Shifter Alternatives [2026]: How to Choose the Best Provider for Your Needs

All tests ran on live projects. Not in a sandbox, but on real tasks with real money at stake.

• First thing we checked was the IP addresses themselves. Ran them through fraud score checking services, looked at how stable the connection holds, counted how many times we caught bans on Facebook, Google and TikTok. A separate story is where these IPs even come from and what their reputation is in protection systems. Because buying proxies from a botnet and from real home devices are two very different things.
  
• Next we dug into the technical side. Checked the API for how convenient it is to hook up to your scripts. Measured server response speed at different times of day. Tested whether you can actually pick a specific city or provider, or if it's just words. Looked at how services work with antidetect browsers like AdsPower or Dolphin.
  
• Money is a separate story. Calculated the real cost together with all hidden fees they love to slip in fine print. Checked refund policy. Some don't refund at all, even if you didn't spend a single byte. Analyzed trial period conditions and how much minimum you need to put in to start.‍
• Support was tested in combat mode. Wrote with real problems at different times, clocked how long to wait for an answer. Checked whether specialists even understand what you're talking about, or just answer with templates.

1. GonzoProxy

Overview

GonzoProxy built a P2P network of more than 20 million devices from regular people around the world. Not servers in data centers, but actual home computers and phones. The company has been operating for three years, registered in the UK. The main feature is that traffic never expires. You buy gigabytes and they sit in your balance for a year if you want.

Proxy Types

Two options available: 

• Residential proxies work through home devices of people who installed the app themselves and agreed to share internet for compensation. Session can hold up to a week, then the system picks a similar IP if the device disconnected.
  
• Second option is mobile proxies through mobile carriers. Here you get 3G, 4G and 5G networks, unlimited traffic for a fixed monthly amount. Though only Ukraine and Poland are available for now, but they promise to expand.
  

Key Features

1. Let's start with the fact that traffic really doesn't expire. This isn't marketing BS. Purchased gigabytes stay in your account with no expiration date. You can buy 100 gigs today and spend them in six months, nobody will take them away.
   
2. Next is an interesting thing with proxy quantity. You can generate a thousand unique proxies completely free. Payment only goes for traffic you actually spent. The 1 proxy = 1 account scheme works perfectly.
   
3. Geography covers over 150 countries and 2000 cities. Plus you can choose not just a country, but a specific provider like Comcast or Vodafone. They don't charge extra for this, though competitors have it as a paid option.
   
4. Blocks pass in 90% of cases. Not a random number. IPs look like regular home users, fraud score is low. Facebook and Google don't flag these addresses as suspicious.
   
5. Registration is elementary. Click "Sign in with Google" and that's it, access opens in 30 seconds. No documents, passports, selfies with passport. None of that. They don't require KYC at all.
   
6. Support works in Telegram 24/7. Usually answer in about 5 minutes, and actual people not bots with canned responses. Infrastructure is ISO/IEC 27001:2017 certified, they maintain 99.6% uptime.
   

Pros and Cons

Pros are obvious. Eternal traffic, real home IPs, instant start, live support, you only pay for usage.

For cons, can note that mobile proxies in the pool are fewer than some competitors. Plus unlimited mobile is only in two countries for now, though they promise to add more.

Ideal Use Cases

Works great for arbitrage when you're running a bunch of ad accounts. Parsing protected sites works without problems, blocks are rare. Automation of routine processes runs stable.

Multi-accounting on social media goes clean. Each account from its unique IP, no connection visible. Geo-blocks bypass easily, you can work with platforms from any country.

Pricing and Trial Period

Residential start from $2 per gigabyte if you buy wholesale from 5000 gigs. Retail packages go for $6.5 per gig. Bunch of tiers in between. The more you buy, the cheaper it gets.

Unlimited mobile costs $45 per month. Can take for a week for less if you need to test.

2. Bright Data

Overview

Bright Data is a market giant with the biggest IP network. Used to be called Luminati, then they did a rebrand. Work mainly with corporations, prices and terms match.

Proxy Types

They have literally everything. Residential, datacenter, mobile, ISP. Pool of over 72 million addresses spread across all countries. Biggest network on the market, that's a fact.

Key Features

Targeting is done powerfully. You can choose not just country and city, but specific carrier, time of day for IP, device type. They even have their own browser to simplify work.

Developed API, integration with external systems works well. For big companies there are personal managers and custom solutions.

Pros and Cons

One big plus. Huge IP pool and rock-solid infrastructure. This really works reliably.

Three fat minuses. First. Price is astronomical, entry ticket from $500. Second. Interface is overloaded, a newbie will drown in it. Third. Mandatory KYC verification, and picky.

Ideal Use Cases

This is for large companies with budgets. Industrial data parsing, corporate analytics, big projects where price isn't the main factor.

Pricing and Trial Period

Minimum payment $500, but to really work normally you start from a couple thousand dollars. Trial is given with heavily cut traffic, can't really test properly.

3. Webshare

Overview

Webshare plays on simplicity and accessibility. Good option if it's your first time dealing with proxies and don't want to figure out complex settings.

Proxy Types

Residential and datacenter proxies available. Focus on static IPs for long sessions when you need stability.

Key Features

Interface is maximally simplified. You go in, choose what you need, copy data and it works. No complex settings and parameters.

IP rotation configures basically, no frills. There are ready integrations with popular tools like Selenium or Puppeteer.

Pros and Cons

Plus low entry barrier and clear prices without hidden pitfalls. Minus functionality is cut, might not be enough for serious tasks. Plus IP pool is smaller than top providers.

