Proxies act as intermediaries between your device and the websites you’re accessing on the internet. They do this by allowing you to connect to the proxy server and then have the proxy server communicate to the website you want to visit on your behalf, tunnelling the data between you and the website back and forth so you can visit and interact with the webpage.
By doing so, they shield your real IP address, which helps boost privacy, overcome geo-restrictions, and improve security.
The main use-case for proxies is web-scraping and public web data collection; this is where companies and individuals gather large amounts of information from the internet to then be used in a range of applications like price comparison, AI and Large Language Model (LLM) training, and academic research.
There are several types of proxies, each with their own characteristics, pricing and advantages. In this guide, we’ll look at the differences between residential and mobile proxies.
What are proxies?
A proxy server acts as a middleman between the user and the internet. When using proxies, your traffic is routed through the proxy server before reaching the web. As a result, websites and applications see the IP address and location of the proxy server rather than the one belonging to your local internet connection.
This can help protect your privacy and bypass restrictions, making it seem like you're accessing the web from a different location.
Some of functionalities of proxies include:
- Web-scraping — Web scraping is a technique used to extract data from websites. Developers can build systems to visit websites and extract valuable data which is publicly available. Proxies help distribute requests across multiple IP addresses, preventing a single IP from being blocked due or rate-limited, and increasing the amount of data that the systems can collect concurrently.
- Online data-collection — Online data collection is the process of gathering and processing publicly available information from websites. This is used to analyze trends, consumer behavior, or for market research. By distributing requests among different IP addresses, proxies can help you remain anonymous and avoid request rate-limiting.
- Maintain privacy — When you use a proxy, your internet activity is diverted to the IP address of the proxy server, rather than your own. This means that your real identity or location cannot be easily tracked. This can help reduce the risk that websites will be tracking or profiling (collecting and analyzing user data) based on your browsing habits.
- Bypass geo-restrictions — Geo-restrictions are limitations that the providers of online services and websites (like ecommerce stores and software providers) set up. They are used to restrict access based on the geographic location of the user. For example, some streaming services or websites might be available only in specific countries. By using a proxy server based in a different country, it will look as if you are accessing the internet from that location, giving you access to local content and services.
- Manage multiple online accounts — For instance, digital marketers might need to legitimately manage several social media accounts for different brands. Proxies allow them to do this without raising red flags for suspicious activity. They can do so by making it look as if each account is managed from a different IP address.
There are several different types of proxy servers and options available today. However, below, we’ll look at some of the most common ones for ease:
- HTTP Proxies — HTTP proxies filter the content transmitted between an HTTP client and HTTP server. For example, they help customize what you see, and they may even act as filters that block ads and restrict certain types of content. These proxies operate on the HTTP protocol, which is used for transferring web content. This proxy will divert the requests made by the client from a web browser to the internet to the proxy server. When the proxy processes these requests, several key outcomes emerge: the traffic processed by the server will appear as coming from the proxy's IP address rather than the user's, web data and URLs can be modified or filtered to customize content, block ads, or place restrictions on websites, and web pages can be cached for faster access and improved loading times.
- SOCKS Proxies — SOCKS proxies are more versatile than HTTP proxies. They use a lower-level proxy protocol that is compatible with different types of traffic (and not just web pages), including HTTP, FTP, and UDP. This makes them useful for activities like downloading files, streaming videos, or gaming online. Unlike HTTPs proxies, these proxies can’t interpret or modify data.
What Are Mobile Proxies?
Mobile proxies work by channelling internet traffic to a proxy server that has an IP address provided by cellular network (the same as a smartphone). Depending on the cellular network, these proxies are categorized as 3G, 4G, or, more recently, 5G.
The IP addresses used by mobile proxies belong to mobile carriers and are shared among numerous users through Carrier-grade NAT. This dynamic and shared nature makes mobile proxies less prone to bans.
A single IP address can be used by multiple devices and real users, randomly and at the same time by several. This makes it difficult for websites to block these IP addresses without affecting other, real users. This means mobile proxies are reliable for tasks like publicly available data collection and web scraping since the likelihood of your requests being blocked is low.
Benefits of Mobile Proxies
- Difficult to detect — Since mobile proxies use IP addresses from mobile providers, it’s difficult for websites to detect proxy usage.
- Bypass restrictions — Because of the local and international mobile network infrastructure, these proxies can help you bypass geo-restrictions. As a result, you can access content and services available to mobile network users worldwide.
- Large and varied pool of IP addresses — As we’ve seen above, mobile proxies are assigned IP addresses dynamically and from different regions. This can help avoid detection - something that is critical for tasks like web scraping.
Drawbacks of Mobile Proxies
- Higher cost — Mobile proxies are usually considerably more expensive than other types of proxies, including residential proxies. This is because it costs more to maintain mobile IPs and requires specialized hardware.
- Limited availability — Usually you’ll get a lot less diversity and targeting options when using mobile proxies. This is because providers usually work with a single carrier and host from their 4G/5G proxies in a single location in each of the countries they offer services in.
- Fluctuations in traffic — Since IP addresses are shared among mobile users, differences in network traffic can affect bandwidth and speed.
What are residential proxies?
Residential proxies are a type of proxy service that works on IP addresses assigned by Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to real residential locations. Basically, when you use a residential proxy, your internet activity is directed through an IP address associated with a physical home through a real residential device like a smartphone, laptop or desktop computer.
