The best proxy server providers 2026

In 2026, picking proxy server providers is less about the biggest advertised pool and more about how that IP is sourced, how consistent it is in real use, and whether it stays stable when traffic spikes. Below, we compare the best proxy server providers of 2026 and their solutions (residential proxies, datacenter proxies, mobile proxies, and ISP proxies), focusing on practical metrics like connection success rate, targeting depth, pricing, and other tehnical features.

A proxy server acts as a middle layer between your device and a website. Instead of connecting directly, your requests go through another machine, so the destination sees a different IP address. Proxy servers differ by protocol (HTTP, HTTPS, SOCKS, and CGI) and by IP version (IPv4 vs. IPv6), which can affect compatibility with your tools and targets.

The best proxy server providers 2026 (top picks)

1. Astro: KYC-first mobile / residential, ISP grouping, API rotation, and the Astro Support Team answers you directly (real people, not AI).
2. Decodo (formerly Smartproxy): 125M+ IPs plus strong tooling stack. 
3. Webshare: Simple UX, 80M residential, strong uptime / value. 
4. Oxylabs: Enterprise pool + fast averages and success rates. 
5. SOAX: Precise filtering, 155M IPs, 99.95% uptime rate.

How the best proxy servers were selected

Astro’s ethical proxy and web data infrastructure map for 2026 is a checklist with the core idea behind our selection process: a proxy IP is only as good as its transparency, compliance posture, and day to day reliability. We scored proxy providers across five areas to avoid rankings based only on marketing claims or oversized “pool size” numbers. Each category was evaluated using publicly available documentation, product pages, and verifiable operational details, with extra weight given to signals that make the service more reliable for long-term use.

1) Infrastructure transparency and provenance

First, we looked for transparent explanations of where IP addresses come from and how the IP address is built. Proxy providers scored higher when they described sourcing paths, partner relationships, and whether supply is direct or aggregated. We also valued policies that make traceability and accountability realistic, not just implied.

2) Ethics and compliance (consent plus customer controls)

Next, we checked for explicit statements about consent-based sourcing and governance. Extra points went to proxy providers that describe KYC / AML checks, abuse prevention, and practical safeguards that reduce the chance of questionable traffic. Compliance is not a badge; it is a process, so we looked for concrete controls rather than vague promises.

3) Performance you can measure (not just marketing)

We prioritized measurable performance indicators, especially connection success rate, response time, uptime, and stability under load. When proxy providers published benchmarks, we treated them as a starting point and compared them across the market. 

4) IP reality checks (avoiding big number traps)

Raw pool size can be misleading because totals may be cumulative, recycled, or presented without context. We scored higher when proxy providers share real-time or recent IP analytics that show what is actually active and usable.

5) Support and operations readiness

Finally, we assessed whether the proxy provider is operationally safe to scale with. That includes transparent escalation paths, reasonable support channels, and realistic expectations around SLAs and incident handling. For enterprise programs, we recommend confirming whether you can get a dedicated account manager during onboarding, especially if your workflows are revenue-critical.

The best proxy server providers of 2026

1) Astro 

Astro offers three main proxy products: residential, mobile, and datacenter. The infrastructure includes 50M IP addresses and coverage across 150 countries, with targeting that can go down to city level. IP supply is consent-based, and access runs under a KYC / AML compliance approach.

In practice, access is delivered through a dedicated port that outputs one external IP at a time. You can rotate that IP on a timer, IP rotation on each new connection, manual IP rotation via link or dashboard button, or API, with changes possible as frequently as every 30 seconds. If you need stability, sticky sessions let you hold the same IP. Each proxy endpoint supports HTTP(S) and SOCKS5, and one port can handle up to 250 simultaneous TCP connections. Some email-related ports like IMAP / POP3, are not available due to compliance restrictions. For teams choosing the best proxy supplier in 2026, Astro’s time-unlimited trial credit and VPN-compatible proxies make it easier to validate real workflows before scaling.

2) Decodo (formerly Smartproxy)

Decodo is Smartproxy under a new name, but the product idea stayed the same: one account that covers multiple proxy types and keeps routing, rotation, and geo rules in a single workspace. For teams, the value is operational: you don’t have to spread settings across several proxy services or maintain different dashboards for different pools.

