11 Best Web Scraping Proxies for Developers & Data Teams in 2026

What is a Web Scraping Proxy?

A Web Scraping Proxy is a proxy server that sits between your scraping tool and the target website. Instead of your real IP address sending requests directly, every request is routed through the proxy, so the website only sees the proxy’s IP and not yours. This protects your identity and prevents your scraper from being flagged or blocked.

In a normal workflow, your request moves like this: scraper → proxy (or proxy pool) → website → response → back through the proxy → scraper. By using this middle layer, you can rotate many different IPs, avoid IP prohibitions, get around geo-based limitations, and handle large volumes of scraping activity without interruption. This makes a Web Scraping Proxy essential for any project that requires stable, scalable, and high-quality data collection.

Types of Proxies for Web Scraping

When you choose a proxy server for web scraping, the type of proxy you use is just as important as the provider itself. Each proxy category works best for different scraping needs and different levels of risk.

Residential Proxies
These come from real home internet connections supplied by ISPs. They offer high trust and low block rates, which makes them useful for tasks like retail price monitoring and ad verification. The tradeoff is that Residential Proxies usually cost more and can be slower than datacenter IPs.

Data Center Proxies
These proxies run on cloud or data center networks. They are fast and often cheaper, which makes them suitable for high-volume scraping where websites are not too strict. However, they are easier for websites to detect and block because many IPs come from similar ranges.

Rotating Proxies
Rotating proxies switch your exit IP automatically after each request or after a set time. This keeps your IPs fresh and prevents patterns that trigger rate limits or bans. This keeps your IPs fresh and prevents patterns that trigger rate limits or bans, especially when working with automated tools or even browser-based environments like nsbrowser.

Dedicated vs Shared Proxies
Dedicated proxies are used only by you, giving better control and consistent performance. Shared proxies are used by multiple users, so they cost less but may come with a previous abuse history or inconsistent performance.

Mobile Proxies
Mobile proxies route your traffic through 3G, 4G, or 5G networks. Websites treat this traffic as regular smartphone activity, making these proxies very effective for strict or highly protected targets. They are also the most expensive option and are typically used only when necessary.

Why Web Scraping Requires Proxies

Even small scraping projects quickly run into limits if you only use a single IP. At that time, Proxies act as protection and scaling tools.

Avoiding IP Bans
Target sites detect repeated requests from one IP and can block or shadow-ban you. Proxies distribute traffic across many IPs, so each one stays under the radar.

Avoiding CAPTCHA and Blocks
Anti-bot systems raise CAPTCHA or block ranges that show suspicious behavior. Proxies help by rotating IPs, mixing locations, and reducing request bursts from a single source. This is especially relevant for AI web scraping, where automated models generate higher request volumes and more consistent traffic patterns that are easier for detection systems to identify without proper IP rotation.

Maintaining Anonymity
For competitive research or high-value data, you don’t want your real infrastructure tied directly to every request. Proxies keep your identity separate from your scraping activity, especially when extracting datasets through tools like LinkedIn web scraper for business intelligence or lead generation.

Scaling Web Scraping Operations
When you scale from hundreds to millions of requests, you can’t just “add more threads.” You need IP diversity, region coverage, and a reliable web scraping proxy service to handle the load safely.

Top 11 Best Proxy Providers for Web Scraping

Choosing the right partner for your data needs is critical, especially when your scraping workflows rely on stability, speed, and IP diversity. In this section, we walk you through our top 11 best proxy providers for web scraping, highlighting what each one does well and how they can support developers and data teams in different use cases.

9Proxy

9Proxy is a premier residential proxy service known for an incredibly clean IP pool and a highly cost-effective, unlimited bandwidth model. We provide 100% genuine residential proxies, guaranteeing the highest success rate against modern anti-bot systems.

• Key Features: Over 9 million IPs in 90+ countries, unlimited bandwidth per IP, and support for SOCKS5/HTTP/HTTPS. Our pool is clean and not shared with other providers.
• Pros: True unlimited bandwidth allows for massive data extraction without unexpected data overage charges. The dedicated, clean IP pool minimizes blacklist risk.
• Cons: Since we focus on residential proxies, we may not be the cheapest option for low-security tasks.
• When to Use: When you need a high-quality, block-free solution for large-scale, data-intensive scraping projects that require massive bandwidth (e.g., collecting videos or high-resolution images).

