Using private proxies is an effective way to protect your identity and data online. With the right private proxy service, you can bypass geographic restrictions, avoid getting blacklisted, and keep your browsing history private.
But with so many proxy providers out there, how do you know which ones to trust?
I‘ve tested and reviewed dozens of proxy services to determine the best private proxies available in 2023. Based on performance, features, and value, here are my top recommendations:
A private proxy gives you exclusive access to a single IP address that is not shared with anyone else. This is different than shared proxies, where multiple users route through the same IP.
The main benefits of private proxies include:
Private proxies are ideal for data scraping, ad verification, price monitoring, brand protection, and accessing geo-restricted content.
Based on extensive testing and research, these are my top recommended private proxy providers for 2023:
Bright Data (formerly Luminati) is my #1 choice for private proxies. With over 72 million IPs worldwide, they offer unrivaled scale and coverage.
I‘ve used Bright Data proxies for scraping complex sites like Amazon, Walmart, and Target with great success. Their residential proxy network provides high anonymity and very few blocks.
Benefits include:
Bright Data owns and operates its entire proxy infrastructure. Their proxies are optimally configured for high performance web scraping and data extraction.
Plans start at $500/month for 40 concurrent connections. Volume discounts available.
Try Bright Data‘s private proxies FREE for 7 days!
Oxylabs is another leading proxy provider with over 100 million residential IPs worldwide. They offer robust network coverage, high anonymity, and excellent speeds.
For large-scale web scraping and data mining projects, Oxylabs provides reliable performance. Features include:
Oxylabs owns its entire proxy infrastructure including a pool of residential IPs from ISPs globally. This results in high quality proxies for web scraping.
Plans start at €500/month for 20 simultaneous connections. Discounts for annual subscriptions.
Start using Oxylabs proxies with a 3-day free trial!
For residential proxies, GeoSurf is a top choice in terms of value and performance. Their network spans 130 million IPs in every country and every city.
I‘ve used GeoSurf proxies to scrape sites like Google, Instagram, and LinkedIn without getting blocked. Their advanced rotating proxies work great for social media automation too.
Key features include:
GeoSurf plans start at $290/month for 15 concurrent threads. Discounts available for annual subscriptions.
Try GeoSurf‘s residential proxies free for 3 days!
HighProxies offers high-quality datacenter proxies with excellent speeds and reliability. Their network includes millions of IPs optimized for web scraping.
In testing, I was able to scrape demanding sites like Facebook, Google Scholar, and YouTube without getting blocked. HighProxies worked flawlessly for ad verification and brand monitoring too.
Benefits of HighProxies include:
HighProxies provide exclusive access to their proxy IPs. Packages start at $200/month for 10 simultaneous threads.
I recommend HighProxies for any project requiring reliable, high-speed proxies. The performance is top-notch.
Soax offers millions of residential and datacenter proxy ports to meet any web scraping need.
Their proxies utilize real residential IPs as well as datacenter IPs. I‘ve used Soax successfully to scrape and monitor sites like Amazon, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Craigslist.
Key features include:
Soax maintains its own proxy network including residential IPs for high anonymity. Plans start at $90/month for 15 simultaneous threads.
For reliable web scraping performance, Soax is a solid choice.
Smartproxy offers 40+ million IPs with residential, mobile, and datacenter proxies available. I‘ve used them successfully for price scraping, social media automation, and accessing geo-restricted APIs.
Key features include:
Smartproxy provides reliable performance for demanding web scraping and data extraction projects. All traffic is routed through owned and operated proxies.
Pricing starts at €324/month for 10 simultaneous connections. Volume discounts available.
Start using Smartproxy‘s proxies free for 3 days!
Storm Proxies offers proxy packages specialized for web scraping. Their network includes millions of residential IPs as well as datacenter IPs.
I‘ve used Storm successfully to scrape sites like eBay, Indeed, Glassdoor, and Craigslist without getting blocked. They also worked well for social media automation.
Benefits include:
Storm Proxies provide excellent speeds and reliability. The residential IPs are great for scraping sites that block datacenters.
