You might be faced with a project or a need where datacenter and residential proxies simply won’t cut it. Enter mobile proxies, a type of proxy that you can configure from your computer (like other proxies), and avoid blockers set for other types of proxies.
These proxies are crucial for tasks like social media management, ad verification, and web scraping, where a mobile IP address can bypass restrictions that traditional proxies cannot. Similarly, you can access geo-restricted content, maintain anonymity, and manage multiple accounts without the fear of bans. Moreover, mobile proxies enjoy a higher level of trust and are often not easily blocked. They route web requests through IPs assigned by mobile network operators via cellular networks which are either 4G or 5G. Below you will find our recommendations for the best mobile proxy providers, offering 4G and 5G networks, and much more to cover your business or individual needs for both budget-conscious and those looking for premium offerings.
Our top picks for 2024
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Best overall
Oxylabs has earned its stripes in the proxy world, and its mobile proxies are a strong choice for businesses and individuals expecting reliability and power. With a massive global network of 5G, 4G, and LTE proxies, it offers performance that is hard to beat, while keeping things secure and scalable.
It has over 20 million mobile IPs (ethically) sourced from real carriers in more than 140 countries for optimal coverage. These IPs are frequently rotated, allowing you to stay under the radar. If you are targeting specific locations or mobile networks, Oxylabs lets you handpick proxies from certain carriers.
The handy customizable rotation feature also allows you to decide between sticky and rotating proxies, with the option of keeping them stable for up to 30 minutes – or longer if needed. Plus, the comprehensive API integration and top-notch customer support make sure everything runs smoothly.
Thanks to the high-speed, low-latency connections, Oxylabs is ideal for social media automation, real-time scraping, or checking how ads appear across different regions. In ecommerce monitoring, its mobile IPs make it easy to track your competitors’ prices and inventory without getting blocked.
With a pay-as-you-go plan that covers up to 50GB of monthly traffic at $9 per 1GB and plans starting at $99 for 12GB, flexing based on your bandwidth requirements, the pricing sits on the premium end. While it is not the cheapest option, the performance and reliability more than justify the hefty price tag.
Read our full Oxylabs review.
Best for ad verification
Similar to OxyLabs, Soax is a popular proxy choice for various use cases. Aside from mobile proxies, they offer residential, datacenter, and other types of proxies, boasting a jaw-dropping 191 million IP pool, which they constantly monitor and clean up when certain IPs get blacklisted. Mobile proxies support precise geo-tagging for country, state, city, and even specific carriers. IP rotation is done automatically with your set parameters, while you are free to create an unlimited number of concurrent sessions. The proxies are ideal for price monitoring, ad verification, website testing, SEO monitoring, data collection, and account management while keeping uptime in the highest range possible.
Support is available 24/7 through all channels, along with detailed documentation and onboarding instructions. Pricing plan names reflect the traffic available, with a total of six pricing plans. The first three called Mobile15, Mobile29, and Mobile65 cost $99, $179, and $369 per month, respectively. The last ones Mobile150, and Mobile250 cost $739 and $999 per month, while the Enterprise plan requires you to reach out to their sales team.
Read our full Soax review.
Best for global coverage
SmartProxy is always in the discussion when premium proxy providers are mentioned. It has one of the biggest, ethically sourced mobile proxy pools on offer, that have a response rate lower than 0.8s and a success rate of 99.48%. Regardless of the plan you choose, you will have unlimited concurrent requests, with HTTP(S) and SOCKS5 as standard, city-level targeting, and OS filtering (Android and iOS). As with most other premium offerings, there is much more on offer besides mobile proxies (datacenter, ISP, residential, etc.). Note that you will have to pass a KYC process before you make any purchase, but fear not, as the company retains your data for up to two years and doesn’t give it out to third parties.
There are quick-start guides and other documents available to get you up to speed, along with 24/7 support, which is not the quickest to respond compared to other premium players in the field. In terms of pricing, the pay-as-you-go plan will set you back $8 per GB and is covered by a 14-day money-back guarantee (as are all plans on offer). The other plans are named after the traffic you get, so 2GB, 8GB, 25GB, and 50GB, with the prices ranging from $7.5/GB moving by $0.5 increments to the highest tier plan where you would pay $6/GB. You are billed monthly and can save some cash if you opt for the higher plans.
Read our full Smartproxy review.
