Professional scraping is impossible without the use of proxy servers, as most websites restrict or block mass scraper requests. Our tests have shown that no web server would send content to a crawler that sends high-frequency requests from a single computer.
In this article, we're going to take an in-depth look at how proxy servers work, the types and benefits of them, and how to choose a good free proxy for web scraping.
What's a proxy for web scraping?
A proxy is an intermediary server that routes requests from clients looking for resources to servers that provide those resources.
Because web scraping requires a large number of requests to a server from a single IP address, the server may detect too many requests and block that IP address to prevent further information collection.
This is why proxy servers are used to bypass blocking. They allow you to hide your real IP address and ensure that the server running the target site cannot detect your real physical location.
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How web scraping proxies work
The primary function of web scraping proxies is to mask the scraper's true IP address, making it more difficult for websites to detect and block scraping activity. They:
- Mask the scraper's IP to avoid detection.
- Route the scraper's request through another IP.
- Fetch and return data to the scraper, bypassing IP-based restrictions.
This allows scrapers to access content without being banned, and to rotate IPs to further avoid detection.
Let's use a real-world analogy to explain how web scraping proxies work:
Imagine you want to check out the daily specials at a popular restaurant, but you've been there too many times in a short period of time, and the restaurant staff recognizes you. If they see you again, they might not let you in because they're suspicious about why you're visiting so often.
Without a proxy:
This is like trying to scrape a website without a proxy. If you make too many requests, the site will recognize you (by your IP address) and block you.
With a proxy:
Now imagine you ask a friend (let's call him Bob) to go to the restaurant for you and check out the daily specials. Bob goes in, gets the information, and reports back to you. The next day you send another friend (Alice) to do the same. The restaurant staff sees different people coming in each time, so they don't get suspicious.
In this analogy:
- You are the web scraper.
- The restaurant is the target website.
- Bob and Alice are the proxies.
- The daily specials are the data you want to scrape.
If you keep sending different friends (or proxies) to the restaurant (website), you can gather information without raising suspicion. This is essentially how web scraping proxies work: they help you access information without being detected or blocked.
Hopefully, this analogy clarifies the concept for those unfamiliar with web scraping and proxies.
Why do you need a proxy for web scraping?
You can't do web scraping without proxies on a large scale. And the main reason is that you won't get through the restrictions on multiple requests to a site from a single IP address without a proxy. When you refresh the page a certain number of times, the fraud protection system is triggered. Then the site starts to perceive your actions as a DDoS attack and blocks access to your pages.
Therefore, it is worth using several IPs at once to successfully collect information. But, of course, it all depends on how many requests you want to make.
Are web scraping proxies legal?
Scraping public data is legal. If the content is in the public domain and not copyrighted, it can be used legally. It doesn't depend on whether you use a proxy or not. However, the scraped data should be used within the law.
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Web scraping proxy types
Residential proxies
A residential proxy is linked to a physical location via an Internet Service Provider (ISP) and is great for anonymous activities like streaming geo-restricted content or managing multiple social media accounts on Linkedin or Facebook.
Datacenter proxies
On the other hand, datacenter proxies are controlled by a hosting provider and are primarily used for large-scale data collection. These proxies are cheaper and faster than residential ones, but they're easily tracked and not as secure as residential IP addresses because the ISP can log your activity with them.
Mobile proxies
Mobile IPs belong to domains of mobile operators, and web developers avoid banning such IPs. Their fear is that each mobile IP can have tens of thousands of real users. However, not all proxy providers allocate mobile proxies to an individual package.
Rotating proxies
Rotating proxies mean that the proxy provider substitutes new IPs for an already open connection with a client at specified intervals. Sometimes even for every new request. This is a useful feature because you can get the content in two or three tries, even if the first request ends in an error.
It's worth noting that rotating proxies can be of two main types: datacenter and proxies. Each type has its advantages, and the choice often depends on the specific requirements of the task. For a comprehensive overview and a selection of the most effective options available, you can read a detailed review of rotating and residential proxies.
Forward proxies
Forward proxies stand for a proxy that acts as a courier and connects the client and web server independently to exchange messages. In addition to a forward proxy, there are reverse proxies with a subtle difference.
Reverse proxies
A reverse proxy refers to a server in a data center that intercepts all user requests directly to itself. The reverse proxy does not reach the external network itself but forwards the received client requests to the proxy servers in its local network. Having collected responses from the proxies to the external web server, the reverse proxy returns them to the client.
