Using a proxy service can be helpful, whether it is for personal use or business, especially if you want to secure your activities online. More importantly, a proxy service is a vital tool that offers a lot of advantages. Other than providing security to your activities, it also helps increase loading speeds for web pages, saves bandwidths, and balance traffic.
Looking for a proxy service can be simple as there are numerous services available on the internet. However, choosing an excellent proxy service takes time as there are factors that need to be considered. Some services offer it for free while others are paid. So before choosing one, it is best to know what you need and what to use it for.
Below are the most important things to consider before choosing your proxy service:
Your Usage
When you compare different proxy services, bear in mind that it will always depend on what you are using it for. Properly using a proxy service is essential. For instance, if you are using proxies for surfing the internet, then you will need speed. If you want to access geo-blocked websites, then it’s better to choose providers that have an extensive IP pool. If you are looking for some good providers, you may want to check the services such as those provided by Blazing proxies.
Web Safety
As far as everyone is concerned, safety is a priority. Before choosing a proxy service, make it a point to check their credentials first. This is important because there are some providers that offer free proxy services that turn out to be unreliable. There are instances when some free proxies are shared proxies and can be home to scammers, so make sure you do your due diligence by checking their credentials and reliability.
Service Pricing
The price is another crucial thing to look at. Proxy service fees vary according to the option you will choose. One important thing to check is if a dedicated proxy is affordable. You may have to make sure if it is indeed a dedicated proxy or just a shared one. A shared proxy is much less expensive than those that are semi-dedicated and dedicated proxies, but being less costly may mean slow, unstable, and unreliable services.
Proxy Traffic
Check the proxy service if it offers unlimited traffic as this can tell a lot about the reliability of a proxy you’ll be getting. It may also mean that their infrastructure is small and unstable. This may result in slower speeds, server errors, or time-outs. But if you do not care about the rate, you can still use slower speed proxies since they are often cheaper or free.
Pool Size
If you require the use of proxies from specific or different locations, it is best to go with providers that have a larger IP pool. A bigger IP pool means a lesser amount of IP blocks. This is great for customers who may want to choose specific countries and cities. Additionally, the more IP addresses a provider has, the more it has subnets.  Â
Location
Choosing a proxy that is close to your physical location is highly recommended because it will allow you to get proxy servers that are near the area with faster proxy speed, allowing you to have a faster connection. More importantly, it will enable you to avoid geo-blocks. Although some providers, specifically small ones, do not give the option to let their customers choose. So, check your desired provider if they offer this service.
Customer Support
No one knows what might happen during their use of the proxy services. That is why it is beneficial to have a provider with excellent customer support, specifically those that offer 24/7 customer service. This is to ensure that you will maximize the use of the service in return for the money that you will pay them. If you will receive errors or encounter a mishap with your proxy server, do not hesitate to call your service providers and consult them about the matter at hand.
Conclusion
Each proxy service provider offers its own set of features and options, so it would be better to search and compare them before using one. But, sometimes, choosing a proxy provider is simply a question of how much money you have. Keep in mind, though, that just because a provider is expensive doesn’t automatically mean that it’s better. However, when it comes to dedicated proxies, their prices usually reflect the quality of the service they are providing. Keep these factors in mind when choosing the right proxy service.