Ideal Use Cases

Fits for light parsing like monitoring prices on a dozen sites. Simple automation without complex requirements. Learning and experiments.

Pricing and Trial Period

Starting packages from $2.99 per month. There's a free plan with request quantity limit, can poke around before buying.

4. Proxy-Seller

Overview

Proxy-Seller is ours, work mainly in the CIS market. Offer standard proxy set for different tasks.

Proxy Types

IPv4, IPv6, mobile, residential. Choose whatever you want. Rental available for any term from a day to a month.

Key Features

Whole site and support in Russian, which is important for many. Accept Qiwi, Russian bank cards and other local payment methods.

Can take proxies for a day if you need one-time use. Or for a month if task is long-term. Flexibility exists in this regard.

Pros and Cons

Pros are these. Prices don't bite, everything in Russian, payment methods are convenient. Cons exist too. IP quality can jump, sometimes you get already burned ones. Geography coverage is worse than international players.

Ideal Use Cases

Optimal for working in Russian market and CIS countries. If you need proxies for Avito, Yula, Yandex, then quite an option.

Pricing and Trial Period

From a dollar per IP per day depending on proxy type. Can take a few pieces to try.

5. StormProxies

Overview

StormProxies specialize specifically in rotating proxies. If you need constant IP change, that's their profile.

Proxy Types

The whole base is residential rotating proxies with automatic address change. That's exactly what they focus on.

Key Features

IPs rotate automatically every 3 or 15 minutes to choose. Convenient when you make lots of requests and need frequent changes. Some plans have unlimited traffic, you pay a fixed amount.

Pros and Cons

Plus fast rotation works clearly, speed is decent. Minus targeting by geography is weak, country selection is limited. Plus at small volumes price bites.

Ideal Use Cases

Created for high-frequency parsing when you need to make thousands of requests with constant IP change. Price monitoring, data collection from protected resources.

Pricing and Trial Period

Packages start from $50 per month. They test for a day to understand if it fits or not.

6. IPRoyal

Overview

IPRoyal bet on ethical IP collection. Position themselves as a transparent service where everything is honest.

Proxy Types

Residential, datacenter and mobile proxies in the arsenal. Standard set with different settings for tasks.

Key Features

Focus on collecting IPs ethically. Device owners agree themselves and get money. Not some botnet or shady scheme.

Traffic pricing, flexible system without binding to proxy quantity.

Pros and Cons

Plus transparency in work inspires trust, prices are adequate. Minus IP pool is smaller than top providers like Bright Data.

Ideal Use Cases

Fits for projects where provider reputation and work ethics matter. Or for white methods where you need cleanliness.

Pricing and Trial Period

Residential from $1.75 per gigabyte. Trial period given with limited traffic to test.

7. Nexus Proxy

Overview

Nexus Proxy occupy the middle segment between cheap and premium services. Balance of price and quality.

Proxy Types

Residential and ISP proxies for different needs. Nothing exotic.

Key Features

Standard functionality without frills. Basic targeting by countries and cities. API for automation works. Support through ticket system.

Pros and Cons

Plus average prices and stable work for typical tasks. Minus nothing unique, geography doesn't impress.

Ideal Use Cases

Universal solution for small and medium business without specific requirements. Will fit for standard tasks.

Pricing and Trial Period

From $3 per gigabyte. Trial period not provided.

8. Mango Proxy

Overview

Mango Proxy are sharpened specifically for Asian market. If you work with China, India or Pakistan, that's their territory.

Proxy Types

Residential proxies with focus on Asian countries. Their coverage there is strong.

Key Features

Asia is covered well. China, India, Pakistan, Vietnam, Thailand. Accept local payment methods which is convenient for the region.

Pros and Cons

Plus in Asia they're strong, prices for the region are normal. Minus Europe and America limp, not great for Western markets.

Ideal Use Cases

Ideal for those who work specifically with Asian platforms and services. Parsing Asian sites, working with local social networks.

Pricing and Trial Period

From $2.5 per gigabyte, price depends on specific country. China is usually more expensive.

9. ProxyRack

Overview

ProxyRack mix residential and datacenter solutions. There are options for different budgets from very cheap to decent.

Proxy Types

Rich assortment. Residential, datacenter, mobile, private. Choose what fits by price and quality.

Key Features

For some proxy types offer unlimited plans. API exists, automation configures.

Pros and Cons

Plus wide tariff selection and unlimited options for bulk tasks. Minus IP quality in cheap packages can be questionable.

Ideal Use Cases

Works for tasks with large traffic volumes when budget is limited. Parsing where request quantity matters more than IP quality.

Pricing and Trial Period

From $65 per month unlimited. Trial given for a day for a dollar.

10. Rayobyte

Overview

Rayobyte used to be called Blazing SEO. Specialize specifically in SEO and marketing tasks.

Proxy Types

Residential, ISP and datacenter proxies. Everything sharpened for working with search engines and SEO tools.

Key Features

Optimization for search engines and SEO services. Ready connectors with popular SEO platforms like Ahrefs or SEMrush.

Pros and Cons

Plus narrow SEO specialization means everything is sharpened for these tasks. Minus price above market, doesn't fit for other tasks.

Ideal Use Cases

Created for SEO specialists and agencies. Position checking, competitor analysis, SERP parsing.

Pricing and Trial Period

From $3 per gigabyte for residential proxies. Trial period not given.

The table clearly shows where each service is strong and where it fails. GonzoProxy wins on eternal traffic and instant start, while competitors make you wait for access for several days and require documents. Bright Data crushes with IP mass but price scares away. Others look for their niche between price and functionality.