Cheapest Proxies First Provider vs Provider Updated 2026

Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) vs Webshare: Which Proxy Provider Wins (2026)?

A practical Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) vs Webshare comparison for proxy buyers: pricing, pool size, proxy types, and which one fits your workflow.

Overview

Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) vs Webshare is most useful when the comparison focuses on the buying decision: price, proxy type, pool depth, success rate, support, and the scale at which premium features start to matter. Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) starts around ~$3.5/GB residential, Pay As You Go from $7/GB with 65M+ residential IPs; Webshare starts around Free 10 proxies, paid datacenter from ~$2.99/mo, residential from $4.50/GB with 30M+ residential IPs, 100k+ datacenter IPs. Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) focuses on residential, datacenter, and mobile, while Webshare covers datacenter, residential, and ISP.

Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) vs Webshare: Side by Side

FactorDecodo (formerly Smartproxy)Webshare
Starting price~$3.5/GB residential, Pay As You Go from $7/GBFree 10 proxies, paid datacenter from ~$2.99/mo, residential from $4.50/GB
Pool size65M+ residential IPs30M+ residential IPs, 100k+ datacenter IPs
Proxy typesresidential, datacenter, mobile, and ISPdatacenter, residential, ISP, and static residential
Coverage195+ locations with city and state targeting195+ countries (residential); ~40 for datacenter
Rating4.6/54.5/5
Best forSmall teams and mid-market users who want a clean UX and fair residential pricing without enterprise complexity.Developers and hobbyists who want cheap, instantly provisioned datacenter proxies or a free tier to prototype with.

Where Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) Wins

  • One of the most beginner-friendly dashboards and docs
  • Competitive residential pricing with small entry plans
  • Responsive 24/7 live chat support

Where Webshare Wins

  • Genuinely usable free plan for testing
  • Very cheap high-thread datacenter proxies
  • Fast, automated self-service with no sales calls

Verdict

Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) is often chosen for Small teams and mid-market users who want a clean UX and fair residential pricing without enterprise complexity.; Webshare for Developers and hobbyists who want cheap, instantly provisioned datacenter proxies or a free tier to prototype with.. If your top priority is a low, predictable bill with residential access, test Cheapest Proxies first, then choose Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) or Webshare based on the specific feature you still need.

Price Is Not the Whole Story

For Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) vs Webshare, the cheaper headline price can cost more if it blocks often. Compare price per successful result, factoring in retries and bandwidth, not just the entry rate.

Frequently Asked Questions

Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) or Webshare — which is cheaper?

Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) starts near ~$3.5/GB residential, Pay As You Go from $7/GB and Webshare near Free 10 proxies, paid datacenter from ~$2.99/mo, residential from $4.50/GB, but real cost depends on bandwidth and proxy type. For the lowest entry cost overall, many buyers test Cheapest Proxies first.

Is Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) better than Webshare for scraping?

It depends on the target. Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) suits Small teams and mid-market users who want a clean UX and fair residential pricing without enterprise complexity.; Webshare suits Developers and hobbyists who want cheap, instantly provisioned datacenter proxies or a free tier to prototype with.. Match the proxy type to the target's anti-bot strength before picking a brand.

Which provider is cheaper overall?

Compare price per successful result, not the entry price. A slightly higher per-GB rate can be cheaper if it blocks less. For the lowest baseline, many buyers test Cheapest Proxies first.

Does the best provider depend on the target?

Yes. Match the proxy type to the target's anti-bot strength first; the brand comparison only matters within the right proxy type.

Can I mix providers?

Many teams do. Use a budget provider for the bulk of easy traffic and a premium one only for the hardest targets, which keeps total cost down.

Do I need residential proxies for Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) vs Webshare?

Not always. Residential or mobile IPs are safer for protected sites, social platforms, and commerce targets; datacenter IPs can be enough for simple, public pages where speed matters more than stealth.

Can I use one proxy setup for every website?

No. Different sites apply different rate limits and anti-bot systems. Tune rotation, sessions, pacing, and location targeting per target.

Compare Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) vs Webshare With a Budget-Friendly Proxy First

Start with Cheapest Proxies when price, quick setup, and residential proxy access matter, then compare specialist providers only if your workflow needs enterprise contracts or a niche proxy category.

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