How Much Do Proxies Cost in 2026? Complete Pricing Guide

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How Much Do Proxies Cost in 2026? Complete Pricing Guide

Proxy pricing has changed dramatically over the past two years. What once cost $10 per gigabyte for residential traffic now starts at $2/GB from several providers. If you haven’t checked pricing since 2024, you’re likely overpaying by 50-70%.

This guide breaks down exactly what proxies cost in 2026 across every proxy type, pricing model, and provider tier. We’ve compiled data from over 40 providers, cross-referenced with Proxyway’s annual market research, to give you the most accurate pricing picture available.

Proxy Pricing Overview: 2026 At a Glance

Before diving into the details, here’s the quick summary of what you’ll pay in 2026:

Proxy TypePrice RangeBilling ModelBest For
Residential$2–15/GBPer GBWeb scraping, account management
Datacenter$0.10–1/GB or $0.50–3/IPPer GB or Per IPHigh-volume scraping, SEO tools
Mobile$15–50/GBPer GBSocial media, app testing
ISP (Static Residential)$2–10/GB or $2–8/IPPer GB or Per IPLong sessions, e-commerce

These ranges represent standard pricing without enterprise-level volume discounts. Your actual cost depends on volume, commitment length, and provider choice.

Residential Proxy Pricing in 2026

Residential proxies route your traffic through real home IP addresses assigned by ISPs. They’re the most popular proxy type for web scraping and account management because they look like genuine user traffic.

Current Price Ranges

  • Budget tier: $2–4/GB (IPRoyal, Webshare, ProxyScrape)
  • Mid-market: $4–8/GB (Decodo, SOAX, Shifter)
  • Enterprise: $8–15/GB (Bright Data, Oxylabs, NetNut)

How Pricing Has Changed

The residential proxy market has experienced three significant rounds of price cuts since 2023:

  1. Late 2023: Bright Data and Oxylabs reduced entry-level pricing by 20-30% in response to new competitors.
  2. Mid 2024: Budget providers like IPRoyal pushed residential pricing below $3/GB for the first time, forcing mid-market providers to follow.
  3. Early 2025: Another wave of cuts brought average residential pricing down roughly 70% from 2023 levels, according to Proxyway’s market research.

The key driver behind these price reductions is supply growth. The residential proxy pool has expanded from approximately 72 million IPs in 2023 to over 120 million in 2026, driven by SDK-based sourcing and expanded peer-to-peer networks.

Residential Proxy Provider Comparison

ProviderStarting PricePool SizeKey Feature
Bright Data$6.50/GB72M+ IPsLargest pool, Scraping Browser
Oxylabs$6/GB100M+ IPsWeb Unblocker included
Decodo (formerly Smartproxy)$4.50/GB55M+ IPsBest mid-market value
IPRoyal$2.20/GB32M+ IPsBudget leader
SOAX$4.50/GB45M+ IPsFlexible geo-targeting
Webshare$2.50/GB30M+ IPsDeveloper-friendly API
NetNut$8/GB52M+ IPsDirect ISP partnerships
ProxyScrape$2.49/GB20M+ IPsSimple pay-as-you-go

Prices reflect standard plans as of early 2026. Enterprise and volume pricing may differ significantly.

Tips to Reduce Residential Proxy Costs

  • Compress requests: Enable gzip compression to reduce bandwidth consumption by 60-80%.
  • Cache aggressively: Don’t re-fetch pages you already have.
  • Filter assets: Block images, CSS, and JavaScript when you only need HTML text.
  • Annual commitments: Most providers offer 20-40% discounts on annual plans.
  • Negotiate: If you spend over $500/month, every provider will negotiate custom pricing.

Datacenter Proxy Pricing in 2026

Datacenter proxies use IPs from cloud hosting providers and data centers. They’re faster and cheaper than residential proxies but more likely to be detected and blocked by sophisticated anti-bot systems.

Current Price Ranges

Per-bandwidth pricing:

  • Shared datacenter: $0.10–0.50/GB
  • Dedicated datacenter: $0.30–1.00/GB

Per-IP pricing:

  • Shared IPs: $0.50–1.50/IP/month
  • Dedicated IPs: $1–3/IP/month

Datacenter Proxy Provider Comparison

ProviderPer-IP PricePer-GB PriceIPs Available
Bright Data$1.30/IP$0.60/GB770K+
Oxylabs$1.20/IP$0.50/GB2M+
Webshare$0.56/IP$0.30/GB300K+
IPRoyal$1.39/IP—50K+
Rayobyte$1.50/IP—300K+
Proxy-Seller$0.80/IP—400K+

When Datacenter Proxies Make Sense

Datacenter proxies remain the most cost-effective option for:

  • SEO rank tracking: Search engines are less aggressive at blocking datacenter IPs for standard SERP queries.
  • Price monitoring on smaller sites: Sites without sophisticated anti-bot protection.
  • High-volume API access: When you need raw throughput at minimal cost.
  • Testing and development: No need for residential IPs during development.

