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10 Best Datacenter Proxy Providers for Data Scraping
Augustas Pelakauskas
2024-09-136 min read
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With the advent of generative AI, accessing and extracting large volumes of public web data swiftly and securely is imperative. Even before the explosion of AI, collecting information for data-driven decision-making was and will be just as important.
To gather data, besides a proxy scraper, auxiliary tools like datacenter proxies are required to enable block-free extraction. This proxy type offers a cost-effective way to change your browser’s IP, making them ideal for web scraping and bypassing geo-restrictions.
What are datacenter proxies?
Datacenter proxies are IP addresses hosted within data centers. Unlike residential proxies, they don't rely on ISPs (internet service providers) to provide IP addresses. Instead, they use cloud servers. This makes them much faster and, usually, more affordable. However, they are easier to detect compared to residential proxies.
All in all, datacenter proxies excel in performance but lack organic traffic resemblance.
Common use cases
When used for block-free web data extraction (web scraping) and geographic restrictions bypass, datacenter proxies fill many niches:
Market research
Brand protection
Cybersecurity
Email protection
With a plethora of datacenter proxy providers, this list should help you understand the general market positioning and what kind of datacenter proxy provider would suit your tasks.
The datacenter proxy providers are evaluated based on the following:
Pricing: cost per IP or GB
Key features: technical highlights
Pros: standout features
Cons: limiting factors
Speed: relative performance when compared to other listings
Best datacenter proxy providers
Oxylabs – the best overall provider
Smartproxy – the best price/features ratio
Webshare – flexible plans with a generous free offer
Rayobite – commitment-free purchases for diverse customers
MarsProxies – well suited for limited-term tasks
ProxyEmpire – low-priced rotating proxies
StormProxies – US-oriented proxies for lone users
NetNut – an alternative to the premium duopoly of Oxylabs & Bright Data
Bright Data – a great premium provider
IPRoyal – mid-market all-rounder
Oxylabs
Oxylabs offers high-quality, feature-rich datacenter proxies that cater to enterprise-level clients. Oxylabs Datacenter Proxies have the largest IP pool on this list, which is great for highly scalable tasks.
💲Pricing (premium)
Datacenter proxies per IP: from $12/month.
Datacenter proxies per traffic: from $50/month.
Dedicated datacenter proxies: from $8.25/month.
🔑Key features
Unlimited bandwidth: no restrictions on data usage for all plans.
2M IPs in 188 countries: the largest IP network.
IP rotator and city-level targeting: precise targeting and automated IP rotation.
Dashboard: an all-in-one visualization tool for all metrics.
➕Pros
Huge IP pool
Great features
Stellar performance
Pay-as-you-go
24/7 technical support with dedicated account managers
➖Cons
Cost: pricing might be a limiting factor for smaller businesses and individual users.
⚡Speed
Excellent: low latency and high throughput with 99.9% uptime.
Try Oxylabs Datacenter Proxies
Datacenter Proxies for cost-effective web scraping
Dedicated Datacenter Proxies for large-scale tasks
Smartproxy
Smartproxy stands out by providing a balance between cost and performance, making the service a popular choice among developers and smaller businesses.
💲Pricing (mid-range)
Datacenter proxies per IP: from $10/month.
Datacenter proxies per traffic: from $30/month.
Dedicated datacenter proxies: from $7.5/month.
🔑Key features
Unlimited bandwidth: no caps on data usage across all plans.
Rotation options: IPs can be rotated with every request or at set intervals.
24/7 customer support: the support team is available around the clock.
➕Pros
Excellent customer service
Pay-as-you-go
Affordable yet quality service
➖Cons
Limited features for dedicated proxies: lacks some advanced features found in higher-end providers, such as support for all protocols, justifying the lowered price.
⚡Speed
Good: adequate for most web scraping tasks.
Webshare
Webshare is known for its flexibility and highly customizable self-service options, allowing users to tailor proxy plans to their specific needs.
💲Pricing (entry/mid-range)
Datacenter proxies: from $2.99/month.
Private proxies: from $18.52/month.
Dedicated proxies: from $26.60/month.
🔑Key features
Good coverage: over 40 locations worldwide.
Customizable dashboard: proxy usage monitoring.
➕Pros
Affordable: excellent value, especially for small businesses or individual users.
Free plan: includes 10 IPs with 1GB/month indefinitely. This is a rare offering in the proxy market – ideal for small-scale or hobbyist projects.
➖Cons
Limited customer support: only offers support via email, which may be slower than live chat.
Basic features: lacks some advanced features that more expensive providers offer.
⚡Speed
Good
Rayobyte
Rayobyte is recognized for offering high-quality dedicated proxies that cater to a diverse range of customers, from individuals to large enterprises.
