Fast and stable proxies can serve a variety of purposes from market research and brand protection to SEO monitoring and price aggregation. With a plethora of offers in the market, it is still challenging to choose a trusted provider that will meet your needs. Although industry leaders normally position themselves as “one-size-fits-all” solutions, practice shows there are normally one-two tasks for which a provider is best suited. The purpose of our review is, thus, to compare two leaders — Oxylabs and Smartproxy — and provide a detailed and honest comparative review of their key features and optimal use cases.
Oxylabs vs Smartproxy: Comparative Overview
In this review, we assessed the two providers across plenty of aspects. This includes proxy network, IPs, including the size of the IP network, IP rotation, the option to change IP address, different tools, and performance, to name but a few.
Oxlabs
Smartproxy
Foundation
2015
2018
Proxies
Residential (including Next-Gen proxies and static proxies); Datacenter (both shared and dedicated); Rotating ISP proxies; SOCKS5 proxy.
Residential; Datacenter (both shared and dedicated); Rotating (both residential and datacenter).
IPs
100M+
40M+
Protocols
HTTP(S)SOCKS5
HTTP(S)
Minimum package price
$100 for 167GB(shared DC proxies)
$30 for 50GB(shared DC proxies)
Geo targeting
195 locationsBoth US and worldwide IPs for dedicated DC proxies
195 locations+US IPs for dedicated DC proxies
Types of Proxies and Their Features
OxL
SP
Residential proxy
✅
✅
Shared datacenter proxy
✅
✅
Dedicated datacenter proxy
✅
✅
Rotating proxies
✅
✅
SOCKS5 proxy
✅
❌
As the table shows, the assortment of proxy solutions is approximately identical except for the fact that datacenter proxies at Smartproxy do not support SOCKS5. The difference between the two assortments is, thus, more pronounced regarding the features and characteristics of each proxy type.
Residential proxies
In a nutshell, residential proxies use IPs of real devices, that is, IPs provided by the Internet Service Provider (ISP). As a result, the traffic from such proxies looks like ordinary organic traffic coming from a certain geographic location. This makes residential proxy legitimate and less vulnerable to bans. Both providers have this type of proxies. Let us compare their features and characteristics:
OxL
SP
Price starts from
$300 per month for 20GB
$75 per month for 5GB
Concurrent sessions
unlimited
unlimited
State/city-level targeting
yes
yes
Pool
100M + IPs
40M + rotating IPs
Oxylabs has a larger proxy network than Smartproxy. Besides, it also has the Next-Gen residential proxy option, These are AI and ML-powered proxies that use smart auto-retry technology and AI dynamic fingerprinting to improve data quality recognition, increase success rates, and facilitate switching.
More than that, while Oxylabs offers static residential proxies as a separate option, Smartproxy does not mention whether they have this type of proxies. In the meantime, the static residential proxy is an excellent solution for web scraping, especially in those cases where rotation is impossible or unwanted for some reason. These proxies bring together the best of a residential proxy (i.e. anonymity) and a datacenter proxy (i.e. speed).
Shared Datacenter proxies
As their name implies, these proxies use IPs of a datacenter and are shared by multiple users. Their main advantage is the low price as opposed to a residential proxy or dedicated datacenter proxy.
OxL
SP
Price starts from
$100 per month for 167GB
$75 per month for 5GB
Concurrent sessions
unlimited
unlimited
Geo locations
US and Europe
US and Europe
Pool
20k
100k
Smartproxy has a proxy pool that is 5 times larger than that its competitor has. In the meantime, the cost of 1GB here is likewise almost 4 times higher.
Dedicated Datacenter proxies
Similarly to shared DC proxies, dedicated ones use IPs of a datacenter but, in this case, they are not shared with other users. Dedicated datacenter proxies are more expensive than shared proxy solutions which are compensated by their effective performance.
OxL
SP
Price starts from
$180 per month for 100 IPs in the USA or 60 IPs worldwide
$40 per month for 20 IPs in the USA
Concurrent sessions
unlimited
not stated
Geo locations
188 countries
US
Pool
2m+ IPs
400k
When it comes to dedicated DC proxies, Oxylabs’ offer is more attractive. The company has a larger pool, a wider range of geographic locations, and unlimited concurrent sessions. With all these benefits, it still has a lower minimum price: $1.8 per IP in the US as opposed to $2 per an IP in Smartproxy.
Rotating proxies
Getting rotating proxies is a helpful alternative to resetting the proxy pool all the time to avoid bans and get rid of dead proxies. Both providers have rotating proxy pools. In the case of the former, these are residential proxies only. What stands out about Smartproxy is that they rotate both residential and datacenter proxies without mixing the two pools.