Bright Data

Bright Data (formerly Luminati) offers a huge, globally diverse network. They are designed for enterprise-level data collection, providing highly specific geo-targeting and advanced tools.

• Key Features: Offers Residential, Data Center, ISP, and Mobile proxies; specialized tools like Web Unlocker and Proxy Manager.
• Pros: Massive IP pool (72M+), superior geo-targeting, and advanced anti-block technology that simplifies complex scraping.
• Cons: Very high-end pricing that can be prohibitive for small teams or individual developers.
• When to Use: When the budget is not a primary concern, and you need the absolute highest success rate and guaranteed access to highly protected, enterprise-level target sites.

Oxylabs

Oxylabs is another major player in the proxy space, known for its massive residential network and commitment to responsible data sourcing. They excel at offering specialized APIs to simplify complex scraping tasks.

• Key Features: Over 100 million residential IPs, an AI-powered Web Unblocker, and dedicated APIs for SERP (search results) and E-commerce scraping.
• Pros: Exceptional reliability and compliance, with specialized tools that reduce development time. Strong focus on enterprise-grade solutions.
• Cons: Similar to Bright Data, their premium services and high minimum data commitments can lead to significant costs.
• When to Use: For businesses that require robust, AI-powered solutions to extract public data reliably from major search engines or large e-commerce sites.

NetNut

NetNut is a strong provider known for its focus on speed and static residential proxies (ISP proxies). They route traffic through a network of ISP providers, giving high speeds while maintaining the anonymity of a residential IP.

• Key Features: Over 85 million residential and over 150,000 ISP proxies, with a high focus on speed and low latency.
• Pros: With a high-speed ISP backbone, they handle low-latency workloads very effectively and offer strong performance when passing over anti-bot systems.
• Cons: Their total IP pool may have less diversity compared to the largest providers.
• When to Use: When you need the perfect balance of residential anonymity and Data Center speed, making them ideal for real-time monitoring and fast-paced data retrieval.

Decodo

Decodo is popular for its developer-friendly approach and cost-effectiveness. They offer competitive pricing and easy-to-use tools, making them a great starting point for smaller teams and individual developers.

• Key Features: Over 65 million ethically sourced IPs, Site Unblocker, a browser extension, and a pay-as-you-go option.
• Pros: Great value for money, simple pricing, and a strong focus on ease of use. Excellent uptime.
• Cons: Their network may sometimes face blocks on the most sophisticated targets compared to premium providers.
• When to Use: For developers who need affordable, reliable access to large residential pools without sacrificing quality, especially when integrating with browser tools.

SOAX

SOAX is a provider that prides itself on granular geo-targeting options. They allow you to target IPs down to the city and ISP level, providing precise control for location-specific data collection.

• Key Features: 191 million+ IPs (Residential, Mobile, ISP, Data Center), strong focus on security, and detailed geo-targeting controls.
• Pros: Highly reliable and great for tasks that require extreme localization, such as ad verification or localized price scraping.
• Cons: Their interface and pricing structure can be a bit more complex than competitors for first-time users.
• When to Use: When your project absolutely depends on pinpointing a specific city or region to extract localized data successfully.

IPRoyal

IPRoyal is a cost-effective option known for its “never-expiring” residential traffic. This pay-as-you-go model makes it a favorite for projects with unpredictable or infrequent scraping needs.

• Key Features: 34 million+ IPs, unlimited bandwidth on certain plans, and a unique model where purchased traffic never expires.
• Pros: Extremely budget-friendly, highly flexible pricing, and high-speed connections across all proxy types.
• Cons: The total pool size is smaller than some competitors, which may limit success on truly massive scraping projects.
• When to Use: Ideal for developers or small teams with burst-based scraping needs where cost efficiency and non-expiring traffic are essential.

