Best Cheap Proxies in 2026: 7 Residential Proxy Providers Compared
I compared seven proxy providers on what residential, ISP and mobile proxies really cost, plus trials, refunds and targeting. Here's who each one suits, starting with Proxy-Cheap.
By Karan Tiwari·
Seven proxy providers compared on price per GB, trials, refunds and targeting.
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Finding cheap proxies that actually work is harder than finding cheap proxies. Residential proxy prices run from under $1 to $8 per GB depending on the provider and how much you buy, and the cheapest headline price often needs a big order, a monthly commitment or a provider with a shaky reputation.
I compared seven providers that come up again and again when people shop for budget residential proxies: Proxy-Cheap, Webshare, IPRoyal, Decodo, SOAX, Oxylabs and Bright Data. I went through each pricing page, the minimum order, the trial and refund terms and the targeting options, and checked every price on 27 October 2026. All prices are in US dollars and exclude VAT where the provider adds it. This is desk research, not a speed or success-rate benchmark: I haven't run my own block-rate tests.
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Proxy-Cheap: best overall for cheap residential and ISP proxies. Rotating residential from $0.78/GB at volume, static ISP IPs from $2.44 a month, and every proxy type in one account.
Webshare: best free plan. Ten free proxies with 1 GB a month, and very cheap shared datacenter proxies.
IPRoyal: best for traffic that never expires. Pay as you go without a monthly plan, and unused GB stays on your account.
Decodo: best mid-range all-rounder. City, ZIP and ASN targeting and a 14-day money-back guarantee from $3.75/GB.
SOAX: best for flexible geo-targeting. Prices vary by country, and cheaper markets cost much less per GB.
Oxylabs: best premium quality on a small budget. A $30 starter plan and a $5 credit to test with.
Bright Data: best for enterprises. The largest pool and every targeting option, with a 50% promo that makes pay-as-you-go $4/GB.
Cheap residential proxies compared at a glance
Residential proxy prices compared (USD, checked 27 October 2026)
Provider
Residential from
Best listed rate
Billing
Trial
Refund
Proxy-Cheap
$1.50/GB (3 GB minimum)
$0.78/GB (51 GB+)
Pay as you go
Paid, from $1.99
If ≤20% used, first order
Webshare
$3.50/GB (1 GB plan)
$1.40/GB (3,000 GB)
Monthly plan
Free plan: 10 proxies, 1 GB
2 days, minimal use
IPRoyal
$7.35/GB (1 GB)
$1.84/GB (10 TB)
Pay as you go, never expires
None
Not stated
Decodo
$3.75/GB (3 GB plan)
$2.00/GB (1,000 GB)
Monthly plan, or $4/GB PAYG
3 days, 100 MB
14 days, if ≤20% used
SOAX
$5.00/GB (US-tier top-up)
$0.85/GB (Enterprise)
Monthly credits
None
Generally none
Oxylabs
$6/GB (up to 5 GB)
$2.50/GB (1,000 GB+)
Per GB or monthly plan
$5 credit
None on self-service
Bright Data
$4/GB (50% promo, $8 list)
$3/GB (plans from $999/mo)
Pay as you go or monthly
Yes, length not stated
Not stated
Residential proxy prices compared (USD, checked 27 October 2026)
Two things stand out. First, Proxy-Cheap is the only provider here whose small orders are cheap as well as its big ones: 3 GB costs $4.50, and 10 GB costs $12. Most rivals only drop below $3/GB once you commit to hundreds of dollars a month. Second, the providers with the best refund terms (Decodo) and the biggest pools (Bright Data, Oxylabs) cost two to five times as much per GB at small volumes.
How I compared these proxy providers
Price at small and large volumes. I recorded the cheapest way in and the best listed rate, because a $1/GB headline that needs a $2,000 plan doesn't help most buyers.
Minimum order and billing. Pay-as-you-go traffic is easier to test than a monthly subscription. Traffic that never expires is better still.
Trial and refund terms. Proxies either work on your target site or they don't, so a cheap way to test matters more than almost anything else.
Targeting and extras. Country targeting is standard. City, ZIP and ASN targeting, scraping APIs and compliance checks separate the premium providers.
Reputation. I read Trustpilot and the providers' own terms, and noted where self-published ratings don't match independent ones.
Which type of proxy do you need?
Before comparing prices, make sure you're buying the right type. Here's how the four main types differ, with Proxy-Cheap's prices as a reference point:
Proxy types compared, with Proxy-Cheap prices for reference (USD, checked 27 October 2026)
Proxy type
Best for
Proxy-Cheap price
Watch out for
Rotating residential
Scraping, price monitoring, rank tracking
$0.78–$1.50/GB
Billed by traffic, so heavy pages add up
Static residential (ISP)
Account management, long sessions, SEO tools
$2.44–$7.99 per IP/month
One fixed IP can still get flagged
Datacenter
Fast bulk jobs on sites that allow them
IPv4 $1.49, IPv6 $0.15 per IP/month
Blocked by many large platforms
Mobile
Social media, app testing, strict anti-bot sites
$5.99/GB
The most expensive type per GB
Proxy types compared, with Proxy-Cheap prices for reference (USD, checked 27 October 2026)
Rule of thumb: rotating residential for collecting data, static ISP for logging in to the same accounts, datacenter when speed matters and the target site doesn't block it, and mobile only when nothing else gets through.
