Proxies act as middlemen to connect the computers to the World Wide Web or the internet. Proxies thus work as a bridge that connects you to the internet by conveying your requests. Proxies are a third party, and they filter out the requests based on the server's rules and regulations. They work in various ways, and there are different types too, that can be chosen according to the level of speed or security needed. All proxies work in the following manner:

1. The user types a web address, and the proxy server connects.
2. A request message is sent when the user requests a service or information in the form of a website or anything.
3. The proxy server then filters the request according to the server guidelines.
4. After verification, a response message is sent to the user.

When you type a web address, you're providing your IP address to the proxy server, and it acts as an intermediary to transfer the information. Proxies are used by many businesses, firms, and individuals as they are secure, they can hide the IP address and identity of the user so that the user can bypass geological restrictions and censorships. In this post, we'll discuss the different types of proxies in comparison with each other.

Free Proxies:

A free proxy is the one that is available for free, which means that you can use the internet for free. While some people like the idea of using the internet for free, some are more concerned about the security. Free proxies are not secure as anyone can monitor your internet activities and even steal your data without letting you know. Since the service is free, there are multiple users connected to the free proxy, and thus the speed gets slow. Free proxies are also known as public proxies as they are available to use for the public. Following are some essential points which should be considered before using them:

• Free proxies allow the users to benefit from the SEO tools such as scrapebox and this way data collection from the web becomes easy.
• You can use the free proxies for the web browsers and apps that support the proxy use only.
• You can perform basic browsing and surfing activities on the web which do not involve any privacy.
• Highly confidential tasks such as online shopping and other transactions that involve credit information shouldn’t be done using the free proxies.
• Some of the free proxies' service provider offers support for the use of Socks 5 proxies too which are secure.
• Free proxies are very slow because of the access to multiple users. Sometimes the speed might be so slow that you won’t be able to access it.

Shared proxies:

Shared proxies are also accessed by multiple users, but not as many as they are with the free proxies. These proxies are not free, but they are affordable and are shared by only those who buy them. When a user connects to the internet, the IP address is sent to the server so that it is verified. A proxy server acts as a middleman and connects you to the remote host. Shared proxies are also called as semi-private proxies as they are paid ones and are accessed by only some users who have authorized access to them. 

With the shared proxies you have to share the internet service with some people whom you don't know. There are not many users who are sharing the network with you, so the speed is good too, but it's not very fast as compared to the dedicated or private proxies. The shared proxies are cheaper than other proxies, and they also allow their users to visit the websites that are blocked due to censorship or any other reason.

Shared proxies also protect the users from malware and other infections because of the filter system they use. As the name implies, these proxies are shared with other users who have authorized access to them. Mostly these proxies are used for browsing purposes, and since they have good speed, they can be used for downloading purposes too. Following are some benefits of the shared proxies:

• Shared proxies are a cheaper option as compared to the private proxies. They provide almost the same features except that the others know about you because you are sharing the server with them. So, your identity is not anonymous.
• Shared proxies will allow you to access websites from any geographical location and then bypass the restrictions to view a website.
• Premium shared proxies service providers offer good speed for surfing the web.
• These proxies are readily available as many websites are providing such proxies at a very affordable rate.
• These proxies help reduce the overall cost as other people are sharing it too and you aren't the one who's paying alone.

Private proxies:

Private or dedicated proxies are the ones that are purchased by a single person, and they offer complete security and privacy. These proxies are the most expensive ones, but they offer the best value for the price too. So, if you buy a private proxy, you'll be the only one that will be using it and get full bandwidth to use. A private proxy makes sure that you browse the net while being completely anonymous and offer high security because of this. Private proxies completely hide your identity so that you can perform various surfing and browsing activities on the web without letting anyone know about it.

