Best Cheap Rotating Proxies That Don’t Compromise on Quality

Rotating Proxies are powerful and convenient tools for bypassing internet restrictions and keeping online activities anonymous. Using rotating proxies, people can change their IP address and appear as a user connected from a different location. These proxies have become essential for various online activities that require private and secure connections, such as web scraping, SEO research, and accessing geo-restricted content.

What Are Rotating Proxies and How Do They Work?

Rotating proxies are popular because they switch IP addresses frequently at regular intervals or after each request sent from the user. So, the request from the user to get information from web servers first goes to the proxy, and then the proxy sends it to the web server with a different IP address. Users usually get the opportunity to choose if they want to switch to another IP address after each request or a set time. This rotation of proxies helps users stay anonymous and hard to track.

The rotation of proxies happens through a proxy pool that the proxy provider offers. On the other hand, when using a static proxy, users get one fixed IP address that won’t change automatically. That is useful for certain situations where the target website is sensitive to IP changes. Whereas rotating proxies are most effective when users are in need of anonymity to mask their real IP addresses through constant changes of proxies. Furthermore, rotating proxies are a great companion when web scraping as they prevent IP bans from protected websites and allow for an uninterrupted data extraction process.

Benefits of Rotating Proxies

The many use cases and advantages of rotating proxies easily make them the most popular type of proxy services. Here are the most important benefits of these proxies:

• Higher Anonymity Level: One thing rotating proxies are the best at is making it nearly impossible for websites and trackers to identify a user’s real IP address by regularly switching between proxies. This approach increases user privacy and the ability to access more information at the same time.
• Bypassing Restrictions: When some content is only available in certain countries and restricted in others, users can take advantage of rotating proxies and set them manually to the correct geographic location to get access to the content. This is especially popular among users of streaming services and gamers.
• Smoother Web Scraping Process: When you want to collect large amounts of data, it can trigger security measures in certain websites to block your IP or limit your access. Using rotating proxies not only helps you avoid IP bans but also automatically bypasses CAPTCHAs to provide smooth web scraping.
• Improved Efficiency: The rotating proxy services also help with server load and reduce the chance of overloading a server because they distribute the requests between numerous IPs and ensure a smooth and fast connection.

Explore the Different Types of Rotating Proxies

Proxy providers offer rotating proxies in different packages with multiple types of proxy pools that are suitable for various use cases and budgets. Here are the main 3 types of rotating proxies offered by most of the reliable proxy providers:

Residential Rotating Proxies

Residential rotating proxies are equipped with residential IPs assigned by Internet service providers to the devices of real users. Due to the fact that the source of these IPs is legitimate users, most websites can’t easily detect and flag the IP as a proxy. So, residential rotating proxies are popular among users who want the most reliable services to stay anonymous and undetected. However, the costs of these proxies are usually higher than other types.

Datacenter Rotating Proxies

Datacenter rotating proxies utilize IP pools originating from data centers rather than ISPs and real users. So these proxies are easier to detect by websites and the chance of getting blocked is higher. However, datacenter rotating proxies are much more affordable than other proxy types in the market. That’s why when users are dealing with websites that don’t have advanced anti-proxy measures, it’s much more cost-effective for them to use Datacenter rotating proxies. These proxy services are perfect for bulk web scraping from unprotected websites and tasks that don’t require anonymity.

Mobile Rotating Proxies

Mobile rotating proxies are another widely popular type of proxy, and the IPs used in them are assigned to mobile devices that are connected to cellular networks. Like residential rotating proxies, the mobile IPs for these proxies are hard to detect due to their legitimate source. With that said, these proxies can have a limited pool of IP addresses because of the limited availability. Moreover, the cost of mobile rotating proxies is quite high,h and not everyone can take advantage of them. These proxies are ideal for mobile environments and app testing as users can switch to many IP locations and check the performance of the apps in various countries.

Cheap Rotating Proxy Services: The Best Deals for You

There are many proxy providers that offer rotating proxy services in a cost-efficient way and affordable plans. Below, you can take a look at some of the rotating cheap proxies available in the market alongside their features, pros, cons, and pricing specifications:

IPRoyal

IPRoyal provides affordability alongside reliability. Users can choose from rotating proxies of three types: residential, mobile, and data center. The unlimited traffic and user-friendly setup make IPRoyal a great choice for new proxy users.

