Hey there! As a seasoned web scraping and data collection pro with over 5 years of hands-on experience using all kinds of proxies, I‘m excited to share my top picks for the best shared proxy providers to use in 2024.
Whether you‘re new to proxies or a grizzled veteran, this guide will cover everything you need to choose the right shared proxy service for your specific needs and budget. I‘ll be speaking from my own experience as an expert proxy user – so you can be confident you‘re getting the real inside scoop!
Let‘s start with a quick primer on shared proxies if you‘re unfamiliar with how they work.
Contents
- A Quick Intro to Shared Proxies
- 1. Smartproxy – Best Overall Shared Proxies
- 2. Oxylabs – Top Shared Proxies for European Locations
- 3. Bright Data – Most Customization Options
- 4. Webshare – Budget Shared Proxies
- 5. Soax – Simple and Cheap
- 6. GeoSurf – Best Budget Residential Proxies
- Key Factors for Picking the Best Shared Proxy Provider
- The Bottom Line on Shared Proxy Services
A proxy acts as an intermediary between your computer and the websites you want to access. When you connect through a proxy, it will show the site the proxy‘s IP address rather than your own. This helps you hide your real location and identity.
Proxies come in three main types:
- Datacenter proxies – IPS in datacenters that many users share
- Dedicated proxies – A single proxy IP only you use
- Residential proxies – Proxies based in homes and businesses
Shared proxies refer specifically to datacenter proxy services where hundreds or thousands of users access the same pool of IP addresses. The providers use advanced networking techniques to route each user through a different proxy.
Compared to dedicated or residential proxies, shared proxies give you these advantages:
- Cost savings – You pay a fraction of the price by sharing IPs
- Simpler setup – No special integrations needed, just use the proxy list
- Good for new users – Affordable way to test proxies for your use case
The tradeoff is that shared IPs are easier to block if a site tries. But they work great for basic web scraping, testing geo-restricted sites, and maintaining your privacy online.
Now let‘s look at my top recommendations for trusted shared proxy providers in 2024.
For reliable performance, large proxy pools, and easy setup, Smartproxy is my top choice for shared rotating proxies.
Here‘s an overview of their service:
- 100,000+ shared IPs – One of the largest proxy pools available.
- HTTP and HTTPS support – Integrates with any tool or script.
- Automatic IP rotation – Avoids detection by rotating every 30 mins.
- Residential IPs too – Option for 40M+ residential proxies.
- 300Gbps network capacity – Provides fast, reliable speeds.
- 99.93% uptime – Robust infrastructure with minimal downtime.
- 24/7 live support – Get prompt help from the knowledgeable support team.
I particularly appreciate that Smartproxy offers two ways to access their shared proxies:
Traffic-based plans give you access to the full shared proxy pool and you pay per GB used. Rates start at $30/month for 50GB.
IP-based plans let you purchase a set number of IPs per month. Plans start at $10 for 100 shared IPs.
Both options provide the same full coverage in datacenters across the US, Europe, and Asia Pacific. And the proxies automatically rotate every 30 minutes to avoid blocks while scraping.
Beyond their stellar proxy network, Smartproxy also shines when it comes to usability. Their browser extensions, mobile apps, and API make it a breeze to integrate the proxies into any workflow. And their dashboard provides helpful analytics on proxy usage and limits.
For my money, Smartproxy‘s combination of large proxy pools, strong network performance, and easy-to-use features make them the best overall choice for most shared proxy needs.
If you need shared proxies located specifically in Europe, Oxylabs is a top provider to consider.
Here are some of the key benefits Oxylabs offers:
- EU and US proxies – 15 locations including UK, Germany, France, etc.
- 300,000+ IPs available – Huge pool avoids blocks.
- Rotates with each request – Ideal for web scraping.
- 99.98% uptime – Excellent infrastructure reliability.
- High speeds – Average 0.6s response time.
- Unlimited sessions – Set custom IP refresh rates.
I‘m impressed by Oxylabs‘ proxy stats – with 300,000+ shared IPs available, their network offers reliable uptime along with fast sub-second response times.
Their proxies automatically rotate with each request, which is perfect for scraping sites aggressively without getting flagged. You can also set up unlimited sessions so your IPs rotate based on customized schedules.
The diverse locations across the EU and North America have worked well for targeting niche geographic sites during my own projects.
Pricing is simple and transparent too. Plans start at $50 per month for 75GB of proxy traffic. Compared to competitors, you get excellent bang for your buck with Oxylabs.
For European users or anyone needing shared proxies in the EU, put Oxylabs at the top of your list. The performance and targeting make them well worth the price.
3. Bright Data – Most Customization Options
If you need full control to customize your shared proxies, Bright Data is a compelling choice. They give you tons of ways to fine-tune proxy behavior for your specific needs.
Bright Data offers two options:
- Full proxy pool – Over 20,000 shared IPs available.
- Custom proxy lists – Select your own IPs.
Features I appreciate include:
- 80+ locations – Proxies in most major regions.
- Smart Proxy Manager – Control proxy settings and rotation rules.
- Pay-as-you-go pricing – Per GB pricing works for occasional use.
