Top 12 Proxy Providers of 2026: All Features Compared

Choosing a proxy provider is hard when every vendor claims to be the best. This guide ranks the top proxy providers of 2026. We compare networks, prices, trials, and tools. All pricing below was verified live for this update.

In this article you will learn:

• What a proxy provider is and how it works
• Which criteria separate the best providers from the rest
• The 12 best proxy providers on the market today

TL;DR: Best Proxy Providers Compared

Bottom line: Bright Data is the best overall proxy provider in 2026. It pairs the largest ethical network with the strongest scraping tools. The table below compares all 12 providers at a glance. Starting prices are the lowest advertised residential rate per vendor.

What Is a Proxy Provider?

A proxy provider sells access to proxy servers around the world. These servers act as intermediaries between you and the web. They hide your real IP address to protect privacy and anonymity. They also help you reach geo-restricted content.

Common uses include web scraping, price monitoring, and ad verification. Teams also use proxies to bypass censorship and test localized content. The best providers add tools, support, and ethical sourcing on top.

How We Ranked the Best Proxy Providers

We scored each provider on the factors that matter most to real users:

• Network size and reach: more IPs and locations mean better coverage
• Reliability: uptime and request success rate under load
• Pricing: the lowest realistic cost to get started
• Trials and flexibility: free trials and pay-as-you-go options
• Tools and support: scraping products, dashboards, and responsive help
• Compliance: ethical IP sourcing and a clear KYC policy

Best Overall Proxy Provider: Bright Data

Bright Data is the most complete proxy provider on the market. It runs a massive, ethical network across residential, datacenter, and ISP proxies. On top of that, it offers the strongest scraping toolset in the industry. Flexible pricing, strict KYC, and 24/7 support seal its top spot.

1. Bright Data

Bright Data has led the proxy market since 2014. Its network spans millions of reliable, ethically sourced IPs worldwide. This covers every proxy type: residential, datacenter, and ISP proxies. Servers route traffic over HTTP, HTTPS, and SOCKS protocols.

The network is only half the story. Bright Data also ships the best web scraping proxies and tools. These products support data monitoring, ad verification, and many other use cases.

Plans suit both solo developers and large enterprises. You can pick all-in-one packages or pay-as-you-go pricing. Bright Data also leads on ethics through its strict KYC policy. Even free-trial users get fast, responsive support.

• Network size: 400M+ IPs in 195+ countries, with city, ZIP, carrier, and ASN targeting
• Supported protocols: HTTP, HTTPS, SOCKS
• Uptime: 99.99%, and up to 100% with the 100% uptime feature
• Success rate: 99.9%
• Customers: Over 20,000, including Microsoft, McDonald’s, and EPSON
• Customer support: 24/7 live chat, email, ticketing, and enterprise account managers
• G2 review score: 4.6/5
• Free trial: 7-day free trial available
• Pay-as-you-go plan: Yes, on all proxy types
• Residential pricing: From $2.50/GB, with pay-as-you-go at $4/GB
• Datacenter and ISP pricing: From $0.90/IP and $1.30/IP

Standout products and features include:

• Web Scraper API for structured data at scale
• Web Scraper IDE for custom scraping logic
• Scraping Browser for automated, headful sessions
• SERP API for search engine results
• Web Unlocker for tough anti-bot sites
• Ready-made datasets and a live proxy dashboard
• Free proxies and browser extensions for quick tests

2. Decodo (Smartproxy)

Decodo, formerly Smartproxy, is a strong budget all-rounder. Its network is smaller than Bright Data’s but still capable. A short free trial and pay-as-you-go plan lower the barrier to entry. Servers support the HTTP, HTTPS, and SOCKS protocols.

• Network size: 115M+ IPs in 195+ locations, with geotargeting
• Supported protocols: HTTP, HTTPS, SOCKS
• Uptime: 99.99%
• Success rate: 99.47%
• G2 review score: 4.6/5
• Free trial: 3-day trial with 100MB included
• Pay-as-you-go plan: Yes, at $4/GB
• Residential pricing: From $2/GB on enterprise volume
• Products and features: Dashboard, anti-detect browser, site unblocker, and a no-code scraper

3. Oxylabs

Oxylabs runs one of the largest networks in the industry. It targets large enterprises with deep pockets. Entry prices are high, so small teams may struggle. Like Bright Data, it enforces mandatory ID verification.

• Network size: 175M+ IPs in 195+ countries, with geotargeting
• Supported protocols: HTTP, HTTPS, SOCKS
• Uptime: 99.9%
• Success rate: 99.9%
• Customers: Over 4,000, including Trivago and SEON
• Customer support: 24/7 live chat and email support
• G2 review score: 4.5/5
• Free trial: Available on request for businesses
• Pay-as-you-go plan: Limited to residential proxies
• Residential pricing: From $2.50/GB at 1TB, with a $6/GB entry plan
• Products and features: Proxy dashboard, dedicated scraping APIs, and downloadable datasets

4. SOAX

SOAX advertises a large pool of more than 155 million IPs. It shines on granular targeting by country, city, and carrier. There is no true free trial or pay-as-you-go plan. A $90 entry price keeps it out of the top three.

