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Static vs. Rotating Proxies: What Is the Difference and How to Use Them

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Evgeny Fomenko photo
Evgeny Fomenko2024-11-28
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Choosing the right type of proxy is an important decision that can greatly affect your success online. In this article, we will explore two main types of proxy servers — static and rotating — and help you understand when and which one is better to use as well as the difference between static and rotating proxies. We’ll discuss the pros and cons of rotating vs static proxies, along with their application in various scenarios such as web scraping, social media management, price monitoring, and more.

Choosing the right type of proxy is an important decision that can greatly affect your success online. In this article, we will explore static vs rotating proxies and dive into comparing static vs rotating proxies to help you decide which option is best for your needs. We’ll discuss their security, price, and applications, as well as how the right provider, company, or server can make all the difference.

Tired of Complicated Terms? Want a Quick Overview of Proxies? Don't despair! Here's an explanation of how proxies work using the example of your grandmother and her cakes:

Your grandmother bakes the tastiest cakes in town and gives them out for free to neighborhood kids—one pastry per kid. One clever boy, Max, decided to disguise his identity (his real IP).

First, he dressed up in a bunny costume (changed his IP to the bunny’s IP) and ran to his grandmother (the website) to get a cake for the bunny (data). All day, Max ran around in the same bunny costume (with the same IP). This is how static proxies work.

Then, Max got even trickier and changed costumes every time: sometimes he was a bunny, sometimes a squirrel, sometimes a kitty (rotated IPs). His grandmother always saw a different animal. This is how rotating proxies work.

As you can guess, rotating proxies allow Maxim to fool his grandmother more effectively and guarantee a new cake every time!

P.S. Don’t forget, grandma (the website) can still identify Max (the user) not just by his costume (IP) but also by other factors: his voice (browser fingerprint), behavior (cookies), and other parameters.

And here’s the most intriguing part: mobile proxies from iProxy. The iProxy feature rich mobile app combines the best features of static and rotating proxies. With IP rotation, API, mobility, and top-level security — all available on your Android device — you become not just an internet user but a master of stealth and efficiency.

Need private and fast mobile proxies?
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What are Static Proxies?

Static proxies are servers that provide users with a single, permanent IP address. This IP address remains unchanged regardless of how many requests you make through the proxy. This means that all your internet connections through this proxy will appear to come from the same IP address.

Sticky proxies, a subset of static proxies, maintain the same IP address for a user for a specific session or duration, after which the IP address may change. During this session, sticky proxies behave like static proxies by providing a stable IP address.

Advantages of Static Proxies

✔️ IP Address Stability

One of the key advantages of static proxies is that they provide the same IP address throughout their use. This is important for social media accounts or marketplaces, where systems expect a real user not to change IPs frequently, especially with sudden location shifts (like moving from one country to another). A stable IP helps avoid blocks and suspicion from these platforms.

Additionally, a consistent IP is crucial for online advertising, as frequent changes can lead to account suspensions due to terms of use violations. It’s also beneficial for price monitoring on major online markets, helping to avoid captchas and customer access restrictions.

It’s important to note that this advantage applies to server or residential proxies. Mobile proxies, on the other hand, use dynamic IP addresses by their very nature, and frequent IP rotation is normal for them. Even the most demanding websites do not consider such changes suspicious if the geographical location remains close.

✔️ Continuous Connection

Thanks to a constant IP address, static proxies prevent micro-pauses in connections, making them ideal for tasks requiring uninterrupted access. This is particularly important when working with APIs, cloud services, or websites sensitive to connection stability. A continuous connection minimizes disruptions and delays, ensuring more reliable and efficient data handling.

✔️ Ease of Setup and Control

Using a static proxy server gives you more control over the IP address. You can choose the desired geographical location based on content access restrictions or proximity to the website's servers to maximize connection speed.

✔️ Lower price

Since only one IP address is needed, the operational costs and usage price are lower.

Disadvantages of Static Proxies

✔️Geographic Limitations

Static proxies operate through the same IP address, which is always linked to a specific geographic location. If websites block access based on location, access to certain geo-dependent data may be restricted when using static proxies.

