5 Key Differences Between Free And Premium Proxies

Free proxies are tempting, but they do come with potential risks. Does this mean that premium proxies are always the better choice? In order to find out, we need to explore both types of proxies separately and find out their key differences. Only then can you decide what type of proxy you need.

Free Proxies vs. Premium Proxies

While both types of proxies give you a chance to browse the net more anonymously, they do it on a different level. But, this is not the only difference between free and premium proxies. Before we discuss them in detail, let’s learn more about each type of proxy.

What Are Free Proxies?

Free proxies are proxy servers that are completely free of charge. They can be residential, mobile, or datacenter proxies that don’t require any fee to use them. And, they are usually shared with other users. So you will get a certain degree of online anonymity without paying at all. That’s the good news.

The bad news is that they often come with online inconveniences and slow service. They may even be more harmful than helpful if you use the wrong ones. That’s why it’s crucial that you use free proxies from a trusty provider. Click here to read more.

What Are Premium Proxies?

Premium or paid proxies are proxy servers that you need to pay for. Just like free proxies, they can be mobile, residential, or datacenter proxies. But, why would you pay for a proxy when you can get it for free?

Well, the level of online anonymity you’ll get is totally worth it as they are usually private, but that’s just part of the answer. You can figure out the rest once we discuss the differences between them.

Free Proxies vs. Premium Proxies: 5 Key Differences

Price may be the most obvious difference between free and premium proxies, but it’s certainly not the only one. In order to choose the right one for you, you need to know how these two types of proxies differ in terms of:

  • Reliability

Free proxies are not owned and assigned to you by a company, so they are quite unreliable. With them, you’ll never know if they will suddenly stop working due to poor connections, or if they will work at all. Also, they usually don’t last long as they can quickly become overloaded.

On the other hand, premium proxies come from reliable companies that aim for an excellent customer experience. This includes providing quality proxies that work at any time.

  • Security

Most people want to use proxies to hide their identity on the internet, but free proxies can do the opposite. You can never know who hosts them and whether they are offering proxies for free just to steal your private data and use it for nefarious purposes like identity theft.

On the other hand, premium proxies are owned by reputable companies that make sure you get what you pay for. In other words, you pay for security.

  • Anonymity

This is perhaps the most important aspect you need to consider when choosing a proxy. After all, most users want a proxy exactly for that purpose. The thing is, both types of proxies provide online anonymity, but to a different degree.

With free proxies, you’ll get enough online anonymity to perform smaller tasks like bypassing geo-restrictions. Premium proxies, on the other hand, provide 100% anonymity on the web so you can use them for tasks that require a high level of anonymity and privacy.

  • Price

You already know this, but we’ll still mention it as it can be important if you don’t have the funds to buy your proxy. In that case, free proxies can be a good choice as long as you don’t need to perform smaller tasks that require basic levels of anonymity.

Premium proxies can come at different prices, depending on the type. In general, residential proxies are more expensive than datacenter proxies. But, they are totally worth it.

  • Speed

Last but not least, free proxies can give you a slow browsing experience and lagging issues. Premium proxies are private proxies, which means you don’t get to share them with anyone. This will help you maintain your speed and reduce lag.

Conclusion

Free and premium proxies are similar yet different in many aspects. By explaining the key differences between them, we hope we helped you to make the right decision.