It can be said that from the client's point of view, a reverse proxy behaves the same way as a forward proxy. But, a different logic is used at the proxy level, whereby the server connected to the client never connects to the web servers on the external network.
Anonymous proxies
An anonymous proxy server does not pass your IP address to the website but identifies itself as a proxy. As a result, you maintain a certain level of anonymity as long as the website knows they are not getting your information. Because the website knows it is being accessed through a proxy, it may deny your request.
Dedicated proxies
Dedicated proxies are designed for a single user's exclusive use and guarantee maximum performance. Usually, they are used when other types of proxies become too slow due to many search attempts from numerous users or because the site is blocking all traffic from an abstract IP address range. In this case, private networking solutions come to the help with dedicated proxy networks like Personal Proxy Servers (PPS).
Shared Proxies
Shared proxies offer much cheaper access than personal or dedicated services but can be less reliable because you will share it with several other people as well as web crawlers and bots. Shared ISPs may also allow fewer concurrent connections at once than some of their competitors while offering lower speeds.
Which type of proxies is the best for web scraping
The primary choice of proxy type for scraping is between the datacenter and residential proxies. If you need high-speed and low-cost proxies, datacenter proxies are a good option. But if you need more reliable and anonymous proxies, residential proxies are the way to go. Additionally, the choice of proxy type may also depend on the specific requirements of your web scraping project.
Is a VPN or proxy better for web scraping?
The answer to this question really depends on the task. In most cases, a proxy is the best option for web scraping because it provides faster connections and more consistent performance than a VPN. However, if you need extra security or privacy while browsing, VPNs are an alternative solution.
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9 Aspects to Consider When Selecting a Proxy Service
You might think that finding a good proxy service provider is very difficult. Especially when you consider the sheer number of providers on the market. So here are 9 most important factors to consider when choosing the right proxy service provider:
IP pool size
One of the criteria when choosing a proxy provider is the number of proxies available. This is especially relevant if you're working on a project that needs proxies from specific locations.
-
A small proxy pool means that they have a limited number of available IP addresses and may not meet your needs. Plus, a small pool of IP addresses is more prone to IP blocking.
-
A large proxy pool provides more specificity and a guarantee of access to a site by city or country. If you need to access sites in different locations, make sure that the proxy provider you choose has a great proxy pool management system.
Customer support
You may run into technical problems when working with proxies. Therefore, it is worth working with a provider who offers a good customer support system and who is willing to help you in a difficult time. They should also be ready to help you sort out the technical problem and its cause.
Reputation
A proxy provider that does not operate according to high ethical standards can expose you to significant security risks.
A proxy provider must adhere to an ethical code of privacy to ensure the safety of all its customers. The principles must comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Moreover, a reliable provider will require the device owner's consent before redirecting request data using his or her IP address.
Information collection
A proxy server must collect a minimum of information about you. Of course, all servers collect information about you, but paid and prestigious ones do it to a minimum. And they use it only for their own purposes. Without selling it or handing it over to government agencies.
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Geolocation
When choosing a proxy, it is worth paying attention to the ability to select geolocation. Unfortunately, not all services support this feature, while it is one of the key parameters.
Depending on which country's proxy servers are selected, different resources may be displayed differently. For example, to view the Google search results for "Best cafes in New York," it is better to use a US proxy to see how it appears to users in that country.
Moreover, some resources may block access for specific countries. In such cases, if you are from that country, you will need to use a proxy to access the information.
Ability to choose the type of proxy
Different tasks require different types of proxies, and having the flexibility to choose can significantly enhance your online operations.
Response Time
Response time shows how fast the target resource responds when using a proxy. If the response time is very high, it is undesirable to use such proxies, as they reduce the speed and performance of the web scraping process.
Anonymity
The more anonymity, the better for your business. Before choosing a proxy provider, determine the level of anonymity you need. If it is high, make sure they offer anonymous and elite proxies that completely hide your IP address from all web resources.
Reliability
The reliability of a proxy depends on all the criteria mentioned above. The more parameters by which a proxy is secure and reliable, the higher the overall reliability of the proxy used. Also, pay attention to rotating proxies. This makes them better for automation and using in scraping tools.
Try out Web Scraping API with proxy rotation, CAPTCHA bypass, and Javascript rendering.
We offer customized web scraping solutions that can provide any data you need, on time and with no hassle!
Tired of getting blocked while scraping the web?
Try now for free
Get structured data in the format you need!