✔️ Limited Scope of Tasks

Using static proxies for large projects, such as bulk data collection, web scraping and research means sending many requests from the same IP address. This often leads to blocking after a certain number of requests, making static proxies unsuitable for such tasks.

✔️ High Risk of IP Blocking Prolonged use of a single IP can resemble real user behavior and may not raise suspicion with some websites. However, this also increases your dependence on the reputation of that IP. If the IP gets blocked or compromised, all accounts used with that IP are at risk.

Where and When to Use Static Proxies?

Static proxies play a key role in solving many business tasks that require a stable and consistent IP address. Sticky proxies are particularly useful as they significantly enhance usability.

✔️ Manual Work from One Account on a Given Platform

Sticky proxies are ideal for manual work from one account across various platforms. For example, you can create an account manually, set up ad campaigns, or post listings. A stable IP address helps avoid suspicion and blocks that may arise from frequent IP changes.

Bypassing Geographic Restrictions

Sticky proxies help bypass geographic restrictions, allowing you to access content that is unavailable in your region. For instance, you can watch Netflix from another country or access social media like Instagram with an IP address from the desired region. This is especially useful for users wanting access to geo-restricted content.

✔️ Testing Online Content

Sticky proxies allow you to test how content appears to users from different regions. This is important for companies that want to ensure their websites and applications function correctly for all users, regardless of their location. A constant IP address during a session ensures stability and accuracy in testing.

✔️ Ad Verification

Companies can use sticky proxies to check advertising delivery to the target audience. This allows them to see ads as an average user from a specific region would and verify whether they meet expectations and requirements.

✔️ Captcha Prevention

Sticky proxies reduce the frequency of captcha prompts, as actions appear to be those of a single user during the session. This decreases interruptions caused by frequent captchas, making the work smoother and more efficient.

✔️ Analysis and Management of Social Media Accounts

When using sticky proxies, all actions within a session occur from the same IP address. This creates the impression of normal user activity, lowering the risk of blocks that may arise from frequent IP changes. This is especially useful for marketers and SMM specialists managing multiple accounts and analyzing activity.

Need private and fast mobile proxies?
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What are Rotating Proxies?

Rotating proxies are a type of proxy server that automatically changes the user’s IP address with each request at specified intervals or according to other rotation rules.

Rotating proxies operate using a large number of IP addresses and switch between them based on predetermined rules. For example, proxies can change IP addresses after a certain number of requests or based on the user’s or proxy server’s location. IP rotation can be implemented on any type of IP address: data center, residential, or mobile. However, rotation is most natural and least suspicious for mobile IPs.

Rotating proxies are closely related to mobile proxies. Read more about mobile proxies in our comprehensive article.

Advantages of Rotating Proxies

✔️ Minimization of IP Blocking Risks

One of the key differences of static vs rotating proxy is that rotating proxies constantly change the IP address, making it difficult to track your online activity. Each request (or set of requests within a session) is sent from a new IP address, making it almost impossible to determine that all requests come from the same user. This is particularly important when working with websites that actively monitor and block suspicious activity, and it is essential for high-frequency bulk requests, such as scraping or botting.

✔️ Versatility and Flexibility

Rotating proxies are tools that can be tailored to your specific needs. Want to change the IP after each request? No problem. Need to select an IP from a specific region? Easy. If you choose a longer rotation period (sometimes referred to as a "sticky session" or "sticky IP"), you can use rotating proxies similarly to static ones, gaining all their advantages. This flexibility allows you to adapt to any conditions.

Mobile proxies from iProxy.online are suitable for a wide range of tasks, from bulk scraping and botting to targeted and complex work with social media and the most demanding platforms. Additionally, creating your own proxy server based on an Android device will provide you with an unprecedentedly low cost of $6-10 per month for unlimited traffic and unlimited IP rotation!

Nuances of Rotating Proxies

✔️ Micro-Pauses in Connection

When changing the IP address, the proxy server may temporarily pause sending requests to properly finish previous connections and establish a new one. This can lead to micro-pauses lasting a few seconds. Frequent requests without pauses may result in the website blocking the IP address, which perceives such activity as automated. Micro-pauses help reduce server load and decrease the likelihood of blocking. Sometimes, these pauses may arise from technical aspects of network operation, servers, or equipment. Such delays are usually minor but can affect overall speed.

