The three access levels
When you build a Webshare Proxy Server or Static Residential plan, one of the first choices is the access level. It decides who else can use your IPs.
| Shared | Private | Dedicated | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who else uses the IP | Other Webshare customers | A very small number of other users | Nobody |
| Price per IP | Lowest | Middle | Highest |
| Reputation risk from others | Highest | Low | None |
| Speed consistency | Can vary with other users' load | Good | Best |
| Best for | Lenient scraping, monitoring, testing | Most scraping and light account work | Accounts, checkouts, whitelisting |
The general concepts are covered in shared proxies, private proxies and dedicated proxies. This page focuses on how to choose at Webshare.
Shared proxies
Shared plans are what make Webshare famous for cheap proxies. Starting at $2.99 for 100 IPs a month at the time of writing, they're the cheapest way to get a large list of datacenter IPs.
The trade-off is shared reputation. If another customer uses an IP aggressively on a site, that site may block or slow the IP for you too. That matters less than it sounds for many jobs:
- On lenient targets, IP reputation rarely decides success.
- With a large list, a few blocked IPs barely affect throughput.
- Webshare replaces proxies that fail its checks, and you can request replacements.
Shared IPs are a poor choice for logging into accounts, because unrelated activity on the same IP can put your account at risk.
Private proxies
Private sits in the middle. The IP is shared with only a very small number of users, so the reputation risk falls sharply while the price stays well below dedicated. It's a sensible default if you're scraping sites with moderate protection and want fewer surprises than shared IPs give you.
Dedicated proxies
Dedicated IPs are assigned to you alone. Their reputation reflects only your own use, and their speed isn't affected by other customers. Choose dedicated for:
- Accounts on social networks, marketplaces and ad platforms.
- Sneaker and ticketing checkouts where a flagged IP costs you a purchase.
- Whitelisting with partners or APIs that only accept registered IPs.
- Consistency, when you need predictable latency for monitoring or trading tools.
Static residential has the same choice
Webshare's static residential (ISP) proxies also come in private and dedicated forms. The same logic applies, but the stakes are higher because ISP IPs are usually bought for identity work. For accounts, buy dedicated.
Budget tip: You can test most of this guide for free: Webshare gives every new account 10 datacenter proxies and 1 GB of bandwidth a month without a credit card. Move to a paid plan once the pilot works. See Webshare datacenter proxies.
A decision shortcut
- Will you log into anything with this IP? Yes: dedicated (datacenter or static residential).
- Is the target heavily protected? Yes: don't use datacenter at any access level; use rotating residential.
- Is it lenient scraping or monitoring at volume? Shared, with a larger list.
- Somewhere in between? Private.
Mixing access levels
Many teams run more than one plan: a big shared list for bulk monitoring, a handful of dedicated IPs for accounts, and a small residential plan for the hard targets. Webshare lets you hold several plans in one account, so this costs little extra effort. If you want a second provider in the mix, Geonode adds per-GB residential traffic that doesn't expire; see using Webshare and Geonode together.
Testing whether access level matters for your target
Don't guess; test. Run the same job on a small shared list and a small private or dedicated list:
| Result | Conclusion |
|---|---|
| Both succeed | Use shared; access level doesn't matter here |
| Shared fails, dedicated succeeds | Shared reputation is the problem; use private or dedicated |
| Both fail | The target blocks datacenter IPs; use residential |
This takes an hour and can save a lot of money over a year.
Cost comparison for a typical job
Suppose you need 200 IPs for a monitoring job. Shared IPs at list price cost a few dollars a month. Private and dedicated IPs cost several times more per IP. If shared IPs succeed 97% of the time and dedicated 99%, the extra two points rarely justify the price. If shared IPs succeed 70% of the time and dedicated 98%, they clearly do.
Mixing access levels safely
When you hold several plans, label them clearly by purpose and keep credentials separate. The most common mistake in mixed setups is a scraper accidentally using the account IP list, which can damage accounts. Use different environment variables per plan and keep account IPs out of any shared configuration.
Proxy tip: If your residential usage goes up and down, compare Geonode: its per-GB residential bandwidth doesn't expire, so you only pay for what you use. See Webshare vs Geonode.
Moving between levels
You can change plans as your needs evolve. When moving account IPs, do it gradually and log in from the new IP only once per account, rather than moving every account on the same day. Platforms notice mass IP changes.
A real-world example
A data team scraping public job listings starts on 500 shared datacenter proxies. Most job boards work fine, but one regional board blocks a third of requests. Instead of upgrading the whole list, they buy 50 private proxies for that board alone. Success jumps above 95%, which tells them shared reputation was the problem, not the proxy type. The shared list keeps serving the other boards, and the extra cost is a few dollars a month.
Not sure this is the right proxy type for the job? The best proxies in 2026 guide compares residential, ISP, datacenter and mobile options, and our cheap proxies guide covers budget picks that still work.
Key takeaways
- Shared IPs are cheapest but carry other users' reputation; private IPs are shared by very few users; dedicated IPs are yours alone.
- Shared lists are fine for lenient scraping and monitoring at volume.
- Dedicated IPs are the right choice for accounts, checkouts and whitelisting.
- Test whether access level matters on your target before upgrading a whole list.
- No access level fixes a site that blocks datacenter ranges; that needs residential.
FAQ
Are Webshare shared proxies safe?
Yes for what they're designed for. They're managed and authenticated. The only "risk" is shared reputation, so don't use them for accounts you care about.
Is dedicated always better?
It's better quality, but not always better value. For bulk scraping of lenient sites, a larger shared list often beats a small dedicated one.
Can I upgrade from shared to dedicated later?
Yes. You can change or add plans in the Webshare dashboard as your needs change.
What does private mean at Webshare?
A private IP is shared with only a very small number of other users, which lowers reputation risk compared with shared IPs.
Which access level is best for sneaker bots?
Dedicated for checkout and accounts; private or dedicated for monitors. Avoid shared IPs on popular sneaker sites.
Can I mix shared and dedicated proxies?
Yes. Hold separate plans for different jobs and keep their credentials apart.
Editorial note: Proxy providers change their pools, features and prices often, so treat any figures here as typical ranges at the time of writing and confirm current terms with the provider before you buy.