There’s a lot of choices out there, from one proxy service to the next. Which are the best? Here’s a list of the best proxy service providers of 2022 based on factors like IP pool size, customer support, proxy networks, and price.
Best Proxy Services 2022: At a glance
Provider | Summary | Proxy Networks | Pool Size | Locations | Price | Trial |
IPBurger | A home run for all proxy needs | Residential, ISP, Datacenter, Mobile | 75m+ | 2100+ cities | $129/15GB | Paid trial |
Smartproxy | Great value for most services | Residential, Datacenter, Mobile | 40m | 195 locations | $12.5/GB | 3-day refund |
Brightdata | Big business specialist; expensive | Residential, ISP, Datacenter, Mobile | 72m | Global | $15/GB | 3-day refund |
Oxylabs | Web scraping specialist | Residential, ISP, Datacenter, Mobile | 102m | Global | $15/GB | 3-day refund |
Rayobyte | Complete package with flexible plans | Residential, ISP, Datacenter, Mobile | N/A | 150+ locations | $15/GB | 1GB free trial |
Netnut | Consistent and affordable | Residential, ISP, Datacenter | 20m | Global | $20/GB | 7 days free |
Geosurf | All the basics with plenty of locations | Residential, ISP | 3.75m | 2000 cities | $300/20GB | None |
Packetstream | Small and affordable residential provider | Residential | 7m+ | US and EU | $50/50GB | None |
IPRoyal | Good for residential services | Residential, ISP, Datacenter, | 5m+ | 120 countries | $19/5GB | N/A |
Storm Proxies | Unlimited bandwidth for rotating proxies | Residential, Datacenter | 70,000 | US & EU | $19/port | 1 day free |
What’s a proxy?
A proxy server is a computer that acts as an intermediary between a user’s computer and the Internet. Proxy providers allow users to connect to the Internet through their servers. This enables users to hide their IP addresses, rotate IPs, and control their location.
What are some advantages of using a proxy?
A proxy can be a great way to protect your online privacy and security. You can hide your IP address by routing your traffic through a proxy server. This makes it more difficult for hackers and identity thieves to track you online.
But that’s just the beginning. You can virtually live on another network by using a proxy server to connect to the internet. You appear as if you were physically residing somewhere else. This comes in handy for all kinds of business-related tasks.
Let’s take a look.
Proxy use cases.
There are many use cases for proxy servers. You can use them for legal and illegal or unethical purposes. For example, it is common practice to use them with torrent files. Yet, the use cases we look at below focus on generating more traffic, revenue, and data for businesses.
Web Scraping
Web scraping is accessing, collecting, and extracting data from websites. Web scraping can be a tedious process that can take a lot of time. But with automation, data collection is easy to install into your workflow.
Proxies are necessary for high-volume data extraction due to website rate limits. These limits are meant to protect them from malicious visitors.
Social Media
Automated solutions like Growthoid help generate more engagement on social platforms. Normally, you would risk account bans for violating terms of service. But with proxies–and responsible practices–you can grow your social following much faster. (Without worrying about IP bans).
Ad Verification
Verifying ads is more effective with the help of proxies. You can adjust your location and IP address to capture the right target.
eCommerce
There are several ways proxies can help eCommerce store owners achieve higher revenue. The first is that you can scrape listings for market insight. You can do this without triggering problems with the platform. The second is that you can automate all your tasks, and the third is the ability to create stealth accounts. Stealth accounts are those that are not linked to any other account. So, if you get a ban for some reason, you can continue your business without any downtime.
Sneaker Bots
For those that love sneakers and want to cop them by the dozens, you need help. Sneaker bots allow users to automate checkout and bid on items before anyone else. Additionally, you can set up multiple sneaker site accounts. This allows you to enter many entries in each draw. Proxies are an essential part of sneaker botting. You won’t get very far without the best residential and ISP proxies.
How to test proxy providers.
Before we look at the goods, we should figure out how to choose a good proxy provider. Users should look for these features when choosing a proxy service.
IP pool size: When it comes to residential proxies, the more, the merrier. Small IP pools have the problem of repeating IPs, which can cause some issues.
Locations: Many of the use cases we mentioned above use the location feature. Localizing your IP allows you to perform tasks in other parts of the world. So, look for a proxy provider with many IP locations worldwide if that’s what you need.
Ease of use: Proxies come with the stigma of being overwhelmingly technical. While that may be true for some, they’re straightforward to use. As long as you use a good proxy manager. Many providers offer some sort of proxy management. Some are better than others. Ideally, you want a sharp-looking user interface with simple and clear controls.
