Static vs. Rotating Proxies: Which One Should You Use?

If you’re looking to work with proxies, you have a range of options to choose from, each with its upsides and downsides. You see, beyond just swapping your IP address, a proxy can bypass geo-restrictions, help with automation, improve web scraping projects, and more, depending on the type of proxy server that you choose to work with.

Proxies are categorized based on the type of IP they provide, the traffic they process, and, for this blog, whether or not they rotate the IPs. In this piece, you wil l learn the differences between static and rotating proxies, helping you decide which option is best and for what exact situation. By the end, you’ll have learned:

• How static vs. rotating proxies work
• The use cases for static vs. rotating proxies
• The advantages and disadvantages of static vs. rotating proxies

What Are Static Proxies?

If you’re unfamiliar with how proxies work, it’s simple: they change your IP address and reroute your traffic through an alternative one, sidestepping any restrictions to which your address may be subject. When you opt for a static proxy IP address, it will remain fixed and unchanging for all your web requests.

This means that if you query a website like Instagram, say 100 times, the static proxy will use the same IP address every single time. Whether this is good or bad depends on exactly what you’re doing. But before we get to that, here are the different types of static proxies:

• Static datacenter proxies

A datacenter proxy offers IP addresses generated by virtual high-speed data centers worldwide. A static datacenter proxy IP is best suited for situations where you need a consistent high-speed connection to a particular server. More on that later.

• ISP proxies

ISP proxies (also known as static residential proxies) offer IP addresses sourced from internet service providers (ISPs), but they operate through data centers instead of residential devices like laptops and phones. Because it is registered to real ISPs, an ISP static proxy IP appears as if it hails from a real residential location, making it harder for websites to detect.

• Static mobile proxies

The final static IPs on our list are static mobile proxies . These route internet traffic through mobile network IP addresses sourced from cellular carriers around the world. And like ISP proxies, these IPs are perceived as highly trustworthy because they come from real mobile carriers.

Use Cases for Static Proxy Servers

Up to this point, you know how static proxies work. So, where should you use them?

• Managing multiple accounts

If you’re in charge of multiple accounts on platforms that monitor IPs for suspicious behavior in eCommerce, social media, or banking, you should consider using static proxies for account management. You need a consistent IP address for such cases to prevent verification checks and bans. Sudden IP changes, especially from different regions, may be interpreted as account takeover , prompting additional security checks.

• Maintaining consistent identity

A static proxy server can help you maintain a consistent digital identity. This way, you’re more likely to be trusted by platforms that monitor user activity patterns. There’s also a lower chance of encountering additional verifications like CAPTCHAs and email confirmations.

• Accessing geo-blocked content

It’s common for websites and streaming services to restrict their services based on your geographic location. If you are locked out of any platform because your network, region, or country doesn’t have access, opt for a static proxy server in a different area with access rights.

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Static Proxies

Here are the benefits you stand to gain when using a static proxy IP address:

• Stability

Static proxies are best for situations demanding a stable connection because they offer a fixed IP address that remains the same throughout your session.

• Reliability

You don’t have to worry about frequent IP changes that could interrupt your connection or cause security challenges when using a static proxy.

• Performance

Static proxies offer supreme performance because they don’t need to change IPs frequently, which can offer lower latency. This is beneficial for activities where response time matters, like streaming, e-commerce management, or data scraping.

Here are the disadvantages of static proxies:

• Limited flexibility

Unfortunately, you can’t use static proxies for activities requiring IP rotation, like large-scale web scraping or avoiding detection across different geo-locations.

• Higher maintenance

When using a static proxy IP address, you must take care and use the IP carefully to avoid getting blocked or blacklisted by websites. If it is flagged, you may spend a lot of time acquiring and configuring a new IP address on your device.

What Are Rotating Proxies?

Rotating proxies change the IP address used to send your web request after a specified interval. For instance, the server may use a different address for each request, simulating many users in different locations. Below are the different types of rotating proxies:

• Rotating residential proxies

A rotating residential proxy offers IPs sourced from internet service providers (ISPs) and operated through residential devices like laptops and mobile phones. In addition to being harder to detect, these servers rotate your IP across a pool of many addresses.

• Rotating datacenter proxies

You may also opt for rotating datacenter addresses instead of static datacenter IPs. These servers rotate IPs sourced from high-speed data centers worldwide.

Use Cases for Rotating Proxies

Below are the top applications for rotating proxies:

• Web scraping

Frequently changing IPs can help you avoid detection when using automated bots to perform large web scraping projects. By using a rotating proxy, which automatically changes the IP used to send your requests, there’s a lower chance of websites detecting the source of those requests, allowing you to collect data with minor interruptions.

