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There are dozens of proxy services, and almost all of them promise "fast and anonymous IPs". But behind the ads hide resold addresses, hidden limits and support that replies once a day. To avoid wasting your budget, you need a clear checklist. Let's go over 8 criteria for choosing a proxy provider in 2026.
Checklist: 8 criteria
| Criterion | What to look at |
|---|---|
| 1. Proxy types | Mobile, residential and datacenter available — choice per task |
| 2. Geography | The countries and cities you need, especially Russia |
| 3. IP cleanliness | Addresses not in blacklists, not resold to a thousand clients |
| 4. Protocols | SOCKS5 and HTTP, switching at no extra cost |
| 5. Rotation | IP change by timer/link for mobile |
| 6. Test and guarantee | Ability to test before payment, replacement of dead IPs |
| 7. Support | A fast reply from a real person, not a bot once a day |
| 8. Price and terms | Transparent plans, rental from 1 day, no hidden limits |
1-2. Types and geography
First define your task — it determines the IP type. Social networks and sensitive actions need mobile, marketplaces need residential, scraping simple sites needs datacenter. A breakdown is in "Which Proxies to Choose". Then check whether the geo you need is available: for the Russian internet that means Russian IPs, see mobile proxies for Russia.
3. IP cleanliness — the main thing
The most important and least visible criterion. A "dirty" IP with a spam history gets banned immediately, no matter how fast it is. Signs of quality: addresses aren't mass-resold, there's a blacklist check, mobile/residential with real trust. How to assess an IP yourself — "How to Test a Proxy".
4-5. Protocols and rotation
A good service offers both SOCKS5 and HTTP with switching in the dashboard at no extra cost (on the difference — here). For mobile proxies, rotation matters: changing the IP by timer or by a link command is a basic feature, not a "premium option".
6-7. Test, guarantee and support
- A test before payment or fast replacement of dead IPs — a sign the provider is confident in quality.
- Live support. Write to the chat before buying and judge the speed and adequacy of the reply.
- Flexible rental. The option to take a proxy for 1 day to test, not just for a month.
8. Price and reputation
Compare not the absolute price but the price for the quality and geo you need. Read reviews on independent platforms and check how long the service has operated. At PROXYLEET, for example, there's a bonus for an honest review — that's both feedback and a benefit for the client.
Case study: overpaying for "cheap" proxies
A client twice bought the cheapest pool from different sellers — both times the IPs turned out to be blacklisted, accounts got banned and the money was wasted. The third time they chose by the checklist: a test before payment, Russian mobile IPs, live support. Accounts stopped getting banned, and the final cost of a working IP came out lower than the sum of those past "thrifty" purchases. You can pick proxies by these criteria in the PROXYLEET catalog.
FAQ
What should I look at first?
IP cleanliness and the type matching your task. Speed and price are secondary if the address is "dirty".
Should I buy proxies without a test?
Better not. The ability to test or quickly replace an IP is a sign of a reliable service.
How do I tell if an IP is resold?
Indirectly — by a suspiciously low price and CAPTCHAs on popular sites. Check the address in the checker and against blacklists.
Where can I get proxies that meet the checklist?
In the PROXYLEET catalog: mobile, residential and datacenter IPs, SOCKS5/HTTP, rental from 1 day and live support.
