Dedicated proxies are the go-to solution in cases where you need fast speed and IP addresses that haven’t been used and abused by other proxy users. In the end, that’s what proxy servers aim to achieve — access to websites without blocks and slowed-down connections.

Read this article to find the answer to ‘What are dedicated proxies,’ and learn about their distinct types and how they can benefit your web automation projects.

What is a dedicated proxy?

A dedicated proxy server, also called a private proxy, is a proxy IP address solely owned and continuously used by a single individual. When you connect to the web through a dedicated proxy, it routes all web requests you make through its dedicated server, masking your real IP address.

Since you don’t share the same IP address with anyone else, you have full control over how and when you use the dedicated IP address, as well as which websites you visit using it. These factors significantly improve the undetectability of your web requests.

What are the types of dedicated proxies?

Navigating the proxy market can be confusing so let’s break down each different type of dedicated proxies.

Dedicated datacenter proxies

Dedicated datacenter proxies are one of the more popular dedicated proxy solutions due to their superb performance and overall reliability in accessing most websites without blocks. This is possible as their dedicated IPs are sourced from data center facilities that have dedicated resources, such as high internet bandwidth and enterprise-grade processing power.

While dedicated datacenter IPs are powerful, they’re still easy to detect as coming from data centers. Thus, they’re preferred for their rich features and low cost compared to other proxy types. See this post about datacenter proxies to learn more.

Dedicated residential proxies

Dedicated residential proxies, on the other hand, offer the best anonymity as their dedicated IP addresses are provided by internet service providers (ISPs), making their web requests appear as organic traffic.

It’s noteworthy to know that the availability of standard residential proxy IPs solely depends on whether the IP lenders are connected to the proxy network or not. Hence, by nature, their IPs can’t be reliably dedicated to one user. In light of this, proxy providers offer a solution called static (ISP) residential proxies that can dedicate IP addresses. They usually cost more than standard residential IPs but offer greater speeds and reliability. See this post about residential proxies to learn more.

Dedicated vs. Static IP for residential proxies

You may find dedicated residential proxy IPs referred to as dedicated residential or static (ISP) residential proxies, yet these terms have their differences:

• A dedicated IP address means that only one user will have access to the proxy IP at all times;
• A static IP address means that the proxy IP will remain the same over time, but it may be shared between multiple users, depending on the proxy provider and the plan you purchase.

Static (ISP) residential IPs are assigned by ISPs to data center facilities, merging the performance of datacenter proxies with the undetectability of residential proxies. These IP addresses are static and have a reliable internet connection; hence, they can be provided to users in several ways.

Let’s consider Webshare’s solution as an example. When purchasing static (ISP) residential proxies, the user has several options that affect the price and exclusivity of residential proxy IPs:

• The Premium Proxy option gives static residential IPs that are shared between multiple users;
• The Private Proxy gives static residential IPs that are shared with at most two individuals;
• The Dedicated Proxy plan gives static residential IPs that are completely dedicated to one user;
• The Rotating Proxy option gives access to a pool of ISP proxy IPs that rotate with connection requests.

As you can see, Webshare’s static residential IPs can be shared, semi-dedicated, or dedicated. In terms of IP rotation, it can be static or rotating, giving customers highly customizable control and pricing options.

Benefits of using dedicated proxies

Before making the purchase decision for your web automation or other projects that require a proxy server, let’s break down the different pros and cons of dedicated proxies, starting with its benefits.

Speed

The major advantage is that dedicated proxies empower higher internet speeds and bandwidth as proxy resources aren’t shared between multiple users. Thus, you have full access to the proxy’s performance.

Reliability

Dedicated proxies are more reliable as you can always know how, when, and where proxy IP addresses are used. For instance, when using a shared proxy server, you may try to visit sites that have already blocked the proxy IP due to prior requests made by previous individuals. Hence, dedicated proxies solve this issue.

Fresh IP addresses

When you buy dedicated proxies, you get fresh IP addresses that haven’t been used before. Every target website that you visit using fresh IPs sees these addresses as highly unique since they’re unable to find any historical records of prior access and can’t find your IPs in public databases of untrusted IP addresses.

