When considering DIY mobile proxies, one of the most important metrics to evaluate is the cost per gigabyte

Mobile proxies differ fundamentally from other proxy types by leveraging live cell towers and physical devices, driving up expenses

Setting up your own mobile proxy network might seem like a way to cut expenses, but the true cost per GB can surprise even experienced users

Before even connecting to a network, you must acquire the right devices

A functional setup demands at least a handful of reliable mobile devices, each tied to a data plan

5G modems run between $200 and $500 per unit

If you plan to run 10 devices, that’s an initial investment of 2000 to 5000 dollars

This cost is amortized over time, but it’s still a major upfront expense

Your monthly bill hinges on data pricing

Mobile carriers charge differently depending on location, data limits, and whether you’re using prepaid or contract plans

However, "unlimited" rarely means truly unlimited

However, most unlimited plans have throttling after a certain threshold—often around 20 to 50 GB

To avoid throttling entirely, business-grade plans at $100+ monthly are often required

Ten devices on $100 plans = $1,000

Forget monthly totals—what you pay per GB defines true value

This is the baseline for any realistic comparison

But if you’re paying 100 dollars for 30 GB of true unlimited data, that’s 3.33 dollars per GB

And if your devices are spread across multiple countries with different pricing, rates can climb even higher

When hardware fails, your cost per GB spikes unexpectedly

DIY proxies demand constant supervision

You need to regularly reboot devices, update firmware, replace batteries, monitor for carrier throttling, and manage IP rotation

These tasks require time or staff, translating into labor costs

month alone

They handle everything—from device rotation to IP hygiene

Tiered pricing means heavy users pay as little as $0.10

Add in depreciation, staff time, and downtime, and DIY becomes economically unsustainable

They’re acceptable for testing, learning, or one-off tasks

If you’re scaling beyond a handful of devices, DIY becomes a money pit

Most users regret going DIY once they hit month three

Unless you have access to subsidized devices or very low cost data plans, hackmd.io buying from a reputable provider is usually the smarter financial choice