• Network size: 155M+ IPs in 195+ countries, with geotargeting
• Supported protocols: HTTP, HTTPS, SOCKS
• Uptime: 99.9%
• Success rate: 99.5%
• Customers: Over 10,000
• Customer support: 24/7 live chat, email, and enterprise success managers
• G2 review score: 4.9/5
• Free trial: No, but a $1.99 trial covers 400MB
• Pay-as-you-go plan: No
• Residential pricing: From $2/GB on volume, with a $90 starter plan
• Products and features: Proxy platform, web unblocker, and scraping APIs

5. NetNut

NetNut is known for fast, stable ISP-based residential proxies. It offers more than 85 million IPs worldwide. The main drawbacks are a high entry price and no pay-as-you-go plan. Customer numbers are not clearly disclosed.

• Network size: 85M+ IPs in 195+ countries, with geotargeting
• Supported protocols: HTTP, HTTPS, SOCKS
• Uptime: 99.9%
• Success rate: 99%
• Customers: Undisclosed
• Customer support: 24/7 support, ticketing, and enterprise managers
• G2 review score: 4.9/5
• Free trial: 7-day free trial available
• Pay-as-you-go plan: No
• Residential pricing: From $2.92/GB, with a $210 entry plan
• Products and features: Proxy platform, SERP API, and a website unblocker

6. IPRoyal

IPRoyal stands out for SOCKS5 proxies and non-expiring traffic. Bought data never expires, which suits occasional projects. Support is modern and even runs through Discord. The complementary product range stays fairly basic.

• Network size: 34M+ IPs in 195+ countries, with geotargeting
• Supported protocols: HTTP, HTTPS, SOCKS
• Uptime: 99.9%
• Success rate: Undisclosed
• Customers: Over 10,000
• Customer support: 24/7 live chat, email, and Discord support
• G2 review score: 4.4/5
• Free trial: No
• Pay-as-you-go plan: Yes, for residential proxies
• Residential pricing: From $1.75/GB on volume, with pay-as-you-go at $7/GB
• Products and features: Proxy platform, browser extensions, and a free proxy tester

7. Webshare

Webshare offers datacenter, ISP, and residential IPs. As a pure proxy provider, it ships few extra tools. There is no classic free trial, but a free plan exists. That plan includes 10 proxies and 1GB of monthly traffic.

• Proxy types: Residential, datacenter, and ISP, shared or dedicated
• Network size: 80M+ residential IPs in 195+ countries
• Supported protocols: HTTP, HTTPS, SOCKS
• Uptime: 99.97%
• Success rate: 99%
• Customers: Over 55,000, including free-plan users
• Customer support: Email support
• G2 review score: 4.8/5 (few reviews)
• Free trial: No, but a free plan is available
• Pay-as-you-go plan: No
• Residential pricing: From $1.40/GB at high volume
• Products and features: Proxy dashboard, verified servers, and a free proxy list

8. Oculus Proxies

Oculus Proxies offers shared and dedicated residential, datacenter, and ISP proxies. Coverage spans 150+ countries with fast speeds. Signup needs no KYC, and a free trial is available. A simple dashboard and built-in tester make setup easy.

• Proxy types: Residential, datacenter, and ISP, shared or dedicated
• Network size: 300k+ IPs across 195 countries, with geotargeting
• Supported protocols: HTTP, HTTPS, SOCKS5
• Uptime: 99.9%
• Customers: Thousands worldwide
• Customer support: 24/7 live chat, tickets, and documentation
• G2 review score: Not listed
• Free trial: Yes, on shared datacenter proxies
• Pay-as-you-go plan: Limited availability
• Residential pricing: From around $1/GB
• Products and features: Proxy platform and a built-in proxy tester

9. Rayobyte

Rayobyte focuses on ethical sourcing and US-based support. Its residential pool is one of the smallest here. The entry price of $15/GB is steep for small users. Bulk plans drop the rate sharply at higher volumes.

• Network size: Under 1 million residential IPs, with geotargeting
• Supported protocols: HTTP, HTTPS, SOCKS
• Uptime: 99.9%
• Success rate: 98.6%
• Customers: Undisclosed
• Customer support: 24/7 live chat, tickets, and email
• G2 review score: Not available
• Free trial: Yes, but very limited
• Pay-as-you-go plan: Yes, for residential, with no expiry
• Residential pricing: From $3/GB on volume, with a $15/GB entry
• Products and features: Proxy platform, Scraping Robot, and IPv6 support

10. Toolip

Toolip claims more than 70 million proxies across 195 countries. It offers datacenter, ISP, and rotating residential options. A one-week trial is included, but it is limited to five proxies. A usage dashboard and proxy tester come built in.