For most web scraping of major platforms (Amazon, Google, social media), residential or ISP proxies deliver better ROI despite higher per-GB costs because success rates are dramatically higher.

Mobile Proxy Pricing in 2026

Mobile proxies use IP addresses assigned by mobile carriers (3G/4G/5G). They carry the highest trust level because mobile IPs are shared among thousands of devices through carrier-grade NAT, making them nearly impossible to block without affecting legitimate users.

Current Price Ranges

  • Budget tier: $15–25/GB (IPRoyal, Decodo)
  • Mid-market: $20–35/GB (SOAX, ProxyLTE)
  • Enterprise: $25–50/GB (Bright Data, Oxylabs)

Mobile Proxy Provider Comparison

ProviderStarting PriceCountriesCarrier Selection
Bright Data$30/GB50+Yes
Oxylabs$25/GB30+Limited
Decodo$18/GB20+Yes
IPRoyal$15/GB15+Limited
SOAX$20/GB30+Yes
ProxyLTE$25/GBUS onlyFull carrier control

Price Trends for Mobile Proxies

Mobile proxy pricing is declining but more slowly than residential. The main constraint is supply — mobile IPs are harder to source ethically and in volume. However, 5G expansion is gradually increasing supply, and we expect mobile pricing to drop another 20-30% by 2027.

When Mobile Proxies Are Worth the Premium

  • Social media account management: Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook trust mobile IPs more than any other type.
  • App store scraping: Mobile IPs match the expected traffic profile for app marketplace data.
  • Ad verification on mobile placements: Verify mobile ad delivery from genuine mobile networks.
  • Sneaker and drop copping: Sites that aggressively block residential IPs often let mobile traffic through.

ISP Proxy Pricing in 2026

ISP proxies (also called static residential proxies) combine the trustworthiness of residential IPs with the speed and stability of datacenter hosting. They’re residential IPs hosted on servers, giving you a fixed IP that appears residential to target websites.

Current Price Ranges

Per-bandwidth:

  • Standard: $2–6/GB
  • Premium (US/UK): $5–10/GB

Per-IP:

  • Monthly: $2–5/IP
  • Premium locations: $5–8/IP

ISP Proxy Provider Comparison

ProviderPer-IP PricePer-GB PriceAvailable IPs
Bright Data$5/IP$8/GB700K+
Oxylabs$3.50/IP$6/GB100K+
Decodo$2.50/IP$4.50/GB65K+
NetNut—$5/GB1M+
IPRoyal$2.10/IP—40K+
Webshare$2.50/IP—50K+

ISP Proxy Use Cases

ISP proxies excel in scenarios requiring both speed and trust:

  • E-commerce monitoring: Long-running sessions on Amazon, Walmart, and Shopify stores.
  • Account management: Managing multiple accounts that need consistent IP addresses.
  • Streaming geo-unblocking: Fixed IPs that maintain residential trust for streaming services.
  • Brand protection: Monitoring marketplaces for counterfeit listings over extended periods.

Understanding Proxy Pricing Models

Proxies are sold under several different pricing structures. Choosing the wrong model for your use case can double or triple your effective cost.

Per-GB (Bandwidth) Pricing

You pay based on the amount of data transferred through the proxy. This is the most common model for residential and mobile proxies.

Typical rates: $2–15/GB for residential, $15–50/GB for mobile.

Best for: Tasks with unpredictable IP needs but predictable bandwidth — web scraping where you know approximately how much data you’ll transfer.

Watch out for: Uncompressed responses, media-heavy pages, and JavaScript rendering can consume bandwidth rapidly.

Per-IP (Port) Pricing

You pay a fixed monthly fee for each IP address or port. Common for datacenter and ISP proxies.

Typical rates: $0.50–3/IP for datacenter, $2–8/IP for ISP.

Best for: Tasks requiring dedicated IPs with unlimited bandwidth — account management, SEO tools, or any scenario where you need consistent IP identity.

Watch out for: You pay regardless of usage. Unused IPs are wasted money.

Per-Request (API) Pricing

You pay per successful request. This model bundles the proxy infrastructure with anti-bot bypass logic.

Typical rates: $1–5 per 1,000 requests (varies significantly by target difficulty).

Best for: Scraping difficult targets where you want guaranteed success rates without managing rotation and retry logic yourself.

Watch out for: Costs can escalate quickly at scale. Always calculate the effective per-GB cost to compare against traditional proxy pricing.

Unlimited Bandwidth

Some providers advertise “unlimited” bandwidth plans. In practice, these come with fair-use policies, speed throttling, or other restrictions.

Typical rates: $50–300/month for a set number of ports with unlimited traffic.

Best for: Heavy-bandwidth tasks where per-GB pricing would be prohibitively expensive, like streaming or large-scale content downloading.

Watch out for: Read the terms carefully. “Unlimited” rarely means unlimited. Most providers throttle speeds or restrict concurrent connections.

For a detailed comparison of which pricing model saves you the most money, see our guide on proxy pricing models explained.

