About 7 years ago, two colleagues were working on a marketing project and encountered a problem that many web users have been frustrated with; how to open multiple browser profiles.
The normal solution would be to use multiple devices but this isn’t cost-effective or practical. Being able to quickly switch between browser profiles is essential for many tasks such as affiliate marketing, or managing multiple accounts on the same platform.
A tool was created to solve this issue, and Multilogin is now being used by many businesses as a stable cloud-based masking solution.
Why is Multilogin necessary?
As mentioned above, Multilogin was designed so that users can open multiple browser profiles at once. The Multilogin app is a stable masking solution that ensures individual browser profiles do not get linked together.
Websites use a number of methods to identify visitors, the hardware they use, where they are based, and even the software (browser) being used to access the site. There are several reasons why companies do this ranging from marketing, data collection, and security.
Many platforms prohibit multiple accounts, but it is common for certain businesses and individuals to require more than one profile. Market research for instance can require many accounts on the same social media platform.
So, to avoid certain detection measures, an app such as Multilogin is required.
What is the Multilogin app for?
Multilogin can be used by anyone who wishes to be able to switch quickly between browser profiles and remain undetected by the websites they visit. This could be achieved by having several devices set up, although practically this would be hard to emulate as Multilogin can run thousands of accounts.
While anyone who needs to have customizable, unique browser profiles could use the app, it is likely to be used commercially rather than by a regular home user.
Common functions for Multilogin include:
- Affiliate marketing
- Account management
- Ticketing
- Advertising
- Ecommerce
- IDO lottery access
Some tasks on the net require having many different legitimate accounts on the same platform, but these can be identified and banned. So, any kind of activity involving this could benefit from using an app that creates multiple browser profiles. Gaining access to limited edition sneakers is one example, as is managing multiple clients’ social media accounts from one device.
However, there is still the problem of having one IP address. This can cause problems for certain tasks such as web scraping. But, can you connect a proxy to Multilogin?
Why would you want to use a proxy?
Statistics show that Americans, and web users in general, are more concerned about online privacy than ever. Around 74% of Americans have reported that they are more worried now about safety online than at any time before. And 9% do not believe there is any such thing as privacy online.
With browser fingerprinting, IP recording and all manner of data collection happening, it is easy to see why web users and businesses are concerned. Multilogin has protection against browser fingerprint identification. Machine learning is used to build profiles of web users so that they can be identified when they visit certain websites.
Proxies provide more privacy, more security, and a level of anonymity that many users desire. For some, a proxy is a way to hide an IP address for privacy, but for certain tasks, it is an absolute necessity. Data collection would be impossible without the use of proxies.
Can you use a proxy with Multilogin?
Yes, you can route your data through a proxy, but why do you need to? Well, Multilogin doesn’t provide proxies, and for some tasks, clean IPs are needed.
There are tricks for getting clean IPs for Multilogin for free. These include using 4G on your phone and resetting your router so that you are issued with a new IP. However, this still only allows you to have one location set at a time.
Using proxies will give Multilogin a new dimension, and allow different cities, regions, and countries to be set as well as have different browser profiles.
Why do you need proxies for the Multilogin app?
It is common to link proxies with privacy and this is true. A proxy will hide your real IP address and hopefully provide you with a clean, reliable replacement. However, proxies also offer many other benefits including helping a business to grow.
Data collection is more important in 2022 than ever before, and to retain a competitive edge, data analysis, digital marketing, and lead generation are essential. Web scraping can help in these areas and more. But, without the use of proxies, it would be an almost impossible task.
Proxies help businesses in the following ways:
- IP rotation
- IP masking
- Geo-blocked content
- Security
- Account management
Because Multilogin doesn’t provide proxies, it is necessary to use a third-party provider if you wish to carry out web scraping tasks for example. Also, where you are using multiple accounts, a proxy provider will enable you to set different locations for each account with a clean IP for each one.
