When I first started, I was totally confused too. Back when I was in China, I used online proxy agents to access sites and services that were otherwise restricted. When choosing a proxy, I focused on a few key things:
Type: Residential IPs are more stable and appear to be real users, making them great for browsing or light tasks. Data center IPs are cheaper but can get blocked easily. Mobile IPs are useful for bypassing certain limits.
Speed and reliability: If your tasks involve frequent requests or scraping, you need a stable, fast connection.
Privacy and security: Make sure the proxy is trustworthy and doesn’t log sensitive info.
Purpose: Free online proxies work for casual browsing or testing. For anything involving accounts, payments, or sensitive data, a paid proxy or VPN is safer.
I usually start with a
free online proxy (在线代理) to test IP addresses and then switch to a paid option if needed. It helps avoid mistakes and saves a lot of headaches.