Decodo’s main pitch is scale and breadth. The provider is commonly cited at ~125M+ total IPs (often broken into ~115M residential and ~10M mobile), with mobile coverage across 700+ carriers and about 160 countries. In broader descriptions it’s also referenced as covering 195+ countries/locations. Day to day, this translates into flexibility: you can switch between residential, mobile, datacenter, and ISP proxies as targets change, while keeping the same integration pattern and workflow.

3) Webshare

Webshare is typically chosen when the priority is “simple and fast”: self-serve onboarding, a clean control panel, and predictable controls without enterprise-style procurement overhead. It’s a practical proxy service for teams that want to deploy quickly and iterate on settings with minimal friction.

On the datacenter side, Webshare publicly lists 400K+ datacenter proxies, 99.97% uptime, and 50+ locations. On the residential side, it promotes an 80M+ pool, and it’s often referenced in roundups with very large usage figures (for example, claims like 650B+ monthly proxy requests and coverage across 195 countries). There’s also the ownership story: Oxylabs announced a Webshare acquisition in 2022, and later communications stated the deal was completed in 2024, while Webshare continued operating as its own product. For cost predictability, Webshare’s static residential line is frequently mentioned because it highlights unlimited bandwidth, which fits steady, long-running workloads.

4) Oxylabs

Oxylabs is usually the “enterprise lane” option: broad geographic reach, deeper targeting controls, and performance claims presented in a way that’s easier to benchmark than many competitors. In materials and comparisons, Oxylabs is commonly cited at ~175M+ IPs across 195 countries, which helps when you need redundancy across geos or want to distribute load widely.

One reason it’s easy to compare is published benchmark-style data. Oxylabs references metrics like ~99.82% success rate and ~0.41s response time, which gives you something tangible beyond “pool size.” Pricing is often summarized as starting around $3.01 / GB, depending on tier and commitment. For business-critical usage, the practical recommendation is to push for operational guarantees: an SLA and a dedicated account manager can matter when onboarding and escalations must stay fast.

5) SOAX

SOAX is better framed as a control-first proxy provider: it appeals to teams that care about how traffic behaves under real constraints, not just how many IPs exist on paper. The emphasis is on filtering, stable routing rules, and predictable session behavior — useful on targets where inconsistency triggers blocks.

In published comparisons, SOAX is often cited with scale and performance numbers like 155M+ IPs and 99.95% success rate, plus speed claims such as 0.55s response time. Operationally, SOAX tends to be used for careful segmentation: mix residential with mobile or ISP proxies depending on target sensitivity, and keep sessions stable without constantly rewriting proxy logic.

6) NetNut

NetNut is usually picked for one thing: throughput. It’s a proxy supplier that shows up in high-volume scenarios where many threads run for long periods and the proxy layer must stay stable instead of needing constant “tuning.” If you already have your own scraping or automation stack, this kind of profile can fit well.

In many roundups, NetNut is cited at ~85M+ residential IPs across 195 countries, which supports broad geo distribution and reduces repeated exposure to the same exit points. The operational message is straightforward: unlimited concurrency plus support for HTTP, HTTPS, and SOCKS5. NetNut tends to fit pipelines where reliability and concurrency matter more than extra platform features.

7) Infatica

Infatica often sits in the “mid-market” band: clear pricing, decent baseline performance, and fewer enterprise-only constraints. It can work well for teams that want dependable residential access for business workflows and prefer proxy services that keep product details readable and accessible.

From the materials typically referenced, Infatica lists 15M+ IPs per plan with worldwide coverage, plus performance-style claims such as 99.9% uptime and around 0.4 response time on residential pages. A common pricing anchor is $4 / GB on pay-as-you-go. In a 2026 shortlist, it’s easy to present Infatica as a “value + clarity” option for teams that want stable residential proxies without paying for enterprise packaging they won’t use.

8) DataImpulse

DataImpulse is easiest to describe as a budget-friendly proxy provider that leans into transparency and simple billing mechanics. The offer is typically centered on pay-per-GB access, clear operational rules, and visibility into what you’re actually consuming — helpful when you’re scaling and trying to avoid surprises.

In many summaries, DataImpulse is cited at 90+ million IPs, with an entry price commonly referenced around $1 per 1 GB, putting it in the low-cost tier for residential use. A practical differentiator is the emphasis on “real-time style” visibility (active pool, recent unique IP activity) and straightforward location pages. It also states HTTPS and SOCKS5 support and that traffic never expires.