1. Proxy-Cheap: best overall for cheap residential and ISP proxies
Proxy-Cheap does what its name promises. Rotating residential traffic costs $1.50/GB from a 3 GB minimum, $1.20/GB from 4 GB and $0.78/GB from 51 GB. That's the lowest small-order price in this comparison, and the 51 GB rate is the lowest listed rate in this comparison, even against enterprise plans costing thousands a month.
Its static residential (ISP) proxies are just as competitive. A Dedicated IP with unlimited traffic at 100 Mbit/s costs $2.87 a month, or $2.44 a month on a 12-month plan, in 66 countries with ISP selection. Premium IPs that have never been used as proxies cost $7.99 a month, falling to $5.83. There's also a shared Basic IP with 1 GB a month for $2.71, and a $1.99 trial week to test it.
Datacenter IPv4 from $1.49 a month, IPv6 from $0.15, and rotating mobile at $5.99/GB round out the range, so you can mix types in one account. Payments include cards, PayPal, crypto, iDEAL and Przelewy24, with no VAT added. Most methods add a fee shown at checkout.
Where Proxy-Cheap falls short
Refunds are narrow. You get a full refund only if you've used 20% or less of your traffic (first order only), or within 3 days on time-based plans.
No uptime guarantee. The SLA covers support response times, not uptime or service credits.
Mixed reviews. Trustpilot shows 2.7 out of 5 from 750 reviews. Complaints focus on blocked or mislocated IPs, refunds and support.
Basic targeting. Static residential offers country and ISP targeting, without city, ZIP or ASN options.
My advice is to buy the smallest plan, test it on your exact target sites, then scale up. I cover the details in my full Proxy-Cheap review.
2. Webshare: best free plan
Webshare is the easiest way to try proxies without paying. The free plan gives you 10 proxies with 1 GB of traffic a month, HTTP and SOCKS5, with no time limit and no card required. Paid shared datacenter proxies are remarkably cheap: 100 proxies for $2.99 a month, with yearly billing 30% cheaper.
Rotating residential starts at $3.50/GB on a 1 GB plan and falls to $1.40/GB at 3,000 GB, billed monthly. Static residential starts at $6 a month for 20 proxies. The refund window is short, though: 2 days, and only if you've used almost nothing. Webshare lists 50+ countries.
Choose it if you want to test proxies for free or need lots of cheap datacenter IPs. Skip it if you need small amounts of residential traffic, where Proxy-Cheap is cheaper.
3. IPRoyal: best for residential traffic that never expires
IPRoyal's selling point is flexibility. You buy residential traffic without a monthly plan, and it stays on your account until you use it. That's ideal for occasional projects. The catch is the small-order price: $7.35/GB for 1 GB pay-as-you-go, $5.51/GB at 10 GB, and $1.84/GB only at 10 TB. A subscription saves 5%.
IPRoyal claims 64M+ IPs in 195+ countries with city targeting, plus ISP proxies from $1.80 a proxy, datacenter from $1.39 and mobile from $10.11 a day. I couldn't find a refund policy on the pricing page.
Choose it if you use proxies in bursts and hate losing unused traffic. Skip it if you buy regularly, since it's several times Proxy-Cheap's price per GB.
4. Decodo: best mid-range all-rounder
Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) is the safe middle choice. Residential plans run from $3.75/GB on a 3 GB plan ($11.25 a month) to $2.75/GB at 100 GB and $2.00/GB at 1,000 GB, or $4/GB pay-as-you-go. You get continent, country, state, city, ZIP and ASN targeting, sticky sessions of up to 30 minutes and a pool of 115M+ IPs.
It also has the best refund terms here: a 14-day money-back guarantee on your first purchase if you've used 20% or less of your traffic (and haven't taken the 3-day, 100 MB free trial). Prices exclude VAT.
Choose it if you want precise targeting and a real refund window at a fair price. Skip it if price per GB is your main concern.
5. SOAX: best for flexible geo-targeting
SOAX prices traffic by country tier. On the Sandbox tier, with no subscription, US-tier traffic costs $5/GB, and the cheapest tier $2/GB. The $200 Builder plan drops US traffic to $3/GB, and Scale ($1,500 a month) to $1.50/GB. Mobile traffic costs the same as residential, which is unusual and good value if you need mobile IPs.
Every plan includes country, region, city and ISP targeting, with ASN and ZIP from the Scale plan up. Payments are generally non-refundable, and there's no free trial.
