How many proxies do you need?

The two figures

Start with the target's tolerance. Find, by testing, the number of requests per minute from one address that the target accepts without errors or challenges. Then take your required throughput in requests per minute.

Addresses needed is throughput divided by the safe rate per address, rounded up.

A worked example

You must check 6,000 pages an hour, which is 100 a minute. Testing shows one address can make 5 requests a minute before the target pushes back. You need 100 / 5 = 20 addresses. Add a quarter for addresses that get flagged and need resting: 25.

Adding headroom without overbuying

Order in the size where the price ladder steps, not above it. Read the ladder before you pick the quantity: sometimes 25 addresses cost more in total than 30 would at the next rung. The pricing page prints every rung so you can check.

When counting addresses is the wrong approach

If the job is bursty and unpredictable, sizing by addresses wastes money in the quiet weeks. A per-GB residential line prices the work you do, not the capacity you hold.