Evidence-based residential proxy comparison

Best Residential Proxy Providers in 2026: Prices, Trials and Limits

Author: ProxyBuyerGuide

There is no single residential proxy provider that is best for every buyer. The practical choice depends on how much you must spend to start, whether traffic expires, whether a test or refund is available, which targeting options you need, and whether the provider restricts your intended destination.

This guide compares publicly documented commercial terms rather than declaring a speed or success-rate winner. ProxyBuyerGuide has not independently benchmarked every provider listed here. Network size, uptime, success-rate and performance figures supplied by providers are not treated as our test results.

Quick answer: DataImpulse, Thordata and MarsProxies have low publicly documented paid entry points. IPRoyal is notable for non-expiring PAYG traffic. NodeMaven offers a structured paid trial and traffic rollover. Bright Data provides PAYG access and extensive controls but requires KYC and currently displays promotional pricing. Oxylabs combines self-service and enterprise options, with destination restrictions that buyers should review before purchase. These are scenario-based selections, not an absolute ranking.

Independent proxy comparison website. Facts checked July 31, 2026. This page may contain affiliate links.

Quick picks by verifiable buying condition

Buying need Provider Publicly documented condition Check before paying
Low cash entry DataImpulse $5 introductory purchase for 5 GB Advanced targeting may affect cost; confirm refund eligibility
One-gigabyte paid start MarsProxies 1 GB minimum at $4.99; $1.65/GB requires 10,000 GB Residential traffic is described as non-refundable
One-gigabyte paid start Thordata 1 GB for $2 The lowest $0.65/GB tier requires 5,000 GB
Non-expiring PAYG traffic IPRoyal 1 GB subscription at $7; 1 GB PAYG at $7.35; purchased traffic does not expire Volume floor of $1.75/GB is not the entry price
Small free test IPCook 100 MB free, no stated time limit Official pricing pages show conflicting promotional values
Free residential data test Proxying 2 GB free, no credit card; purchased data does not expire Minimum paid checkout and refund terms were not publicly verified
Structured paid trial NodeMaven 750 MB for $3.50 Performance figures are provider-stated; universal refund not confirmed
PAYG with advanced controls Bright Data $8/GB list PAYG; $4/GB promotion visible when checked KYC applies; promotion is not the permanent list price
Enterprise/self-service option Oxylabs Public plan shown from $99/month for 11 GB Review restricted targets and refund conditions

Prices and terms above were checked on July 30, 2026. Promotions, checkout minimums and eligibility rules can change.

Comparison table

Provider Lowest public entry used in this guide Billing Trial or test Refund signal Traffic or renewal Important limitation
DataImpulse $5 for 5 GB introductory purchase PAYG Paid introductory purchase 7-day policy advertised; eligibility needs confirmation Traffic does not expire Some targeting can affect cost
MarsProxies $4.99 for 1 GB; $1.65/GB is the 10,000 GB volume floor Bandwidth/PAYG No free trial Residential traffic described as non-refundable Confirm validity at checkout Paid 1 GB needed to test
Thordata $2 for 1 GB Traffic package Free-trial language present; allowance not confirmed Requests within 7 days, with exclusions Confirm plan validity $0.65/GB requires 5,000 GB
IPRoyal $7 subscription or $7.35 PAYG for 1 GB Subscription or PAYG No standard free trial Data-plan request within 72 hours if new traffic was not used, subject to terms Purchased traffic does not expire $1.75/GB is a volume floor
IPCook $3.20 for 1 GB basic plan Traffic package 100 MB free Not publicly verified Sticky sessions advertised up to 24 hours on shown plans Official pages contain price conflicts
Proxying Free 2 GB test; paid minimum not verified Per GB Free 2 GB, no card Not publicly verified Purchased data does not expire Paid checkout minimum not verified
NodeMaven $3.50 for 750 MB trial Per GB; ISP priced per IP Paid trial No universal refund confirmed Rotating traffic rollover; ISP may auto-renew Sticky-session claims differ by product/page
Bright Data $8/GB PAYG list; $4/GB promotion when checked PAYG or monthly Free-trial offer subject to account approval Subscription fees described as non-refundable Commitment depends on plan KYC; promotional price is temporary
Oxylabs $99/month for 11 GB on the checked product page Subscription Trial may require eligibility or contact Self-service requests have short time and usage limits Monthly plan Restricted-target list applies
Decodo Advertised from $2/GB; entry depends on plan PAYG or monthly 3-day, 100 MB free trial 14-day policy for eligible first purchases; exclusions apply Depends on selected plan Volume/promotional rate is not necessarily small-plan price
Rayobyte $3.50/GB for 1–49 GB on the checked product page PAYG or subscription Free-trial offer; exact public allowance not fixed Residential refund not guaranteed PAYG unused bandwidth advertised as non-expiring Official pages show conflicting lower prices
Webshare $7 list for 1 GB/month; $3.50 promotion when checked Monthly subscription No rotating-residential free trial Request within 2 days and low-usage limits Auto-renewing monthly plan Free 10-proxy plan is not rotating residential
Infatica $4/GB PAYG; $4 for a 1 GB seven-day paid trial PAYG or packages Paid trial Residential condition not publicly confirmed Confirm expiry for selected plan Unexplained “from $0.3/GB” conflicts with visible table
Proxy-Cheap Rotating residential starts at 3 GB; $1.50/GB promotion shown Monthly/PAYG options advertised Static-residential paid trial only Not publicly verified for rotating product Confirm renewal and expiry Do not transfer static-product terms to rotating traffic