Best for unlimited bandwidth
Another budget-friendly proxy provider, that offers various proxy services in its portfolio. Focusing on mobile proxies, you get a dedicated IP address, meaning that each IP is solely given out to you as if you were given a phone with a SIM card. Their pool of residential mobile IPs is ethically sourced and contains over 2.5 million addresses, guaranteeing 99.9% uptime and lightning-fast speeds. With their mobile proxies, you also get access to their API and auto-rotation options across 3G, 4G, and 5G networks. Their proxies are ideal for tasks such as creating accounts, automating processes, scraping data, and bypassing CAPTCHAs on platforms like eBay, Amazon, social media networks, and Google.
IPRoyal proudly boasts its support team which offers 24/7/365 services, and is among the best in the business. But what sets it apart in the marketplace is the competitive pricing they offer across their entire portfolio. For mobile proxies, they offer three plans, 1 Day plan, where a day starts at $10.11, 30 Day plan costing $130 a month and finally the 90 Day plan which costs $117 a month. All plans include pretty much the same offering, but depending on the length of time you plan on using their services, you can get quite a discount going for a longer period.
Read our full IPRoyal review.
Best for budget
The name itself says it all: If you’re in the market for cheap proxies, Proxy-Cheap could be your provider. Don’t be fooled by the word cheap, as it does not affect the quality of the service at all. You can find various affordable proxy types with superb quality and great performance. Here, mobile proxies are dedicated proxies, meaning they’re solely assigned to you, through a modem and SIM card with only your traffic passing through them. IP rotation is supported, along with HTTPS or SOCKS5, IPv4, whitelist authentication, and over 1.2 million IP addresses. Another advantage is that the provider guarantees a 99.9% uptime, making it one of the more reliable options. You will be limited to a maximum of 4G speeds, so if you’re looking for 5G, you should skip this provider for now.
Pricing is a bit confusing as there are only three options, the first one comes with a 7-day trial and $30 per proxy per month. The next plan is dubbed 1 month and costs $50 per proxy per month and the final plan is called 12 months; and also costs $50 per proxy per month. Support is there 24/7 for you, with customers rating the service quite highly. While it may not fall under the category of premium offerings, Proxy-Cheap tries to position itself in the mid and lower segments, catering to budget-conscious users who still need mobile proxies and who need unlimited bandwidth.
FAQs
What are mobile proxies?
Mobile proxies are IP addresses provided by mobile network operators. They are associated with 4G and 5G networks and are typically used for tasks where mobile authenticity is required, such as managing social media accounts, ad verification, and scraping mobile-specific data.
How to choose the right mobile proxies?
When selecting mobile proxies, it’s essential to consider several practical factors:
- Pricing: Last but not least, is the price. Cheaper is not always necessarily better, you should consider the scale of your operation and choose providers that offer better deals for unlimited bandwidth or avoid penalties if you jump from one price plan to another.
- Network type (4G vs. 5G): While there may be a significant speed difference between the two, it will often be followed by a similar price difference. Therefore, determine whether you need 4G or 5G proxies based on your speed and performance requirements.
- Location coverage: Accessing geo-restricted content or performing region-specific tasks, will require proxies from those locations. You should consider your needs and check whether the provider covers your desired area.
- Reliability and uptime: Providers that offer an uptime guarantee should be your go-to option, but you should also couple that with reliability. Reliable proxies are crucial for tasks like social media management or SEO tracking, make sure to research user testimonials before making a decision.
- Bandwidth: If you’re handling data-intensive tasks you should look for unlimited bandwidth. This will allow you to easily scale up or down your operations while remaining on budget.
- Customer support: 24/7 support should be the standard, along with multiple communication channels (email, chat, phone, AI assistant). Reliable providers often have impeccable customer support.
How to choose the best mobile proxies?
Consider the network type (4G vs. 5G), the geographical coverage, the IP rotation options, and the specific use cases you need them for. Additionally, assess the reliability and customer support of the provider.
Are mobile proxies legal?
Yes, using mobile proxies is legal as long as they are used ethically and in compliance with the terms of service of the websites or services you are accessing.
Conclusion
Mobile proxies are indispensable for businesses and individuals who require reliable, high-quality connections for tasks like social media management, ad verification, and accessing geo-restricted content. Our top picks include budget-friendly options, as well as established and well-known market leaders in the proxy space. Depending on your business or individual needs, we’re sure that you will find the right fit for you in this list.