ScrapFly

ScrapFly is more than just a proxy provider; it’s a full-stack scraping solution. It bundles a high-quality proxy network with anti-bot bypass and a headless browser solution into a single API.

• Key Features: Combines proxies, anti-bot protection (Auto-Parse), and cloud-based parallel scraping.
• Pros: Simplifies the entire scraping stack into one tool, making it incredibly easy to manage and scale complex jobs. Uses a pay-per-successful-request model.
• Cons: You rely entirely on their API and infrastructure, which can be restrictive if you prefer full control over your code.
• When to Use: For developers who want to minimize infrastructure management and focus only on data parsing, offloading all anti-block and web scraping proxy management to an API.

Zyte (Crawlera)

Zyte, formerly Scrapinghub, is famous for its Crawlera tool, an intelligent proxy solution designed specifically for web scraping. Crawlera handles IP rotation, throttling, and header management automatically.

• Key Features: A “smart” proxy solution that manages thousands of IPs and intelligently retries requests based on block status.
• Pros: Proven track record, highly successful at evading blocks due to its intelligent, automatic request handling.
• Cons: The “smart” nature means you have less direct control over the IP used, and it is primarily priced by requests, not traffic.
• When to Use: When dealing with difficult, high-volume targets, and you need a reliable solution that automatically solves all the complex technical issues of block evasion.

ProxyEmpire

ProxyEmpire is a global provider that offers highly customizable rotating proxies across Residential, Data Center, and Mobile networks. They are known for their flexible pricing models and broad global reach.

• Key Features: Custom geo-targeting with IPs from over 150 countries, and flexible rotation periods (from 5 minutes up to a week).
• Pros: Very user-friendly dashboard and excellent customer support. Strong focus on high anonymity across all proxy types.
• Cons: Residential traffic can be slightly more expensive than some value-focused providers.
• When to Use: When your scraping workflow requires flexible rotation times and the ability to maintain the same IP for a longer duration (sticky sessions).

Webshare

Webshare is one of the leading providers of high-speed, affordable Data Center and ISP proxies, now also expanding their residential offerings. They focus on delivering fast, private proxies at competitive rates.

• Key Features: Over 80 million residential and 500,000+ Data Center IPs, offering dedicated IP lists and a highly affordable pricing structure.
• Pros: Extremely fast data center speeds and very low cost for dedicated proxies. Offers a free plan for initial testing.
• Cons: Data Center IPs are more susceptible to detection on highly protected e-commerce or social media sites.
• When to Use: For scraping projects targeting less-protected websites where speed and cost are the most important factors.

How to Choose the Right Proxy for Web Scraping?

Selecting the right web scraping proxy service is not one-size-fits-all; it depends entirely on your project’s unique needs, complexity, and budget. This table compares the critical factors you should evaluate.

Factor	Description	When to Choose	When to Avoid
Target Website Type	How aggressive are the anti-bot defenses? (e.g., Google, Amazon vs. a small blog).	Residential/Mobile Proxies for high-security sites.	Data Center Proxies for high-security sites.
Geo-Targeting Need	Do you need to target a specific city or country?	Proxies with granular city/ISP targeting (e.g., SOAX).	Providers with only country-level targeting.
Data Volume & Bandwidth	How much data (in GBs) do you need to extract?	Providers with unlimited bandwidth or high GB limits (e.g., 9Proxy).	Providers that charge high rates per GB, leading to unpredictable costs.
Budget & Cost Model	Do you prefer a fixed monthly cost or pay-as-you-go?	Subscription Plans (Oxylabs, Bright Data) for consistent, high-volume use; Pay-As-You-Go (IPRoyal) for burst/infrequent use.	Expensive providers if you are a small team or have a low-priority project.
Speed & Latency	Do you need real-time data, or can you tolerate a delay?	Data Center or ISP Proxies (e.g., NetNut, Webshare) for real-time needs.	Mobile Proxies, which can sometimes be slower due to the network connection.

By focusing on these factors, from the security of your target to your overall budget, you can make sure your web scraping proxy setup is both effective and cost-efficient for any project you work on.

