Proxies are essential in the collection of vital data which can be put to profitable use in e-commerce. They do this by making web scraping both effective and easy. It would be almost impossible to scourge trillions of web pages without the help of tools like proxies.
Proxies also help keep you safe during most of your time on the internet. It hides your internet protocol (IP) address – a unique identifier used to track you online.
By hiding your IP and using it, a proxy guarantees your safety and the security of your sensitive data. What’s more? Proxies usually have multiple IPs and locations that can easily switch to prevent you from getting restricted on the internet. However, there isn’t just one type of proxy, and most people get torn between which proxies to use. Here, we highlight the two main types of proxy and describe their differences to help you make your mind faster.
What Is A Proxy?
A proxy is an intermediary software that can function on your behalf to deliver your request to a target website and return the response to you.
This means that instead of jumping into the web with your IP – leaving you exposed – you can reroute your request via a proxy and mask your device’s real details.
This helps you stay anonymous while carrying out important business activities online. It is also the safest way to guarantee your safety online, as hackers can’t hack or track what they can’t see.
Other benefits that proxies deliver to e-commerce brands include:
- Scraping an unlimited number of data sources with unrivaled speed
- Delivering very accurate and reliable data from millions of sources
- Filtering the web content that leaves or enters your network
- Using cache mechanism to do work faster and prevent a server from crashing
- Regularly switching IP and location to bypass geo-restrictions
What Are The Two Main Types of Proxies?
There are two prevalent proxy classes – static and rotating proxies – and most proxies fall into these groups.
Static Proxies
A static proxy is a proxy class that allows a user to utilize one IP at a time. The IP is often called a sticky IP address and does not change over time.
You can only use the sticky IP to access the internet continuously. However, you are free to switch and choose any location of your choice to increase your chances of staying anonymous.
Static proxies are also mostly datacenter proxies where you can use the IP address you are allocated for as long as you want. Because they are datacenter proxies, you are guaranteed a fast connection and great bandwidth. They are also hard to block or restrict, and this can help you successfully extract data from multiple websites without restrictions.
Rotating Proxies
Rotating proxies are also sometimes called residential proxies, which are the exact opposite of datacenter proxies.
That is, instead of one IP address at a time, rotating proxies offer you a pool of proxies, IPs, and locations to choose and switch from.
The IPs of rotating proxies are usually allocated by the internet service providers (ISP) to look exactly like those used by regular homeowners. This is important to ensure the user never gets blocked online as he will always be seen as a regular homeowner and not a bot.
The switching of IPs and locations can be done at random intervals or changed after a fixed period. And the benefits of using this type of proxy include added layer of security plus guaranteed anonymity and minimal chances of ever getting blocked online.
Static Residential Proxies
Static proxies are fast and provide a good bandwidth. However, they are not as secure as residential proxies. It is easier to get tracked with a sticky IP address and, after a hundred or more requests, it becomes easier for the target website to identify it as a bot and block the proxy.
On the other hand, rotating proxies are secure and provide you with all the anonymity you require. With this proxy, you are almost untouchable as it keeps supplying you with different IPs and locations.
However, rotating proxies are slower than static proxies and often less reliable when compared with their data center counterparts.
Static residential proxies are the group of proxies that offer you the best of both worlds; they are as fast and reliable as datacenter proxies and as secure and anonymous as residential proxies. More on the best solutions – view website’s offerings.
Difference between the Two Main Types
Below is a tabular representation of the difference that exists between the two main types of proxies.
| Proxy Type | Static Proxies | Rotating Proxies |
| Cost-effectiveness | More expensive to set up and maintain. Hence more expensive. | Less expensive. It can be reused severally with very minimal maintenance. |
| Security | They are less secure | Much more secure |
| Anonymity | Not very anonymous. Anonymity can only be increased when used with a proxy rotator. | Changes IP very often gives you high anonymity. |
| Reliability | Static proxies offer 99.99% uptime and are therefore more reliable and stable. | Rotating proxies are not as reliable. |
Conclusion
There are several proxies in the market. However, not every proxy service provider can accommodate your needs. You need to first verify your needs before settling for a proxy time. Picking a proxy isn’t enough. Picking the right proxy for you can make all the difference.
