Why does "free" not always mean "better"?

Published Time: 1/03/2024

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In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the differences between free and paid proxy, and explain why “free” doesn’t always mean “better.”

Should you choose a paid proxy service over a free proxy service? What's the difference between the two? Both of these issues are becoming increasingly important as free proxies become more widely available.

After all, opting for a free service always seems tempting. However, although "free" sounds great, in fact, free proxies also have some problems that cannot be ignored.

Before we dive into the comparison, let’s briefly review the concept of proxies.

Proxy services allow you to access restricted website content, hide your identity, and protect your information online. This is possible because proxy servers act as an intermediary between you and the websites you visit. In other words, proxy provide you with extra security when you browse the web or collect certain information.

So, why should you consider using a paid proxy instead of signing up for a free service? Let’s look at the pros and cons of both proxy services to find out.

Advantages of free proxy

First, they are free, which is really attractive. However, generally speaking, if you don't need to use the proxy service frequently, a free proxy may be enough.

Secondly, the basic purpose of a free proxy is to hide your IP address when you visit restricted websites.

Last but not least, you can easily find free proxies with a quick search. Anyone can use them at any time.

So, what are the risks?

This is where things get interesting. While free proxies offer the above benefits, they also come with a number of security risks. In reality, free proxies rarely provide comprehensive protection against a variety of external threats, including malware attacks, traffic interception, and data theft.

Free proxies often have insufficient encryption or even no encryption at all.

You never want to transmit unencrypted data to unauthorized third parties. If you plan to use a proxy service, then you must ensure that all valuable information is completely safe.

Free proxies are often poorly maintained and lack customer support.

If a service crashes or your device becomes infected with malware, no one is responsible but you. Free proxies are very unreliable because too many people are attracted to services that don’t pay anything.

Free proxy lists are often filled with blocked or expired proxies.

Keep in mind that when you use a public proxy list, you are sharing IP addresses with other users who are less concerned about IP blocking.

In short, don’t get too excited when you find a free proxy list with thousands of IPs. You may only be able to use a very small portion of this list.

Free proxies are usually slower.

Best of all, they aren't always completely free. Although they are advertised as free, once you sign up, you may find that there are a lot of hidden costs that prevent you from completing what you want.

So, why use a free proxy?

The basic rules are simple. If you take data collection and online security seriously, never use a free proxy. Free proxies may only be suitable for users who occasionally need to access restricted websites.

For example, a free proxy might help you access a few restricted websites to view specific content, but only that. For businesses and individuals who value security, paid resellers offer a higher level of protection, greater reliability, flexibility and better customer support.

Advantages of paid proxy:

Paid proxies offer many features and benefits that are not available with free proxy services. Let’s take a closer look at some of the key advantages of using a paid proxy service.

Better security:

There is no doubt that a paid proxy can better protect important information and personal data. If you choose a paid reseller provider, you can rest assured that no unauthorized third party will be able to gain access to your valuable information. With a paid proxy, you get access to an extremely clean pool of carefully selected whitelisted IP addresses that will never let you down.

Higher reliability:

Unlike free proxies, paid proxies are only available to paying users. The problem with residential proxies, for example, is that they provide IPs tied to specific devices owned by the real network provider.

When using a residential proxy, you not only hide your IP address from the website you are visiting, but you actually become another real user from another geographical location. Best of all, paid proxy services offer IP rotation, which ensures that you always have access to live, whitelisted IP addresses.

Better anonymity:

In addition to being highly reliable and secure, paid proxy help you remain anonymous in any situation. As already mentioned, paid proxy services are not associated with any blacklists and offer a better rotation mechanism. Additionally, they offer flexible geo-targeting capabilities, which means you can easily choose your desired target location.

For example, 922S5Proxy proxy platform allows you to target specific countries, cities, regions, zip codes, and even ISPs. All of this, combined with a massive pool of over 200 million residential IPs, ensures a higher level of anonymity than any free proxy service could possibly offer.

Better maintenance and support:

Maintenance and customer support are always included in the price you pay for proxy services. Unlike free proxy services, you get 24/7 support through a reliable communication channel, meaning you can request immediate assistance when you need it.

Conclusion

We know that signing up for a free proxy service may seem tempting, but keep in mind that your online security may be at risk. If you only occasionally need to access restricted websites, a free proxy service may suit your needs. However, if you take security seriously or want to find a reliable reseller solution to support your business needs, then you should consider choosing a paid reseller provider.

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Why does "free" not always mean "better"?

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