More recently, we have heard of proxy companies being ousted and shut down for unethical business practices. Even if you’re not working with clients and sensitive data, it’s best not to get caught up in any dubious business. Many proxy vendors state where they get their proxies from, and if they don’t—watch out.
Customer Support: This is a universal criterion for any good business to meet. We see many transient companies offering automated customer service. That’s disappointing. Because when you need help and all you get is a script from a chatbot—there’s nothing you can do but find another service provider.
The best proxy service providers in 2022.
Now without further ado and based on a scrupulous investigation, here are your winners.
IPBurger
As far as hitting all the main features for a proxy service provider, IPBurger is a home run.
Which makes sense.
IPBurger has been in the game since 2007, making them a veteran in the field.
They have massive IP pools in over 2100 cities.
They provide excellent targeting options since they span several countries and localities.
Target cities and ASINs with IPBurger.
Over 30 million residential IPs make them a large proxy network.
The large proxy pool ensures your project won’t run out.
Their proxy IPs vary with each request or time.
The sessions include a 30-minute sticky session.
You can use their rotating IPs for account management, web scraping, and more.
IPBurger has lower proxy investment costs.
$69 gets you 5GB access to 195 proxy pools and IPs.
Unlimited threads may run at the same time.
The more bandwidth you buy, the less per-gigabyte costs.
They accept credit cards, PayPal and Bitcoin.
Device/OS/platform-based.
Simple, stylish, and integrated describe IPBurger’s web dashboard.
First-time user-friendly.
Dashboard features include subscriptions, bandwidth monitoring, and proxy copying.
Smartproxy
Smartproxy was founded in 2018.
Two rotating proxy networks, datacenter proxies, and site scraping tools are available.
Smartproxy is a mid-tier supplier.
Therefore,
- It covers all use cases, from site scraping to sneaker copping and social media administration;
- It costs fees at or below the industry average — lower than premium services but still needing commitment.
Smartproxy hits a sweet spot where the services are accessible yet similar to Bright Data or Oxylabs.
It offers good documentation, proxy management tools, and customer support.
Free programs include an antidetect browser and a web crawler.
Is Smartproxy perfect?
No.
Mobile and ISP proxies, popular in certain areas, aren’t included.
Its devices may lack sophisticated functionality like ASN targeting for residential proxies or additional datacenter IP locations.
Smartproxy is a good solution for many situations.
Brightdata
Bright Data is a company that was started in 2014 in Israel.
It gives you access to every kind of proxy server and multiple data collection APIs.
Bright Data is definitely a premium provider. Their services cost more than the average on the market and work well with growth.
This makes it easier for businesses and customers with big needs to get what they want.
The company does have a “pay as you go” option that doesn’t need much commitment.
If the going rate is worth it to you is another question.
Bright Data is a general-purpose provider, so it tries to meet the needs of every acceptable use case.
On the list are many ways to scrape websites for price comparison, SEO, and other things. Sneaker copping is also on the list.
But compared to other proxy providers, Bright Data seems very strict. It won’t think twice about turning down uses that seem questionable.
Bright Data is a powerhouse when it comes to technology.
Its proxy servers have many features that its competitors don’t have.
Tooling is another strength of Bright Data. Both the infrastructure for proxy management and the tools for collecting data work well.
So, should you use Bright Data?
Probably not.
Even though the company has a lot to offer, at that price, it can’t be the best for everyone or everything.
Oxylabs
Oxylabs is a Lithuanian proxy service that’s been in business since 2015.
It is one of the largest corporations in the industry.
It provides a variety of proxy services as well as many data collecting APIs.
Oxylabs mostly serves enterprises.
We can see evidence of this in the clean website and the list of certificates on the homepage. Also, each client gets their own account manager.
It even provides insurance, which is a first for a proxy provider.
But, this means you’ll have to spend more than normal.
RayoByte
Once called Blazing SEO, Rayobyte is US-based proxy service.
They began their business with SEO in 2015.
Soon they were selling datacenter proxies.
Recent expansions include ISP, residential, and mobile proxies.
A web scraping API with Google and Amazon data processing is also available.
Their IPs cost far less than you’d expect for dedicated proxies – $1.2 to $0.65 per IP.
As America’s largest proxy service, Rayobyte’s datacenter proxy network has 300,000 IPs over nine self-owned ASNs.
Recently, Rayobyte started its own home IP pool utilizing Cash Raven.