Plans start at $50/month for 5 ports. Unlimited plans available.
Try Storm Proxies free for 3 days!
Proxyrack provides access to millions of HTTP(S) proxies optimized for web scraping and automation. I‘ve used them successfully for price monitoring, brand monitoring, social media scraping, and accessing APIs.
Their key benefits are:
Proxyrack maintains its own pool of datacenter proxies for reliable web scraping performance. Packages start at €75/month for 50 GB of traffic.
For heavy-duty scraping and automation, Proxyrack delivers excellent results.
Yes, there are “private residential proxies” available from some providers. These give you dedicated access to a pool of residential IP addresses.
The main benefit of private residential proxies is they provide the anonymity of residential IPs along with the exclusivity of private proxies. This results in very high success rates when scraping or crawling sensitive sites.
Luminati, Bright Data, Oxylabs, GeoSurf, and Smartproxy all offer private residential proxy solutions.
The downside is residential private proxies are more expensive than datacenter private proxies. But for heavily scraped sites, they are worth the investment.
Private proxies provide significant advantages over other proxy options:
This one disadvantage is worthwhile for most serious proxy users. The exclusive access and enhanced performance justify the higher price of private proxies for many use cases.
Here are common scenarios where investing in private proxies pays off:
Any project involving large-scale web scraping, data mining, or API access can benefit from private proxies. The exclusive access and improved performance justify the extra investment.
Free public proxies should always be avoided for web scraping and automation. Here‘s why free proxies are problematic:
Good proxy services are worth paying for. The small investment provides faster speeds, higher uptime, lower blocks, exclusive access, and helpful customer support.
With hundreds of proxy services out there, finding a reliable provider can feel overwhelming. Here‘s what to look for:
Proxy types – Choose providers with residential, datacenter, or mobile proxies based on your use case.
Locations – Global, regional, or city-specific IPs can be required depending on your needs.
Features – Rotating IPs, sticky sessions, API access, and other features may be necessary.
Reliability – Check uptime history and guarantees along with transparent network info.
Reputation – Read third-party reviews to gauge overall quality and service.
Speed – Faster proxies result in higher productivity and less timeouts.
Support – Determine if they offer ticket, chat, phone, and email assistance.
Cost – Proxy prices can range widely depending on features, locations, and concurrency.
Taking the time to thoroughly evaluate providers will help you find the right proxy service for your specific use case.
Private and dedicated proxies refer to the same thing – IP addresses that are exclusive to you and not shared with other users.
Some providers use “private proxy” while others prefer the term “dedicated proxy”. But both indicate exclusive use of the proxies.
Private proxy pricing can range from $1/month for basic HTTP proxies up to $10+/month for highly anonymous residential IPs. Most private proxy packages cost $1-5 per month per IP address.
Factors impacting cost include:
Shopping around is key, as private proxy prices vary significantly between providers.
Yes, many proxy providers offer private residential proxies dedicated to your exclusive use. These provide the anonymity of residential IPs along with the performance of private proxies.
Luminati, Bright Data, GeoSurf, Oxylabs, and Smartproxy all offer private residential proxy services aimed at web scraping. Just know these residential private proxies cost more than datacenter private proxies.
SOCKS5 proxies are commonly available as private proxies from most major providers. SOCKS5 proxies support threaded connections and are optimized for web scraping.
Providers like Bright Data, Oxylabs, Luminati, GeoSurf, Storm Proxies, and Smartproxy all offer private SOCKS5 proxies along with private HTTPS proxies.
Private proxies provide enhanced performance, reliability, and security compared to shared or public proxies. Their exclusive access results in fewer blocks and faster speeds.
For businesses and developers doing large-scale web scraping, data mining, or API access, a premium private proxy solution is strongly recommended.
Based on hands-on testing, the top private proxy providers are Bright Data, Oxylabs, GeoSurf, HighProxies, Smartproxy, and Storm Proxies. These services offer reliable performance and helpful customer support.
Try out a few leading providers with free trials to determine the best fit. Private proxies require an investment but deliver excellent results when configured properly.
