Best Residential Proxy Providers in 2024
Disclaimer: I am NOT affiliated with any of the providers listed here.
I’ve found that using residential proxies is key to successful web scraping. These proxies come from genuine internet service providers, giving them a more legitimate presence online compared to datacenter proxies. By integrating residential proxies into my scraping tools, I’ve significantly improved my data collection processes.
In this article, I’ll dive deep into the best residential proxy providers. I’ll discuss their unique features, how well they perform, and what they charge. My goal is to help you understand which provider could best fit your web scraping needs, enhancing your ability to gather data efficiently and effectively. So, let’s explore the five best residential proxies of 2024.
In a hurry? Here is a quick breakdown of the top residential proxy providers:
- Bright Data - Largest provider, precise targeting, Proxy Manager tool, starting at $5.04/GB
- Oxylabs - Extensive network, precise targeting, dedicated support, starting at $4/GB
- Smartproxy - Large pool, broad locations, self-service, starting at $2.2/GB
- Webshare - Customization options, self-service, affordable, starting at $4.5/GB
- SOAX - Flexible rotation, precise targeting, 24/7 support, starting at $2.2/GB
What is a Residential Proxy?
A residential proxy is like a middleman between you and websites on the internet. It helps keep your real identity hidden by changing your computer’s IP address. Unlike other types of proxies, like ones from data centers or mobile devices, residential proxies use IP addresses provided by internet service providers (ISPs). There are two main types:
Rotating residential proxies: These constantly change your IP address each time you request a website.
Static residential proxies: These always give you the same IP address whenever you connect to a website.
How Do Residential Proxies Work?
Proxy servers work following a basic process. However, some factors, like IP rotation, can change how a proxy server works. For instance, if you’re using a rotating residential proxy instead of a static one, things work a bit differently. With a rotating proxy, the server goes back to a pool of IP addresses and picks a new one each time you connect to a website.
This means every time you visit a site, you’ll have a different IP address. It’s like changing your disguise each time you go somewhere online, helping to keep your identity hidden. This method adds an extra layer of anonymity and makes it harder for websites to track your online activity. Overall, whether a proxy is rotating or static can affect how it operates and the level of privacy it provides.
Key Points about Rotating Residential Proxies
- Residential proxies use real IPs from everyday devices like computers and mobile phones connected to WiFi, known as peer-to-peer proxies.
- These proxies are less detectable than those from data centers.
- They offer a wider range of locations and more detailed targeting options.
- The networks have millions of IPs, but availability varies as people may turn off their devices.
- Residential IPs are shared and need to rotate periodically.
- For stable, dedicated addresses, consider ISP proxies.
- Access to the proxy network is typically purchased based on the amount of traffic.
5 Best Residential Proxies of 2024
Finding good residential proxies is important for online tasks like accessing restricted content or staying anonymous. I’ve rounded up the top five residential proxies. They’re great for different online activities and offer robust security and lots of places to connect to. Let’s dive into the best options for getting things done online smoothly.
Bright Data — The Best Residential Proxy Service Provider
Bright Data is the biggest in the market, with a vast number of rotating IPs worldwide. It lets you target very precisely, even down to the ZIP code, which helps a lot with my data collection. The proxies work well unless the provider sets limits.
One of the best things about Bright Data is its Proxy Manager tool, which makes it easier to control the proxies. You can choose to pay as you go or get a subscription plan.
Although Bright Data is great for businesses and comes with many advanced features, it might be a bit complex for beginners. The pricing is clear and competitive, and since they take security very seriously, they have a strict sign-up process that might not work for everyone, especially if you’re into grey-hat activities.
This is the best premium choice.
Key Features:
Proxy Pool: Over 72 million IPs
Protocols: HTTP(S), SOCKS5
Targeting Options: Country, city, ASN, ZIP code
Rotation: Customizable per request or sticky sessions
Support: Available 24/7 through live chat, tickets, and a dedicated account manager
Extras: API, browser extension, Proxy Manager, comprehensive documentation
Performance:
Locations: 195+
Success rate: 99.9%
Response time: approx. 0.5s
Pricing: Starts at $5.04 for 1GB. Offers a 7-day free trial.
Oxylabs — The Best Alternative to Bright Data
Oxylabs runs a vast network with 100 million IPs every month (largest residential network). It covers all countries and most cities. You can get very specific with where you want your IP to look like it’s from, even down to the exact coordinates. The proxies work really well, are stable, and can handle a lot of requests at once. You can easily manage your proxies with their dashboard, and they offer flexible options for how often your IP changes. Plus, you get a dedicated person to help you and tips to make your scraping better.
However, Oxylabs might not be ideal for beginners or individual users due to its complexity and higher price compared to other services.
Oxylabs is the best alternative to Bright Data.
Key Features:
Proxy Pool: Over 100 million IPs
Protocols: HTTP(S), SOCKS5
Targeting Options: Can target by country, state, city, ASN, ZIP code, and coordinates.
Rotation: Options to change IP every request or keep the same IP for 10 or 30 minutes.
Support: 24/7 help is available through live chat and a personal account manager.
Extras: Comes with an API, browser extension, and comprehensive guides.