This proxy rotating proxy provider offers an impressive pool of over 34 million IPs across 195 countries, ensuring broad global coverage. Their proxies automatically rotate with every request, making them highly effective for tasks requiring frequent IP changes. Additionally, users benefit from built-in proxy management tools that simplify usage and configuration. For any issues, their 24/7 customer support is always ready to assist.

IPRoyal doesn’t offer any free trial but the starting price for its various plans is quite cheap. For example, users can start taking advantage of residential rotating proxies from $7 for 1 GB.

Pros

• Affordable pricing
• Unlimited traffic
• High uptime
• Easy and quick setup

Cons

• Unbalanced performance
• No free trial

Storm Proxies

As a less-known proxy provider, Storm Proxies has succeeded in offering affordable rotating proxies with fast and reliable connections. Although Storm Proxies can’t compete with large proxy providers in terms of IP pool and server locations, it’s one of the interesting options with special rotating services for sneaker and ticket websites.

If you’re looking for a rotating proxy specifically optimized for sneaker and ticketing platforms, Storm Proxies should be your go-to. With this provider, you will have access to a pool of over 700,000 IPs, ensuring decent coverage for its users. Proxies automatically rotate every 3, 5, or 15 minutes, giving users flexibility depending on their needs. Also, Storm Proxies imposes no data limitations and supports popular bots, making it a practical choice for automation tasks.

Storm Proxies provides its rotating services with pricing plans based on the number of threads and ports. The smallest package for 1 month of dedicated rotating proxies is $19 for 10 threads. The price for sneaker and ticket sites rotating proxies starts from $90 monthly for 10 ports. Storm Proxies doesn’t offer any free trial.

Pros

• High-speed rotating proxies
• Unlimited bandwidth
• User-friendly setup
• Cost-efficient

Cons

• No free trial
• Limited server locations

Smartproxy

Smartproxy is another great option for users who are looking for advanced proxy rotation tools and a large IP pool that can satisfy their needs. With Smartproxy, users can freely set the intervals that the proxy will switch or set it to rotate with every request.

This provider has a massive pool of over 65 million residential IPs and 10 million mobile IPs. On top of that, Smartproxy provides geo-targeting capabilities with server locations in more than 195 countries. Whether you’re a beginner looking for it for your personal projects or an experienced user needing it for your company, Smartproxy is the best option for you, thanks to its APIs designed for tasks like social media automation and web scraping. 

Smartproxy offers a free trial for its residential proxy service and different plans give the users a choice to opt into one that is suitable for their budget and needs. The “Pay as You Go” plans start from $7 per GB and the “Pay Per GB” plans start from $4.5 for residential proxies and from $0.5 for datacenter proxies.

Pros

• High success rate and connection speed
• Large IP Pool with diverse locations
• Advanced rotating capabilities
• Very affordable

Cons

• Limited bandwidth
• May be hard to set up for beginners

How to Choose the Best Rotating Proxy Service For Your Needs?

When searching for a suitable rotating proxy service, always pay attention to these important factors:

• Price and Plans: Ensure that the proxy provider offers various plans to choose from. “Pay as You Go” plans are usually beginner-friendly and allow users to test out the service before opting into a monthly subscription. However, subscriptions are usually much more affordable than “Pay as You Go” plans. Try to stay away from providers that only offer long-term yearly or more plans without any affordable way to test the quality and speed of proxy rotation.
• Speed and Uptime: When the option is available to test out the speed and quality of the service, don’t hesitate to try it. This way you can make sure the service is fast enough for your needs. Moreover, pay attention to the uptime history of the service because any hiccups in the proxy connection can threaten your anonymity.
• Size and Diversity of the IP Pool: Changing IPs constantly requires a fairly large amount of IPs that can hide your real IP address and allow you to stay away from IP bans. When the IP pool is small, there is more chance that you will get an already banned IP. Furthermore, pay attention to the diversity and locations of IP servers to be able to access more restricted content.
• Customer Support: Having access to the customer support team 24/7 is essential to have a hassle-free experience. Especially when it comes to technical assistance and how customer support will help you set the service up. We recommend trying out customer support before opting into a long-term plan or when you’re in the free trial phase to see if you can get a fast and helpful response.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Set Up and Use Rotating Proxies

For most proxy providers the setup steps are similar and you can follow the template below to start using rotating proxies:

1. Choose a proxy provider and opt into one of the plans for rotating proxies or try a free trial.
2. Register and create an account on the official website of your proxy provider.
3. Go to your profile on the website and choose the country and state/region (if available) of the proxies you want to use.
4. Choose the type of rotation and if available change the rotation frequency and time based on your needs.

