Proxy and web data providers · November 2026 Edition
Smartproxy vs Proxy-Cheap
Three of fourteen models named Smartproxy first on the direct prompt; zero named Proxy-Cheap. Smartproxy was named by twelve of the fourteen models and Proxy-Cheap by nine and Smartproxy carries 20 labels and Proxy-Cheap 12, so the shares are not directly comparable.
Named in one category this edition.
Named in one category this edition.
First-choice share8%2%Of first choices across the direct, paraphrase, budget and scale prompts, 0 to 100.
Negative rate0%33%Negative labels as a share of the product's labels, 0 to 100.
Rank in category#3#8A position in a field of 13; printed, not drawn.
Labels2012A count; the two differ.
The two percentage rows are drawn on one 0 to 100 track, Smartproxy reading right to left. Rank and label count are printed, not drawn.Decodo was named alongside these two in eleven of the fourteen direct answers. Decodo vs Smartproxy · Decodo vs Proxy-Cheap · Webshare vs Smartproxy
Share is the count of first choices across the direct, paraphrase, budget and scale prompts over all fourteen models, for a mid-market B2B company; rank is within the category; every quote names the model and the prompt it came from. Both figures come from the proxy and web data providers page.
By framing
How many of the fourteen models made each the first choice, per way of asking, and how many argued against it.
SmartproxyFirst choices, of fourteen modelsProxy-Cheap
Direct30
Paraphrase10
Comparative00
Budget-constrained01
Scale-constrained00
Negative004 against Proxy-Cheap
Bars are first choices, 0 to 14 each sideModels that argued againstA model can name both, so the two sides of a row do not sum to fourteen.
Every model, every framing
The eighty-four answers behind the chart above, one cell each: where Smartproxy and Proxy-Cheap stood in it.
| Model | Direct | Paraphrase | Comparative | Budget-constrained | Scale-constrained | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Haiku 4.5 | ||||||
| GPT-5.4 mini | | | ||||
| Gemini 3.5 Flash | | | | |||
| Perplexity Sonar | ||||||
| Grok 4.20 | | | ||||
| Mistral Small | | |||||
| DeepSeek V4 Flash | | | | |||
| Llama 4 Maverick | | | ||||
| Qwen 3.7 Flash | | | | |||
| Kimi K2 | | | | |||
| GLM 4.7 FlashX | | | ||||
| MiniMax M2.5 | | | | |||
| GPT-6 Luna | ||||||
| Muse Glimmer 30B | | |
Smartproxy Proxy-Cheap first choice named as an alternative argued againstblank: not namedEach cell is one answer, Smartproxy on the left and Proxy-Cheap on the right.The direct prompt
The plain question, one answer per model, grouped by where Smartproxy and Proxy-Cheap stood in it.
Smartproxy first, Proxy-Cheap not the choice
3 of 14 modelsProxy-Cheap was named in the answer but not as the choice, or not at all.Gemini 3.5 FlashSmartproxy alternatives: Bright Data, IPRoyal, NetNut, Oxylabs
Qwen 3.7 FlashSmartproxy alternatives: Bright Data, Oxylabs, Webshare
Kimi K2Decodo, Smartproxy alternatives: DataImpulse, SOAX
Neither was the first choice, one was named
4 of 14 modelsThe answer put something else first and named one of the two as an alternative.GPT-5.4 miniBright Data, Oxylabs alternatives: NetNut, Smartproxy, Zyte API
Llama 4 MaverickDecodo alternatives: Oxylabs, Smartproxy, Webshare
MiniMax M2.5Decodo alternatives: Oxylabs, Proxidize, Smartproxy, Webshare
Muse Glimmer 30BDecodo alternatives: Bright Data, Oxylabs, Proxidize, Smartproxy
Neither was named
7 of 14 modelsThe answer made no first choice from these two in this category.Claude Haiku 4.5Decodo alternatives: NetNut, Oxylabs
Perplexity SonarDecodo alternatives: Oxylabs, SOAX
Grok 4.20Decodo alternatives: DataImpulse, IPRoyal, Proxidize, SOAX
Mistral SmallDecodo alternatives: DataImpulse, Proxidize, Proxyrack, Rayobyte
DeepSeek V4 FlashDecodo alternatives: IPRoyal, Infatica, Oxylabs, Proxidize, SOAX
GLM 4.7 FlashXDataImpulse, Decodo alternatives: IPRoyal, SOAX
GPT-6 LunaDecodo alternatives: Bright Data, Oxylabs
Bold names in an answer are the products the judge labeled a first choice; a model naming several gives each of them that label. The full answer text for every row is in the record.
By buyer segment
The same question asked on behalf of a different buyer. Each standing is computed within its segment and they are never added together. The figures above are the mid-market standing, which is the one the category orders by.
Small business
Smartproxy leads by four points.
Smartproxy8%#5 of 8Proxy-Cheap4%#7 of 8Mid-marketThe figures above
Smartproxy leads by six points.
Smartproxy8%#3 of 13Proxy-Cheap2%#8 of 13Enterprise
The order flips: Proxy-Cheap leads at enterprise.
Proxy-Cheap2%#– of 7Smartproxy0%#5 of 7What the models said about Smartproxy
Every negative label with a quote, up to three, then the highest-weighted positives, up to three. Three of four in this category shown.
“### 1. The Balanced Choice: Smartproxy ... Choose Smartproxy if you want to get started quickly, need easy pricing, and require a friendly account manager.” Qwen 3.7 Flash · paraphrase prompt · first choice
“Smartproxy — Best Overall Balance of Price, Performance & Support ... frequently the top choice for mid-market B2B companies” Gemini 3.5 Flash · direct prompt · first choice
“Recommendation: Start with a trial of Smartproxy. It offers the lowest friction to entry for a mid-market team” Qwen 3.7 Flash · direct prompt · first choice
What the models said about Proxy-Cheap
Every negative label with a quote, up to three, then the highest-weighted positives, up to three. Six of eight in this category shown.
“avoid or be extra cautious with any proxy/web data provider that shows repeated patterns of complaints... include Proxy-Cheap, IPFoxy, B2Proxy, and Proxiware” GPT-5.4 mini · negative prompt · hard negative
“Why Avoid: Their proxies are often identified as low-quality or previously compromised by target websites” Qwen 3.7 Flash · negative prompt · hard negative
“Has a high negative rate (57%) and is flagged for issues such as fake reviews and transparency problems.” Mistral Small · negative prompt · hard negative
“Proxy-Cheap is called out as the overall best choice for its balance of price, performance and flexibility.” Muse Glimmer 30B · budget prompt · first choice
“Proxy-Cheap — massive IP pool with flexible pay-as-you-go pricing.” DeepSeek V4 Flash · budget prompt · alternative
“Proxy‑Cheap – “Ultra‑low per‑IP cost, no setup fee”” GLM 4.7 FlashX · budget prompt · alternative
Also compared
Decodo vs SmartproxyDecodo vs Proxy-CheapWebshare vs SmartproxyWebshare vs Proxy-CheapSmartproxy vs DataImpulseSmartproxy vs OxylabsSmartproxy vs Bright DataSmartproxy vs IPRoyalDataImpulse vs Proxy-CheapOxylabs vs Proxy-CheapBright Data vs Proxy-CheapIPRoyal vs Proxy-CheapAll twenty-eight head-to-head pages and the full proxy and web data standing
Comparisons are drawn for the top eight products in each category, each against each. The output is the models' output; nothing here is a recommendation by the index.