A Closer Look at Proxy Services - Free vs. Paid

Friday, June 04, 2010

Can you imagine your phone calls being listened to and home or business mail being intercepted and read by others? The mere thought makes us anxious, but the fact is that many people are putting their selves at an even greater risk on a daily basis with the way they use the Internet.

The reality is that an unimaginable amount of personal information is constantly exchanged online, much of which is exposed to hackers and other criminals who have the ability to track, trace, and steal this precious data.

But what if you had the chance to cover your digital tracks and use the Internet anonymously?

Well, thankfully it's possible through the use of Internet security tools which allow you to change your IP address so that you can't be identified by these cyber thugs.

There are different ways to go about changing or hiding your IP address, but in particular there are two popular methods. As is the case with nearly every single product or service in the world, you have the option of selecting from either free or paid solutions.

However, is the difference between these two merely a matter of dollar signs?

Let's take a closer look by analyzing exactly how well they work out with regards to the three most critical factors that matter the most when you want to hide your IP address.

1. Stability

Free: While a quick search on Google for "free proxy service" draws up an enormous amount of websites offering free IP addresses, the sad truth is that the majority of these sites maintain poor credibility. Nearly all of the proxies offered by these websites tend to be here today and gone tomorrow. And realistically, who has the time and stamina to spend every single day hunting for a new IP address?

Paid: When you use a paid service, you gain access to a list of quality IP addresses in a matter of a few clicks. In addition, companies that offer paid proxy services are in need of you as a customer, which means that they will ensure that the IP addresses provided will be reliable. If they fail at this, then they will obviously lose your business and receive many negative reviews online which will prevent them from gaining future customers as well.

2. Security

Free: Once you finally find an IP address that works, the next issue you will have is trying to determine whether or not it is safe to use. The fact is that even if the individuals behind these websites have good intentions, they often don't have the ability to ensure the safety and privacy of their proxies due to their service being free. If you read the fine print in the terms and conditions of most of these sites you will find this point mentioned so that they are protected from lawsuits.

Paid: As mentioned earlier, the main reason to hide your IP address is to protect your private information. Paid proxy services that value integrity will undoubtedly guarantee that the IP addresses you are able to select from with their solution will safeguard your personal data from any potential hackers. Most companies will even mention on their websites the variety of security precautions they take to protect your information.

3. Flexibility

Free: If you want an IP address for a specific country or region in the world, chances are you will have an even harder time finding it with a free proxy service. Along with being unreliable and unsafe, the IP addresses that are commonly available through free websites tend to be quite random with regards to their location.

Paid: Many paid proxy switching services will provide a wide range of proxies for numerous countries. Usually you have the option to sort the collection of IP addresses based on country, making it easier to find the one you want and start browsing immediately.

Clearly when you are in need of a solid way to change your IP address that is stable, secure, private, and flexible, the more reasonable option is to choose a paid solution.

The risk you are leaving yourself open to by using a free service is simply not worth it. In fact, rather than saving on the expense of a paid solution, it's more likely that you'll end up in worse financial hardship as a result of depending on these free methods.