and data gathering. Residential proxies are commonly used for web scraping and data gathering. They enable you to extract data from websites without being detected or blocked. You can mimic genuine user behavior by rotating residential IP addresses and avoid triggering anti-scraping measures.
Accessing restricted content. Some websites, services, or online platforms may impose geographical restrictions. Using a residential proxy with an IP address from a desired location, you can bypass these restrictions and access content or services unavailable in your area.
Ad verification and SEO monitoring. Residential proxies are valuable for ad verification and search engine optimization activities. By simulating user behavior from different locations, you can verify that advertisements are displayed correctly and monitor search engine rankings accurately.
Social media management. If you‘re a social media manager or marketer, residential proxies can help manage multiple social media accounts or engage with audiences in different regions. By using proxies with IP addresses from specific locations, you can tailor your content and engagement strategies to specific local audiences.
Market research and competitor analysis. Residential proxies allow you to gather market research data and conduct competitor analysis. As a resident from different locations, you can gain insights into local trends, consumer behavior, and competitor strategies by accessing websites, forums, or social media platforms.
But what really gives context and inspiration are real success stories from entrepreneurs, social media managers, and small startups who achieved their goals using proxy services! I have some inspiring client success stories to share. Check my case studies for real-life use cases!
Residential proxies vs. other types of proxies
Before we get into proxy providers, it’s essential to understand how residential proxies compare with other proxy types in the most critical aspects:
Vs. datacenter proxies. Datacenter proxies may offer faster speeds but are less anonymous and more susceptible to blocking.
Vs. dedicated datacenter proxies. Dedicated data center proxies could be more suitable if you prioritize speed, lower costs, and have less sensitive tasks like SEO monitoring, price comparison, or general browsing.
Vs. static (ISP) residential proxies. These proxies are well-suited for activities requiring a fixed and trustworthy IP address, such as accessing region-restricted content or conducting market research.
Vs. mobile proxies. If anonymity and trustworthiness are paramount, residential proxies may be preferred. On the other hand, mobile proxies are faster and perform significantly better with various social media targets.
Vs. SSL proxies. This proxy is commonly used for secure browsing, accessing restricted websites, and protecting sensitive information during online transactions. However, they may not provide websites with the same natural and trusted appearance as residential proxies.
Best residential proxy providers in 2024
So, whether you’re looking for the fastest residential proxies, cheapest residential proxies, affordable prices, or simply the best residential proxies for your specific use case, we’ll help you find a proxy provider here!
Here‘re the best residential proxy providers in 2024:
1. Smartproxy
Since its founding in 2018, Smartproxy has created a perfect recipe for a blend of affordability and ample features. This rare balance ensures top-notch performance without breaking the bank. They have a staggering 55M+ proxy pool spanning 195+ countries, allowing you to set your sights on any city or state you choose.
But what truly sets Smartproxy apart is its dedication to self-service, incredible 24/7 customer support, rich documentation, and quick start guide, making it an ideal heaven for beginners seeking a seamless journey into residential proxies. But it’s not all about residential proxies; they also offer a package of different proxy solutions, such as static (ISP) residential proxies, mobile proxies, and much more.
The only minor drawback is its limited targeting options – carrier or ASN targeting for residential proxies are currently unavailable.
Smartproxy offers residential proxies from $8.5/GB with a 14-day money-back option.
2. Oxylabs
Oxylabs is a premium proxy provider offering an extensive array of products beyond residential proxies, including data center, mobile, rotating ISP, and SOCKS5 proxies. Additionally, you have the choice of utilizing versatile search engines or e-commerce scraper APIs.
They also have one of the most impressive proxy pools of 100M IPs and can provide its proxy service for big business use cases, for example, ad verification, brand protection, and SEO monitoring.
Oxylabs, though premium, may not benefit beginners or those seeking individual use because of its high pricing compared to other proxy providers.
Their residential proxy prices start from $15 for 1GB with a 7-day free trial for businesses and a 3-day refund for individuals.
3. SOAX
Compared to some of its counterparts, SOAX‘s collection of over 8.5 million IPs might not be considered exceptionally large. Nonetheless, it becomes notably impressive when considering that this count only refers to residential proxies. However, if limitations bother you, keep in mind that SOAX doesn’t have any application or browser plugin that enables you to harness its proxy pool for privacy protection. Furthermore, it doesn’t provide a combined pool of WiFi and Mobile IPs, a feature that could have potentially presented a more affordable alternative for users.
SOAX residential proxies pricing starts from $99 for 8GB. A 3-day trial for $1.99 is available.
4. Infatica
Among the positive aspects of Infatica‘s residential proxies is its compatibility with a wide range of protocols, including SOCKS5. To enhance value, their main proxy pool encompasses mobile IPs, too, and offers targeting options in approximately 150 countries worldwide.
While city and ASN targeting can be made available upon request, they also provide flexible proxy choices such as IPv4, ISP, private proxies, and more, going beyond residential proxies.
If your business prioritizes cost-efficiency and needs to access the data of any major platform, Infatica could suit your proxy needs well.
Infatica’s residential proxy prices begin from $96 for 8GB ($12/GB). Also, a 3-day trial for $1.99 is available.
