Scraping the web. Sounds like a techy buzzword, but at its core, it is just pulling data from websites—structured, unstructured, public, sometimes annoyingly hidden behind scripts and clicks. And when it comes to scraping, you will hit a wall if you do not mask your identity. That is where the big question comes in. VPN or proxy?
At first glance, they look similar. Both reroute your traffic. Both give you new IP addresses. Both make you appear like you are somewhere else. But in practice, one is clearly better than the other for scraping. Spoiler: it is the proxy.
Here’s why. Proxies are light. Fast. Tailored for automation. If you are sending hundreds or thousands of requests to a target site, you want agility. VPNs wrap your connection in encryption and add overhead. That’s great for privacy, but not for scraping. Proxies, especially residential or datacenter types, keep things moving without the drag. No fuss. Just new IPs and fewer roadblocks.
And if you are rotating IPs? Proxies shine. You can set up a pool. Every request gets a different IP. Some tools even let you target specific countries or cities. That is how you beat geo-restrictions or avoid triggering rate limits. VPNs? Sure, some rotate IPs, but not with the same flexibility or scale. They are built for individuals, not bots.
But not all proxies are equal. You might stumble on “free” proxies online. Looks tempting, right? Unlimited access, no sign-up, no cost. Do not fall for it. These proxies are unsafe. Many are traps—run by shady operators or open to public abuse. They leak data, inject ads, or even act as middlemen stealing your traffic. If you are serious about scraping, invest in quality proxies. Your data and your scripts will thank you.
One popular choice among scrapers? Zyte Smart Proxy. If you are using Scrapy, integrating it is straightforward. Just set ZYTE_SMARTPROXY_URL to http://api.zyte.com:8011 and plug in your API key under ZYTE_SMARTPROXY_APIKEY. From there, Scrapy handles the rest. Every request gets routed through Zyte’s infrastructure automatically. No manual juggling.
Want more control? Rotate proxies manually. Scrapy’s middleware system lets you intercept each outgoing request. Create a list of proxies. Randomly attach one to every request. Done. Proxy rotation at scale. It’s elegant, powerful, and battle-tested in the scraping world.
Of course, tools matter too. If you are not into writing your own scripts, platforms like Octoparse, ParseHub, or Import.io are great no-code options. Octoparse is especially friendly for beginners—point, click, extract. If you live in a browser, Chrome extensions like Webscraper.io or Data Scraper are quick ways to pull content without leaving your tab.
Now let’s clear the air on legality. Are proxy scrapers legal? Yes. Web scraping? Still yes, mostly. There are no sweeping laws banning scraping in places like the US, UK, or EU. But how you scrape matters. If you are extracting copyrighted material, personal data, or causing server slowdowns, you might cross a line. Always check the site’s terms of service. Respect the rules. Ethical scraping is not a myth—it’s a best practice.
Using proxies by itself is also legal. What’s illegal is what some people do with them—fraud, hacking, bypassing digital rights. Do not be that person. Use proxies to gather insight, not to exploit systems.
Can you be tracked through a proxy? Yes—if you are careless. Most proxies do not encrypt your traffic. That means ISPs or third parties could still intercept what you are doing. If security is key, stack a VPN and proxy. Or use SOCKS5 proxies with end-to-end encryption features. NordVPN offers these with great speed and wide server coverage. Others like IPVanish and Private Internet Access also do a solid job.
In Scrapy, setting up a proxy middleware is simple. Create a middleware class. Feed it your proxy list. Register it in settings.py. Every outgoing request gets processed through your middleware. You can fine-tune how proxies are picked, how often they change, and even how failures are handled.
So what is the verdict?
Use proxies for scraping. VPNs have their place—streaming, security, privacy—but proxies are built for speed, flexibility, and automation. Choose the right type, rotate them smartly, avoid freebies, and stay within legal bounds. Web scraping is not going away. It’s evolving. And the smarter your setup, the smoother your journey through the modern web will be.