✔️ Higher Cost

Constantly changing IP addresses requires access to a large number of proxy servers (unless you’re using mobile proxies, where a single mobile proxy server can access a vast pool of IPs), making rotating proxies more expensive compared to other options. If you need a large number of IPs for your tasks, this can significantly increase costs.

Where and When to Use Rotating Proxies?

✔️ Working with Multiple Accounts

Using multiple accounts on one resource can improve strategies for purchases, ad management, and sales. This is useful in e-commerce, advertising, traffic arbitration, and betting. For this, you need proxy servers with different IP addresses for each account, which helps avoid blocks. In e-commerce, this allows you to create multiple stores, while in advertising, you can launch different campaigns from various accounts to increase reach and reduce costs.

✔️ Web Scraping

Web scraping often faces IP blocking. Rotating proxies help bypass such restrictions, providing anonymity and access to closed data. This enables monitoring trends, brand mentions, tracking competitor prices, and improving marketing strategies.

iProxy.online, a leading proxy service, offers users the ability to create private proxies for web scraping directly from their Android devices, providing a seamless and effective solution for all their web scraping needs. For detailed information on how to purchase proxies for data scraping, check out this article!

✔️ Botting and Automation

Mobile proxies are suitable for automating tasks and increasing views on video platforms. They are less prone to blocking, making them effective for working with bots and automation on popular platforms like Instagram and others.

✔️ Ensuring Anonymity and Security

Mobile proxies help protect accounts from hacks by hiding the real IP address and encrypting data. This ensures the security of personal information and makes it harder to intercept data.

✔️ Streaming

Proxies allow you to bypass geographical restrictions, improving access to content that may be unavailable in your region and providing better streaming quality.

What is the Difference Between Static and Rotating Proxies?

To help you choose between static or rotating proxies, we have prepared a clear table comparing the key features of each type. Take a look to quickly understand what is the difference between static and rotating proxies.

CharacteristicsStatic ProxyRotating Proxy
IP AddressOne permanent IP addressIP address changes according to set rules: at regular intervals, for each request, via API, etc.
AnonymityLow: Increases dependence on this IP and increases risks if compromised due to your mistakeHigh: Absence of long-term binding to one IP
Risk of IP BlockingHigh: One IP can be blocked after multiple requestsLow: Frequent IP changes reduce the risk of blocking
Connection ContinuityUsually higher as there are no frequent switches between serversMay be lower due to IP switching
Usage for Web ScrapingSuitable for small volumes and less demanding websitesIdeal for large-scale data collection and bypassing restrictions
Geographical RestrictionsLimited to one region to which the IP is boundCan bypass geographical restrictions by changing IP addresses
CostUsually lower as it uses one IP addressMay be higher due to the need for a large number of IPs
Usage ExamplesAccess to corporate systems, ad verification, specific point tasksWeb scraping, multi-account work, botting and automation, SEO analysis, etc.

How to Decide What You Need – Static or Rotating Proxies?

We’re Here to Help!

Choosing between static proxy vs rotating proxy depends on your specific needs or business tasks. Let’s break down how to determine which type of proxy is right for you.

Usage Goals

If your project requires collecting large volumes of data from many web pages or extensive multi-account work and automation, then rotating proxies are the ideal choice. They change the IP address with each request, allowing you to avoid blocks and bypass restrictions on websites. For instance, if you are engaged in web scraping, price monitoring, competitor analysis, account boosting, botting, or any multi-account work, rotating proxies will provide the necessary flexibility and anonymity.

On the other hand, if you need a stable connection, such as for targeted work with a single account on marketplaces or social media, static proxies are a good choice.

Anonymity and Reliability

If your main goal is to remain unnoticed and minimize the chances of being tracked, rotating proxies are your best friend. With them, you can change the IP address with each request, making it nearly impossible to track your activity. This is useful when collecting data from websites that actively protect against automated requests.

