Shared IP or dedicated IP? What are the differences and advantages between the two?

What is the difference between shared and dedicated IP? Is it necessary to use a dedicated IP?

In layman's terms, a shared IP is like taking a bus , you get to your destination but you will be sharing the journey with other passengers and there will most likely be no seats. A dedicated IP is like taking a taxi , you get to your destination faster but you are the only one in the car and the seat is reserved for you. For proxies , this exclusivity refers to how many network users are using that specific IP address and the number of website domains you can access.

Let’s take a look at which proxy IP is best for your needs

A shared proxy consists of multiple IP addresses that are used by multiple users to access various website domains.

*Shared IPs are IPs that are used by one or more clients. They are an affordable way to get you a large batch of IPs, but the results may not be what you expect. When verifying ads or checking for broken links, a large number of IPs are required to check the same website domain from multiple geographical locations. Shared IPs can do this while reducing costs. On the other hand, if there is any fraudulent activity by the advertising partner, it may not be discernible with the shared IP.

Shared IPs allow you to maximize value while minimizing costs (such as collecting data on sites with request limits). Request limit blocking is a common security feature implemented by websites. If there are too many requests too quickly from the same IP, it will often be detected and flagged as suspicious activity , which is often used to prevent robots from crawling the site. To avoid these blocks, you can customize the settings to switch IPs after a certain number of requests. By switching IPs, you can avoid being flagged, maintain a high success rate, and ensure continuous data collection.

*If you want to get an IP that only you use on a target website , you can purchase an exclusive IP for a specific domain name to locate the target website. In other words, the IP is only for you to use on a specific site, but other users can use it on other websites.

Dedicated IPs for your domain are higher quality than shared IPs because they limit the number of users that can access a specific website. Since you are the only one using the IP for that domain, you can use it for more complex sites.

In short, a dedicated proxy is an IP address provided to one user, which ensures that you are the only user using the IP address.

When you try to access sensitive websites that keep your IP browsing history, it is usually best to use a dedicated proxy. When accessing these sites, other users accessing the same site with the same IP will be blocked because the browsing history is changing. By using a dedicated proxy, you will have full control over your browsing history as the only user of that IP, and can rest assured that your operations will not be interrupted.

Do you want to be exclusive? Read more!

*What is gIP?

Few proxy services can provide you with a dedicated IP group (gIP) on the target website . An IP group/gIP usually consists of 3-30 peers from the same region. When a peer's IP is unavailable, the proxy service will immediately use its neighbor's IP to maintain a persistent IP location balance demand and ensure that the exclusive residential IP will always be online.

The IPs in a gIP are dedicated to a specific website domain, meaning that none of the IPs in a gIP will be used by anyone else for your target site . Since real residential peer-to-peer networks only use real users' IPs when they are idle, IP switching is inevitable. Of course, this is where gIPs come in handy – if the IP switches automatically, the next available IP in that gIP will be assigned to you. By using a gIP, you can be guaranteed that an IP with exactly the same characteristics will always be available .

*Various IP proxy types of proxy network

Shared and dedicated proxies are available for multiple network types, including data center networks, static residential networks, dynamic residential networks, and mobile networks. Each network has its own advantages and can achieve the highest success rate in specific use cases.

Data center IP is very suitable for large-scale crawling of target sites. Computer room IP is economical, but the chance of being identified is relatively higher.

Dynamic residential IPs allow the network to be viewed through the eyes of real users in any country or city in the world, which is very useful for accounts that are managed with data center IPs but are easy to identify and block.

Static residential IP uses an IP assigned to a user from their ISP (Internet Service Provider) for personal use. Static residential IP is recommended for use cases where IP switching can cause issues such as submitting a form.

Mobile 3G/4G IP allows you to see the network through the eyes of real mobile users on a specific carrier, which can be used to gather information such as verifying provider-specific campaigns or promotions.

Both shared and dedicated IPs are available in multiple proxy networks, and each has its own advantages. The right proxy provider will offer a range of solutions for whatever needs your operation may have. Understanding the difference between dedicated and shared proxies and the characteristics of each IP type will help you optimize the cost and performance of your proxy operation.