Best Rotating Proxies That Absolutely Don’t Compromise on Quality

Rotating Proxies are powerful and convenient tools for bypassing internet restrictions and keeping online activities anonymous. They allow you to change your IP address and appear as a user connected from a different location. These proxies have become essential for online activities that require private and secure connections. This includes web scraping, SEO research, and accessing geo-restricted content.

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What Are Rotating Proxies? A Game-changer for Online Privacy

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 goes to the proxy first, 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 makes them difficult to track.

The rotation of proxies happens through the provider’s proxy pool. Rotating proxies are most effective when users require the utmost anonymity for browsing online. A static proxy, on the other hand, allows users to 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.  Furthermore, rotating proxies are great companions for web scraping as they prevent IP and allow for an uninterrupted data extraction process.

How Cycling Through Different IPs Can Elevate Your Web Experience

Being able to hide your real IP address, while you seamlessly switch from one online identity to the next, certainly has a few advantages. Here are some of the benefits that make rotating proxies so popular among netizens:

• 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. This approach increases user privacy and enhances the ability to access more information.
• Bypassing Restrictions: They can also help you avoid detection and sail around certain geolocation blocks and IP bans. This is especially popular among users of streaming services and gamers, who might need to access country-specific servers and websites.
• Smoother Web Scraping Process: When you want to collect large amounts of data, it can trigger security measures or limit your access to certain websites. Using rotating proxies not only helps you avoid IP bans, but also automatically bypasses CAPTCHAs to provide smooth web scraping.
• Improved Efficiency: They also help to reduce the chance of overloading a server, by distributing the requests between numerous IPs to 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. They are suitable for various use cases and budgets. We have rounded up the most common types you are likely to come across, and given a quick rundown of how they work. 

Residential Rotating Proxies

Residential proxies are equipped with a pool of real residential IPs, assigned by internet service providers (ISPs), to the devices of real users. As a rule, most websites can’t easily detect and flag these kinds of IP addresses as proxies, since they belong to real users. As a result, they are popular among users who want a reliable way to stay anonymous and undetected. The costs of these proxies are usually higher than other types.

Datacenter Rotating Proxies

Datacenter proxies utilize IP pools originating from data centers, rather than ISPs. Therefore, they typically offer larger IP pools, faster speeds and come at more affordable prices (though you do compromise slightly on anonymity and effectiveness). 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 other tasks that don’t require online anonymity.

Mobile Rotating Proxies

Mobile rotating proxies use IP addresses assigned to mobile devices, connected to cellular networks. Like residential rotating proxies, the mobile IPs for these proxies are difficult to detect. With that said, these proxies can frequently have a limited pool of IP addresses. Moreover, the cost of mobile rotating proxies is quite high. These proxies are ideal for mobile environments and app testing, or ad testing, as users can switch to many locations with the click of a button.

Rotating Proxy Services: The Best Deals for You

There are many proxy providers that offer rotating proxy services as part of their affordable plans. We have summarized some of our favorite rotating cheap proxies, alongside their features, pros, cons, and pricing specifications, for you to compare.

Smartproxy

Smartproxy is a great option for users who are looking for advanced proxy rotation tools and a large IP pool to satisfy their needs. It allows you to freely set the intervals for proxy switching, 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. Moreover, Smartproxy provides geo-targeting capabilities with server locations in more than 195 countries. Whether you’re a beginner looking for assistance with personal projects or an experienced user implementing it for your company, Smartproxy is a great option, thanks to its APIs designed for tasks like social media automation and web scraping. 

It offers a free trial for its residential proxy service. Plus, there are a ton of different plans, so you can choose the one that’s best for your 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 $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 difficult to set up for beginners

IPRoyal

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

It 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 free trials, but the starting prices for the various plans are quite fair. 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 offers 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 should pique your interest for other reasons. For instance, this provider has special rotating services for sneaker and ticket websites, making it an excellent option for users with very specific needs.

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. Proxies automatically rotate every 3, 5, or 15 minutes, which should give you enough flexibility for most tasks. Storm Proxies imposes no data limitations and supports popular bots, making it a practical choice for automation tasks.

Plans and pricing are based on the number of threads and ports. The most affordable package for 1 month of dedicated rotating proxies is $19 and includes 10 threads. The price for sneaker and ticket sites rotating proxies starts from $90 monthly, for 10 ports. 

Pros

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

Cons

• No free trial
• Limited server locations

How to Choose the Best Rotating Proxy Service For Your Needs

Implementing a rotating proxy service can be an invaluable resource for your online privacy and anonymity. However, to ensure you are getting the best bang for your buck, be on the lookout for these essential features during your research:

• Price and Plans: Ensure that the proxy provider offers various plans to choose from. “Pay as You Go” plans are beginner-friendly and allow users to test out the service before opting into a monthly subscription. However, subscriptions are usually more affordable than “Pay as You Go” plans. Figure out which option suits your needs best, before you shop around.
• 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. Any hiccups in the proxy connection can threaten your anonymity.
• Size and Diversity of the IP Pool: Changing IPs constantly requires a fairly large pool of pseudonyms to draw from. If a provider’s pool is too small, the likelihood of you being banned (or receiving an already-banned address) increases drastically. Furthermore, pay attention to the diversity and locations of IP servers to ensure true variety.
• Customer Support: Having access to the customer support team is an essential part of a hassle-free experience. We recommend sticking to providers that offer 24/7 customer support, and will be there to support you with in-depth technical support networks.

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 select the country, and state/region (if available) of the proxies you want to use.
4. Pick 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, you can simply enter the proxy details from the downloaded file or by copying it from your profile on the website. The easiest option is to download your provider’s dedicated browser extension, enter the proxy details in the extension, and start using it.

If you want to manually set up 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 the Wi-Fi settings menu on your device.

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

Avoid These Common Errors When Managing Proxy Pools

Steer clear of these mistakes to have a pleasant proxy rotation experience:

• Slow Rotation: if you set the rotation intervals too far apart, the risk of detection by websites and trackers increases considerably. Furthermore, you can overload a single proxy by sending too many requests, and it may eventually trigger an IP ban.
• Using Free Proxies: free proxies can be unreliable 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 can get you banned quickly.

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

Both rotating and static proxies are popular for different reasons. When the 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, unfortunately, free proxies often lack the necessary security measures to provide reliable connections and adequate privacy for users. We recommend using paid rotating proxies to ensure the security and privacy of your connections.

Do rotating proxies slow down Internet speed?

Yes. However, generally, this delay will be unnoticeable if you are using a reliable service that ensures minimal latency.

Are rotating proxies suitable for streaming?

Yes. In fact, they can enhance your streaming experience by bypassing geo-restrictions on content. This means that you will be able to access content from other regions, or access content that has not yet been released in your region. 

Are rotating proxies legal?

Yes, using rotating proxies is completely legal if you avoid violating the target website’s terms. Ignoring these terms and conditions may lead to temporary or permanent bans if you’re ever found out.