This makes it appear as though the internet requests are coming from a regular home user rather than a datacenter or anonymous network.
Benefits of Residential Proxies:
- Diversity — Residential proxy networks are made up of IP addresses which are geolocated all over the world and belong to different carrier networks (ASNs). This means you will get access to a more diverse set of proxies and be able to target specific cities or carriers which is important for some use-cases.
- They give you access to restricted content — Since you can connect to IP addresses to a wide range of locations, you can bypass geo-blocks and access content that might be unavailable to non-residential IP addresses.
- A wide range of choice for IP addresses — With residential options, you can access a wide range of IP addresses from various locations. This can be beneficial for tasks like A/B testing and market research.
Drawbacks of Residential Proxies
- Variable speed and stability — Internet speeds may fluctuate, and connections are less stable since they rely on individual home networks.
- Potential for misuse — Like any proxy, they can be exploited for malicious activities, such as unauthorized data scraping if not used ethically. Ping Proxies has a strict AUP (Acceptable Use Policy) and monitors proxy use 24/7 to ensure that the proxies aren’t misused by the customers. This protects both the paying customers and the people providing their IPs and devices to be used as proxy servers.
Mobile Proxies vs Residential Proxies: A Detailed Comparison
There are several differences that set mobile and residential proxies apart. Here, we’ll look at some key aspects:
IP Address Sources
Your proxy server’s IP address source can impact speed, performance, and anonymity. Here’s the difference between mobile and residential proxies:
- Mobile Proxies — They work with IP addresses given out by mobile phone networks. They can change based on your location and vicinity to certain networks. This constant change is beneficial for activities like ad testing, which require variety in traffic.
- Residential Proxies — These use IP addresses from actual homes. This makes websites see the traffic as coming from a real, trusted source, which can be useful for tasks like web scraping.
Performance
Speed and performance may vary depending on the proxy type:
- Speed — Mobile proxies might not always be fast because they depend on mobile network traffic. This can be crowded, especially during peak times. However, they can offer the flexibility of letting you switch up IP addresses.
- Reliability — Residential proxies often have more consistent speeds because they use home connections. These are usually stable but may fluctuate due to factors like the quality and bandwidth of the internet service.
Anonymity Levels
Anonymity is crucial in today’s digital landscape. Here’s how residential and mobile proxies compare:
- Mobile Proxies — They offer high levels of anonymity. Because the IP address changes frequently, it's harder for websites to track or flag them.
- Residential Proxies — They mimic a typical internet user and this makes residential proxies very difficult to detect as well.
Cost and Availability
Depending on what you need a proxy for, you may be wondering about cost and availability. Here’s a quick rundown:
- Mobile Proxies — The pricing model for mobile proxies is usually based on the number of IP addresses you have access to at any given time and can be considerably more expensive than other types of proxies, with a single port which gives access to a single IP address at a time often costing above $100 per month.
- Residential Proxies — Residential proxies tend to be priced according to usage, which can make them more suitable for large-scale projects.
Use Case Suitability
Here are a few example in which you may choose one option over the other:
- Web Scraping — Residential proxies may be better because they offer stable connections that won’t easily get blocked. This makes them excellent for collecting data from websites without disruptions. They also tend to be more affordable for large web-scraping projects since you get unlimited access to a residential network and are only charged for the bandwidth you send through that network.
- Multi-Account Management — Both proxy types can manage multiple social media or online accounts efficiently. Mobile proxies are particularly useful when high anonymity is needed to avoid getting your accounts banned.
- Accessing Geo-restricted Content — Both proxy types can bypass geographic restrictions on content. If a service is only available in certain countries, using a proxy with an IP from that location helps access the content.
What use-cases are there for Mobile Proxies vs Residential Proxies?
Each proxy type offers unique advantages tailored to specific scenarios. Understanding the differences in use cases can help you make a smarter decision. Here’s an overview:
When To Use Mobile Proxies
Mobile proxies are excellent options in scenarios where high anonymity and variable IP addresses are required. Tasks for which you may choose mobile proxies include:
- Testing mobile applications and ads.
- Managing multiple social media accounts.
- Bypassing geo-restrictions on mobile-optimized sites.
- Conducting localized A/B testing.
- Monitoring mobile network performance.
Real world example: A digital marketing agency can use mobile proxies to test how their advertisements are displayed in various regions and on different devices.
When To Use Residential Proxies
Residential proxies are better for tasks requiring high trust and stable connections. These tasks include:
- Scraping the web for market data.
- Any application which requires specific city or ISP targeting.
- Accessing geo-restricted content.
- Running SEO audits and monitoring progress.
- Verifying online ads across multiple regions.
- Conducting competitor analysis.
Real world example: A competitor analysis tool for ecommerce platforms can use residential proxies to gather data, like pricing strategies, from various geographic locations without getting detected and blocked by target websites.
Conclusion
Mobile and residential proxies both offer great performance and are very difficult to detect, even with the latest anti-scraping technologies. However, there are a few differences which set them apart from each other and make certain use-cases more preferential.
If you’re doing standard web-scraping and need an affordable solution with excellent performance then we’d probably recommend sticking with residential proxies but if you’re trying to access mobile-specific content and are price insensitive, then mobile proxies may be the best way to go.