SOCKS5 proxies
A SOCKS5 proxy is a working solution in those situations where HTTPS connection is insufficient: scraping under intensive traffic, video streams, or video calls. Smartproxy does not have this option yet but promises it will become available in the near future. Its competitor, in turn, already has a huge 2M+ pool of such proxies.
Summary: Although not crucially significant, Oxylabs has some advantages over Smartproxy in terms of the product it offers. The latter has a huge pool of shared datacenter proxies but, for the rest, the assortment at Oxylabs is better. Most notably, it is more varied: there are Next-Gen residential proxies, static proxies, and SOCKS5 proxies. This means that Oxylabs’ products are more customized and better suited to different needs. Its prices look more attractive on the whole, too.
Score: OxL 1 — 0 SP
Other Tools
In addition to proxies as such, the two providers have a variety of tools, addons, and scraping APIs in their assortments.
OxL
SP
Tools & addons
Proxy extension for Chrome; Proxy manager for Android; Proxy rotator.
X Browser (allows juggling several accounts at a time); Proxy extension for Chrome; Firefox add-on;Address generator add-on to generate proxy lists.
Scraping APIs
SERP scraper API;E-commerce scraper API;Web Scraper API.* * there is a free trial available for each scraper
Summary: When it comes to additional tools and scraping APIs, Smartproxy’s assortment has more to offer. Thus, for instance, its address generator is a helpful add-on when there is a need for a sticky residential IP list. The X browser is likewise an optimal solution for those planning to use multiple accounts and would like each of them to have unique footprints. Finally, the no-code scraping API makes scraping available to individuals without the skills in coding meaning that companies have more freedom and flexibility in delegating web scraping tasks. In other words, while Oxylabs offers more proxy types, Smartproxy provides its clients with more solutions to facilitate and optimize their use of proxies.
Score: OxL 0 — 1 SP
Cases of Use
Based on our testing and the info two companies provide, the case studies found on their websites, and a close examination of reviews on TrustPilot, we have identified what each provider is best suited for.
We think Oxylabs is particularly fit for
Large-scale scraping projects: The provider allows for state-level and city-level targeting for all proxy types. This makes it a good fit for large-scale projects that require IPs from a variety of locations. A good example, in this regard, is the success story of Trivago, a popular accommodation comparison service. With the help of Oxylabs’ huge proxy pools (both residential and datacenter ones) from any geographic location, Trivago has managed to design an effective pricing model for its aggregator.
Time-sensitive scraping projects: As follows from the case studies, its clients, such as Morningscore, especially appreciate the speedy results that they get with this provider. The particularly high speed of proxies is also frequently mentioned in users’ reviews on Trustpilot. Our performance tests have likewise revealed that Oxylabs shows a higher speed of performance than its rival. This is why we recommend this provider for scraping tasks and projects that require fast data delivery.
We believe Smartproxy to be best suited for
Cheap yet effective scraping solutions: A significant portion of the success stories found on the website has to do with those cases where a business would start getting huge revenues without spending much money. Smartproxy is, indeed, fit for low-cost solutions as it has a huge (5 times bigger than its competitor offers) pool of cheap shared datancenter proxies.
Effective scraping with minimal skills: The provider has a lot of tools and scraping solutions to offer. Rotating proxies (both residential and datacenter ones), X browser, and no-code scraper are but a few examples of such tools. As we see from the case studies and reviews on Trustpilot, Smartproxy’s clients especially appreciate that their products are intuitive and easy to use.
Performance
We tested the proxies to compare the two providers across three core aspects of performance. These are success rate, speed, and server stability.
OxL
SP
Success rate
99%
99.2%
Speed
0.6 sec
0.7 sec
Server stability
98%
97%
Summary: The results of our tests showed only some insignificant differences in the performance of the two providers: Oxylabs’ proxies were faster and more stable, while Smartproxy’s ones showed a higher success rate. What is also peculiar about Oxylabs is that it has good city targeting: you can choose from a variety of cities within a selected country. In the case of Smartproxy, there is a wide selection of states but within the selected state, one has to choose among 6-8 cities only.
Score: OxL 1 — 0 SP
User Experience
Apart from the products and their performance, we likewise evaluated the user experience. We did so by comparing the two providers across three core aspects: website design, software use, and customer support.
