5 Best Web Scraper Proxy Servers To Use In 2022
Most advanced websites nowadays adopt IP-based or bot-based strict blocking techniques to limit web scraping. However, you can easily get around the problem by accessing the internet as an ordinary consumer. In such cases, proxy servers can be your savior.
Here we will discuss 5 different proxy servers that can help your web scraping practices. Keep reading to learn how to pick the most suitable one for you.
Scrapingdog
Scrapingdog is one of the leading web scraping proxy servers. It offers you over 7 million residential proxies and 40000 Datacenter proxies. You can track, go anonymous, scrape, and track ads with these proxy addresses.
You can geotag any country with datacenter proxies and won’t have to pass any extra parameters with the API key. Additionally, you can just use random residential proxies using a simple API key in the proxy. Each residential proxy costs 5 request credits while datacenter proxies cost 1 request credit.
Scrapingdog offers 3 different packages, excluding the free plan. You can get 1000 free API calls without registering your credit card. Also, there is a custom plan to meet your requirements. We highly recommend you to check out this platform.
WebScrapingAPI
WebScrappingAPI has more than 100 million proxies with the option to choose between residential servers or datacenters. Additionally, the API handles proxy rotation between calls which makes it more user-friendly.
You can choose from 4 different subscription plans, one of which is free. However, you may not get the geotargeting feature in the free version. With the paid subscription, you can get to choose any location in the US and 12 other countries. If you are opting for a custom plan, you may even get to choose from 195 locations. WebScrapingAPI prices are convenient, and the features it offers are amazing. It is worth giving them a try.
NetNut
NetNut may not offer a crawler or scraper along with proxy services. However, you can integrate these servers with other scrapers and crawlers and hit your expected mark. What’s more? NetNut can choose the best proxy automatically to give you the optimal speed.
You will get a detailed tutorial on how you can integrate NetNut’s product with commonly used web scraping tools. The process is not complicated, but it can be costly as you will need other products to integrate.
If you simply want to use proxies to surf the web, you can get their chrome extension. You can rotate your IP address, change location, and turn on and off the tool. There are several monthly subscription plans you can choose from and a 7-day trial to see if it is what you are looking for.
GeoSurf
GeoSurf is a proxy service with 2.5 million IP addresses offering residential proxies, sneaker proxies, and mobile and desktop VPNs. Sneaker proxies allow you to host multiple IP addresses to allow you to get access to more products at once.
You can get GeoSurf’s browser extension to secure your online activities. You can get access to geo-restricted websites and change static to residential IP directly within the browsers. GeoSurf offers different subscriber packages. Unfortunately, there is no free package or trial period for GeoSurf products. The cheapest package starts at $450 US/ month (as of today, June 2022).
Shifter
The Shifter can be used for web scraping, although it is not specifically built for this. You can get datacenter, residential proxies, and shared proxies from this provider. Although shared proxies are cheaper, they can compromise your scraping speed and experience as more than one person is using a web address. You will also have a higher chance of getting blocked.
As of today, Shifter offers 10 shared proxies for $30 US per month. For 10 dedicated residential proxies, Shifter will charge $50 US. Shifter also offers a 3-day money-back guarantee to help you rethink your decision.
A proxy list is a list of IP addresses that can be used to access a website or online service. Proxies are typically used to circumvent restrictions or internet filters, or to access websites that are blocked by your organization or institution. Best proxy lists typically include a mix of free and paid proxies, and may also include various types of proxy servers, such as HTTP, SOCKS, and SSL proxies.
Bottom Line
All the servers mentioned above can help you with your web scraping. You can scrape the web without having roadblocks and concerns and without being detected. Before getting your service provider, list what services you need. Then look at the service provider lists and see which one can meet most or all of your needs.
Each service provider excels in different ways. In the end, you are the one who needs to decide which will be best for you. However, make sure to try out several services before vomiting to one. You can get free trials to choose from and see which one is most suitable for you.
FAQ: Why do you need proxies for web scraping?
Ans. You will need to use proxy servers while web scraping for the following reasons:
- To avoid getting blocked;
- Get access to geo-restricted content;
- Scrape a website multiple times.
What are the different types of proxies?
Ans: There are several types of proxies. They are:
- Transparent proxies;
- Anonymous proxies;
- High anonymous proxies;
- Public proxies;
- Datacenter proxies;
- Residential proxies.