However, if you do not require a high degree of anonymity and it is important for your IP to remain unchanged to maintain trust with a web resource (for example, when working with corporate systems), then static proxies are a better choice.

Request Frequency

For tasks that require sending many requests in a short amount of time, rotating proxies are a lifesaver. For instance, if you are conducting bulk data collection or automating tasks with a high number of requests, rotating proxies will help avoid blocks by changing IP addresses.

On the other hand, if your requests are regular but not at such a high volume and require a stable connection, static proxies are more suitable. This applies, for example, to ad verification, maintaining sessions on corporate platforms, or working on long-term projects.

Budget

Rotating proxies are generally more expensive due to the need for access to a large number of IP addresses. If your project requires flexibility and anonymity, such proxies will justify their costs. However, if your budget is limited, static proxies can be a more economical option, providing the necessary functions without excessive expenses.

Creating your own mobile proxies with iProxy.online allows you to get rotating proxies at a lower price than static proxies! This is possible because there are no additional charges that go to the proxy provider and various intermediaries. As a result, you get your own private premium mobile proxies with unlimited rotation capability.

By the way, iProxy mobile proxies can also be used in static mode, specifically sticky mode. To do this, simply do not use the rotation function.

Solve Your Business Challenges with iProxy!

iProxy offers an innovative solution for creating your own private mobile proxies right on your Android device. The iProxy app allows you to set up a mobile proxy server in just minutes, providing protection, reliability, and competitive pricing that’s hard to find with other providers. Whether you’re engaged in web scraping, managing multiple social media accounts, price monitoring, or automating other tasks, iProxy is the ideal choice.

One of the key benefits of iProxy is the ability to create mobile proxies with unlimited IP rotation. This is a reliable solution for bypassing blocks and protecting your data. Your proxies will constantly change IP addresses, making them perfect for working in complex internet environments.

Since 2020, iProxy has been operating in the international market, and the team has developed a reliable technical infrastructure that guarantees stability, high performance and 99.9% uptime. You will also appreciate the diverse technical features, including support for multiple IP rotation methods, compatibility with HTTP, SOCKS5, OVPN, and UDP protocols, a user-friendly control panel, and integration with a Telegram bot.

Managing proxies has never been easier: the intuitive control panel and powerful functionality allow you to customize everything to your liking, even if you lack technical skills. Create mobile proxies from your personal Android device in just 5 minutes!

Below, we will address the most popular questions about choosing proxies for your tasks. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us on WhatsApp or Telegram. The responsive support team at iProxy is always ready to assist you.

Need private and fast mobile proxies?
Make mobile proxies right now!
Start free 48-hour trial

Frequently Asked Questions

What type of proxy should I choose if my main task is to collect large volumes of data from multiple websites?

For tasks related to bulk data collection, rotating proxies are the best fit. They constantly change the IP address, allowing you to bypass website restrictions and avoid blocks. If you are engaged in web scraping or price monitoring, rotating proxies will provide you with the necessary flexibility and anonymity.

If I need a reliable and stable connection to work with multiple social media accounts, which type of proxy is better to use?

If you plan to work with a large number of accounts (from dozens to thousands), rotating proxies are definitely the way to go. However, if you are dealing with one or a few accounts, a few pieces of static or rotating residential proxy will be sufficient.

Which type of proxy is best to use if my goal is to remain as anonymous as possible online?

If anonymity is your priority, rotating proxies are the optimal choice. IP rotation makes your online activity virtually untraceable by IP. It’s important to note that, besides the IP, there are other identifying factors, so using a properly configured anti detect browser or similar tools is necessary.

What proxy should I choose if my budget is limited but I need a stable solution?

Generally, static proxies are cheaper than rotating ones. They provide one permanent IP address, which lowers costs while still offering the necessary functions for internet use. Additionally, creating your own mobile proxies using an Android device with iProxy.online can provide rotating mobile proxies at a price even lower than that of static proxies.

Which type of proxy is suitable if I need to work with geographically restricted content from different regions?

Rotating proxies are the ideal choice if you need to bypass geographical restrictions. They allow you to change IP addresses to those linked to various regions, giving you access to location-restricted content.

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