words Al Woods
The importance of proxies for a business cannot be underestimated. From privacy and anonymity online to web scraping to accessing geographically blocked content, proxies are a critical part of business operations online.
When deciding what proxies are best for your business, you’re likely to choose between dedicated vs shared proxies. Each of these proxies has pros and cons, so it’s important to know whether they are a fit for your business or not.
Dedicated vs Shared Proxies: What’s the difference?
Dedicated Proxies
Dedicated proxies are also known as private proxies. They are not shared by many users and are exclusive to only one user or device.
Shared Proxies
Shared proxies are used by multiple users simultaneously.
Let’s get into the details about these proxies with these 5 things you need to know about dedicated vs shared proxies:
1. Speed
One of the most important factors to consider when purchasing proxies is speed. Dedicated proxies deliver reliable speed because you won’t be sharing the bandwidth with other users. Even during peak time, rest assured that they are fast.
Shared proxies, on the other hand, are frustratingly slow. When multiple users have access to a shared proxy, they overwhelm the bandwidth.
2. Anonymity
Dedicated proxies provide your business with full anonymity on the web. Note that whenever you access the internet, you leave a digital mark (IP address). This makes you vulnerable to online hackers and spammers. Dedicated proxies ensure that your IP address is invisible.
To a certain extent, shared proxies provide anonymity, especially when you use a VPN. Also, multiple users may make it difficult to connect users to particular browsing histories, offering a certain level of obscurity.
However, shared proxies generally do not guarantee your anonymity on the web. The sites that run most of these proxies are fraudulent and will most likely expose your company data.
3. Price
With dedicated proxies, providers sell one IP address to one user who must cover the complete cost of maintaining the server. This makes them more expensive than shared proxies. The speed and reliability of dedicated proxies make the cost worth it. Ensure to research on the best proxy service for the best price.
The cost of a shared proxy is usually meager. Maintaining proxy servers is a lot cheaper when you’re sharing an IP with multiple users. Some shared proxies are available for free download. In most cases, beginners use these proxies to ‘test the waters’ at a low cost while figuring out their project needs.
However, sometimes free things come at a high cost. In the case of free shared proxies, they come with the risk of your data being exposed. Also, if the proxy is not working well, there’s no customer support to help you.
4. Control of Activity
No one else can access dedicated proxies because you are using them yourself. You have control of when and how you use them. This eliminates the possibility of your IP address getting blocked and blacklisted.
With shared proxies, you have no control over other users’ actions. In case one or more users are involved in any illegal activity, the IP (which you all share) will get blacklisted, and you will be blocked from accessing certain sites.
5. Advertising and Spam
A dedicated proxy disguises your IP address. This protects your device and personal information. Hackers will find it impossible to install malware onto your system. Advertisers won’t access your email address or send you annoying ad banners.
Suppliers of free proxies will install viruses and malicious software onto your device. It’s also common for them to sell your email address to advertisers. These advertisers will display annoying ads that you’ll see whenever you get onto the web.
Other Important Things You Should Know
Reliability
Dedicated proxies are more reliable and last longer than shared proxies because they are not misused by multiple users. You will be the only authorized user with valid authentication.
Shared proxies are unreliable as they don’t require authentication and are a playfield for hackers. Many times, they are unavailable after using them a few times and may go offline during use.
Security
You can’t compare the security of dedicated proxies to shared proxies. Dedicated proxies have a considerably high level of security due to exclusive IP addresses. Shared proxies are prone to spammers, and confidential company data is exposed.
Which Proxy Will You Choose?
Choosing a proxy for your business is something you must take seriously. Whichever you prefer between dedicated vs shared proxies, keep in mind that not every proxy provider is the real deal. Make sure you find a legitimate provider to ensure quality.
Dedicated proxies seem like an obvious choice for most businesses because they bear more benefits than shared proxies. However, you may decide to use shared proxies. It all depends on your specific business needs.
