Paid protocol decision · TCP path verified 2026-08-29

Choose a paid SOCKS5 network by origin and session limits

SOCKS5 chooses how the client talks to the gateway. It does not choose the exit origin for you. Compare the four current shared networks, their real targeting and session controls, and the smallest payable order before connecting.

Compare paid networksNeed the free SOCKS5 list?

Separate the decisions

Protocol, origin, session, and geography are four different controls

A SOCKS5 label alone cannot answer whether the route comes from an ISP, carrier, or hosting network; whether it rotates; or which location selectors exist. Make those choices explicitly.

SOCKS5 paid proxy decision layers
Decision layerWhat you chooseMaterial limit
SOCKS5Client-to-gateway relay protocolTCP CONNECT path tested; UDP is not claimed
Network originResidential, Flex, datacenter, or mobileDetermines the route class, not the browser or account identity
Session ruleRotate on a new connection or request a sticky sessionA fresh IP and full requested continuity are not guaranteed
Location controlOne supported selector at a timeExact dimensions differ by product and remain subject to route availability

Current paid choices

Compare the four SOCKS5-capable networks without inventing a universal winner

Every amount below is the smallest orderable quantity from the current complete catalogue. Product fit depends on the origin and controls the authorized workload actually needs.

Premium residential origin

Residential Proxies

SOCKS5

Premium Residential is a shared, rotating and bandwidth-billed ISP-origin pool, not a static ISP allocation, with more granular targeting than Flex.

Targeting
One country, state, city, ZIP, coordinate, or ASN selector at a time; route availability varies
Sessions
Connection-based rotation; a fresh IP is not guaranteed. Requested sticky sessions up to 120 minutes; continuity can end early.
Smallest current order
5 GB · $13.75 total · $2.75/GB · 186 days

Choose when: The authorized workload needs an ISP-origin route and a country, state, city, ZIP, coordinate, or ASN selector.

Buy Residential Proxies · $13.75Review Residential Proxies limits

Residential Flex origin

Residential Flex

SOCKS5

Residential Flex is the budget shared, rotating and bandwidth-billed residential pool for country-or-continent targeting; Premium Residential offers more granular controls.

Targeting
One country or continent selector at a time; route availability varies
Sessions
Connection-based rotation; a fresh IP is not guaranteed. Requested sticky sessions up to 30 minutes; continuity can end early.
Smallest current order
25 GB · $13.75 total · $0.55/GB · 31 days

Choose when: A residential origin with country-or-continent selection is sufficient and the Flex entry economics fit the workload.

Buy Residential Flex · $13.75Review Residential Flex limits

Mobile origin

Mobile Proxies

SOCKS5

Mobile is a shared, rotating and bandwidth-billed carrier-network pool, not a dedicated device, SIM, modem, or exclusive IP, with no carrier or radio-generation selector.

Targeting
One country or continent selector at a time; route availability varies
Sessions
Connection-based rotation; a fresh IP is not guaranteed. Requested sticky sessions up to 120 minutes; continuity can end early.
Smallest current order
5 GB · $17.75 total · $3.55/GB · 31 days

Choose when: The authorized test specifically needs a carrier-network origin rather than a browser or device identity.

Buy Mobile Proxies · $17.75Review Mobile Proxies limits

Datacenter origin

Datacenter Proxies

SOCKS5

Datacenter is a shared, rotating and bandwidth-billed hosting-network pool, not a dedicated or static allocation.

Targeting
One country or continent selector at a time; route availability varies
Sessions
Connection-based rotation; a fresh IP is not guaranteed. Requested sticky sessions up to 120 minutes; continuity can end early.
Smallest current order
10 GB · $12.50 total · $1.25/GB · 31 days

Choose when: A shared hosting-network origin is acceptable and the workload does not require a residential or carrier route.

Buy Datacenter Proxies · $12.50Review Datacenter Proxies limits

No free trial. Checkout carries the selected product, exact entry quantity, and this source page; confirm the current terms before payment.

Tested connection path

Start with one authenticated TCP route check

This cURL shape uses the canonical gateway and Premium Residential zone, keeps the password in an environment variable, resolves the destination hostname through the proxy, and applies finite timeouts.

Gateway
gw.databay.co:8888
Verified client behavior
cURL 8.21.0 sent the domain name with socks5h; Python Requests 2.32.5 with PySocks 1.7.1 showed the same distinction.
Claim boundary
The local trace covered SOCKS5 TCP CONNECT. It did not test or establish UDP ASSOCIATE support.
Paid SOCKS5 cURL checkUSERNAME-zone-residential
: "${DATABAY_PROXY_PASS:?Load DATABAY_PROXY_PASS from your secret store}"
DATABAY_PROXY_USER='USERNAME-zone-residential'

curl --fail --show-error \
  --proxy 'socks5h://gw.databay.co:8888' \
  --proxy-user "${DATABAY_PROXY_USER}:${DATABAY_PROXY_PASS}" \
  --connect-timeout 10 \
  --max-time 30 \
  'https://databay.com/what-is-my-ip/json'

Replace only the dashboard username and secret. Verify the observed exit before the authorized workload and retain normal connection failures.

Evidence ledger · 2026-08-29

What the protocol evidence proves and what it does not

The local harness captured cURL and Python SOCKS5 greetings and CONNECT requests against a controlled loopback server. Current prices, products, targeting, and sticky ceilings come from Databay's validated live catalogue at render time.

RFC 1928 · SOCKS Protocol Version 5Primary protocol source for CONNECT, address types, and optional UDP behavior.Official cURL manualPrimary client source for socks5h remote hostname resolution and proxy authentication options.Free SOCKS5 listUse the live public list for non-sensitive experiments; it has a different intent, risk profile, and availability model.

Paid SOCKS5 questions

Resolve these before checkout

Is SOCKS5 a separate Databay proxy product?

No. SOCKS5 is a client-to-gateway protocol supported by the current catalogue across Premium Residential, Residential Flex, Datacenter, and Mobile. Choose the network origin and controls first, then use SOCKS5 when the client requires it.

Does SOCKS5 encrypt traffic?

No. SOCKS5 is a relay protocol, not an encryption layer. Keep HTTPS or another application-level security protocol enabled for the destination traffic.

Does Databay claim SOCKS5 UDP support?

No claim is made here for UDP ASSOCIATE. The verified setup on this page covers the TCP CONNECT path only; do not infer an optional SOCKS5 command from the protocol name.

Why does the cURL example use socks5h instead of socks5?

In cURL, socks5h sends the destination hostname to the proxy for resolution. The local 2026-08-29 trace verified a domain-name request for socks5h and a locally resolved address for socks5.

Can a sticky SOCKS5 session end early?

Yes. The current product facts expose a maximum requested sticky duration, not guaranteed continuity. Applications should retain failures and tolerate reconnection.

Is there a free trial?

No. Use the live entry order for the selected product and review its payable total and validity before checkout. The free SOCKS5 list remains available for non-sensitive experiments.

Choose the origin before the protocol checkbox

Return to the four-product decision hub if the workload still needs an origin, targeting, or session choice.

Compare all proxy products