Proxy servers are an essential tool for the toolbox of modern businesses. With them, companies can perform data-sensitive tasks without ever exposing the main IP address.

While the web is full of proxy providers with different types of servers, most businesses choose residential proxies as their go-to intermediary servers to protect their main IP address. However, there is another contender – a SOCKS5 proxy.

In this article, you will learn what is a SOCKS5 proxy: what are the technical differences between this type and regular residential proxies. Then we will address the most relevant use cases where a SOCKS5 proxy is a superior option to its counterparts. For more detail on these tools, check out informative blog articles like this one from Smartproxy.

What is a proxy server? How are SOCKS5 proxies different from regular proxies?

Proxies are intermediary servers that take your connection requests and assign them a new address. Just like regular web connections, they use HTTP protocol to communicate, but unlike VPNS, the traffic from the user to the server is not encrypted.

Most businesses use two types of proxies: residential or datacenter IPs. Residential proxies are the best for company tasks that involve a lot of connections because their connections are tied to the Internet Service Provider (ISP). Most providers have massive server fleets with millions of residential IPs. Datacenter proxies are more suitable for the average browsing session, as recipients can detect these IPs easier since they are not tied to any ISP.

SOCKS5 proxies use the SOCKS5 protocol. It provides encryption and authentication tools for extra security. The lower overhead with a more streamlined protocol makes them faster than regular residential proxies. Still, if you choose them instead of residential IPs, you sacrifice an additional layer of anonymity that comes from decentralized IP addresses.

SOCKS5 proxies have three authentication methods: none, username and password connection, and the most secure, GSS-API authentication that demands approval on both sides of the connection.

Why you should get SOCKS5 proxies

Here are the main reasons to use SOCKS5 proxies and trick recipients that the data packets come from a different IP address.

Bypassing web censorship

No matter what geolocation your public IP has, you will encounter portions of the internet that will be unavailable in your country. With a good SOCKS5 proxy provider, you will have multiple options to access any website that is currently censored. This can be used for casual browsing sessions, or to equip new IP addresses for data scrapers and other botted traffic. With the help of these remote services, no web user has to abide by the limitations imposed by government agencies and other companies.

Improved security and privacy

SOCKS5 proxies provide a layer of security for online connections. With them, your connections to social media platforms, search engines, online shops, and banks are safer. These platforms and the third-party trackers on them will not know your main IP address. Giving up this information can be extremely dangerous, as cybercriminals or competitor companies can use it to launch DDoS attacks on your network.

These proxies provide a higher level of security than other proxies, which ensures that your connections are protected and encrypted, and remain invisible to trackers on the web.

Superior speeds

If speed is your top priority, SOCKS5 proxies are the fastest option among proxy servers because they use the speediest available protocol. It uses fewer resources than datacenter or residential proxies. They do not cache information like the connections with the more popular HTTP protocol.

The efficiency of SOCKS5 proxies makes them a go-to option for businesses working with large volumes of data. Their addresses can be used to get the most out of web scrapers and use multiple IPs at the same time, maximizing the benefits of its superior speeds.

SOCKS5 proxies also support a more lightweight UDSP protocol used for gaming and online calls, getting the most out of real-time communication.

System compatibility

Businesses look for SOCKS5 proxies because they are versatile and compatible with multiple popular applications. Because it is a lower-level protocol than the popular HTTP, it is easier to adapt them to different connection types.

With better support for additional use cases, SOCKS5 proxies are a diverse tool for modern businesses. They prove to be effective under any circumstances, especially in instances where speed and security are the main priorities.

Conclusion

SOCKS5 proxies are the middle ground between residential proxies and VPNs. While they do not anonymity and scalability of residential proxy IPs, the superior speeds and authentication make them a safer option for other use cases. Meanwhile, VPNs are more secure, but their connections are slower, and available server fleets are usually much smaller. Thankfully, most proxy providers have different deals, letting you choose the desired proxy servers and even adding customizable additional features.

On their websites, you will find unique scraping, rotating proxies, and even specialized servers for sneaker reselling. SOCKS5 proxies are versatile tools, and the best providers offer many customizations to satisfy client demand.