The best residential proxy providers, reviewed in depth

Bright Data runs one of the largest residential proxy networks in the world, paired with a deep stack of data-collection tools, scraping APIs and a strong compliance framework. For large enterprises with complex requirements and the budget to match, it's a powerful platform.

The trade-off is cost and complexity: pricing sits at the premium end and the dashboard has a learning curve. Smaller buyers often pay for capability they won't use, which is why we steer value-focused readers elsewhere — but for serious, large-scale data operations, Bright Data is a genuinely strong residential proxy provider.

Oxylabs is built for enterprise-scale web scraping. Its residential network is large and reliable, and its scraping APIs and ready-made data products help teams collect information at volume without managing every detail themselves.

Like other premium providers, it's aimed at bigger budgets and dedicated data teams rather than individuals. If you need dependable infrastructure for high-volume residential proxy projects and value polish and support over rock-bottom pricing, Oxylabs is a serious contender.

Smartproxy is one of the most approachable mid-market residential proxy providers. A clean dashboard, clear documentation and flexible plan sizes make it a comfortable step up for users moving beyond basic tools.

It isn't the cheapest option per gigabyte, and add-ons can raise the effective cost, but the experience is smooth and the network performs well for everyday scraping, SEO and social media tasks. A solid all-rounder for growing teams.

SOAX stands out for clean, granular targeting and flexible rotation controls. Teams that need to dial in specific countries, cities or carriers — and switch between sticky and rotating sessions — will appreciate the level of control on offer.

Pricing is mid-to-premium and trial allowances are limited, so it's best suited to teams with ongoing, targeted research needs rather than occasional one-off jobs. For controlled, location-specific data collection it's a tidy choice.

IPRoyal is well known for low entry pricing and pay-as-you-go residential bandwidth, which makes it a practical pick for smaller budgets and occasional projects. Its flexible plans appeal to individuals and small teams testing the waters.

The pool is smaller than the enterprise giants and premium targeting costs more, but for affordable residential proxies it's a genuinely competitive option — and a useful comparison point against our top pick, Cheapest Proxies.

NetNut leans on an ISP-backed architecture engineered for speed and stability. For businesses that prioritise fast, consistent connections — especially for ISP and static residential use — it delivers reliable performance.

Pricing is geared to business users rather than hobbyists, so it's less of a fit for casual buyers. But if speed and uptime are your priorities, NetNut is a dependable residential and ISP proxy provider.

Rayobyte is a developer-friendly provider with a strong emphasis on ethical IP sourcing and flexible residential and datacenter options. It suits teams building custom integrations who want configurability and a transparent approach.

The residential pool is smaller than the market leaders and setup leans technical, so it's best for users comfortable with a more hands-on workflow. For developers who value control and ethics, it's a worthy option.

Webshare is self-serve and budget-friendly, with a free starter tier that makes it easy for developers to test before committing. Transparent pricing and quick setup are its calling cards.

Its residential pool is more limited than the big networks and support is mostly self-serve, so it suits hands-on users rather than teams wanting white-glove help. For affordable testing and lightweight projects, it's a handy choice.

Proxy-Seller offers a broad menu of static, ISP and IPv4 options with a long catalogue of locations. If you need specific static addresses or per-IP buying across many regions, its catalogue is genuinely useful.

The interface feels a little dated and the rotating pool is smaller than dedicated residential networks, but for static and IPv4 variety it remains a popular, practical choice.

Storm Proxies keeps things simple with rotating proxies aimed at small projects and beginners. Affordable starter plans and quick setup make it an easy first step for anyone new to proxies.

The network is smaller and advanced controls are limited, so it's not built for large or demanding workloads. But for small, straightforward tasks on a tight budget, it does the job.