What is HTTP Proxy? & Best HTTP Proxies Recommended!

Do you know about HTTP proxy? How does it differ from Socks? Where to buy the best HTTP proxy? This article tells you all the answers.

HTTP proxy sits in between your computer and the website you are trying to access. Its work is to collect information from your computer, which is the sender, and send this information to the internet (the receiver).

Directing the web traffic is the first and primary purpose of a proxy server. The second function of a proxy is to mask the real IP address of a server. This function provides a form of security and anonymity for users on the internet. Lastly, proxy servers, with the help of their caching systems, store resources that can help improve performance on the internet.

Now that you have an understanding of the concept of proxy servers and what they do let's discuss HTTP proxies.

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What is HTTP Proxy?

An HTTP proxy is a middleman or the link between the local network (your computer) and the internet. Apart from the general functions of a proxy server, an HTTP proxy caches web pages and files on the internet. This function makes it easy for users to locate and access these files and web pages on the internet.

The HTTP proxy plays two significant roles. These roles include the HTTP Client and the HTTP Server. Its ‘Server' side oversees the management, caching, and security of your internet connections. This side is responsible for accepting requests from local networks.

The Client-side connects to the remote server (the internet) to receive information and send it to the local network. Thus, the Server side of the HTTP proxy receives requests from your computer and sends it to the internet. The Client-side then receives information from the internet and sends it to your computer.

Lastly, the HTTP proxy works with many browsers to cache websites that you frequently visit. This way, you don't have to download the web pages again before you access them. If you have noticed some website addresses pop up automatically whenever you are typing them, that's the HTTP proxy in action.

Having seen the importance of the HTTP proxy servers, some companies offer these proxies for sale. These companies and their HTTP proxies differ in terms of features, function, and pricing. In this section, you will learn about these HTTP proxy providers and their different features.

The HTTP proxy providers are divided into two, based on the type of HTTP proxies they provide. This division is Residential Proxy Providers and Datacenter Proxy providers;

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Best HTTP Residential Proxy Providers

1. Bright Data

Luminati.io is a leading name in the business of proxy service. The company has both SOCKS and HTTP proxies for sale. Like its SOCKS proxy servers, the HTTP proxy servers are impressive.

There is no limit to Luminati's HTTP Proxies, and you get an uninterrupted internet connection as websites cannot detect the use of proxies when you use Luminati HTTP proxies. These proxies are also ideal for caching and web scraping.

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2. Smartproxy

When you use Smartproxy's HTTP proxies, you can be sure of a safe and reliable internet connection. These proxies are also spread out across 195 countries; thus, there is a considerable chance of getting connected wherever you are. Lastly, you can use these proxies to create social media accounts, cook sneakers, web scraping, and market research.

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3. Storm Proxies

Although there is a limit to how far the web scraping capacity of this residential proxy can go, StormProxy provides one of the cheapest residential proxies in the industry. Also, you don't get sophisticated systems like APIs and browser extensions with Storm Proxy. It uses a minimalist approach that makes its proxy easy to use.

It has an acceptable web scraping record. With an average of 72 percent success in web scraping, you can use it for your web scraping purposes.

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4. ProxyEmpire

ProxyEmpire's IP Pool of over 9.750.000 IPs is not as big as those of their competitors, but their different types of proxies are quality tested and can be used for scraping, managing accounts, monitoring, and many other tasks. Not to mention, ProxyEmpire offers one of the most affordable plans on the market, making them ideal for smaller projects.

ProxyEmpire’s proxies work well with the most popular protocols (HTTP and SOCKS5) ensuring easy integrations with any software.

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5. GeoSurf

If you need a proxy provider that allows for easy geo-targeting, GeoSurf is your best bet. However, this feature is only available for the premium package, which has a different price model. You also get to enjoy both sticky and rotating IPs with this proxy provider. Lastly, it has a decent web scraping performance and an incredibly fast internet connection speed.

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6. NetNut

NetNut deviates from the P2P method used by conventional residential proxy providers. This provider utilizes a DiviNetworks, which is a faster, better, and more efficient system. The incredible speed of proxies provided by NetNut is because internet traffic is not routed through a third party computer, which is a benefit of the DiviNetworks used by this provider.

Its web scraping activities are commendable as it achieves an average of 77% success rate. It also combines this success rate with a high internet speed and low latency.

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Best HTTP Datacenter Proxy Provider

Apart from residential HTTP proxies, you can also get datacenter HTTP proxies, if you like. However, residential proxies work better than datacenter proxies. This is because the most website cannot detect residential proxies; a feature that is absent with datacenter proxies.

Nonetheless, these are the providers of datacenter HTTP proxies;

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1. MyPrivateProxy

One of the highlights of the services of this proxy provider is its fast internet connection. Very few can only match the speed of the proxies offered by this provider in the industry. Moreover, the proxies from MyPrivateProxy are ideal for social media management and SEO optimization. Lastly, the provider uses a lean approach which means that the proxies are easy to use.