Get a Quote
Top Web Scraping Proxy Services: Our 2023 Picks
Before we look in detail at the best proxy providers for web scraping, let's compare them in the following table:
| Proxy Provider | Features | Cost | Proxy Types | Country Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scrape-It.Cloud | Rotating IPs, Residential proxies, API access, Captcha problem solved | has a free trial period, paid plans start at $45/month | Residential, Datacenter | Global |
| SSL | High anonymity, Automatic rotation | free plan; premium plan from $3.98 to $99.97 per month | Datacenter | US, EU |
| Open Proxy Space | Unlimited bandwidth, Flexible API, Automatic rotation | free version, Premium costs $4.99 to $7.99 per month. | Datacenter | Global |
| Proxy List | Free option available, Proxy API, No restrictions on usage | free | Datacenter | Global |
| Proxyscrape | Free option available, Timeout threshold, No restrictions on usage | Free/Paid plans available | Datacenter | Global |
| Geonode | Residential and datacenter proxies, Rotating IPs, API access | free trial period of 7 days. After that $7 a month | Residential, Datacenter | Global |
| Spys.one | Anonymous free proxy list, No paid options | Free | Datacenter | Global |
Let’s see more about 7 the best proxy providers for web scraping:
Scrape-it.Cloud
If you're going to use a proxy for web scraping, consider Scrape-it.Cloud, a leading web scraping API.
When you sign up for Scrape-It.Cloud, you'll immediately receive 1,000 free credits, and the best part is that there are no limitations during the trial period. Even if you're not tech-savvy, the trial offers a choice of proxy types and out-of-the-box no-code scrapers for popular services. For those who choose a web scraping API, features like JavaScript rendering with headless Chrome, JavaScript execution, custom headers and cookies, and extraction rules are readily available. You can even capture screenshots of the pages you're extracting from, ensuring you have a visual reference for your data.
To show that some services provide better quality proxies, we conducted research in which we performed 1000 requests using different proxies provided by the resource. We entered all the results into tables. Let's see for Scrape-It.Cloud:
|
Website |
Errors |
Blocked |
Success |
Latency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
0 |
0 |
1000 |
1.8 |
|
Amazon |
19 |
0 |
981 |
3 |
One of the main service features is automatic proxy rotation. With a large pool of proxies, you can bypass site speed limits, hide your scrapes and reduce the chance of being blocked by a website. We offer both data center proxies and resident proxies.
Features:
- Data transmission over secure channels
- Captcha problem solved
- 5.000.000+ IPs from all over the world
- Absolutely anonymous
- Automatic proxy rotation
Pros:
- Easy to use
- Ongoing support
- Fast-acting
- Affordable pricing
- Unlimited bandwidth
- Follows full legal compliance
Price: has a free trial period. Paid plans start at $30/month.
ProxyScrape
ProxyScrape is an online proxy for anonymous network access. It has a user-friendly interface and the ability to sort the proxy list by country. This proxy supports HTTP, SOCKS4, and SOCKS5 protocols. There is a premium version that displays a more comprehensive list of faster and more stable proxies.
Test results:
| Website | Errors | Blocked | Success | Latency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 440 | 230 | 330 | 2,2 | |
| Amazon | 500 | 344 | 156 | 4,3 |
Features:
- Timeout threshold
- HTTP proxies
- SOCKS4/SOCKS5 proxies
- Sort proxies
|
Pros |
Cons |
|---|---|
|
Up to 60 000 datacenter proxies and 7 million residential proxies |
According to reviews, customer data may be leaked |
|
Low pings |
|
|
Friendly customer support |
|
|
99% uptime guarantee |
|
|
Unlimited bandwidth |
Price: free.
SSL Proxy
SSL Proxy offers a list of rotating HTTP, HTTPS, and SOCKS5 proxies and a pool of 8,000+ IP addresses. Proxies rotate IPs based on time or requests. The list is constantly updated to ensure that many users have access to the latest stable proxies.
Test results:
|
Website |
Errors |
Blocked |
Success |
Latency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
714 |
198 |
88 |
3,65 |
|
Amazon |
724 |
137 |
139 |
1,04 |
Features:
- HTTPS and SSL proxies
- Fast and slow rotating ports
- Google anonymity proxies
|
Pros |
Cons |
|---|---|
|
High-speed connection |
Don't support SOCKS proxies |
|
High anonymity private of proxies |
SSP types |
|
Effective refund policy |
Expensive proxy plans |
|
A large pool of proxy IPs |
|
|
Location support is available across the world |
|
|
Instant proxy delivery |
|
|
Easy to set up |
Price: free plan; premium plan from $3.98 to $99.97 per month.
