Mobile proxies are becoming an increasingly popular option for activities like web scraping, sneaker bots, and social media automation that require high anonymity IP addresses. But with several proxy services offering mobile proxies, how do you pick the best ones?
I‘ve tested and ranked the top mobile proxy providers based on pool size, features, performance, reliability, and pricing. Whether you need mobile proxies for a web scraping project or running sneaker bots, this guide will help you find the right service.
What Are Mobile Proxies?
Mobile proxies are IP addresses that come from mobile data networks like 4G and 5G. The traffic gets routed through residential mobile devices that are connected to carriers like AT&T, Verizon, etc.
Some key benefits that make mobile proxies ideal for automation:
- Extremely high anonymity since hundreds of users share the same IP
- Very reliable with less chance of getting blocked
- Geographically diverse locations
- Higher success rates on targets with tough security
Compared to datacenter proxies and ISPs, mobile IPs have the best reputation which allows them to access more sites and services successfully.
The Best Mobile Proxy Providers
Based on extensive testing of features, performance, and value, these providers offer the best and most reliable mobile proxies for bots and scraping.
Bright Data
Bright Data is one of the largest proxy networks with over 30 million residential IPs and 7 million mobile IPs spanning every country.
Locations: Global coverage, target any city/state and carrier
Speed: Average. Response time ~2 sec
Pricing: Starts at $24/GB, volume discounts available
Bright Data offers advanced customization options unmatched by other mobile proxy services:
- Choose specific carriers: Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, etc
- Precise location targeting: City and state-level proxies
- Customize rotation frequency
- Integrations: Browser extension, API access
- Unlimited concurrent connections
The sheer scale of their proxy network and granular targeting make Bright Data the most versatile mobile proxy solution.
Oxylabs
Oxylabs controls one of the largest pools of mobile proxies sourced from real carrier-connected devices instead of SIM farms.
Locations: Every country
Speed: Very fast. Response time ~1 sec
Pricing: Starts at $22/GB
Benefits of using Oxylabs mobile proxies:
- Choose proxy location, carrier, OS, IP type
- Customizable sessions with sticky IP configurations
- Unlimited concurrent threads
- High quality proxies ideal for social media, general web use
Oxylabs offers reliable performance and advanced controls suitable for more complex automation projects.
Smartproxy
While smaller than Bright Data and Oxylabs, Smartproxy still manages an impressive pool of 10 million mobile IPs.
Locations: 130+ countries
Speed: Very fast. Response time ~1 sec
Pricing: Starts at $15/GB for monthly plans
I like Smartproxy for their ease of use, great value, and reliable mobile IPs:
- Affordable pricing that beats most major providers
- Easy to use dashboard perfect for beginners
- Resource-friendly proxies work for simple bots
- Quick customer support
If you‘re looking for an affordable way to start running mobile proxy bots, Smartproxy hits a nice balance of quality, control, and cost.
When Should You Use Mobile Proxies?
Compared to regular datacenter proxies, here are some cases where mobile proxies have a clear edge:
1. Social media automation – Managing multiple accounts on platforms like Instagram and Twitter is extremely difficult without mobile IPs that provide high anonymity to avoid bans.
2. Sneaker bots – Copping limited shoes online requires proxies that can successfully access shop sites. Mobile IPs get through thanks to their residential origin.
3. Web scraping ticketing sites – High traffic sites like Ticketmaster detect and block scrapers aggressively. But mobile proxies can scrape under the radar by mimicking real visitors.
4. Google SERP scraping – Search engine scraping often fails with datacenter proxies. But mobile IPs scrape Google reliably thanks to good reputation.
5. Accessing intranet sites – Getting inside corporate intranet sites to gather data requires using proxies from within the company‘s internal network.
Essentially any activity that calls for reliable proxies to avoid blocks should leverage mobile IPs where possible.
Main Differences Between 4G and 5G Mobile Proxies
There are a couple of key differences between 4G and 5G mobile proxy networks:
1. Speed – 5G networks offer substantially higher speeds, lower latencies, and better reliability compared to 4G. Expect almost 2-4X faster throughputs.
2. Availability – 5G networks are still rolling out slowly around the world. So there are far more 4G than 5G proxies available right now.
3. Cost – You‘ll typically pay a small premium for 5G mobile proxies over 4G ones due to the faster speeds.
If your use case calls for maximum speed with lower latency, 5G proxies are better. But both 4G and 5G mobile IPs work great provided the pool is large and diverse enough.
Conclusion
Mobile proxies represent the future of IP proxy services thanks to their residential origins and extremely high success rates across all types of services.
Whether you are setting up an Instagram bot farm or web scraping ticketing sites, leveraging mobile proxies minimizes the risk of blocks and bans.
I hope this overview has helped you understand what makes mobile proxies so useful and how to pick the right service for your specific automation needs. Let me know if you have any other questions!