The main table intentionally does not force every checked provider into a numbered ranking. Proxidize and RapidProxy need additional verification of current checkout minimums or product positioning before they can receive a quick-pick category. NetNut and ProxyJet remain documented separately as current-status references and are not treated as active buying options.

How to read residential proxy prices

The lowest number on a pricing page is often not the amount a new buyer can actually pay.

  • Entry cost is the smallest public purchase available now.
  • Price per GB is the traffic unit, but it may apply only at a particular volume.
  • Volume floor is the lowest advertised unit price at a large commitment. It is not the entry price.
  • Monthly commitment renews according to the plan unless cancelled under the provider’s rules.
  • PAYG means traffic is purchased by usage, but it does not automatically mean that traffic never expires.
  • Promotion is separated from the ordinary list price.
  • Static residential or ISP pricing is normally per IP and should not be compared directly with rotating residential traffic priced per GB.

Provider notes

DataImpulse

DataImpulse publicly presents residential traffic at $1/GB and an introductory $5 purchase for 5 GB. It describes the service as PAYG with no subscription and states that traffic does not expire. The provider also advertises a seven-day refund policy, but the complete eligibility limits should be checked before relying on it.

Consider it when: a low initial cash outlay and non-expiring PAYG traffic matter.
Check first: the cost of advanced targeting and the exact refund conditions.

Official sources: Residential proxies, DataImpulse, Trial explanation.

Visit DataImpulseRead DataImpulse review

MarsProxies

MarsProxies advertises residential traffic from $1.65/GB and allows a one-gigabyte minimum purchase. Its official guide says residential traffic is not refundable. This makes the product easy to test with a small paid purchase, but not risk-free.

Consider it when: you want a one-gigabyte paid start.
Check first: current traffic validity and the exact checkout price.

Official sources: Pricing, Residential proxies, Residential proxy guide.

Visit MarsProxiesRead MarsProxies review

Thordata

Thordata lists a one-gigabyte residential plan for $2. Its lowest advertised $0.65/GB price requires 5,000 GB and a much larger total payment, so it is not used as the entry price here. The site advertises a trial, while the exact traffic allowance was not fixed in the evidence snapshot. Its refund policy describes requests within seven days and lists non-refundable situations.

Consider it when: a low one-gigabyte paid entry is the priority.
Check first: trial allowance, plan validity and refund exclusions.

Official sources: Pricing, Product, Refund policy.

Visit ThordataRead Thordata review

IPRoyal

IPRoyal’s checked public table separated a 1 GB subscription purchase at $7/GB from a 1 GB PAYG purchase at $7.35/GB. The provider states that purchased residential traffic does not expire. Its advertised $1.75/GB floor applies at larger volume and should not be read as the first-purchase price. Standard residential free trials are not generally offered; a business trial may be available after company verification.

Consider it when: non-expiring traffic matters more than the lowest initial unit price.
Check first: refund eligibility and the volume required for lower per-GB rates.

Official sources: Residential proxies, Quick-start guide, Refund policy.

Visit IPRoyalRead IPRoyal review

IPCook

IPCook’s checked residential pricing showed a Basic plan at $3.20 for 1 GB and an Advanced plan at $2.40/GB for 25 GB. It also advertised 100 MB free with no time limit. Other official pages displayed lower promotional or “from” prices, so this guide uses the concrete plan rather than selecting the lowest conflicting claim.