Volume Discounts: How Pricing Scales

Every proxy provider offers tiered pricing that rewards larger commitments. Here’s how discounts typically scale:

Bandwidth-Based Tiers (Residential Example)

Monthly VolumeTypical DiscountEffective Price Range
1–10 GBBase price$4–15/GB
10–100 GB10–20% off$3.50–12/GB
100–500 GB20–35% off$2.50–10/GB
500 GB–1 TB30–50% off$2–8/GB
1 TB+40–60% offCustom pricing

Annual vs Monthly Commitments

Annual plans typically save 20-40% compared to monthly pricing. However, you’re locked in — if your needs change or a competitor offers better pricing, you’re stuck until the contract ends.

Our recommendation: Start monthly to test a provider’s quality, then negotiate an annual deal once you’ve confirmed reliability and performance for your use case.

Hidden Costs to Watch For

Proxy pricing pages rarely tell the full story. Here are the hidden costs that catch buyers off-guard:

Overage Charges

Many providers charge premium rates (1.5–3x the standard rate) for bandwidth exceeding your plan limit. Always set up usage alerts and auto-pause features to avoid surprise bills.

Minimum Commitments

Enterprise plans often require 3–12 month minimum commitments. Read the cancellation terms carefully. Some providers charge early termination fees equal to the remaining contract value.

Setup and Integration Fees

Rare with self-service plans but common in enterprise deals. Setup fees of $500–5,000 may apply for custom integrations, dedicated account management, or white-label configurations.

Inactive IP Fees

Some per-IP providers charge for IPs whether you use them or not. If your usage is variable, per-GB pricing may be more cost-effective despite a higher unit rate.

Support Tiers

Basic support is usually included, but priority or dedicated support may cost extra. For business-critical operations, factor this into your total cost of ownership.

Price Trends: Where Proxy Costs Are Heading

Based on market data from Proxyway’s research and our own analysis, here are the pricing trends shaping the proxy market:

2024–2026: The Price Compression Era

Residential proxy prices dropped approximately 70% between 2023 and 2026. This was driven by:

  • Supply expansion: More residential IPs entering the market through SDK partnerships and peer-to-peer networks.
  • Competition intensity: 67 new proxy providers entered the market in 2024 alone, creating fierce price competition.
  • Technology improvements: Better routing and IP management reduced providers’ per-GB infrastructure costs.

2026–2028: What to Expect

  • Residential: Expect another 15-25% decline as supply continues growing, but the rate of decrease will slow.
  • Datacenter: Prices are near floor. Minimal further decreases expected.
  • Mobile: 20-30% further decline as 5G deployment expands the available IP pool.
  • ISP: Moderate 10-20% decline as more ISPs partner with proxy providers.

The overall trend is clear: proxies are becoming a commodity. The differentiator increasingly isn’t price — it’s quality, success rates, and the tooling built around the proxy infrastructure.

How to Choose the Right Proxy and Price Point

Use this decision framework to find the best value:

  1. Define your use case: What sites are you accessing? How aggressive is their anti-bot protection?
  2. Estimate your volume: How many requests per day? How much bandwidth per month?
  3. Calculate total cost under each model: Per-GB, per-IP, and per-request pricing will yield different totals for the same workload.
  4. Test before committing: Use free tiers or pay-as-you-go plans to validate success rates before signing annual contracts.
  5. Factor in time costs: A cheaper proxy with 50% success rate may cost more than a premium proxy with 99% success rate when you account for retries and failed requests.

Use our proxy cost calculator to model different scenarios and find the optimal provider and plan for your specific needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the cheapest proxy option in 2026?

For pure cost per GB, shared datacenter proxies start at $0.10/GB. For residential IPs, IPRoyal and ProxyScrape offer the lowest entry points at around $2–2.50/GB. However, cheapest isn’t always best — success rates and reliability matter more than raw price for most use cases.

Are expensive proxies worth it?

Enterprise providers like Bright Data and Oxylabs charge more but offer larger IP pools, better success rates, more geo-targeting options, and built-in scraping tools. For business-critical applications, the reliability premium is usually worth it. For learning or low-stakes tasks, budget providers work fine.

How much should a small business budget for proxies?

Most small businesses spend $50–500/month on proxies. Start with a $50–100/month plan to test your workflows, then scale based on actual needs. The proxy cost calculator can help you estimate based on your specific use case.

Do proxy prices include taxes?

Most proxy providers price in USD before tax. EU customers may see additional VAT charges (typically 20-25%). Business customers can often provide a VAT ID to avoid this charge.

Can I negotiate proxy pricing?

Yes. If you’re spending over $500/month, most providers will offer custom pricing. Contact sales directly rather than using self-service checkout. Volume commitments of 6-12 months give you the strongest negotiating position.

Conclusion

Proxy pricing in 2026 is more competitive than ever. Residential costs have dropped 70% in two years, mobile pricing continues to decline, and new providers keep entering the market. The key to getting the best deal is understanding which proxy type and pricing model fit your use case, testing before committing, and negotiating when your volume justifies it.

Use our proxy cost calculator to model your specific scenario and find the optimal provider. For a broader view of where the industry is heading, check out our proxy industry report 2026.

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