 

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2. Proxy-Seller

True, the Proxy-Seller does not mention their IP pool of more than 400 networks and over 800 subnets. The company still offers quality private and static proxies on the market. It stands out as the proxy provider with flexible pricing plans.

Though they have general and custom proxies, these packages have the HTTP proxies compatibility feature; hence you can use these proxies for googling, data scraping, SEO monitoring, social media management, accounts automation, and marketing as well.

Proxy-Seller has proxies targeting search engines, proxies for sneaker sites, ISP proxies, mobile proxies, social network proxies, online marketplace, and gaming proxy packages. These proxies are surprisingly compatible with HTTP, HTTPS, and socks5 protocols.

In addition to their simple interface, unlimited traffic, concurrent connection using unlimited, and anonymity is part of their mission. Get the HTTP proxies for any task and secure your privacy online cheaply without breaking into the bank. They give you superior 24/7 customer support services and say no to the monthly minimum requirements instead of the above providers.

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3. SquidProxies

You get an excellent internet connection speed with SquidProxies. For a cheap and datacenter proxy, the provider does well in the aspect of connection speed. Also, the proxies provided are highly secure and of high quality.

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4. SSLprivateproxy

For a datacenter with IPs spread out over 39 locations around the world, SSLprivateproxy has incredible coverage. This means that you can use the proxies from this provider in almost all parts of North America and beyond.

Also, you get some specialized proxies for different uses with this provider. These include dedicated proxies for classified ads, Instagram proxies, and Pinterest proxies. Private proxies are those that simply allow you to do general browsing.

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5. Instantproxies

Instantproxies ranks among one of the cheapest datacenter proxies in the business. Despite this low price, the quality of the proxies remains unaffected. Apart from getting a general proxy that allows you to browse, you also get specialized proxies for scoping commerce sites like Amazon. Also, there are also proxies for opening and managing social media accounts.

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Types of HTTP Proxies

There are different types of HTTP proxies based on their mode of operation. In this section, we will briefly discuss these types of HTTP proxies. They include:

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Transparent Proxies

Transparent proxies are standard proxies that reveal the IP addresses of users. This happens because this type of HTTP proxy does not change the information provided by users. The transparent proxy handles all internet traffic that uses HTTP protocol, and users do not need to modify the proxy or change its settings.

The transparent proxy allows you to cache information on favorite websites, faster than other types of proxies. The reason for this is the reduced upstream bandwidth usage of the proxy. As a result, you can quicken your access to these websites.

The features mentioned above are some of the benefits of using transparent proxies. The only disadvantage is the lack of anonymity as it reveals the user's IP address.

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Anonymous Proxies

This proxy has all the features of the transparent proxy with an impressive addition, which is the increased anonymity as the name suggests. As a result, the use of anonymous HTTP proxies is increasing daily as it guarantees security and confidentiality.

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Elite Proxies

This is the height of security and anonymity when it comes to proxy types. The elite HTTP proxies ensure that no trace of your internet activities is left to trace by surveillance computers and hackers.

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SOCKS Proxies vs HTTP Proxies

If you know your way around computer networks and connections, you will realize that an HTTP proxy works almost the same way as the SOCKS proxy. While this is true to some extent, there is a world of difference between a SOCKS proxy and an HTTP proxy. Below are some of the differences between these proxies;

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• Level of specialization

The SOCKS proxy is a low-level proxy while the HTTP is a high-level proxy. These levels refer to the rate of specialization between the two proxies. As such, HTTP is more specialized than SOCKS proxy.

Before you think that is an advantage, take a look at the implication of these specializations. As a result of its specialization, the HTTP proxy can only work with HTTP protocols. On the other hand, the SOCKS proxy can work with any type of protocol, including HTTP.

To understand why the specialization works this way, let's use a language example, highlighting the levels of the language. If we are to divide the English language into levels, it will look like this.

World Languages – European languages – English language.

Using this division, the English language is the most specialized in the division; thus, anyone who speaks and understands English can only communicate in that language. Unlike the European language, which is not as specialized as English. However, whoever speaks and understands European Languages can communicate in many languages, including English.

Thus, an HTTP proxy is like the English language, while a SOCKS proxy is like a European language. SOCKS proxies can handle many protocols and are the best options when it comes to the POP protocol for emails.

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• Bypassing internet blockades

Due to its TCP connection, SOCKS proxies can bypass an internet blockade, which is something you cannot find with HTTP proxies. And more interestingly, the SOCKS proxy, when using an HTTP protocol, can still bypass the internet blockade.

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• HTTP Request Handling

As a result of its specialization, HTTP proxies can handle HTTP requests excellently. This is because the proxy has enough tools to process the request better than a SOCKS proxy. This is one of the advantages of the specialization of the HTTP proxy.

Therefore, if you are handling a task that involves lots of HTTP requests, such as web scraping, it is not advisable to use a SOCKS proxy. You will end up having lots of irrelevant web pages as the proxy doesn't have the specialized tools to manage the pages as they come down.

Just like SOCKS proxies, HTTP proxies are important for an efficient internet experience. It also provides an avenue for digital marketers to take the best of e-commerce websites and social media platforms.

Last Updated on December 12, 2023