💲Pricing (mid-range)
Static datacenter proxies: from $1.00 per IP.
Rotating datacenter proxies: from $0.45/GB.
One-time purchase option: one-time purchase, which is rare among proxy providers.
🔑Key features
Unlimited threads and traffic: no restrictions, making it ideal for bandwidth-intensive tasks.
Monthly IP refresh: ensures your proxies stay fresh and reduces the risk of bans.
300.000 IPs in over 25 locations: decent coverage and the third-largest IP pool.
Automatic proxy replacement and rotation
➕Pros
Great all-around features
Numerous subnets
➖Cons
Limited locations: up to 30 locales worldwide.
⚡Speed
Good
MarsProxies
MarsProxies offers straightforward datacenter proxies for low prices. Its highly customizable plans suit those with very specific timeframes for proxy usage without longer-term commitments.
💲Pricing (entry-level)
Dedicated datacenter proxies: custom plans with as many proxies as you want in the location you need for 1, 30, 60, or 90 days.
🔑Key features
Decent features for the basic price
Unlimited bandwidth
Over 30 locations: the most popular locations coverage.
➕Pros
Flexible plans: the most customizable plan options on this list.
Pay-as-you-go, including a one-day plan
Affordable: a cost-effective solution with reliable proxies.
➖Cons
Limited features: no proxy rotation.
⚡Speed
Good: well-suited for the majority of lower-scale proxy use cases, with consistent performance.
ProxyEmpire
ProxyEmpire provides cost-effective proxy solutions, making it a favorite among small businesses and individual users.
💲Pricing (entry-level)
Rotating datacenter proxies: from $25/month.
🔑Key features
70.000 IPs in 10 countries
Proxy rotation: a highlight feature for an entry-level price, hence the product name.
Multiple protocols: support for HTTP and SOCKS5.
➕Pros
Affordable
Flexible plans
➖Cons
41.500 IPs in 13 locations: only the most popular locations with a limited IP pool.
Basic feature set: while reliable, the service lacks advanced features needed for more complex tasks.
⚡Speed
Decent: suitable for most data scraping and automation tasks, though doesn't match the speed of pricier providers.
StormProxies
StormProxies is a good choice for beginners and those seeking a hassle-free experience.
💲Pricing (entry-level)
Private dedicated proxies: from $10/month.
Backconnect rotating proxies: from $39/month.
🔑Key features
Rotating proxies: automatic IP rotation every 15 minutes.
Unlimited bandwidth: no data limits across all plans.
➕Pros
Good performance and simple to use
➖Cons
Limited locations: private dedicated proxies are only available in the US.
Limited technical features: modest features aimed at smaller businesses (a small number of concurrent sessions for all plans).
⚡Speed
Decent: suitable for general use; nothing advanced.
NetNut
NetNut is a solid choice for users requiring stable and consistent proxy performance, serving as an alternative to a limited selection of premium providers.
💲Pricing (premium)
Datacenter proxies: from $100/month.
🔑Key features
150,000 IPs in 200 countries: the fourth largest datacenter IP pool.
Unlimited threads and domains: no restrictions on the number of connections or domains you can target.
➕Pros
Extensive worldwide coverage
Great performance: consistently reliable with minimal downtime. Designed for heavy users who need a substantial amount of bandwidth.
➖Cons
Higher cost: pricing may be less competitive for users with lower bandwidth needs.
Slower speeds: compared to premium competitors, NetNut can be slower, particularly for international connections.
⚡Speed
Great: one step below the top providers.
Bright Data
Bright Data is a versatile datacenter proxy provider that excels in the premium segment with great features and the second largest datacenter IP pool.
💲Pricing (premium)
Shared datacenter proxies: $0.6/GB for pay-as-you-go and from $0.42/GB for the enterprise plan. No fees per IPs in use.
Dedicated datacenter proxies: from $0.11/GB for pay-as-you-go and from $0.077/GB for the enterprise plan + price per IP in use.
🔑Key features
770,000 IPs in 98 countries: the second largest IP network.
Country, state, and city-level targeting: no targeting limits.
Proxy dashboard: simple proxy management with a great interface.
➕Pros
Large IP pool
Pay-as-you-go
Great features
Stellar performance
24/7 technical support
➖Cons
Cost: may not be suitable for budget-conscious users.
⚡Speed
Excellent: boasts a 99.99% uptime with industry-leading performance metrics.
IPRoyal
IPRoyal has solid basic features and a great price/speed/reliability ratio, but the service may lack the advanced options found in more fleshed-out providers.
💲Pricing (mid-level)
Dedicated datacenter proxies: from $1.39 per IP.
🔑Key features
56 global locations: access to IPs in multiple countries, supporting a wide range of geo-targeted activities.
