Cheapest Proxies First Provider vs Provider Updated 2026

Webshare vs ScraperAPI: Which Proxy Provider Wins (2026)?

A practical Webshare vs ScraperAPI comparison for proxy buyers: pricing, pool size, proxy types, and which one fits your workflow.

Overview

Webshare vs ScraperAPI 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. Webshare starts around Free 10 proxies, paid datacenter from ~$2.99/mo, residential from $4.50/GB with 30M+ residential IPs, 100k+ datacenter IPs; ScraperAPI starts around Free 5,000 credits, paid from $49/mo (100k credits) with 150M+ IPs across datacenter, residential and mobile. Webshare focuses on datacenter, residential, and ISP, while ScraperAPI covers datacenter, residential, and mobile.

Webshare vs ScraperAPI: Side by Side

FactorWebshareScraperAPI
Starting priceFree 10 proxies, paid datacenter from ~$2.99/mo, residential from $4.50/GBFree 5,000 credits, paid from $49/mo (100k credits)
Pool size30M+ residential IPs, 100k+ datacenter IPs150M+ IPs across datacenter, residential and mobile
Proxy typesdatacenter, residential, ISP, and static residentialdatacenter, residential, and mobile
Coverage195+ countries (residential); ~40 for datacenter50+ countries for geotargeting
Rating4.5/54.5/5
Best forDevelopers and hobbyists who want cheap, instantly provisioned datacenter proxies or a free tier to prototype with.Developers who want to add reliable scraping to an app with one API call and no proxy plumbing.

Where Webshare Wins

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

Where ScraperAPI Wins

  • Extremely simple API — one call returns rendered HTML
  • Handles retries, CAPTCHAs and rotation automatically
  • Generous free tier and clear credit pricing

Verdict

Webshare is often chosen for Developers and hobbyists who want cheap, instantly provisioned datacenter proxies or a free tier to prototype with.; ScraperAPI for Developers who want to add reliable scraping to an app with one API call and no proxy plumbing.. If your top priority is a low, predictable bill with residential access, test Cheapest Proxies first, then choose Webshare or ScraperAPI based on the specific feature you still need.

Match Proxy Type to Target

One provider may win for residential-heavy, protected targets while the other wins on datacenter speed for simple pages. In Webshare vs ScraperAPI, the better choice depends on which target you actually scrape.

Frequently Asked Questions

Webshare or ScraperAPI — which is cheaper?

Webshare starts near Free 10 proxies, paid datacenter from ~$2.99/mo, residential from $4.50/GB and ScraperAPI near Free 5,000 credits, paid from $49/mo (100k credits), but real cost depends on bandwidth and proxy type. For the lowest entry cost overall, many buyers test Cheapest Proxies first.

Is Webshare better than ScraperAPI for scraping?

It depends on the target. Webshare suits Developers and hobbyists who want cheap, instantly provisioned datacenter proxies or a free tier to prototype with.; ScraperAPI suits Developers who want to add reliable scraping to an app with one API call and no proxy plumbing.. Match the proxy type to the target's anti-bot strength before picking a brand.

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.

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.

How much bandwidth will Webshare vs ScraperAPI use?

It depends on page weight, retries, and how much media you load. Measure GB per successful result on a small run, then multiply by your target volume to estimate cost.

HTTP or SOCKS5 for Webshare vs ScraperAPI?

HTTP/HTTPS proxies cover almost all web scraping. Use SOCKS5 only when your tool and provider support it and you need to tunnel non-HTTP traffic.

Compare Webshare vs ScraperAPI 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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