You’ve seen so many Shopify ads and read countless e-commerce success stories. It’s only apt that you wonder if you could shine as an online seller. Imagine finding a few key products that you suspect people want, setting up your store, and generating income even as you sleep.
Surely, it isn’t as easy as advertisements make it out to be. While there may be a recipe for success, you won’t get there without the right ingredients. And one of the must-have elements for a thriving e-commerce store is data. The right information will guide you in making the best business decisions.
So, what data do you need? Let’s start with the obvious; data related to products, customers, and competitors is crucial. Other than that, you also need to discover market trends, keywords, and social media mentions. And we’re only scratching the surface here.
Collecting the massive library of information you need for your online business is going to take a lot of time if you’re taking the manual route. That’s why you need scraping bots and proxies. Proxies, thanks to their unique capabilities, will help you work anonymously at lightning speed. They’ll help you evade bot detection systems for uninterrupted data gathering tasks. They’re also vital for accessing regional-specific information.
Now, we’ve come to the crux of this article. How do you find the best proxies for e-commerce success? We’ve collated the top five vendors for you according to product choice, pricing, and performance. While they’re all highly dependable, each differs in subtle ways. Some may suit small-scale businesses; others might be better for gathering terabytes worth of data and more-complex operations. Figure out your requirements and choose the best provider to meet them.
1. MarsProxies
Lightning-Fast Affordable Proxies
When a provider claims to provide quality proxies at some of the most affordable prices in the market, you pay attention. We realized that these assertions are rooted in truth when PCMag named MarsProxies 2024’s best overall proxy service. The world-leading software reviewer touts this provider’s capabilities in market research and online shopping.
Don’t scoff at MarsProxies’ seemingly small pool of 1+ million residential proxies. They hail from over 190 countries and are more than capable of handling any online seller’s tasks, from gathering data and browsing anonymously to accessing geo-blocked data. MarsProxies offers quality residential, datacenter, ISP, mobile, and sneaker proxies. And what’s great about them is that they won’t cost you an arm and a leg. They’ll work seamlessly with your existing business tools, and if you need help with anything, the vendor’s support team is ready 24/7/365 on Discord, email, and live chat.
Entrepreneurs from various industries find MarsProxies’ services invaluable. At low price points, they enjoy proxies with near-100% uptime, global coverage, and blazing connection speeds. And since those come with non-expiring/unlimited traffic and pay-as-you-go pricing, businesses can do more with less.
Pros
- Highly competitive pricing
- Non-expiring/unlimited traffic
- Coverage for 190+ countries
- Customizable rotations
- Localized city targeting
Cons
- Relatively smaller proxy pool size
- Limited locations for mobile proxies (US and UK)
2. IPRoyal
Best-Performing Proxies
IPRoyal scores high points on Trustpilot and G2, which are notorious for providing unbiased third-party reviews. Therefore, when IPRoyal claims to provide 99.9% uptime for all of its products, that’s not hard to believe. This near-constant connectivity is necessary, especially if you’re running a global e-commerce business. You know how busy things get during peak shopping seasons.
When it comes to IP selections, this provider doesn’t disappoint. Its 34+ million ethically sourced proxies from all over the world are there to assist you with your web scraping tasks, promising anonymity at every turn. The company’s residential, datacenter, mobile, ISP, and enterprise-level proxies are at your disposal at reasonably priced packages, with attractive discounts for larger orders. More importantly, you needn’t worry about monthly commitments, expiring traffic, or time restrictions.
Along with ethically sourced IPs comes IPRoyal’s adherence to ISO 27001, GDPR, and CCPA standards. As you can see, the company makes it a point to help you perform the most intensive tasks without worrying about legal issues.
Pros
- 34+ million ethically sourced proxies
- Global coverage
- ISO 27001, GDPR, and CCPA compliance
- Multi-channel 24/7 support
- Never-expiring/unlimited traffic
Cons
- No free trial (except for enterprise-level orders)
- Mobile proxies only available in the US and Europe
3. Oxylabs
Best Proxies for Scraping the Web at Scale
Are you looking to scrape e-commerce data at a massive scale? If so, Oxylabs is a provider worthy of consideration. Despite its high prices, the company is a trusted partner for large companies such as Trivago and SEON.
Aside from providing residential, ISP, mobile, and datacenter proxies, Oxylabs has made it a point to focus on offering web scraping tools and datasets. The newly launched OxyCopilot, an AI-powered data gathering assistant, is up for grabs, as are databases pertaining to company, job posting, and product information.
As mentioned, you’ll have to fork out more to enjoy Oxylabs’ offerings. However, the company does provide pay-as-you-go packages for residential and mobile proxies. Free trials are also available for the web unblocker, OxyCopilot, and web scraping API – do take advantage of them.
Pros
- 102+ million proxies covering 195 countries
- AI-powered data gathering assistant
- E-commerce datasets
Cons
- High price points
- No free trial (except for enterprise-level orders)
4. Bright Data
Best-Performing Proxies for Complex Data Research Projects
Much like Oxylabs, Bright Data doesn’t steer clear from charging above-average prices for its proxies. For example, residential proxy traffic goes for as high as $8.40 per GB. However, clarity soon emerges when you note the provider’s strong capabilities in complex data scraping projects.
Bright Data is one of the longest-serving companies in the proxy industry. It has continuously evolved to meet the demands of various industries. Today, aside from selling residential, datacenter, ISP, and mobile proxies, the provider avails scraping automation tools and custom databases.
Another thing that makes Bright Data a strong contender is its commitment to building knowledge. Its learning hub is complete with helpful blog posts, case studies, webinars, and more. This platform is certainly an excellent resource center for online sellers seeking rapid growth.
Pros
- 72+ million proxies
- City, state, country, ZIP, and ASN level targeting
- Web scraping tools
- Custom datasets
Cons
- Expensive products
- Difficult-to-navigate dashboard (unsuitable for beginners)
5. Smartproxy
Competitively Priced Proxies
The residential, mobile, and datacenter proxies from Smartproxy boast high uptimes and fast speeds across the board. Therefore, it’s no surprise that this vendor has the backing of third-party review sites such as Trustpilot, G2, and Proxyway.
At Smartproxy, you won’t only gain access to global IPs. The provider also has a site unblocker and social media, SERP, and e-commerce scraping APIs to ease all your data gathering tasks. An anti-detection browser, Chrome extension, Firefox add-on, and proxy checker are also available for free.
Smartproxy caters to small-to-medium business owners looking to execute projects with tight budgets. You won’t break the bank, with prices as low as $2.20 per GB for residential proxies. On the other hand, the prices for mobile proxies start at $8 per GB for a commitment-free package.
Pros
- Over 65 million proxies from 195 countries
- Competitive prices
- Data scraping APIs
- Anti-detection browser
- 14-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- DC proxies have limited SOCKS support
- Limited pricing options
Conclusion
Every ambitious online seller is a potential e-commerce success story as long as they take advantage of quality tools. Proxies are readily available on the internet. However, not all vendors provide what’s necessary at the right price points. The providers in this list are the cream of the crop and ready to help you browse and scrape the web anonymously for crucial data to make the best business decisions.