Unlimited traffic and threads: no caps on usage, suited for larger-scale tasks.
➕Pros
Affordable for a premium-orientated provider: one of the most affordable options in the market for dedicated datacenter proxies.
Unlimited monthly refresh: provides fresh proxies without extra cost, reducing the risk of detection.
➖Cons
Lacks some advanced features: no in-depth session control or proxy management tools.
⚡Speed
Good: solid speeds for most tasks, though not among the fastest.
Best datacenter proxy providers comparison table
| Pricing | Pros | Cons | Speed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oxylabs | Premium 💲💲💲 | Great features with no limitations | Costly | Excellent ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Smartproxy | Mid 💲💲 | Great cost/features ratio | Lacking higher-end features | Good ⭐⭐ |
| Webshare | Entry/mid 💲💲 | Flexible and affordable plans | Limited features | Good ⭐⭐ |
| Rayobite | Mid 💲💲 | One-time purchase plans for diverse customers | Lacking higher-end features | Good ⭐⭐ |
| MarsProxies | Entry 💲 | Custom limited-term plans for time-sensitive tasks | No proxy rotation | Good ⭐⭐ |
| ProxyEmpire | Entry 💲 | Low-priced rotating datacenter proxies | Limited locations with a small IP pool | Decent ⭐ |
| StormProxies | Entry 💲 | Low-priced fundamentals for small tasks and lone users | Lack of locations and very limited concurrent sessions | Decent ⭐ |
| NetNut | Premium 💲💲💲 | A premium alternative to the Oxylabs & Bright Data duopoly | Lacking features for a premium segment | Great ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Bright Data | Premium 💲💲💲 | Great features with no limitations | Costly | Excellent ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| IPRoyal | Mid 💲💲 | Mid-range prices with some premium features | Lacks proxy management tools | Good ⭐⭐ |
Wrap up
If you aren’t an enterprise, providers with fewer technical features shouldn’t be a detriment, given lower prices. However, pay great attention to plans and their flexibility, as each datacenter proxy provider has various caveats about how you can purchase and for how long you must commit.
Depending on your size as an entity and the scale of your tasks, try to target a provider that covers your specific segment.
Try to avoid those who cater to all possible customers, from lone developers to enterprises, as it is almost impossible to offer the highest-quality proxies that can financially fit most buyers. Choose a pricing segment first and then compare technical features and plans.
Try Oxylabs Datacenter Proxies
Datacenter Proxies pricing suits cost-effective web scraping
Dedicated Datacenter Proxies pricing adheres to the largest-scale tasks
Frequently asked questions
What is datacenter proxies?
Datacenter proxies are intermediary servers that provide IP addresses not tied to a specific internet service provider (ISP) but rather to data centers. These proxies are often used for tasks requiring high performance for sheer scale, such as web scraping.
However, datacenter proxies are easier to detect and block than residential proxies.
Here are the two most common types of datacenter proxies:
Dedicated datacenter proxies – IPs used by a single user at a time.
Shared datacenter proxies – IPs shared between a number of users at a time.
Which proxy server is best?
Datacenter proxy suitability for your tasks depends on the following:
Size of an undertaking
Technical specifics of a task
Time restraints
Geo-location of a target destination
Willingness to spend on quality
What is the difference between residential proxies and datacenter proxies?
Residential proxies are IP addresses assigned to real devices, such as smartphones or home computers, by internet service providers (ISPs), making them appear as genuine users in a specific location. Datacenter proxies are IP addresses provided by data centers or cloud hosting services, not tied to a real user.
Residential IP addresses are harder to detect and block as they mimic regular user traffic. In contrast, datacenter IP addresses are more easily identified as proxies due to their non-residential origin.
Residential proxies pricing is typically higher due to their authenticity and reliability. Datacenter proxies are faster and more cost-effective but are more likely to be blocked by websites that scrutinize HTTP requests.
Both types can serve as backconnect proxies using a single node to access a large pool of IPs.
About the author
Augustas Pelakauskas
Senior Copywriter
Augustas Pelakauskas is a Senior Copywriter at Oxylabs. Coming from an artistic background, he is deeply invested in various creative ventures - the most recent one being writing. After testing his abilities in the field of freelance journalism, he transitioned to tech content creation. When at ease, he enjoys sunny outdoors and active recreation. As it turns out, his bicycle is his fourth best friend.
All information on Oxylabs Blog is provided on an "as is" basis and for informational purposes only. We make no representation and disclaim all liability with respect to your use of any information contained on Oxylabs Blog or any third-party websites that may be linked therein. Before engaging in scraping activities of any kind you should consult your legal advisors and carefully read the particular website's terms of service or receive a scraping license.
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