What are the different types of proxy you can use?
There are plenty of Multilogin app proxies to choose from, but understanding which type you need and what the risks are is vital.
There are perhaps 5 types of proxies to consider:
- Datacenter proxies
- Residential proxies
- Mobile proxies
- Proxy-based APIs
- ISP proxies
Datacenter proxies are the most common, and the longest in existence. They are more affordable than some such as mobile proxies, but they have some disadvantages too. They are easily detected, and many websites know the IP addresses for certain data center proxies rendering them useless for multiple account management.
In 2019, it was reported that Facebook closed 5.4 billion accounts. Using the wrong data center proxy could result in your accounts being closed down.
Proxy-based APIs are becoming more popular with activities such as web scraping as they can cope with automatic IP rotation, and protect against browser fingerprinting.
But, which proxy should you use for Multilogin?
What proxy provider and type of proxy should you use?
Choosing a proxy provider isn’t straightforward. The services provided can differ wildly as can the quality of the proxies.
Speed is a factor, the fastest proxy providers are 3 times quicker than the slowest. Pricing will be a consideration also. The most expensive premium provider is around 10 times costlier than the cheapest. Security matters too. Surprisingly, over 50% of proxy providers are still not using SOCKS5.
Clearly, before you choose your proxy provider, you should carry out some due diligence. Fortunately, there are plenty of proxy comparisons online with customer reviews.
Which type of proxy is needed for Multilogin?
Datacenters are faster than residential proxies and for simple tasks, they may be quite suitable. Nevertheless, they don’t use genuine IPs, and may not be up to scratch for certain activities.
There are things to know before web scraping, and the right proxy to use is one of them. Rotating IP addresses are perfect for data scraping, and so mobile and residential proxies are ideal if they come with IP rotation.
But, static IPs have their uses too. If the reason you want to use Multilogin is for multiple account management, then you may prefer not to rotate your IPs. After all, if you are logging in to the same account with a different address each time, this could get flagged.
Mobile proxies are especially difficult to detect by websites. ISPs have a limited number of IPs they can administer. This means that they get shared between hundreds of users. Websites will be unwilling to block an IP when it could mean potentially blocking hundreds of legitimate consumers.
Residential proxies are generally cheaper than mobile proxies if budgets are a concern. Residential proxies are also extremely hard to detect and are unlikely to get
Therefore, for web scraping, any proxy that uses IP rotation will work well with Multilogin, although you should check compatibility before ordering. And for multiple account management, perhaps static IPs are best. However, ensure that you are getting genuine clean IPs.
Can you use a VPN instead of a proxy with Multilogin?
This is a question that is broached on the Multilogin website, and the answer is yes but with certain drawbacks.
Around 142 million people in the states alone have a VPN installed. Usage is much lower at just under 40 million, and this could be down to complacency or dissatisfaction with their VPN.
There are dozens of free VPNs on the market as well as paid services, and the quality between them differs massively. A good VPN offers a static IP, will hide your genuine location, provides encryption, and will help to keep you safer online.
A VPN is a solid way to improve online privacy and stay safe when browsing or working on the net.
They can also be connected to Multilogin. But, you will be hampered by having just one IP address which means you can only manage one profile at a time. This makes multiple account management time-consuming, and ultimately frustrating.
Nonetheless, a VPN can be used instead of a proxy, but it isn’t recommended.
Summary
Without a proxy in place, Multilogin or a similar app will work just fine, and as intended. You can set up multiple browser profiles each with its own unique fingerprint to avoid detection. Yet, Multilogin doesn’t provide proxies. Therefore, if you wish to fully utilize the power of the app, you will need a proxy provider.
For affiliate marketing, ecommerce, and multiple account management in general, having the ability to switch location and IP is extremely valuable. For data scraping, the rotation of IPs is simply essential. How you choose a proxy provider will be down to your own needs and budget but check that Multliogin and the proxy can connect first.