Tips for Using Proxies in Web Scraping

Even with the best web scraping proxy service, you still need to follow proper techniques to get good results and maintain ethical standards.

• Rotate IP Addresses Regularly: Rotate IPs often so a single IP does not send too many requests. Providers like 9Proxy handle this automatically. You can also manage your own rotation while using command-line tools such as wget proxy when testing smaller endpoints or quick scraping tasks.
• Use Proxy Pools Effectively: A proxy pool is your full list of IPs. For larger projects, group IPs by region or proxy type and add a retry system that switches to a new IP when one gets blocked. This keeps your scraper moving without delays.
• Avoid Over-Scraping: Send requests responsibly. Too many fast requests can overload servers and lead to bans. Add short delays to avoid unnecessary strain and keep your scraping stable.
• Ethical Web Scraping Practices:  Always check robots.txt, follow site rules, and avoid scraping private data. Using an ethically sourced web scraping proxy from providers like 9Proxy helps maintain compliance and reduces risk.

How to Set Up Web Scraping Proxies?

Setting up a web scraping proxy involves two key steps: choosing the right provider and configuring your tools to route traffic through that proxy network.

Choosing a Proxy Provider

Based on the reviews above, your first step is selecting a provider that matches your needs (e.g., 9Proxy for unlimited bandwidth or Oxylabs for enterprise-grade block evasion). Once chosen, you will typically receive a list of endpoints or a single API key to access their network.

Configuring Proxies for Your Scraping Tools

Most modern scraping frameworks support proxy configuration right out of the box:

• Scrapy: You can set up proxies by adding middleware to your project’s settings.py file to manage IP rotation.
• BeautifulSoup/Requests: Pass proxy settings via the proxies argument, useful especially when following guides like Web Scraping Python for building beginner-to-advanced scraping scripts.

Python
proxies = {

‘http’: ‘http://user:[email protected]:8080’,

‘https’: ‘http://user:[email protected]:8080’,

}

response = requests.get(‘http://targetsite.com’, proxies=proxies)

• Selenium: When using Selenium for sites heavy with JavaScript, you must configure the browser profile (e.g., ChromeOptions or FirefoxProfile) before launching the browser instance to use the web scraping proxy.

Handling Proxy Rotation and Failover

For the best results, use the provider’s native rotation features. Services like 9Proxy automatically rotate the IP for you when using the appropriate endpoint. If you manage your own pool, implement a simple script that logs failed requests and automatically switches to the next available proxy from your list.

FAQ

How many proxy servers do I need for web scraping?

The number of proxy servers you need depends entirely on your project’s scale and speed, as well as the target website’s defenses. For continuous, high-volume scraping of protected sites, you might need a pool of thousands of rotating residential IPs. For small, infrequent tasks on less-protected sites, a few dedicated data center proxies might be enough. Always start small and scale up as you encounter blocks.

How do proxy servers affect the speed of web scraping?

Proxy servers typically add a small amount of latency to your request because the data must travel through an extra stop. However, this slight delay is usually outweighed by the massive speed increase achieved by avoiding blocks. High-speed proxies (like ISP or premium residential) minimize this latency.

Is it possible to use VPNs instead of proxies for web scraping?

While a VPN can change your IP address, it is not an effective substitute for a web scraping proxy at scale. A VPN typically provides only one (or a few) IP addresses that all your requests will share. This single IP will be quickly blocked. Proxies, particularly rotating ones, offer a vast pool of diverse IP addresses, making them the only scalable solution for high-volume, block-resistant web scraping.

Conclusion

Finding the right web scraping proxy is one of the most important steps in building a stable and effective data collection system. The best options offer more than simple anonymity; they also deliver strong reliability, fast speeds, and useful features like automatic rotation and anti-block support.

By understanding proxy types, knowing when to choose residential or datacenter IPs, and selecting providers that match your scale and budget, you can protect your infrastructure and keep your data flowing smoothly. If you are still unsure about which option to choose, we at 9Proxy are ready to help you build a safer, faster, and more scalable Web Scraping Proxy strategy designed specifically for your projects. Web Scraping Proxy