5. Configure other available options, such as proxy type (HTTPS, SOCKS5).

6. Select the number of proxies and their format. You will have the option to copy or download the list of the proxies.

7. Now based on the device you want to use the proxy on, you can simply enter the proxy details from the downloaded file or by copying it from your profile on the website. The easiest way is to download the dedicated browser extension of your proxy provider, enter the proxy details in the extension, and start using it.

If you want to manually set the proxy on your device, follow these steps:

Windows:

8. Go to this location and set the proxy:
   Settings > Network & Internet > Proxy

For Mac:

9. On your Mac, go to:
   System Preferences > Network > Advanced > Proxies

For mobile devices, Android or iOS, you can easily find the proxy settings in Wi-Fi settings and manually set the proxy.

10. Check if the proxy is working. You can test your IP address using free websites such as What is my IP and find out about your changed IP and see if it rotates as you set it.

If you want to take advantage of rotating proxies in web scrapers, try to integrate it precisely into your scraper code to make the process as efficient and safe as possible. For example, setting random delays between each request will mimic human behavior and can avoid detection while using rotating proxies.

However, if you want to mainly use the proxies on your browser, you can take advantage of various third-party proxy management extensions or your proxy provider’s own proxy management tool to easily manage multiple proxies of different types.

Common Mistakes of Using Rotating Proxies

Avoid these mistakes to have a pleasant proxy rotation experience:

• Slow Rotation: if you set the rotation to change the IP in more than a few minutes, you will expose yourself to the risk of detection by websites and trackers. Also, you can overload a single proxy by sending too many requests and eventually trigger an IP ban.
• Using Free Proxies: free proxies usually are not reliable and can put your anonymity at risk. Try to invest in reliable proxy services that can provide security and privacy alongside great performance.
• Ignoring Limits: Each proxy service has its limits and you should be aware of that. Ignoring bandwidth limits or limits for request numbers can lead to additional charges.
• Using the Wrong Proxy Type: Use a proxy type that is suitable for your tasks. For example, using datacenter rotating proxies on tasks that require high anonymity is a mistake and will lead to detection and IP bans.

Rotating vs. Static Proxies: Which One Should You Choose?

Both rotating and static proxies are popular for different use cases. When anonymity of online activities is a priority for you, we recommend choosing rotating proxies over static ones. Static proxies are suitable for tasks requiring consistent IP addresses such as using websites that are sensitive to IP changes and managing multiple accounts. For use cases like web scraping and bypassing restrictions, users’ go-to proxy services are usually the ones with rotating capabilities. Here is a comparison between the two types of proxies to understand the differences better:

Conclusion: Why Rotating Proxies Are Essential for Your Online Success

Rotating proxies are considered a game-changer for online privacy and efficacy, and nowadays, most companies and individuals dealing with data extraction, research, restrictions, and other online activities are using different types of rotating proxies. There is a great rotating proxy service for every use case, and we recommend exploring top proxy providers to find the best fit for your needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Are free rotating proxies safe to use?

No, usually, free proxies lack the necessary security measures to provide reliable connection and privacy for users. We recommend using paid rotating proxies to ensure security and privacy in your connections.

• Do rotating proxies slow down Internet speed?

Yes, but most of the time, it’s unnoticeable if you are using a reliable service that ensures minimal latency.

• Are rotating proxies suitable for streaming?

Yes, as they can bypass geo-restrictions, you can easily access restricted streaming content from other regions.

• Are rotating proxies legal?

Yes, using rotating proxies is completely legal if it’s used for legal use cases and doesn’t violate the target website’s terms.