5. Bright Data
Bright Data is one of the market‘s largest proxy providers, and they don’t settle with residential proxies only, offering more proxy types such as dedicated datacenter proxies, ISP proxies, and more. They also have numerous features, including targeting specific ASN and ZIP codes.
Moreover, one of their more notable highlights is their open-source proxy manager, custom API, and 72M proxy pool size.
For those new to the realm of proxies or are used to significantly smaller providers, Bright Data‘s web dashboard might come across as an unexpectedly difficult experience. Their prices are also quite steep, especially for beginners.
You can purchase their residential proxies for $15 for 1 GB. They also offer a 7-day free trial for businesses and a 3-day refund for individuals.
6. Webshare
Webshare stands out in the market by emphasizing anonymity. Their proxy takes proactive measures to outpace these challenges by utilizing constantly updated software. This strategy encompasses safeguarding against intricate detection methods like HTTP header inspection, TCP fingerprint proxy, port scan prevention, and DNS leak detection. Their proxy pool is quite rich, with 30M monthly IPs and a filter that allows 195 locations selection. And they also don’t shy away from supporting HTTP(S) and SOCKS5 protocols.
Webshare pricing starts from $7 for 1 GB. No free trial for residential proxies.
7. Rayobyte
Rayobyte offers extensive online services list encompassing servers, Windows VPS, and proxies. Essentially, it stands as a proxy provider with a primary focus on datacenters, with its IP pools spanning over 29 countries, including Brazil and the US. While residential proxies are a relatively recent addition to Rayobyte‘s arsenal, they can already boast several notable features such as 10M IP pool size, CAPTCHA avoidance, adherence to residential proxy ethics, and geo-targeting capabilities.
But when evaluating the provider‘s suitability for your specific needs, you should consider the absence of SOCKS5 support, slower proxies, and limited rotation settings.
They offer residential proxies from $15 for 1G and a 2-day free trial with 50 MB.
8. IPRoyal
Besides proxies from across 195 countries and additional IPs through datacenters and sneaker proxies, IPRoyal offers convenient browser extensions designed for both Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. These extensions are equipped with various management tools that facilitate seamless switching between proxies. With these tools, users can configure existing proxies with easily swappable profiles, all without requiring changes to the operating system. Interestingly, IPRoyal also offers a well-organized list of free proxies. However, it‘s important to note that while free proxies can serve as a temporary solution, they tend to be slower, less secure, and might be exploited by malicious third parties to gather sensitive personal data.
IPRoyal offers residential proxies from $7 for 1GB with no free trial option.
9. NetNut
NetNut’s ISP-derived proxies offer a range of advantages. Effectively, these proxies provide stability and performance characteristics akin to datacenter IPs while incorporating the resilience of residential IPs.
There‘re no constraints on the number of concurrent requests users can make. In fact, NetNut encourages users to initiate as many concurrent sessions as possible for optimal outcomes.
NetNut asserts that its proxies are compatible with all websites and search engines. Additionally, the company extends the offering of tailored private proxy pools optimized according to specific targets to ensure the highest possible success rates.
Their pricing starts from $100 for 5GB ($20/GB) with a 7-day free trial for companies.
10. PacketStream
PacketStream presents a proxy service exclusively centered around residential proxies. As such, it doesn’t include mobile proxies or stable ISP-based residential proxies. Instead, they have a different approach to proxies, opening up the possibility for users to generate income by sharing their residential internet connections.
Anyone can sell their underutilized bandwidth to PacketStream, which subsequently leases it to its user community. Participants who contribute to a proxy node have their bandwidth quantified and receive credits corresponding to the consumption by PacketStream’s users. Despite their limitations, such as a small proxy pool, specific targeting, and slower performance, for businesses operating within tight budgets, PacketStream’s affordability makes it a provider worth giving a try.
Their price starts from $1 for 1GB with no free trial.
Here’s a summary of the top residential proxy providers in 2024:
| Provider | Starting Price | Free Trial | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smartproxy | $8.5/GB | 14 days | Best overall value, rich features |
| Oxylabs | $15/GB | 7 days (business) 3 days (individual) | Premium provider, extensive proxy types |
| SOAX | $99/8GB | 3 days | Decent size residential proxy pool |
| Infatica | $96/8GB | 3 days | Affordable, 150+ country targeting |
| Bright Data | $15/GB | 7 days (business) 3 days (individual) | Very large proxy pool (72M) |
| Webshare | $7/GB | No | Emphasizes anonymity |
| Rayobyte | $15/GB | 2 days (50MB) | More datacenter focused |
| IPRoyal | $7/GB | No | Convenient browser extensions |
| NetNut | $100/5GB | 7 days (business) | Stable performance |
| PacketStream | $1/GB | No | Contributor based proxies |
Conclusion
Whether you’re seeking high-performance proxies for enterprise-level operations or cost-efficient solutions for smaller tasks, each provider has something to offer. Additionally, location targeting, rotation flexibility, and customer support determine the best fit for your needs.
In making your decision, I advise careful evaluation and testing to ensure the chosen residential proxy service provider aligns with your goals, budget, and performance expectations. By leveraging these powerful tools responsibly and ethically, users can gain a competitive edge, access valuable data, and confidently maintain online privacy.
){kind=link}