Consider it when: a small free data test is useful.
Check first: the live checkout price and refund terms.

Official sources: Residential product, Residential pricing.

Visit IPCookRead IPCook review

Proxying

Proxying advertised 2 GB of free residential data without a credit card and stated that purchased data never expires. Its public per-GB claim started at $1.50 and fell to $1.25 in bulk. The minimum paid checkout and refund policy were not publicly verified in the evidence snapshot.

Consider it when: you want a free residential-data test before paying.
Check first: minimum purchase, refund rules and the price for your actual volume.

Official source: Proxying.

Visit ProxyingRead Proxying review

NodeMaven

NodeMaven combines residential and mobile traffic in one rotating plan and also offers static ISP proxies. At the time of checking, it advertised a 750 MB paid trial for $3.50, residential/mobile traffic from $2.20/GB and traffic rollover. A universal refund was not found. Its separate quality guarantee is a limited traffic-compensation mechanism, not a general money-back promise.

Consider it when: a structured paid trial or traffic rollover is important.
Check first: the selected plan’s session limit, rollover terms and renewal settings.

Official sources: Pricing, Residential proxies, Quality guarantee.

Visit NodeMavenRead NodeMaven review

Bright Data

Bright Data displayed a PAYG list price of $8/GB and a $4/GB promotion when checked. It also displayed monthly commitments with lower promotional unit prices. The provider requires KYC. Its license describes subscription fees as non-cancelable and non-refundable. Provider-stated network and uptime figures are not independent ProxyBuyerGuide measurements.

Consider it when: PAYG access, targeting controls and a broad product range are more important than the lowest entry price.
Check first: KYC, promotion expiry, commitment and destination rules.

Official sources: Residential proxies, License, Billing documentation.

Visit Bright DataRead Bright Data review

Oxylabs

The checked Oxylabs residential page showed a self-service plan from $99/month for 11 GB. Trial access may depend on the account or require contact. The provider documents refund limits for eligible self-service purchases and publishes a restricted-target list.

Consider it when: self-service access plus an enterprise path is useful.
Check first: destination restrictions, trial eligibility and the refund usage threshold.

Official sources: Residential pricing, Residential product.

Visit OxylabsRead Oxylabs review

Decodo

Decodo advertised residential traffic from $2/GB, but the rate depends on volume, plan and promotion. Its official materials described a three-day 100 MB trial and a 14-day money-back policy for eligible first purchases, with exclusions including purchases following a free trial.

Consider it when: you want a self-service provider with both trial and eligible first-purchase refund routes.
Check first: the actual entry plan, promotion, and refund eligibility.

Official sources: Residential product, Pricing, Refund FAQ.

Visit DecodoRead Decodo review

Rayobyte

Rayobyte’s checked residential product page showed $3.50/GB for 1–49 GB. Other official pages simultaneously promoted lower values under different offers or volumes. The guide therefore uses the visible tier and records the conflict instead of selecting the lowest number. A general residential refund guarantee was not confirmed.

Consider it when: its current PAYG or subscription configuration matches your required volume.
Check first: live checkout price, plan type, trial allowance and refund terms.

Official sources: Residential proxies, Buy proxies, Cancellation and refunds.

Visit RayobyteRead Rayobyte review

Webshare

Webshare’s checked rotating-residential offer showed 1 GB at a $7 list price with a $3.50 promotion. It is a monthly auto-renewing product. The free 10-proxy plan marketed elsewhere by Webshare is not a rotating-residential trial and is not treated as one here.

Consider it when: you prefer a self-service monthly plan.
Check first: the non-promotional renewal price, cancellation timing and refund usage limits.

Official sources: Residential proxies, Static residential proxies.

Visit WebshareRead Webshare review

Infatica

Infatica’s visible residential table showed $4/GB PAYG and a $4, 1 GB, seven-day paid trial. A separate “from $0.3/GB” claim was not reconciled with the visible residential table, so it is not used as the buying price. A clear residential refund condition was not confirmed.

Consider it when: a one-gigabyte paid trial is preferable to a larger commitment.
Check first: plan expiry, refund eligibility and the live table price.

Official sources: Residential proxies, Pricing, Documentation, Refunds.

Visit InfaticaRead Infatica review

Proxy-Cheap

Proxy-Cheap’s checked rotating-residential offer started at 3 GB and displayed a promotional $1.50/GB price against $2.99. A separate $1.99 seven-day trial belongs to its static-residential product and must not be presented as a rotating-residential trial.