9) Massive

Massive is a proxy provider that’s easy to position because it publishes more “hard numbers” than many competitors and leans into a compliance-forward narrative. It’s aimed at teams that prefer measurable performance and stable outcomes over chasing the largest possible pool.

Massive advertises 1.6M+ IPs across 195+ countries and highlights targeting controls like country, state, city, ZIP, and ASN. On performance, it cites 99.87% success rate in the US and 0.52s response time in the US and EU. Pricing is commonly shown from $8.00 / GB, with bandwidth rollover for uneven monthly usage. In a 2026 ranking, it fits readers who want published metrics and deep targeting even if the pool is smaller than the mega-scale vendors.

10) IPRoyal

IPRoyal is often recommended as a practical, budget-leaning proxy service with a wide catalog: residential, datacenter, mobile, and ISP. That broad menu is useful when you want to start small and expand without rebuilding your integrations each time you add a new proxy type.

For scale, roundups often cite ~34M+ IPs, with residential as the main share. One common positioning angle is ISP-style stability paired with straightforward traffic rules, including unlimited bandwidth messaging on ISP pages — attractive for long sessions where per-GB billing becomes annoying. The safe takeaway: IPRoyal can work well for budget teams that want multiple proxy types and ISP options without jumping straight into enterprise contracts.

Proxy basics: what you’re actually buying

Proxy server

A proxy server is a routing layer. It routes traffic through an intermediate endpoint and can rotate IPs on a schedule or per request, so the destination sees a different IP than your original one.

Residential proxies

These exits come from consumer internet proxy providers. They usually behave more like “regular user” traffic, which can help on sites that aggressively filter hosting IPs. The tradeoff is cost: residential bandwidth is typically pricier.

Datacenter proxies

These are server-based IPs from the hosting infrastructure. They’re common for fast, high-volume jobs because they’re cheap at scale, but stricter targets can identify them sooner.

Mobile proxies

Here the exit IP belongs to a mobile carrier IP. Carrier ranges often rotate and are shared across many real users, which can be useful on some platforms. Mobile traffic is usually the most expensive per GB.

ISP proxies (static residential)

Think of these as “stable residential-style” IPs. They resemble consumer ISP addresses, but are delivered in a more consistent way, making them a frequent choice for long sessions and sticky use cases.

Which proxy type fits the job

• Scraping, price tracking, and e-commerce monitoring

Residential proxies are often the safer route when sites restrict or filter hosting IPs. Optimize for consistency: success rate, stable response times, and predictable rotation matter more than the biggest advertised pool.

• Multi-account workflows and social platforms

Mobile proxies plus ISP proxies are commonly used when session stability is the priority. Mobile exits can reduce friction on certain platforms, while ISP proxies are usually picked when you need the same IP to hold for longer.

• Ad verification and location-based QA

Residential or ISP proxies with precise targeting are ideal here. If you test ads or SERPs, look for city-level controls and, if possible, ZIP and ASN targeting for accuracy.

• High-volume crawling and bulk checks

Datacenter proxies are the usual choice when you care about speed and cost per request. If budgeting is a pain point, choose products that transparently advertise unlimited bandwidth on that exact proxy plan.

Why you shouldn’t use free proxy servers

• Man-in-the-middle and traffic interception risk: If the operator controls the proxy server, they can potentially monitor, log, or even alter traffic. MITM is a standard threat model, especially when users assume a proxy automatically makes browsing safer. Many free proxies fail basic security expectations, including cases where HTTPS isn’t supported, which can leave sessions without proper encryption.
• Data leakage and credential reuse: Free proxies are commonly shared and inconsistent, which makes session leakage more likely. They can also push users into risky habits like reusing passwords or relying on cookies while assuming the proxy protects them.
• Malware and proxyware ecosystems: “Free” often means the service is monetized by selling bandwidth or turning devices into part of someone else’s IP. This creates uncertain consent chains and a higher security risk.
• Compliance and reputation damage: Shared exit IP addresses are frequently abused and can get flagged, which breaks scraping, automation, and even normal browsing. Paid proxy providers are not perfect, but they usually publish policies, offer controls, and provide support channels.

Instead of relying on free proxy lists, it’s smarter to test a paid proxy pool at no cost first. For example, Astro offers a free trial for new users, so you can validate performance and rotation before committing.