Website design
Both providers’ websites feel intuitive and simple to navigate. Oxylabs has two interface languages (i.e. English and Chinese), while Smartproxy’s interface is available in English, Chinese, and Russian. The latter has a start guide and a “how it works” section. Oxylab’s analog is the getting started pack with quick start guides, integrations, and more useful info. Smartproxy facilitates proxy setup by providing short and simple instructions with plenty of screenshots. It also offers traffic usage statistics. Oxylabs, in turn, allows proxy management via a private dashboard or with a public API.
Software use experience
Both providers do their best to help customers understand how their solutions work and how they can be used to achieve maximum efficiency. Each product or service is, thus, accompanied by a detailed guide including short how-to videos.
When it comes to scraper solutions, those are largely similar in terms of features. For example, here are the features of SERP scraper API tools that both providers offer:
In terms of self-service, Smartproxy is more advanced: its dashboard allows the user to complete all tasks independently. Thanks to a variety of add-ons, extensions, and additional tools the user can tailor their proxy management to their specific needs. In Oxylabs’ case, self-service is somewhat more limited. Users need to contact the account manager to get many of the tasks done. It also has a fairly tough KYC policy under which only 75% of its potential customers get approved. Smartproxy’s policies are more flexible, in this regard. It is uncommon for the provider to turn down a client unless the latter violates the terms of the License Agreement.
Customer support
Oxylabs’ customer support is available via email and there is also a live chat button on every page of the website. As follows from customer reviews on Trustpilot, there might be issues with contacting the provider by phone. Smartproxy, in turn, can be contacted through email, live chat, Telegram, and Skype. According to Trustpilot reviews, customer support is prompt and responsive 24/7. Overall, both customer support services have good recent reviews on Trustpilot.
Both providers have a “contact sales” button and FAQ sections with helpful resources and guidelines.
Summary: Although we did not have any issues with using the provider’s products and services, we would rate Smartproxy’s user experience higher. This is because their self-help tools are more diverse and their dashboard is designed to support clients’ independent proxy management.
Score: OxL 0 — 1 SP
Reputation
Oxylabs and Smartproxy have excellent reputations in the market. Our inspection of the providers’ reviews on Trustpilot showed that both customer support teams engage with all issues mentioned on the platform. Oxylabs is more prompt in this regard as they respond to complaints within a couple of days. In the case of Smartproxy, there are some negative posts on Trustpilot that remain unaddressed for over a week.
Summary: Although both providers have an excellent reputation in general, we vote for Oxylabs. This is because it has been recognized as the Best Overall Proxy Provider for several years in a row and because it engages with customer complaints outside its website more actively than Smartproxy.
Score: OxL 1 — 0 SP
Pricing
To spare you time and effort, we have collected the information about the three main service plans: residential proxies, shared datacenter, and dedicated datacenter proxies.
OxL
SP
Residential proxies
Number of plans available: 4 Min. price per GB: $9** excluding the custom price per GB available in the Enterprise Plan
Number of plans available: 4 Min. price per GB: $8** $7 per GB in the Enterprise Plan
Shared DC proxies
Number of plans available: 5 Min. price per GB: $0.48** excluding the custom price per GB available in the Enterprise Plan
Number of plans available: 5 Min. price per GB: $0.53** excluding the custom price per GB available in the Sharp Plan
Dedicated DC proxies
Number of plans available (both US and worldwide IPs): 4 Min price per IP: $1.5** excluding the custom price available in the Enterprise Plan
Number of plans available (US IPs only): 5 Min price per IP: $1.6** excluding the custom price available in the Enterprise Plan
Summary: Although Oxylabs has a reputation of a costly proxy provider, our comparison showed its prices are generally attractive. Thus, although the minimum cost of the plan is usually lower at Smartproxy this is because they provide fewer GBs for this cost. When we calculated the cost per GB and the cost per IP, it turned out that Oxylab’s services are cheaper. Another serious advantage is that its dedicated datacenter proxies plans include both the US and worldwide IPs, while its competitor only has US IPs.
Score: OxL 1 — 0 SP
Oxylabs vs Smartproxy: Final Verdict
Final score: OxL 4 — 2 SP
Wrapping up, both Oxylabs and Smartproxy can be recommended as trusted providers of high-quality proxies and scraping tools. While the former has a wider selection of proxy types, the latter has a bigger assortment of tools, addons, and scraping solutions. We believe Oxylabs to be a good fit for large-scale time-sensitive scraping projects that require IPs from different geographic locations. Smartproxy, in turn, is better suited for cost-effective proxy solutions that can be easily managed with minimal scraping skills. The prices, user experience, and customer service are relatively the same in these two providers.
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