How to Choose a Reliable Proxy

To ensure smooth business operations, a proxy is one of the essential network tools. Choosing a reliable, high-quality proxy that suits specific business needs is crucial, as it provides strong network support for business development.

Ⅰ. Based on IP Types

Common IP types are generally divided into rotating proxies and dedicated static proxies, while from the source perspective, they can be categorized into residential proxies and data center proxies.

(1) Rotating Proxy

The IPs are automatically rotated at regular intervals, making them suitable for business scenarios requiring high IP diversity and large-scale operations. Examples include market research and competitive analysis, data collection, ad verification, and SEO monitoring.

(2) Dedicated Static Proxy

These IPs remain fixed and unchanged, making them ideal for scenarios requiring high IP stability and a consistent network identity. Examples include cross-border e-commerce store anti-association, social media marketing and account stability, and precise ad targeting.

(3) Residential IP

Provided by Internet Service Providers (ISPs), these proxies closely mimic real network users, making them suitable for businesses with high overall network requirements.

(4) Data Center IP

These IPs are typically hosted on data center servers, offering relatively higher speed but lower authenticity compared to residential IPs.

Ⅱ. Connection Stability and Speed

The lower the response time of a proxy, the faster it can access the target website, enhancing work experience and efficiency. Frequent disconnections or interruptions can lead to network request failures, disrupt business operations, and even increase the risk of accounts being flagged or banned. Therefore, it is crucial to choose proxies with short response times, stable connections, and excellent speed performance.

Ⅲ. Based on Proxy Provider Quality

A reliable proxy provider offers a larger and higher-quality pool of IP resources. The quality of a provider can be assessed based on factors such as the size of the IP pool, the types of proxies offered, geographic location options, integration capabilities, overall service quality, and after-sales support.

For example, if a provider has an IP pool of tens of millions or more, the reuse rate of IPs will be lower, and the number of clean IPs will be higher. Additionally, the more IP types and location options available, the more business scenarios and functionalities the proxy can support.

Ⅳ. Based on IP Cleanliness

IP cleanliness is another crucial factor in determining proxy quality. When a platform detects a suspicious IP with low cleanliness, that IP is likely to be restricted or even blacklisted, preventing normal network activities and disrupting business operations. Therefore, using clean IPs can significantly reduce various risks.

A clean IP refers to an IP that is not listed on major proxy detection system blacklists used by well-known websites and authoritative platforms. Additionally, IPs that have never been used before, or those that are shared among only a few users without overlapping platform usage, can also be considered clean IPs.

To determine whether an IP meets cleanliness standards, tools like Scamalytics, ping0, and AbuseIPDB can be used to monitor IP quality. For example, testing a proxy from IPFoxy may show that it is not blacklisted, has a high cleanliness score, and accurately matches the target region, ensuring stable usage throughout.

Ⅴ. Based on IP Pricing

Free or low-cost proxies often come from high-risk shared IP pools, where multiple users utilize the same IP simultaneously. This increases the likelihood of malicious activities, making it easier for websites to detect and ban these IPs, which in turn affects other users sharing the same proxy. Additionally, free or low-cost proxies typically suffer from poor stability, high disconnection rates, and high latency.

While a higher price does not always guarantee a better proxy, high-quality proxies will never be free or extremely cheap.

Ⅵ.Conclusion