What is a dedicated proxy?

A dedicated proxy is an exclusive proxy that is used by a single user or device. Users choose dedicated proxies when they need to keep the same IP address for a longer time. Sometimes they are also called private proxies.

Why use dedicated proxies:

Hides your IP and Mac addresses.
Lets you access restricted content and data.
Defeats firewalls and other blocks easily.
Protects your privacy.
Exclusive access to the proxy IP address.
Longer connection with the same proxy.
A little faster than shared proxies.

Usually, people use a dedicated proxy to browse the web or play a game. It keeps their IP the same, so it is good for privacy: does not leak your location data or identity. It also lets a gamer to avoid any firewall or geographic restriction (including an IP ban).

Disadvantages of a dedicated proxy:

Any dedicated proxy might be abused before you purchase it.
A lot more expensive than shared proxies.
Less flexible if a site blocks you.
Does not scale easily. You will need many dedicated proxies to expand any activity.

Dedicated proxies lack the flexibility you need to use bots or multiple social media accounts. Also, since every IP address is exclusive, their price is very high. It might make sense to pay a lot for a single, stable IP address, but it is simply not worth it when you need thousands or millions of proxies.

One of the best things about dedicated proxies is their exclusivity. Most people believe that a dedicated proxy will be ‘virgin proxy’ – never used by anyone. This is simply not true. These proxies are exclusive only at the time a user is on them. So, for example, a proxy might have been abused by a prior user before you purchase it.

How people use dedicated proxies

Social media accounts - the downside is that every account will need a separate dedicated proxy. If you choose to create social media accounts with a dedicated proxy, make sure to limit it to a few accounts. When people register too many accounts from a single IP, all accounts get a ban.

Browsing and gaming are the favorite uses for a dedicated proxy. It lets you access restricted servers on other countries, but it usually makes browsing slow. After all, your connection needs to go through the proxy server two times before returning any content to your device. Even when used exclusively, proxies might create enough lag to make you lose a game.

Dedicated proxy alternative

Shared proxies are the best alternative to expensive dedicated proxies. They let anyone access a larger number of proxies for the same price. It is a compromise between quantity and quality, but any large web operation like screen scraping or mass account creation requires a large number of proxies. In general, most proxy users choose residential shared proxies that let them access millions of IP addresses globally for the price of a dozen dedicated proxies.

Public free proxies are the worst proxies, because of the sheer amount of users connecting to those proxies at any time. They have very low speeds, are banned instantly on most sites and do not stay alive for long.

Read about more alternatives to dedicated proxies on this page about other types of proxies.