For example, if you are at work, and you aren't allowed to use the internet, or you want to create multiple social media profiles, or you want to watch a YouTube video from another country, private proxies are there to help with such tasks. There are many advantages of these proxies, and the only drawback is that they are costly as compared to the free and shared proxies. Following are the main points that define private proxies:

• Private proxies are used exclusively by a single person who has authorized access to it after its payment.
• There is no sharing of bandwidth, and thus the speed is quite fast. This allows smooth and quick surfing and browsing.
• Your IP address remains completely hidden, and you can surf the web anonymously. This is because there is no sharing and your proxy is dedicated to you only.
• You can easily bypass the geological restrictions and censorships of various websites. You can also work from remote locations and make your IP address appear at other location to trick the site.

Differences between the Free, Shares, and Private Proxies:

Though all the proxies function in the same way, there are differences between the types of proxies. We will first differentiate these proxies in the form of a table and then discuss each of the properties in detail. Following is the chart:

 

Speed:

Speed is one of the most important factors when it comes to choosing a type of proxy. Whenever a client thinks of using a proxy, the first thing that comes to his/her mind is the speed. Speed allows the users to surf smoothly and navigate quickly from one website to another. Proxies act as intermediaries and they connect a client to the server so that the requested information is received. Now with the free proxies, there are so many people trying to connect to the server, and thus the speed gets very slow. With the shared proxies, this speed gets reduced because there are a few numbers of people who are sharing the proxies with each other. Thus with the shared proxies, there is a slight speed drop only.

A private proxy is shared by only a single person as stated earlier. The proxy is dedicated to that person, and thus there is no one to share the bandwidth. Private proxies offer the highest speed and therefore are preferred by those only who don't want any speed drop while browsing the web. Sometimes you can also get this speed with the share proxies, but you'll have to use the proxy at such times when there is very less load on it. The load is usually lesser early in the morning or very late at night.

Security:

If you are concerned about the security and safety of your data and information, we recommend using the private or dedicated proxies. The private proxies are the most secure ones, and your information is protected because of the latest technology being used for data protection. However, if you want to perform the necessary tasks of surfing the web, using free or shared proxies is not a big deal. We will still not recommend using the free proxies because they have speed issues. So if you want an affordable option, you can go for the shared proxies.

Price:

The free proxies are available free of cost, as the name suggests. Some of the open proxies might be available at a cost, but that too will be next to nothing. The shared proxies are also cheap because many people are sharing it and the cost of the server gets divided among all the people. The most expensive ones are the private or dedicated ones, as they are dedicated to a single person only. A private proxy is assigned to a particular person who is paying for it, and thus it is more expensive than the other types of proxies.

How to evaluate the performance of the proxies:

The performance of the proxies is determined mostly by the security and speed they provide, and these are the factors that make one proxy better than the other. However, you can't judge anything by listening to the service provider or even reading the fine print. Only experience will tell you about the quality and functioning of a particular proxy. After buying a private proxy, you might think that it is the best one and now you won't be bothered about the speed or security. However, let us tell you that not all the private proxies are same.

Always read the customer reviews regarding a proxy service provider and then decide. Word of mouth is also a good thing when it comes to choosing proxies. A premium quality service provider will provide a proxy that will offer excellent value for money, and the decision is mainly yours. Whether you want the private proxies or the shared ones, we know you aim to have a secure internet connection along with good speed for surfing smoothly.

Which one is better?

When it comes to choosing the best one among these regardless of their costs, our choice will be the private proxies. Who wants someone else intruding into their privacy and stealing their information? Private proxies are very secure and since there is no sharing you can efficiently anonymously perform your daily internet activities. The proxy will mask your IP address so that you can access a website with a geological restriction for your location. You can also bypass censorship and access the data of a site which otherwise you can't with a standard internet connection.

If money is not a constraint, you should always go for the private proxies as they are the fastest and most secure. However, if you are not performing any confidential or private tasks such as performing online transactions, online shopping, and using your bank credit info for doing anything. We also don't recommend our readers to use the free proxies for handling their social media accounts because you might not know and the hackers will steal all the personal information to use it for scams and other harmful activities. Safe and secure surfing is the best option, and thus it is advised to go for the shared or private proxies.