Today, the company promotes openness and ethics.
They relaunched their new brand to be more enterprise-friendly. They focus on clients that need proxy infrastructure (or, in their own terms, a proxy partner).
Rayobyte’s price has gone up, but the current cost still suits all customers who want to try the service.
Netnut
NetNut is a 2017 Israeli startup.
They are owned by Safe-T Group who provides cybersecurity and privacy services.
NetNut has rotating datacenter, residential, and ISP networks.
They also have a web scraping API.
NetNut is a high-end commercial service.
For new customers they have an entry level package starting at $20/mo.
But you’ll get better value spending over $500.
NetNut offers enterprise clients specialized pools and services like APIs and sub-users.
They’re a popular sneaker proxy because to its massive ISP proxy network.
In fact, ISP proxies are a NutNet highlight.
DiviNetworks supplies NetNut with ISP proxies.
This proxy service offers advantages over others.
GeoSurf
GeoSurf develops proxy servers and web-scraping software.
It sells a home proxy network, datacenter and ISP proxies, a VPN, and an API for gathering website data.
GeoSurf is old.
BiScience launched it in 2009 to let corporations view localized content.
GeoSurf now serves data collecting, social media management, sneaker sales, and more.
They allow anything that doesn’t violate their guidelines.
However, the service isn’t for everyone.
GeoSurf is an expensive, high-end service.
You can’t tell how much certain services cost without contacting sales.
They don’t have self-service.
Additionally, GeoSurf is suing Bright Data.
Their website seemed abandoned for years throughout the process.
Not very comforting when the service provider’s key rivals have stepped up.
But let’s not dismiss GeoSurf yet.
It still offers proxies and is reviving their offerings.
The company lowered the starter plan price and added services.
So maybe there’s hope?
Let’s see.
Packetstream
PacketStream is a great deal for residential IPs.
They are based in the United States since 2018. The idea was first pushed by the inventor and his team through many media outlets.
PacketStream doesn’t hide Software Development Kits in their products like many other providers.
Instead, the service provider lets users sell their bandwidth.
It’s a common way to get IP addresses for homes.
This simple business plan has made it easy for PacketStream to get residential IP addresses.
Prices have also gone down.
PacketStream depends on “packeters,” or bandwidth suppliers, whose whims can make or break the network.
PacketStream is a general solution for sneaker copping and web scraping.
PacketStream proxies are also a popular option for reselling, so you may be using them without knowing it.
IPRoyal
IPRoyal is pretty new.
It provides cheap stuff for sneakerheads and web scrapers.
They’re priced aggressively enough to give rivals difficulties and make them a top pick.
$4 for 1GB of residential proxies, no monthly fees? What?
Low pricing often include trade-offs. IPRoyal’s?
IPRoyal began in late 2020, making it a young proxy service.
First, it rented IP space to other organizations. Soon after, it started selling proxies to clients.
The startup provides four proxy networks and a beta Google API.
IPRoyal focuses on $10-$100 clientele.
IPRoyal currently favors sneakerheads. Its Discord and Twitter are shoe-related. 24-hour plans, non-expiring traffic, and Nike-specific residential proxy endpoints cater to sneaker scalping.
IPRoyal isn’t just a shoe supplier. It’s flexible and covers most use situations. IPRoyal wants to become a top three supplier, says CEO Karolis Toleikis. Despite a good start, much work remains.
Storm Proxies
Storm Proxies is a small and limited proxy supplier.
It only gives you 200,000 rotating proxies and a small number of configuration options.
You can’t even use the few US and EU locations to target a specific country.
But that’s not what Storm Proxies is about. It is a haven for people who work on the side and need a simple proxy service.
Their cheapest rotating residential proxy package with unlimited bandwidth starts at $14.
They have lots of rules. You’ll get less features, less geographic targeting, and proxies that aren’t as good. You also won’t be able to grow well because of the limits on threads and ports and the small number of IP addresses.
You can still get cheap home proxies with unlimited bandwidth that are easy to use.
This is more than enough for people who are starting out and for some independent contractors.
Storm Proxies gets the basics right, and its proxies work well for simple tasks.
The best proxy service for you.
There’s a lot to take in.
Truly understanding the best proxy service provider for your needs takes time to research. you can also sample many of the proxy services for a few days.
If you’re starting at the top of the list, IPBurger offers everything you need. Check out out fresh proxies for a clean, static IP address. Residential proxies for all your IP rotation needs, and our new ISP proxies for static residential support.