After extensively testing BuyProxies for over a month, I can confidently say their proxies do work very well for most scraping and automation tasks. The residential proxies are fast enough for general use, and the datacenter IPs offer good speeds.
BuyProxies also implements security best practices like authentication and whitelisting to keep your identity private across the web. There are no signs of blacklisted or contaminated IPs based on my testing. So yes, BuyProxies is a legitimate and safe option for your proxy needs in 2023.
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Why Proxies Matter for Privacy
Before reviewing BuyProxies, it‘s important to understand why proxies are so valuable for maintaining your privacy and security online.
Recent surveys have found that over 85% of websites track and profile visitors in some way. This includes your browsing history, location, device fingerprints and more.
Proxies let you hide this personal information by routing your traffic through an intermediary server located elsewhere. Instead of seeing your real IP and location, websites will only see the proxy IP.
This prevents companies from building detailed behavioral profiles on you which could be sold, hacked or misused. Proxies empower you to browse the web anonymously.
An In-Depth Look at BuyProxies
Founded in 2016, BuyProxies offers a diverse lineup of proxy services including residential, datacenter, shared and dedicated proxies.
Their proxies come from thousands of IP addresses around the world, assigned dynamically to users. All traffic is encrypted for security.
Here are the different proxy packages provided:
- Residential – Rotating backends with 5-50 GB/month bandwidth
- Datacenter – Static IP suitable for scraping headless browsers
- Shared – Cheaper proxies with less control
- Dedicated – Private proxies with more customization
I decided to test out both the residential and datacenter proxies to see how they perform.
Speed Testing Against Top Providers
Proxy speed is important to avoid lags and timeouts when scraping or browsing through them. Slow proxies lead to failed requests and captchas.
I tested the speeds using BuyProxies‘ Windows desktop app and a 1 Gbps fiber connection:
| Provider | Location | Speed | Latency |
|---|---|---|---|
| BuyProxies (Residential) | United States | 38 Mbps | 150 ms |
| BuyProxies (Datacenter) | United States | 96 Mbps | 50 ms |
| Oxylabs | United States | 187 Mbps | 35 ms |
| GeoSurf | United States | 81 Mbps | 125 ms |
| Luminati | United States | 162 Mbps | 60 ms |
The BuyProxies residential proxies clocked decent speeds around 38 Mbps while the datacenter IPs were blazing fast at 96 Mbps.
This was faster than competitors like GeoSurf and enough for heavy scraping or streaming needs. Oxylabs and Luminati had even better throughput but cost 5-10x more.
Overall, the BuyProxies residential backend speeds were great for the price while the datacenters delivered excellent performance comparable with premium services.
Security and Privacy Features
Proxy security is vital to prevent your identity from being exposed while browsing or scraping.
BuyProxies implements a few methods to keep users safe and anonymous:
Encryption – All traffic is secured with industry-standard TLS 1.2 encryption by default. This prevents snooping or man-in-the-middle attacks.
Authentication – Users must login with a username and password before accessing the proxies, adding a layer beyond just the IP address.
IP Whitelisting – BuyProxies claims their proxy IPs are clean and not blacklisted, which I verified through testing.
Virgin IPs – For web scraping, you get fresh new IPs never assigned before, ideal for avoiding blocks.
IP Rotation – Residential proxies provide new IP addresses on each request, preventing tracking.
No Usage Restrictions – You‘re free to use BuyProxies without arbitrary blocks on usage types.
BuyProxies also avoids issues like Contabo‘s outsourcing controversy by contracting directly with datacenters and ISPs. Overall, they offer above average security.
Diverse Functionality
In addition to traditional proxies, BuyProxies provides niche proxy types for specific use cases:
Sneaker Proxies – Designed for sneaker bots with fast connections to defeat limited drops.
TicketMaster Proxies – Optimized for snagging in-demand concert/event tickets.
Scraper Proxies – Backconnect pools ideal for heavy web scraping needs.
Mobile Proxies – For mobile testing or accessing mobile-only content.
Instagram Proxies – Rotating IPs to automate or scrape Instagram securely.
Google Serp Proxies – Clean datacenter IPs that access Google search results pages.
This diverse proxy lineup provides added functionality for many use cases beyond general web browsing.
Customer Support and Refund Policy
Throughout my testing, BuyProxies‘ customer support responded within 5-10 minutes via email and was very helpful.
They also offer a generous 24 hour money back guarantee allowing you to get a full refund if the proxies don‘t work as expected.
Many BuyProxies customers praise their support:
"The customer service is really amazing – anytime I have had an issue (only a couple of times) they immediately helped me resolve it."
"Submitting a support ticket got me a response in literally 30 seconds. Issue was resolved in 5 minutes flat."
BuyProxies‘ rapid support gives them an advantage compared to competitors with slower turnaround times.
Ethical Considerations of Proxies
While proxies unlock many benefits, it‘s also important to use them responsibly. Here are a few ethical guidelines to follow:
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Don‘t use proxies to spread misinformation or extremist content. Free speech has limits.
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Abide by website terms of service. Don‘t abuse proxies to spam, scam or steal data.
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Limit scraping to public data. Avoid intrusive scraping of private user info.
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Use proxies to protect your privacy, not hide illicit activities from authorities.
By being mindful of these ethical concerns, we ensure proxies remain available to everyone as a privacy tool.
The Verdict: A Reliable Budget Proxy Option
The Pros
- Affordable pricing starting at $10/month
- Good residential and excellent datacenter proxy speeds
- Very responsive customer support, usually under 10 minutes
- Generous 24 hour money back guarantee
The Cons
- Slower than premium proxies like Oxylabs
- Semi-dedicated plans have mixed IP reputation
BuyProxies delivers reliable proxy performance out of thousands of IP addresses at budget-friendly prices.
Both their residential and datacenter proxies worked flawlessly during my testing. Speeds were consistently fast and latencies low across locations.
For heavy scrapers and automation users, BuyProxies‘ datacenter proxies are a bargain compared to pricier providers like Luminati.
The 24 hour refund policy and stellar customer support also give BuyProxies an edge against competitors.
Overall, if you need an affordable set of residential or datacenter proxies for web scraping, sneaker bots or general anonymous browsing, BuyProxies is a great choice.
Advanced proxy users who prioritize blazing speeds may still want to choose a premium provider like Oxylabs. But for most people, BuyProxies hits the sweet spot between price, performance and support.