• Proxy types: Residential, datacenter, and ISP, shared or dedicated
• Network size: 70M+ IPs across 195 countries, with geotargeting
• Supported protocols: HTTP, HTTPS, SOCKS5
• Uptime: 99.9%
• Customers: Hundreds of business customers
• Customer support: Chat, tickets, and detailed documentation
• G2 review score: Not listed
• Free trial: Yes, one week with five proxies
• Pay-as-you-go plan: Yes, with flexible options
• Residential pricing: From $1.30/GB
• Products and features: Proxy management tools and data collection APIs

11. Massive

Massive targets teams that put compliance first. It promotes ethical sourcing and GDPR and CCPA alignment. The residential pool is small, so coverage can be thinner. Pricing sits at the premium end of this list.

• Proxy types: Residential and ISP proxies
• Network size: 1.6M+ residential IPs in 195+ countries
• Supported protocols: HTTP, HTTPS, SOCKS5
• Success rate: 99.87% in the US
• Customer support: Email and documentation
• G2 review score: Not listed
• Free trial: Available on request
• Pay-as-you-go plan: Yes, with no commitment
• Residential pricing: From $4.90/GB, with ISP from $1.80/IP
• Products and features: Web access API and compliance-focused tooling

12. Infatica

Infatica is a solid pick for a low entry cost. It covers residential, datacenter, ISP, and mobile proxies. A paid 7-day trial lets you test before committing. Volume discounts then bring the per-GB rate down.

• Proxy types: Residential, datacenter, ISP, and mobile
• Network size: 35M+ IPs in 195+ countries, with geotargeting
• Supported protocols: HTTP, HTTPS, SOCKS
• Uptime: 99.9%
• Customer support: 24/7 live chat and email
• G2 review score: 4.8/5
• Free trial: $4 for a 7-day trial
• Pay-as-you-go plan: Yes
• Residential pricing: From $2.60/GB on volume
• Products and features: Proxy dashboard, targeting controls, and scraping support

What to Consider When Selecting a Proxy Provider

Weigh these elements before you commit to a provider:

• Proxy network: A larger, wider network improves geo-coverage and speed. It also raises your odds of finding a nearby server.
• Supported protocols: Check which traffic types the proxy servers support.
• Uptime: Higher uptime signals a provider that handles downtime well.
• Success rate: A higher rate means fewer failed requests for you.
• Number of customers: Transparent client counts hint at trust and scale.
• Customer support: More support channels mean faster help when things break.
• G2 review score: Real user reviews reveal day-to-day service quality.
• Free trial: A trial lets you test before you pay.
• Pay-as-you-go plan: This option suits small or occasional projects.
• Pricing: Compare the cheapest realistic plan for your volume.
• Products and features: Extra tools can save you serious build time.

Want more depth? Read our guide on how to choose the best proxy provider. For residential-only options, see our best residential proxy providers guide.

Conclusion

This guide explained what proxy providers do and how to compare them. We then ranked the 12 best options on the market. Bright Data is the most complete proxy company in the industry. It serves Fortune 500 brands and over 20,000 customers.

Its worldwide, scraping-ready network includes:

• Residential proxies: 400M+ IPs in 195+ countries
• Datacenter proxies: Over 1.3M datacenter IPs
• ISP proxies: Over 1.3M ISP IPs

Start your free proxy trial today and test the network yourself. Or talk to our sales team to find the right plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best proxy provider in 2026?

Bright Data is the best proxy provider in 2026. It combines the largest ethical network with leading scraping tools. It also offers strong support and flexible pricing. Decodo and Oxylabs are strong runners-up.

Which proxy provider is best for web scraping?

Bright Data is the best choice for web scraping. It bundles proxies with a Web Scraper API, SERP API, and Web Unlocker. These tools handle anti-bot defenses and large-scale jobs. That saves teams weeks of custom engineering.

What is the cheapest proxy provider?

Webshare, Toolip, and Oculus Proxies post the lowest entry prices. Webshare even offers a free plan with 10 proxies. Cheap proxies often trade away pool quality and support. Match price against reliability for your use case.

How much do residential proxies cost?

Residential proxies usually cost between $1.40 and $8 per GB. Pay-as-you-go rates sit at the higher end. Volume commitments push the per-GB price down sharply. Bright Data starts at $2.50/GB and $4/GB pay-as-you-go.

Are free proxies safe?

Most free proxies are slow, unstable, and risky. Many log your traffic or inject unwanted content. Use a vetted free plan or trial instead. Paid providers offer far better speed and security.

Residential vs datacenter proxies: which should you use?

Residential proxies use real device IPs, so they look human. They suit strict sites and sensitive scraping jobs. Datacenter proxies are faster and far cheaper. Use them for high-speed tasks on lenient targets.