What Is a Shared Proxy?

Think of a shared proxy as a carpool. You get to your destination, but you’re not the only passenger. Because many users send requests through the same IP, websites on the other end can’t easily tell who’s who. This setup makes shared proxies budget-friendly and widely available, but it also introduces risk.

If one of the users in that “carpool” engages in suspicious activity, the IP address can get flagged or blocked—affecting everyone sharing it. For this reason, shared proxies are often considered entry-level: good for casual browsing, basic scraping, or quick tasks where reliability isn’t mission-critical.

Casual Browsing

A shared proxy can help hide your IP while browsing websites for privacy reasons, without needing the higher cost of a dedicated solution.

Testing Access

When developers need to quickly test how a website looks from a different location or IP, shared proxies provide an inexpensive option.

Lightweight Data Collection

For small-scale web scraping, like pulling a handful of prices from an e-commerce store, shared proxies can do the job without breaking the bank.

Don’t Rely on Them for Sensitive Tasks

If you’re managing multiple social accounts or running high-value automation, shared proxies are risky. Stick to them for lower-stakes activities.

Monitor for IP Blocks

Because others may misuse the same proxy, always keep an eye out for sudden bans, captchas, or throttling. These signs often mean the shared IP has been flagged.

Upgrade When Scale Grows

Start with shared proxies if the budget is tight, but plan to move to private proxies or dedicated proxies as soon as reliability becomes important.

A shared proxy is a cost-effective way to mask your IP address by pooling it with other users. It’s simple and affordable but comes with trade-offs in stability, speed, and trustworthiness.