Avoiding IP blacklists

Dedicated proxies are better equipped to avoid IP blacklisting specifically because one user has absolute control over proxy IPs. If you’re using proxies for web scraping and you’re following best practices of anti-detection, then you ensure that your proxy IPs won’t be easily detected and blocked. This isn’t possible with shared IPs since other users may not be following best practices and may get IPs blocked due to abuse or suspicious activities, regardless of how you use them.

Security

Another advantage that dedicated proxies offer is the overall guaranteed security. The exclusive ownership of proxy IPs establishes a safe connection to the proxy network through protocols like HTTP, HTTPS, or SOCKS5 and ensures that no unauthorized person can access and compromise personal and sensitive data sent over the network. Furthermore, complete ownership ensures there’s minimal risk of network overhead that could negatively impact operations.

Drawbacks of using dedicated proxies

Every type of proxy comes with its drawbacks as well. While dedicated proxies offer premium tier performance, security and reliability, they come with their own drawbacks.

Cost

The most significant disadvantage of dedicated proxies is their higher cost. Since an IP address is dedicated to only one user, proxy providers have to increase the price to make up for proxy server maintenance costs. In the case of shared proxies, the maintenance costs are divided between multiple users.

Bandwidth and IP prices

Dedicated proxies are commonly priced per bandwidth and per IP address, which is more expensive due to full ownership. In contrast, shared proxies are usually only priced per expected bandwidth. Therefore, if your operations require a large amount of IPs or bandwidth, dedicated proxies may result in higher expenses.

Smaller IP address pool

Since you get a certain amount of dedicated proxy IP addresses, the pool of IPs is significantly smaller when compared to shared proxies. When using shared IPs, you’ll have access to the whole pool of IPs, which can range from thousands to millions.

Potentially more difficult configuration

With a custom list of IP addresses, the proxy configuration process may be more complex than most users expect. Generally, dedicated proxies require users to manually replace faulty IPs, constantly monitor IP health, implement IP rotation, and whitelist IPs. When it comes to shared and rotating proxies, proxy management is taken care of by proxy providers.

Limited amount of locations

When you purchase dedicated proxies, the amount of geographic locations directly correlates with the number of IP addresses you get. For example, if you buy 20 dedicated proxy servers, then you can have access to 20 locations at most. If you need 10 proxies each for 20 different locations, then you must purchase 200 proxies. In the case of shared proxies, you get access to the whole pool of IPs and geographic locations.

How can dedicated proxies be used?

While the dedicated proxy use cases strictly depend on their IP source (residential networks or data centers), you may find dedicated proxies excel in cases when:

• Shared proxies can’t or aren’t reliable in accessing a target website;
• Web scraping websites that use complex anti-bot systems;
• Accessing geo-restricted data ;
• Managing multiple accounts for social media and e-commerce.

For more information on the use cases, see this side-by-side comparison of datacenter vs. residential proxies.

How to get a dedicated proxy?

While you can build your own dedicated proxy network, doing so is a cumbersome task. You should also stay away from free dedicated proxies as they're likely to come with security risks that may compromise your data. Acquiring dedicated proxies from a trusted provider is the most recommended option, as it’s guaranteed to save you time and finances. We suggest doing thorough research on the available proxy providers and pricing plans to find the best fit.

Looking for a shortcut? Webshare’s dedicated proxies are the most affordable option in the proxy market, with premium features and up to unlimited bandwidth, so feel free to take a look.

What are the alternatives to dedicated proxies?

Semi-dedicated private proxies

One of the cheaper alternatives to dedicated proxies that offers more control and reliability than shared proxies is Webshare’s semi-dedicated private proxies. They’re optimized to share access with at most two users simultaneously who aren’t visiting similar sites, making sure your tasks are less affected by other users' activities.

Shared proxies

Shared proxies are the cheapest and most scalable alternative to dedicated proxies if you don’t mind sharing proxy IPs with other individuals. While shared IPs have their downsides, they’re the best option for non-demanding projects on a budget. Shared proxies are also often better for the most popular proxy server use-case - scraping.