Proxies are of paramount importance when you want to access content freely without losing your anonymity. There are multiple types of proxies, each suitable for specific purposes. When you want to set up proxies in a particular browser, Chrome, for example, you must consider a few things before buying the proxy.
This guide will discuss the necessary factors before you go through Chrome proxy settings. Proxyway has a detailed guide on Chrome proxy settings, where you can find all the steps to set up proxies on the Chrome browser.
What Is a Proxy for Chrome?
When you browse the internet through a browser, it requests the target web server to send information. To send the information to the correct address, your IP address is mentioned in the requests. An IP address is more like a physical address through which the desired information reaches your device.
But the problem is that IP addresses can be traced by malicious parties on the internet to map your browsing behavior or steal valuable information. Sometimes, contents on the internet are restricted to specific locations. If you live outside these regions, you can’t access the content without using a proxy.
A Chrome proxy is simply an IP address that masks the original IP address of your device. Depending on the proxy server, the address corresponds to some other physical location than where you live. So, your anonymity is maintained while browsing, and you can access location-restricted content.
What to Consider When Buying Proxies for Chrome?
Before you buy a proxy for Chrome, you need to focus on the following factors.
Proxy Type
As you might already know, several types of proxies are available for Chrome. Residential and data center proxies are highly popular. But if you are buying proxies for individual use, residential proxies are more suitable.
These are the actual IP addresses of other users who voluntarily share their IP addresses. So, most web servers will recognize these proxies are related to physical devices. And you can access almost all content with these proxies.
You also have dedicated and shared proxies. With dedicated proxies, the address is assigned to your device only. So, it is more suitable when you want to maintain safety. If you use shared proxies, the same address may be shared among multiple users. Other users can get blocked while using the IP, and you will face the same problem the next time you get that address. So, rotating proxies are much more convenient.
Use Cases
If you want to use proxies for enjoying geo-blocked content, residential proxies are better. They provide great anonymity and access to any content in the desired location. But if you use proxies for large-scale operations, such as web scraping, you might need a large pool of proxies.
This is because web servers have safety mechanisms to prevent users from making numerous requests. When you use the same residential proxy for web scraping, chances are the server will block the IP address. Also, manually scraping a massive amount of data isn’t feasible.
So, you might want to use specific software or scripts for web scraping. To use the software, you need a large proxy pool so that the IP address is rotated now and then. As a result, web servers can’t recognize the requests from the same device.
Location Options
Buying residential proxies can be preferable when you want to access content in one or two specific regions. But if you need wide location access, residential proxies can’t do that. You might want to switch to data center proxies, which offer wide location access. So, you have access to many proxies set up in different locations.
Price
Different proxy service providers charge differently for proxies. And the proxy type dramatically impacts the price. If you buy proxies for Chrome for home or individual use, residential proxies should be enough. Though they are a bit more expensive than data center proxies, they perform much better.
But if you need a lot of proxies, residential proxies can be too expensive. In such cases, you need to buy data center proxies that are very affordable.
Proxies vs. VPN for Chrome: Which Is Better?
VPNs are nothing but proxies. The added benefit of VPNs is that you don’t need to set up the proxy server manually. You can install Chrome add-ons and manage your connections from there. And it encrypts all your requests.
But most free VPNs don’t let you choose the desired location and assign IP addresses randomly. These proxies can often get blocked by web servers.
Conclusion
Before you enter the Chrome proxy settings to set up your proxy server, knowing which proxy is better for Chrome is crucial. We provided a comprehensive guide on choosing a suitable proxy for Chrome. I hope this helps you find the correct proxy for your needs.