E-commerce is based on data. Price changes, stocks, list of competitors – all this is constantly changing. Skipping a price reduction or launching a new product on the market means a loss of sales. Using residential proxies, you can track this data without the need to block it.
Why residential? Sites like Amazon, Walmart and eBay recognize bots well. The IP addresses of the data centers are marked within a few minutes. Residents’ IP addresses are provided by real ISPs, so they look like ordinary buyers visiting the site.
This article covers five proxy providers that are well suited for e-commerce monitoring: ProxyWing, Oxylabs, Decodo (formerly Smartproxy), SOAX and Bright Data. The benefits of each of them depend on their scope and budget.
Residential Proxies Explained
A residential proxy redirects your traffic through an IP address assigned by the provider to the homeowner. If you send a request through this proxy, the target site will see a normal home connection from Kansas, Munich or any other place where the IP address is located.
The technical process works as follows: your user sends a request to a proxy server, the proxy forwards it to a residential IP address, and the response is returned in the same way. The target website never sees your actual server IP address.
For e-commerce, this is important because retail locations invest heavily in blocking scrapers. They check the reputation of IP addresses, request patterns and the fingerprints of the browser. Residential IP addresses have an impeccable reputation, as they come from real users.
There are three main types of IP addresses for working in e-commerce:
The replaceable residential proxy servers assign a new IP address at each request or at certain intervals. This is convenient for massive price reductions when you need thousands of requests per hour.
Static residential proxy servers keep the same IP address for a long time. Useful when you need to maintain a session – for example, adding items to the shopping cart to check the final prices taking into account delivery.
The proxy servers of ISPs combine the speed in data centers and the legitimacy in their places of residence. They are provided by hosting providers, but they are registered as residential IP addresses. Faster than regular users, although some sites may recognize them.
ProxyWing
Proxywing specializes in e-commerce and the use of social media. Their residential pool has more than 10 million IP addresses in 195 countries.
The pricing model uses throughput, not the number of IP addresses. The cost of small data plans starts from $ 3.50 per gigabyte. Large users get cheaper tariffs – about $ 2.00 per GB at the enterprise level.
In order to track e-commerce, ProxyWing offers location-oriented targeting at the city level. This is important if the prices vary depending on the region. You can use Amazon US from an IP address in Los Angeles, then switch to an IP address in New York and compare the results.
The session management system works well here. Permanent sessions last up to 30 minutes, so you can test most of the ordering process. The rotation option repeats each request, which is useful for bulk checking the directory.
The response time during testing is an average of 1.2 seconds. Not the fastest, but the most stable. Their dashboard displays real-time bandwidth utilization and success metrics by domain.
One caveat: in some Asian countries, the IP address pool is smaller than that of competitors. If you need intensive coverage in Japan or South Korea, check your current range first.
Oxylabs
Oxylabs operates one of the largest residential networks – more than 100 million IP addresses, according to the published data. They position it as a corporate instrument with appropriate prices.
Monthly data plans start at about $ 99 for 5 GB of bandwidth for residential networks. Cost per GB decreases significantly with increasing volume, reaching about $ 8 per gigabyte at higher levels. They also provide options for usage-based payment for the exam.
Their Web Scraper API will automatically process the change of proxy servers. You send a URL, and it returns the HTML code. With embedded JavaScript, you can clean up dynamic pages without having to run your own browser automation
The main disadvantage is the cost. For startups or small companies, oxylabs may prove to be superfluous. The minimum monthly fee makes them inaccessible to ordinary users.
Decodo (Smartproxy)
At the end of 2024, Smartproxy changed its name to Decodo, although many users still know it under the old name. Their IP address pool is about 55 million.
The prices are lower than most competitors. Subscription fees start at an annual fee of $2.20 per gigabyte. The monthly fee for small packages is about $ 4.50 per gigabyte.
The browser extension simplifies the quick verification. Install it, select a country and check it manually to check how the website works. UsefulPlease note: This website includes an accessibility system. Press Control-F11 to adjust the website to people with visual disabilities who are using a screen reader; Press Control-F10 to open an accessibility menu.
Accessibility for early research before making scrapers.
E-commerce features include automatic captcha detection on some websites and built-in repetition logic. The API accepts cURL requests or works with popular platforms through its SDK.
For large markets, geo-targeting is reduced to the level of cities. The largest reach in the USA, Great Britain, Germany and France. South American and African pools are smaller.
The processing speed of residential requests is on average about 1.5 seconds. Their data center proxy servers are faster, but they get blocked faster on retail locations.
The free trial version allows you to test it with real traffic before using it. The three-day trial version is 100 MB in size – that’s enough to check if it works with your target websites.
SOAX
SOAX uses a different approach for its proxy pools. You will receive IP addresses from users who log in through partner applications. There are about 155 million IP addresses in their pool – both residential and mobile.
A batch model is used in pricing. The cost of 15 GB of bandwidth and access to a full residential pool at the entry level is $ 99 per month. At higher levels, the cost of one gigabyte drops to about $ 6.50.
SOAX mobile proxy servers work very well for websites that track the fingerprints of devices. Real 4G and 5G connections from real phones have high trust rates.
The dashboard contains detailed targeting options. Filter by country, region, city, provider and connection type. You can request IP addresses from Verizon users in Chicago if it suits your needs.
When configuring the API, standard proxy login methods are used. Username and password or a white list of IP addresses – both methods will work. They provide sample code for Python, Node.js, PHP and Java.
Bright Data
Bright Data, formerly Luminati, has launched a proxy server market for individuals. Their network has more than 72 million IP addresses for individuals and is represented in all countries.
This is a premium option. Monthly data plans start at $500 for their proxy network, although they offer small trial packages. The price per use is about $8-12 per gigabyte, depending on the volume and functions.
Their data collection tool provides a complete data cleanup. Tell them what data you need from which sites, and they will send you the clean data back. It is useful if you want to get results without creating your own system.
The technical possibilities are very wide. Automatic proxy server change, captcha recognition, JavaScript, and fingerprinting tools are all built into the program. The system acts like a real browser to avoid detection.
E-commerce users receive ready-made collectors for large retail sites. Set the target URLs, select the time, and receive daily price summaries in your format.
The control panel allows you to track a lot of data. Track success rates by domain, monitor bandwidth usage, and set up alerts for unusual situations.
The obstacle is cost and complexity. Bright Data offers most of the features, but it requires a large budget and technical expertise to use effectively.
Thoughts
The choice of a residential proxy provider depends on three factors: budget, scale, and technical resources.
For small operations controlled by several competitors, ProxyWing or Decodo is best. Low commissioning costs and simple APIs allow you to get started quickly.
Medium-sized teams that need reliability should pay attention to SOAX. Connection stability and mobile options provide flexibility without taking into account corporate prices.
Large enterprises with dedicated engineering teams will benefit from Oxylabs or Bright Data. Higher costs are provided by increased capabilities, improved support, and proven systems at scale.
Test it before commissioning. Most providers offer trial versions or money-back periods. Complete your current scraping jobs according to your actual goals. The frequency of blockages and response time vary greatly depending on the site and region.
And one more thing – change your approach to monitoring. Even the best proxy servers end up getting flagged. Use proxy servers for residential users and proxy servers of Internet service providers, change the request time and update your fingerprints regularly. The sites you follow are constantly improving their detection. Your setup should evolve with them.