Consider it when: its rotating three-gigabyte entry and current renewal terms fit your use.
Check first: ordinary price, renewal, traffic expiry and rotating-product refund terms.

Official sources: Rotating residential, Static residential.

Visit Proxy-CheapRead Proxy-Cheap review

Other providers checked

  • NetNut — current status warning: on July 31, 2026, the official domain and pricing path displayed an FBI seizure notice. Google Threat Intelligence reported a coordinated disruption of the NetNut/Popa network on July 2, 2026. ProxyBuyerGuide removed the purchase button and does not treat historical prices as a current offer.

    Read NetNut current status

  • Proxidize: the checked managed residential table starts with 25 GB for $25 ($1/GB), includes unused-bandwidth rollover and displays lower unit rates only at multi-terabyte volume. The public page also describes a conditional 30-day money-back guarantee.

    Visit ProxidizeRead Proxidize review

  • RapidProxy: the provider advertises 500 MB of free non-expiring traffic and non-expiring paid rotating traffic, but the checked page simultaneously displays $0.55/GB and $0.65/GB labels without a complete public small-order ladder. Verify the live dashboard total and refund terms before payment.

    Visit RapidProxyRead RapidProxy review

  • ProxyJet — current status warning: on July 31, 2026, the official domain displayed an FBI seizure page. ProxyBuyerGuide removed the purchase button and does not present historical products, pricing or renewal information as a current offer.

    Read ProxyJet current status

How we selected and compared providers

Providers were checked for a live residential product, public pricing or an explicit sales-only path, minimum public purchase, trial or test, refund terms, traffic validity or renewal, and material limitations. Missing public information is marked as unverified rather than inferred from third-party reviews.

ProxyBuyerGuide did not run a uniform live benchmark across all providers for this update. We therefore do not rank providers by speed, clean-IP rate, success rate, pool size or block rate. If ProxyBuyerGuide later publishes a benchmark, the dataset, date, test method, sample and limitations should be available separately.

Read the full ProxyBuyerGuide methodology.

Before you buy

  1. Open the provider’s live pricing and checkout.
  2. Confirm the minimum total payment, not only the lowest advertised unit price.
  3. Confirm whether the plan renews automatically.
  4. Check whether unused traffic expires or rolls over.
  5. Read the trial and refund eligibility rules for the exact product.
  6. Confirm destination, geography, protocol and session restrictions.
  7. Use proxies only in ways that comply with applicable law, the destination’s terms and the provider’s acceptable-use rules.

Editorial and affiliate disclosure

ProxyBuyerGuide is an independent comparison website. It does not sell proxies, accept payment for proxy plans or provide access to proxy networks. Some links may be affiliate links, which can generate a commission at no additional cost to the buyer. Affiliate relationships do not change the factual fields used in this comparison.

Facts last checked: July 31, 2026.

Consolidated comparison

Provider review routes from the former residential comparison page

This compact map is preserved here so the old comparison URL can redirect without losing its distinct review and product-type routes.

Residential provider review matrix

ProviderProxy types to verifyBest-fit comparison anglePricing signal to checkReview
DecodoResidential, static ISP, mobile, datacenterMulti-type provider comparison and Smartproxy rebrand contextTraffic packages, residential entry plan and add-on typesRead review
Bright DataResidential, ISP, datacenter, mobile, web data productsEnterprise-scale targeting and data workflowsResidential traffic pricing, minimum spend and managed optionsRead review
OxylabsResidential, datacenter, mobile, ISP and scraper APIsPremium proxy infrastructure and scraping workflowsResidential traffic pricing, scraper API alternatives and plan levelRead review
IPRoyalResidential, datacenter, ISP, mobileBroad provider comparison with budget-sensitive optionsResidential traffic price, pay-as-you-go options and sticky sessionsRead review
RayobyteDatacenter, residential, ISPResidential and ISP-style alternatives with datacenter contextResidential availability, ISP pricing and datacenter fallback plansRead review
DataImpulseResidential, datacenter, mobileTraffic-based budget comparisonLow-entry residential traffic pricing and rollover rulesRead review
IPCookResidential, ISP, datacenterBudget-oriented residential testing and small-plan checksSmall residential tests, ISP availability and plan clarityRead review
NetNutHistorical residential, ISP, datacenter and mobile product scopeCurrent-status and historical comparison reference onlyDo not use historical pricing as a live offerView current status
Our Research

Residential Proxy Purchase Transparency Study

See what buyers could verify before purchase across 22 providers and 264 decision-relevant claims.

Read the research