• SEO monitoring

When gathering data from search engines to boost your SEO, working with rotating proxies is essential to avoid rate limits and bans for sending too many requests. You can also use these IPs to gather region-specific SERP data to optimize your marketing efforts for different locations.

• Ad verification

Rotating proxies can help you monitor your ads’ performance across different locations and platforms. You can also use these servers to test ads, flagging fraud and invalid traffic.

• Market research

Rotating proxies are critical for efficient market research, as they enable businesses to gather large amounts of data from multiple sources without the risk of blocking. By using a different IP for each request, companies can access pricing information, analyze consumer behavior, predict trends, and more.

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Rotating Proxies

Here’s why you should opt for rotating proxy servers:

• High anonymity

The chances of a website recognizing the source of requests when you’re frequently changing your IP with a rotating proxy are low. That’s why rotating proxies are best suited for sensitive situations where privacy is crucial. Rotating residential proxies tend to be the most robust in this regard.

• Lower risk of IP bans

Similarly, there’s a lower risk of your IP address getting banned when using automatically rotating proxies because you’ll never really stick to one long enough to trigger security mechanisms like rate limits.

• Automated rotation

With automated proxy rotation, you likely won’t have to worry about detection and bans, especially when sending many requests to a website at any particular instance. These servers make it appear as though requests come from different IPs, making it harder for websites to know that a single user is behind the action.

Here are reasons not to use rotating proxy servers:

• Potentially lower speeds

Each time the IP switches, there’s a small delay, which can slightly reduce the speed of each request. You should prepare for a slight lag when using rotating proxies.

• Shared IP pools

Most proxy service providers offer shared rotating proxies partly due to cost efficiency and scalability. But the problem with shared pools is that there’s a risk of limited speeds and lower reliability, especially during peak times when many users are online. And if any of the IPs are abused and later reused, websites may ban them.

Static vs Rotating Proxies: A Detailed Comparison

Up to this point, you understand the difference between static vs rotating proxies. You also know the different use cases for each. Let’s compare the features that these proxies offer in detail:

IP Rotation

• Static proxies : These do not offer IP rotation, and you use the same IP address for all your requests, providing stability and a consistent online persona.
• Rotating proxies : The IP address changes frequently, either with each request, after a specified number of requests, or after a set time interval.

Exclusivity

• Static proxies : Depending on the provider, these IPs can be shared or dedicated. Dedicated IPs are superior because the proxy’s network performance is yours alone to utilize during the session, providing better reliability and performance.
• Rotating proxies : Most rotating proxies are shared, meaning multiple users access the IP pool, and different users reuse the IPs.

Performance

• Static proxies : Offer consistent performance because the IP doesn’t change throughout the connection.
• Rotating proxies : Because of frequent IP changes and the shared nature of the pool, performance tends to vary.

Pricing Models

• Static proxies : Most providers charge per IP, meaning you pay for each specific IP address.
• Rotating proxies : Rather than paying for each IP address, you pay for the traffic you consume or the number of ports you access.

Flexibility

• Static proxies : These are less flexible because they use the same IP for all requests, making them less suitable for tasks that require varying IPs or access from different locations.
• Rotating proxies : They are highly flexible because they can change an IP address automatically, making them ideal for a wide range of situations.

Maintenance Requirements

• Static proxies : Require medium to high maintenance because the static IP can become flagged or blocked over time, so these IPs require more effort to maintain, replace, or troubleshoot.
• Rotating proxies : Low maintenance needs because the IPs automatically rotate, reducing the risks of blocks or flags.

When to Use Each Type

As we draw our discussion to a close, it’s clear you can either use static or rotating proxies, depending on what you’re looking to achieve. We already mentioned the different use cases for each of these proxy servers.

Opt for static IPs when you engage in an activity that requires a consistent IP to maintain the connection; this includes managing accounts and accessing geo-specific content with a steady IP. Go for rotating IPs for high-volume and high-anonymity tasks like web scraping, SEO monitoring, ad verification, and accessing websites with strictly IP-based restrictions.

Conclusion

We hope you now understand the differences between static and rotating proxies. Our blog has explained how these IPs work, their use cases, pros and cons, as well as their feature comparison. The ultimate choice between static or rotating proxies depends on what exactly you want to achieve. Static IPs are suitable when you want to maintain a constant connection with a single IP, and rotating IPs are ideal when you want a pool of addresses to rotate your requests.

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