Understanding the real cost per gigabyte is essential before launching a DIY mobile proxy setup

Unlike residential or data center proxies, mobile proxies route traffic through real mobile devices using cellular networks, which inherently comes with higher operational costs

Many assume DIY mobile proxies are cheaper, but hidden fees and ongoing expenses often make them far more expensive than expected

Your initial investment begins with hardware

To build a DIY mobile proxy setup, you typically need multiple smartphones or tablets, each with a data plan

Premium devices like recent iPhone or Samsung flagships with stable LTE

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

Next is the data plan

Pricing varies wildly by region, carrier policy, and plan type, making budgeting unpredictable

A standard unlimited plan from major U.S. carriers runs $50–$70 monthly per device

Many users don’t realize throttling renders their "unlimited" data practically capped

These plans offer true high-speed data without degradation but drastically increase monthly overhead

For 10 devices, that’s 1000 to 7000 dollars per month in data alone

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

GB

Premium plans that guarantee speed without throttling cost nearly $3.50 per GB

International roaming or local SIMs often come with steep markups

When hardware fails, your cost per GB spikes unexpectedly

Maintenance is another hidden cost

Neglecting any of these breaks your proxy chain

If you’re doing it yourself, your time is worth something

Server costs for routing traffic can run $100–$400

They handle everything—from device rotation to IP hygiene

GB, https://hackmd.io you’re still saving 70–90% over DIY

GB, you’re paying less than half the true cost of self-hosting

DIY mobile proxies can work for small scale or experimental projects

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

The illusion of savings collapses under the weight of hardware decay, labor, and throttling

Partnering with a trusted provider maximizes uptime, minimizes risk, and slashes your per-GB cost