Choose it if you target cheaper countries or need mobile IPs at residential prices. Skip it if you need US or EU traffic on a small budget.
6. Oxylabs: best premium quality on a small budget
Oxylabs is a premium provider aimed at data teams, but its self-service pricing is more reachable than its reputation suggests. Residential costs $6/GB up to 5 GB, $5 up to 20 GB, $4 up to 125 GB and $2.50 from 1,000 GB, with plans from $30 a month. New accounts get a $5 credit to test with.
You get 100M+ residential IPs, free geo-targeting, sticky sessions, unlimited concurrent sessions and HTTP(S), HTTP/3 and SOCKS5. Self-service purchases are non-refundable, and VAT may apply.
Choose it if success rates matter more than cost and you might later need scraper APIs. Skip it if you're on a tight budget.
7. Bright Data: best for enterprises
Bright Data has the largest pool here, claiming 400M+ residential IPs in 195 countries with free country, state, city, ZIP and ASN targeting. Pay-as-you-go normally costs $8/GB, but a current promo code halves it to $4/GB for 3 months, and it will match your first deposit up to $500. Monthly plans start at $499.
Bright Data requires a KYC check before you can use residential or mobile proxies, which may include a short video call. That's good for compliance, but it adds friction if you just want to test a few GB.
Choose it if you're a business that needs scale, compliance and every targeting option. Skip it if you want to start cheaply and without paperwork.
How to save money on proxies
Test before you scale. Buy the smallest plan or trial and run it against your real target sites. A cheap proxy that gets blocked costs more than an expensive one that works.
Block images and scripts you don't need. Residential traffic is billed by the GB, so trimming page weight in your scraper cuts costs directly.
Use the cheapest type that works. Try datacenter or ISP proxies first, and switch to residential or mobile only for sites that block them.
Watch renewals and refund windows. Proxy-Cheap gives you 24 hours to dispute an auto-renewal, and Webshare 2 days for a refund. Turn off auto-renew until you're sure.
Check for VAT and payment fees. Decodo and SOAX add VAT, Oxylabs may, and Proxy-Cheap adds a payment fee on most methods.
My verdict: the best cheap proxies in 2026
If you want the lowest cost per GB without a big monthly commitment, Proxy-Cheap is my pick: $4.50 gets you started with rotating residential, the price falls below $1/GB at 51 GB, and its static ISP IPs at around $2.50 a month are excellent value for account work. Just test before you scale, because its refund terms are strict and user reports are mixed.
If you'd rather pay more for peace of mind, Decodo offers the best refund terms and targeting in the mid-range, and Oxylabs and Bright Data lead on quality and scale. Webshare is the place to start for free, and IPRoyal suits occasional users who don't want traffic to expire.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest residential proxy provider?
Of the seven providers I compared, Proxy-Cheap had the lowest small-order price, at $1.50/GB from 3 GB, $1.20/GB from 4 GB and $0.78/GB from 51 GB. SOAX goes lower ($0.85/GB) only on a $3,000-a-month Enterprise plan. Prices were checked on 27 October 2026.
Are cheap proxies safe to use?
They can be, if the provider is established and you use them for legitimate work like price monitoring, SEO or ad checks. The risks with budget providers are IP quality and refunds, not security, so test a small plan before buying in bulk and avoid sending sensitive logins through any proxy you don't trust.
What's the difference between residential and ISP proxies?
Residential proxies route through real home devices and usually rotate, which suits scraping. ISP (static residential) proxies use IPs registered to internet providers but hosted in datacenters, so they stay the same and are faster. That makes them better for long sessions and managing accounts.
Are there free proxies worth using?
Public free proxy lists are slow, unreliable and often unsafe. Webshare's free plan is a better option, with 10 proxies and 1 GB a month from a real provider. It's enough to learn and test, but not to run a serious project.
How much proxy traffic do I need?
It depends on page weight. A typical web page weighs 2 to 3 MB with images, so 1 GB covers roughly 350 to 500 full page loads, and many more if your scraper skips images and scripts. Start with a small plan and check your dashboard after a day of real use.
Do proxy prices include VAT?
It varies. Proxy-Cheap adds no VAT but charges a payment fee on most methods. Decodo and SOAX list prices plus VAT, and Oxylabs says VAT may apply. Always check the checkout total.
Proxy-Cheap
Proxies & VPNs
Some of the lowest per-GB and per-IP prices I found, across every proxy type, but strict refunds and mixed user reports mean you should start small.
Best for
Budget scraping, SEO and multi-account work where you can test before scaling up
Starting price
From $0.78/GB
Free plan or trial
Paid 7-day trial from $1.99
Main strengths
Rotating residential traffic from $0.78/GB at 51 GB, and $1.50/GB at the 3 GB minimum; Static residential (ISP) IPs from $2.44 a month with unlimited traffic on Dedicated and Premium
Key limitation
Refunds only if you've used 20% or less of your traffic, or within 3 days on time-based plans
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