Performance:
Locations: 195+
Success rate: 99.95%
Response time: 0.57s
Pricing: Starts at $4 for 1GB
Smartproxy — Best Value Provider
Smartproxy offers a solid choice for anyone needing backconnect residential proxies. It manages a large pool of 55+ million proxies and covers a broad range of locations — you can select any city or state across 195 countries. This provider delivers a good mix of high performance, reasonable prices, and enough features for various tasks. The user experience is excellent, too, with lots of guides, tools for managing proxies, and top-notch support that’s available all the time. Smartproxy is designed for easy self-service, allowing you to get started quickly with minimal setup.
You can get started with Smartproxy quickly as it focuses on self-service. However, the targeting options are limited since they don’t include carrier or ASN targeting.
Key Features:
Proxy Pool: Over 55 million IPs
Protocols: HTTP(S), SOCKS5
Targeting Options: You can choose by country, state, and city.
Rotation: Changes IP with every request or can be set to 10 or 30 minutes.
Support: Award-winning support is available 24/7.
Extras: Includes an API, browser extension, anti-detect browser, and detailed guides.
Performance:
Locations: 195+
Success rate: 99.43%
Response time: 0.6s
Pricing: Starts at $2.2 for 1GB. Free trial available, 14 days money back guarantee.
Webshare — Self-service and Personalized Subscription
Webshare is a relatively new player in the proxy market, offering residential proxies with a sizable pool of 30 million monthly IPs. You can choose from IPs in 195 different locations. This service stands out for its high level of self-service and customization options. You can set specific bandwidth limits or opt for network priority to enhance stability (this feature gives your requests precedence over others). Proxies automatically rotate with each request, maintaining anonymity.
However, Webshare is among the more affordable options for residential proxies. The limitations include fewer targeting choices and the ability to customize the rotation schedule. This simplicity might appeal to users looking for straightforward, budget-friendly proxy solutions.
Key Features:
Protocols: HTTP(S), SOCKS5
Targeting Options: Country-level targeting
Rotation: Every five hours, adjustable from 4 minutes to a month
Support: Email and chat support available from 11 PM to 11 AM PST
Extras: API access and essential documentation
Performance:
Locations: 195
Success rate: 98.64%
Response time: 2.08s
Pricing: Starts at $4.5 for 1GB. No free trial for residential proxies.
SOAX — Stable Residential Proxies
SOAX manages a network of around 5 million residential proxies, positioning itself between budget and premium providers, much like Smartproxy. Its standout features include highly flexible rotation and precise location targeting. You can choose to rotate IPs with each connection request, set custom rotation durations, or maintain the same IP until it’s no longer available. Additionally, SOAX allows detailed targeting by country, region, city, and ASN at no extra cost.
However, some technical aspects raise concerns, such as mandatory IP whitelisting, and limited ports for specific plans. Despite these considerations, SOAX is an excellent choice for users seeking flexibility in their proxy solutions.
Key Features:
Proxy Pool: 65 million IPs
Protocols: HTTP(S), SOCKS5, UDP/QUIC
Targeting Options: Country, city, and ASN targeting
Rotation: Customizable rotation from 90 to 600 seconds, with other custom options available.
Support: Available 24/7 via live chat and tickets.
Extras: Limited API, node access (connect directly to an IP), customer success manager.
Performance:
Locations: 150+
Success rate: 99.03%
Response time: 1.05s
Pricing: Starts at $2.2 for 1GB. Offers a $1.99 trial.
How Much Do Best Residential Proxies Cost?
When you’re shopping for residential proxies, prices can vary from $1 to $15 per gigabyte. The cost depends on how much you purchase and if you agree to a long-term deal. That being said, it’s important to add that because of the competition between the providers the prices drop quite often.
If you’re hoping for a free trial, keep in mind that as an individual, you might not qualify. Instead, many providers offer a limited money-back guarantee. This is the norm in the market and is meant to prevent misuse of the service.
Residential Proxies vs Other Proxy Types
Residential proxies become useful over datacenter IPs for three main reasons:
Strong Protection Mechanisms: Certain websites, like sneaker shops and travel aggregators, use IP reputation to block bots. Residential IPs, tied to regular internet users, often have better reputations, making them more effective for accessing these sites.
Broad Location Coverage: Residential IPs come from millions of individuals worldwide, offering a wide range of locations. This diversity makes them ideal for tasks requiring various geographic locations, such as SEO crawling, ad verification, and software localization.
True Anonymity: While VPNs and datacenter IPs hide your identity, they can still be detected as non-human traffic. Residential proxies mimic real people, providing a higher level of anonymity. This is beneficial when you want to browse the internet without revealing that you’re using a proxy.
KYC Process: Some might see it as a disadvantage, but I think otherwise. Having a Know Your Customer process keeps the network safe and makes sure that the proxies aren’t being used for shady use cases. I would suggest running away from a provider that offers residential proxies without a KYC procedure.
These factors make residential proxies a preferred choice in scenarios where strong security measures are in place, diverse geographic coverage is needed, and true anonymity is desired.
Conclusion
This article gave a quick look at the top five proxy providers in 2024 and talked about what to think about when picking one. I hope you found it useful. To pick the right provider, I suggest considering a few things: first, figure out exactly what you need from a proxy. Then, see which provider best matches those needs. It’s also wise to think about whether the provider will still be good for you in the long run.
Reading what other people say about the provider can give you a good idea, too. Plus, looking at how others have used the proxy successfully can be helpful. Lastly, understanding the problems that might come up with residential proxies and how to fix them can make your choice even better. By thinking about these things, you can make sure you’re picking the best provider for what you need!
Please let me know what do you think about all these providers.
