Local proxies allow you to access geo-restricted content, evade censorship, enhance your privacy and security online, and much more by masking your real location. With so many use cases, it’s no wonder local proxies are growing more popular each year.
But with lots of options out there, how do you pick the right local proxy service for your needs?
I tested and reviewed the top 7 local proxy providers to help you find the best one for you based on features, reliability, pricing, and more.
Contents
What is a Local Proxy?
A local proxy is a server that sits between you and the global internet, acting as an intermediary for your requests. It assigns you an IP address from the geographic location of the proxy server rather than your true location.
This allows you to:
- Access region-restricted content and sites as if you were in the proxy‘s location
- Hide your real IP address and location for privacy
- Evade censorship and access blocked sites
- Scrape data specific to the proxy‘s region
Local proxies are useful for both personal and business needs. Common examples include:
- Accessing streaming services like Netflix and BBC iPlayer from other countries
- Reading news sites with geo-blocked content
- Researching geo-targeted search engine results
- Scraping localized business information like prices and reviews
- Safeguarding identity and sensitive activities online
There are two main types of local proxies:
Residential proxies use IP addresses belonging to real homes and mobile devices. This makes your activity appear more natural. But residential IP pools tend to be smaller.
Datacenter proxies come from servers in data centers. They can offer larger IP pools but may be easier to detect as proxies.
Benefits of Local Proxies
Local proxies unlock the full power of the internet by allowing you to view it as if you were anywhere in the world.
The main benefits include:
Access Localized Content
Many sites restrict content based on location. Local proxies let you view country-specific content from streaming services, news publishers, ecommerce stores, and more.
Bypass Geo-Restrictions
Censors and firewalls often block access to sites based on location. Local proxies enable you to bypass these restrictions.
Enhanced Privacy & Security
Your real IP address reveals your location and identity. Local proxies add a layer of anonymity to protect your privacy and security while browsing.
Common Uses of Local Proxies
Local proxies serve both personal entertainment needs and business purposes.
Personal Use
Consumers often use local proxies to:
- Access streaming sites like Netflix and Hulu from other countries
- Virtually relocate to purchase region-restricted goods and services
- Enhance security and privacy while browsing the internet
Business Use
Common business uses include:
- Competitive research and analysis of localized pricing and trends
- Geo-targeted data extraction and web scraping
- Accessing content and sites restricted to certain regions
- Anonymity for security-conscious activities
Now let’s dive into the top local proxy services available in 2023. I‘ve identified the stand-out providers based on proxy features, network size, reliability, user experiences and more.
Best Local Proxy Providers
1. Oxylabs – Best Overall
With over 100 million residential and static proxies available, Oxylabs stands out as the largest and most advanced proxy network.
It offers unparalleled targeting precision with options to filter proxies by country, state, city, ASN, ISP, carrier, and more. Oxylabs leverages an autonomous system number (ASN) for accurate geo-targeting.
The residential proxies automatically rotate with each request, preventing IP blocking. For a consistent static IP, dedicated static proxies are available.
The proprietary proxy manager enables easy setup and configuration. Useful features include a proxy checkout system, backconnect proxies, session recording, and integrated SOCKS5 support.
Advanced users can take advantage of Oxylabs‘ new redesigned API for full automation. Integrations are also offered for popular tools like Python, Excel, Google Sheets.
With large-scale proxy networks available for over 195 geographic locations, Oxylabs makes it easy to find the proxies you need.
The residential proxy plans are affordably priced starting at $300 per month for 20GB of traffic. More data bandwidth is available at competitive rates.
Key Features
- Huge pool of over 100M residential IPs
- Advanced targeting with ASN geo-locating
- Automatic rotations and backconnect support
- SOCKS5 compatibility
- Dedicated static proxies available
- Intuitive proxy manager and integrations
- Servers in 195+ countries and regions
2. Bright Data – Feature-Packed
Bright Data leverages a pool of over 72 million IPs to offer one of the largest proxy networks.
The service stands out with its highly-precise targeting capabilities. You can filter residential proxies by country, state, city, ZIP code, ISP, ASN, and more.
The advanced residential proxies provide automatic rotation as well as backconnect support. Bright Data also offers static IPs for a consistent IP address.
For convenience, Bright Data provides native apps for Windows, Mac, and Linux. The apps make it easy to configure rules and filters to customize your proxy connections.
Users highlight Bright Data‘s excellent customer support and reliability. The team is very responsive in helping resolve any issues.
Pricing starts at $500 per month for 20GB of traffic, which is on the higher side. But the advanced targeting precision and features may make it worthwhile for some use cases.
Key Features:
- 70M+ residential IPs with precise targeting
- Automatic rotations and backconnect proxies
- Windows, Mac, and Linux apps for management
- Helpful customer support team
- SOCKS5 and HTTPS support
3. GeoSurf – For Geo-Targeting
GeoSurf is purpose-built for geo-targeting precision. The network boasts over 3 million residential IPs spanning 130 countries.
You can target proxies by country, state, city, ZIP code, ISP, ASN, and more. This makes GeoSurf ideal for accessing hyper-local content.
The company prides itself on proxy quality. Each batch is tested for reliability before being added to the network. Proxies are scanned in real-time and dead or faulty ones are replaced.
For best results, GeoSurf offers a free proxy test drive. This lets you test up to 20 proxies over 2 days for free.