Open Proxy Space
Open Proxy Space is an option for accessing the public proxy list for anonymous connections. The service provides an updated list of proxy servers with country selection. The list shows HTTP and SOCKS proxies.
Test results:
|
Website |
Errors |
Blocked |
Success |
Latency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
940 |
31 |
28 |
7,9 |
|
Amazon |
771 |
146 |
83 |
8,5 |
Features:
- HTTP/HTTPS proxy connections
- SOCKS 4/SOCKS5 protocols
- Ability to save proxy lists in TXT
- Cascade/Distorting proxies
- Flexible API
|
Pros |
Cons |
|---|---|
|
Fast speed |
No refunds, all sales are final |
|
Undetectable |
|
|
Good customer support |
|
|
Instant delivery |
|
|
Fast speed |
Price: free version, but it does not offer a secure or stable proxy list. It's better to sign up for the premium version to get an updated proxy list. Premium costs $4.99 to $7.99 per month.
Proxy-List
Proxy-List provides a list of proxy servers worldwide. All proxies are checked to make sure they are 100% operational. The list includes the anonymity level, city, and country where the servers are located.
Test results:
| Website | Errors | Blocked | Success | Latency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 630 | 252 | 107 | 1,2 | |
| Amazon | 556 | 390 | 54 | 2,1 |
Features:
- Proxy API
- Proxy scraper
- HTTP, SSL, SOCKS4/5 Proxies
- More than 1 million proxy lists
|
Pros |
Cons |
|---|---|
|
Daily updated proxies |
Only 104 proxies with US geolocation |
|
Good customer support |
Price: free.
Geonode
Geonode is an online proxy access tool for secure data extraction. There is a choice of the anonymous or non-anonymous proxy, country selection, proxy listing export in CSV, JSON, TXT formats, etc.
Test results:
| Website | Errors | Blocked | Success | Latency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 885 | 67 | 48 | 7,1 | |
| Amazon | 800 | 87 | 113 | 16,4 |
Features:
- IP whitelisting
- Up to 2 million IP addresses in over 140 different countries
- Residential IPs
- Customize API reports
|
Pros |
Cons |
|---|---|
|
Whitelisting option available |
Proxy speed and effectiveness need improvement |
|
Unlimited bandwidth |
Customer service can be slow |
|
Simple user interface |
Money transfer issues |
|
Supports rotating and static IPs |
|
|
Affordable pricing |
Price: a free trial period of 7 days. After that $7 a month.
SPYS.ONE
Spys.one is a free online proxy application for anonymous network access. The list of online proxies consists of a large number of free HTTP/HTTPS and SOCKS proxies. You can sort proxies based on cities, transparency, hostname, view the latency, speed, and uptime of each proxy.
Test results:
|
Website |
Errors |
Blocked |
Success |
Latency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
459 |
284 |
175 |
3,8 |
|
Amazon |
446 |
191 |
170 |
9,1 |
Features:
- Anonymous free proxy list
- Proxy list sorted by city, port, and hostname
- HTTP, HTTPS, and SOCKS proxy list
|
Pros |
Cons |
|---|---|
|
You can always find free SOCKS5 proxies |
The service does not have a distinct API |
|
Database with the ability to filter by the specified criteria |
Parsing of pages is prohibited (the service blocks IP-client if the specified number of automatic requests is exceeded) |
|
Ability to check for viruses, check proxy lists and specific IP addresses, Whois, ping, traceroute, etc. |
There are no guarantees either on proxies or on their quality |
|
No paid options |
The built-in proxy checker can make mistakes |
Price: Free
Conclusion
Ultimately, the choice of proxy is not only about finding an affordable one. It's also about choosing a proxy that fits your specific needs and offers effective security measures with excellent performance.
Whether you're a coding veteran or just starting out in web scraping, having knowledge of different types of proxies, as well as understanding what factors such as geolocation, response speed and reliability are necessary to lead web scraping project to success.
Although initially tempting, free proxy solutions are not always the best choice. Premium proxy services and web scraping APIs typically provide superior value and ensure sustained data scraping success without interruptions or bans over time.
As technology evolves so will the range and use cases for various type of proxies available - knowing this will help you make informed decisions when selecting which provider suits your project best.