- High performance – Fast 131 Mbps speeds and 99.95% uptime.
- SOCKS5 support – Use proxies with any software.
If you invest time into the Smart Proxy Manager, you can dial in proxes to work exactly how you want. Set up specific rules for rotating intervals, geo-targeting, session handling, and more.
Pricing starts at $500 per month for 10GB which is on the expensive side. But you get extraordinary customization to enhance any web scraping workflow.
For full control over advanced proxy configurations, Bright Data shines as a top choice.
Let‘s say you want capable shared proxies on a budget – that‘s where Webshare makes a lot of sense. Despite the low pricing, their proxies still offer reliable performance.
Key advantages of Webshare:
- 40+ locations – Proxies in US, Europe, Asia, Latin America.
- HTTP & SOCKS5 protocols – Compatible with any tool.
- 99.95% uptime – Consistently reliable infrastructure.
- 125Mbps speeds – Faster than many competitors.
- Custom IP refreshing – Rotate proxies on your schedule.
- Plans from $1/proxy – Extremely affordable for individuals.
I‘m impressed that Webshare delivers proxies with uptime and speeds on par with premium services, but at a fraction of the price.
Their network includes over 40 datacenter locations across the Americas, Europe, and Asia Pacific. You can get shared IPs via a simple list or use their gateway for rotating proxies.
Helpful features include the ability to allocate traffic quotas, filter proxies by attributes, and set custom refresh schedules. This amount of configuration flexibility is rare at such low costs.
If your goal is getting decent shared proxies on a tight budget, Webshare hits that balance nicely.
5. Soax – Simple and Cheap
Another solid budget option for shared proxies is Soax. Two advantages that stand out about their service:
- Very simple pricing – $4 per IP, no traffic limits.
- Upfront costs – Prepay for 1-12 months for bigger discounts.
Soax provides over 300,000 residential and datacenter IPs you can use with any software or browser. Locations include the US, UK, Canada, France, and Germany.
Their proxies offer good performance stats for the low pricing:
- 99.6% uptime
- 76 Mbps average speeds
- HTTP and SOCKS5 protocols
The dashboard also provides helpful analytics like usage charts, location targeting, and custom whitelists/blacklists.
For occasional proxy needs, Soax has pay-as-you-go pricing starting at just $1 per GB. But the best value is pre-paying for IPs monthly or annually to save up to 50%.
Overall, Soax hits the sweet spot of simplicity and affordability. For basic shared proxies on a budget, check them out.
6. GeoSurf – Best Budget Residential Proxies
Finally, I want to mention GeoSurf as an option if you specifically need residential proxies on a tight budget.
GeoSurf focuses on residential IPs but also offers a shared datacenter network that performs admirably for the pricing.
Here are the highlights of their service:
- Over 3 million shared IPs available
- Automatic rotating proxies
- 99.89% uptime
- 100Mbps average speeds
- Plans from $24/month for 5GB
The proxies provide good speeds and reliability for most web scraping activities. Locations are predominantly in the US and EU.
While pricier than some competitors, GeoSurf provides surprisingly solid residential proxies starting at just $24/month. For occasional residential proxy needs on a budget, they‘re worth considering.
Now that we‘ve covered my top recommendations, let‘s discuss the criteria I use to evaluate and select shared proxy services.
If you‘re looking to buy shared proxies, keep these factors in mind as you compare providers:
Large Proxy Pool
The more shared IPs a provider offers, the less likely you‘ll run into blocks or have to wait for new IPs. Look for proxy pools in the tens or hundreds of thousands for best results.
Automatic IP Rotation
Rotating proxies that automatically fetch new IP addresses are crucial for avoiding blocks while web scraping. Frequent rotation (every request) is ideal.
Locations Available
More location options means better flexibility for targeting niche sites or content restricted to certain countries. Look for providers with 10+ countries covered.
Reliable Infrastructure
Check proxy performance stats like uptime (should be 99%+) and response times (under 1 second is good). This ensures proxies work consistently.
Customer Support
Responsive customer support via live chat, email, or tickets helps when you need troubleshooting assistance.
Flexible Pricing
Traffic-based pricing scales well for projects with fluctuating proxy needs. Other beneficial options include pay-as-you-go rates and monthly/annual prepay discounts.
Features & Tools
Helpful extras like API access, browser extensions, proxy managers, whitelists, and usage analytics provide convenience.
Phew, that was a lot of info to cover the top shared proxy providers available in 2024!
The main takeaway is that Smartproxy is my overall top pick thanks to their robust proxy pools, reliable performance, and easy-to-use setup.
Oxylabs is great for European locations and advanced features, while Bright Data shines if you need deep customization and control.
For budget proxies, Webshare and Soax both provide solid performance at affordable rates for individuals. And GeoSurf offers surprisingly capable residential proxies on a budget.
No matter your specific needs and budget, this guide provided trusted recommendations of the leading shared proxy services on the market right now.
I hope this detailed breakdown from my experience as a veteran proxy user gives you confidence to choose the right provider for your web scraping and data collection needs. Let me know if you have any other questions! I‘m always happy to help a fellow proxy enthusiast out.
Keep scraping smart my friend!