The residential proxies provide automatic rotation as well as backconnect support. For static IPs, GeoSurf offers the innovative GeoSurf Beam service starting at $500 per month.
Pricing is relatively affordable compared to other advanced local proxies. Plans start at $300 per month for 10GB of traffic.
Key Features:
- 3M+ residential IPs with precise targeting
- Advanced geo-targeting by city and ZIP code
- Real-time proxy monitoring and replacement
- Automatic rotations and backconnect supported
- Free 2-day test drive available
4. Luminati – Reliable Network
Luminati operates one of the oldest and most reliable proxy networks since 2011. Their pool includes over 40 million residential IPs.
The Luminati proxy manager provides a user-friendly way to filter, test, and control your proxies. You can target proxies by IP type, geo-location, carrier, and more.
The residential proxies offer automatic rotation as well as session monitoring to optimize usage. The Super Residential plan guarantees you a dedicated static IP address.
Luminati also offers backconnect proxies, static IPs, and P2P support. Integrations are offered for sites like Google Sheets to simplify usage.
The residential proxies start at $500 per month for 40GB of traffic. For businesses needing larger volumes, enterprise proxy plans are available.
The company highlights its 99.999% uptime record and reliable 24/7 customer support as advantages. The extensive knowledge base also provides helpful proxy tutorials.
Key Features:
- 40M+ residential IPs with advanced targeting
- Reliable network with 24/7 support
- Automatic rotations and backconnect proxies
- User-friendly proxy manager
- P2P support and Google Sheets integration
5. Smartproxy – Unmetered Bandwidth
Smartproxy makes local proxies simple with unmetered bandwidth plans. This makes it easier to budget without worrying about surprise overage fees.
The network includes over 10 million residential IPs. You can target proxies by country, state, city, ASN, ISP, VPN detection avoidance, and more.
Helpful features include integrated SOCKS5 support, static residential IPs, backconnect proxies, and session management.
For ease of use, Smartproxy offers native apps for Windows and Mac. Browser extensions are also available for fast proxy switching.
Plans are affordably priced starting at $200 per month. For large-scale usage, custom enterprise packages are available.
Smartproxy prides itself on transparency and quality assurance. The network is consistently monitored and tested for uptime, speed, and reliability.
Key Features:
- 10M+ residential IPs with advanced targeting
- Unmetered bandwidth on all plans
- Integrated SOCKS5 support
- Apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android
- Starting at $200/month
6. Storm Proxies – Optimized Performance
Storm Proxies optimizes speed and performance by hosting proxies on high-end servers. This ensures fast streaming, downloads, and web scraping.
The network consists of 3 million IPs with coverage in every country. You can target proxies by country, state, and city. Rotation and session management settings can be customized.
Integrated SOCKS5 support enables using Storm Proxies with various tools. Convenient apps are also available for Windows and Mac.
Sticky IP sessions are supported to retain the same IP when desired. Bandwidth pooling and analytics help optimize usage across teams.
Storm Proxies are affordably priced starting at $50 per month for 5GB of traffic. For businesses and teams, discounted custom packages are offered.
With a focus on speed and transparency, Storm Proxies delivers reliable performance for media streaming, web scraping, and other bandwidth-intensive proxy uses.
Key Features:
- Global network of 3M+ residential IPs
- Country, state, and city-level targeting
- Optimized high-speed servers
- Integrated SOCKS5 support
- Windows and Mac apps
- Bandwidth pooling and analytics
7. Proxyrack – Budget-Friendly
Proxyrack makes proxies affordable with flexible plans starting at just $9 per month.
The network consists of over 1 million residential IPs. You can target proxies by country, city, ASN, and ISP. Automatic rotation helps maintain anonymity.
Helpful features include backconnect proxies, sticky sessions, and OAUTH authorization support. Integrations are offered for Postman, Puppeteer, and more.
Proxyrack operates its own proxy network optimization system for reliable performance. Proxies are constantly monitored and replaced if issues arise.
The basic plans have some usage limits but are extremely affordable. Bulk discounts are available for larger usage making Proxyrack a budget-friendly option.
Key Features:
- 1M+ residential IPs with location targeting
- Plans starting at just $9/month
- Automatic rotations and backconnect
- Own optimization system for reliability
- Postman, Puppeteer, and PowerShell integrations
Choosing the Best Local Proxy Provider
With so many options, choosing the right local proxy for your needs takes research:
Consider the proxy features you require like targeting precision, static vs rotating IPs, integrations.
Compare networks sizes to ensure the provider has enough IPs for your usage.
Check protocols supported such as SOCKS5 for tools compatibility.
Evaluate plans costs and bandwidth to fit your budget and needs.
Read user reviews for feedback on reliability and performance.
Check for transparency like monitoring and quality testing to ensure an optimized network.
The best local proxy service provides the optimal blend of geo-targeting, features, network size, reliability, and affordability for your specific browsing needs.
Conclusion
Local proxies open up the global internet by allowing you to access it from anywhere. They provide an invaluable tool for accessing localized content, maintaining your privacy and security online, competitive research, and much more.
This guide covered the top 7 providers today based on proxy features, targeting, network size, pricing, and reliability.
Oxylabs stands out as the leading all-around provider with the largest network, precise advanced targeting, and competitive pricing.
But every user‘s needs are different, so consider which features and plan options matter most for your specific browsing activities.
Now you have the knowledge to choose the top local proxy provider for unlocking the full possibilities of the internet no matter where you are located.
