Oxylabs dominates conversations about enterprise proxies, but that doesn’t mean it’s the right choice for your web scraping project.

The good news?

Better alternatives exist.

We’ve tested and compared the top alternatives to help you find the right fit. Each one directly addresses the issues Oxylabs users consistently report: surprise billing spikes, complex setup processes, poor customer service, and APIs that don’t match their proxy performance.

Oxylabs is an enterprise-focused proxy and web scraping provider with one of the largest proxy networks in the industry. They offer 175M+ residential IPs across 195 countries, along with datacenter, mobile, and ISP proxies.

Beyond proxies, Oxylabs offers web scraping APIs, an AI Studio for no-code data extraction, and specialized tools for e-commerce, SERP monitoring, and social media scraping. They’ve built their reputation on reliability and scale, with features like AI-powered proxy rotation and ethical IP sourcing.

Their product lineup includes Residential Proxies, ISP Proxies, Mobile Proxies, Datacenter Proxies, Web Unblocker, and various Scraper APIs.

Pricing starts at $8/GB for residential proxies, with a $49 minimum for their Web Scraper API. The platform is built for teams that need enterprise-grade infrastructure and are willing to pay premium rates for it.

Despite Oxylabs’ strong technical infrastructure, several consistent issues push users toward alternatives:

Oxylabs positions itself squarely in the enterprise segment. Residential proxies start at $8/GB, which is higher than most competitors offering similar proxy pools. Their Web Scraper API requires a $49 upfront minimum just to start testing, the highest entry point among major providers.

For developers or small teams needing a few hundred thousand requests monthly, this creates an immediate barrier. You’re paying enterprise rates before you even know if the service works for your specific use case.

Many Oxylabs alternatives offer freemium plans or much lower entry points, letting you test extensively before committing.

Here’s where things get problematic for web scraping use cases. If you’re evaluating Oxylabs for their Web Scraper API rather than raw proxies, the performance gap becomes obvious immediately.

Independent testing shows their API delivers only 92.52% success rates with 17.5-second average response times. Compare that to dedicated scraping APIs that achieve 98%+ success rates at under 5-11 seconds. That’s nearly 4x slower for worse reliability.

Pricing compounds the problem. You’re paying $6.39 per 1,000 requests on average, while better-performing alternatives cost $0.80-$1.50 per 1,000 requests. The math simply doesn’t work for scraping-focused projects.

Oxylabs built its reputation on proxy infrastructure, and it shows. Their scraping API feels like an afterthought rather than a core strength. If you need web scraping capabilities specifically, you’re better served by tools designed for that purpose from the ground up.

Multiple G2 reviews highlight serious billing concerns that should worry any team operating on a budget. One user reported a technical change by Oxylabs’ team that caused a 30x traffic increase without any notification, jumping from $50/day to $1,500/day in costs.

The full review paints a troubling picture:

Critical lack of billing transparency and notification systems for usage spikes. Poor incident management when their unblocker failed on one of our target sites. Technical team implemented ‘fixes’ that caused 30x increase in traffic usage (from $50/day to $1,500/day) without notification. Inflexible customer service, even when escalated to senior management (Head of Account Management). Refused to take responsibility for technical changes that directly caused excessive billing. No proactive monitoring or alerts for abnormal usage patterns that could impact billing. Demonstrated prioritization of revenue collection over customer relationship management. Lack of accountability when their technical changes directly impacted customer costs. Poor handling of billing disputes, even for long-term customers with significant annual contracts.

When escalated to senior management, the company refused to take responsibility for their technical changes that directly caused the billing spike. For businesses running on tight margins, this kind of financial unpredictability is a dealbreaker.

The reviewer’s conclusion speaks volumes:

Consider alternative proxy providers who offer better customer service, transparent billing practices, and professional issue resolution. While OxyLabs’ technical infrastructure is functional, their business practices and customer service make them a risky choice for business-critical services, especially if you’re concerned about unexpected billing issues or need responsive customer support.

Users report that Oxylabs’ shift toward self-service hasn’t been smooth, particularly affecting scraping operations. One reviewer noted:

The self service transition was pretty problematic - we had several issues with the scrapers even with the simplest activation of them. This lead to couple of missed opportunities at our end, unfortunately.

When you’re running web scraping operations at scale, setup friction translates directly to lost revenue.

Modern scraping APIs should let you start collecting data in minutes, not days. If your scraper can’t activate properly or requires extensive troubleshooting just to get basic functionality working, you’re wasting valuable time.

Product reliability varies significantly across Oxylabs’ offerings. Multiple users specifically call out mobile proxy issues:

The mobile proxies never worked as expected, and customer support failed to provide proper assistance or resolution.

For use cases that specifically require mobile IPs for scraping mobile-optimized sites or testing mobile experiences, paying premium prices for unreliable service makes no sense.

For enterprise-level pricing, users expect enterprise-level support.

But most G2 reviews and Reddit threads consistently mention poor incident management and inflexible policies. When things go wrong with your scraping operations, responsive support becomes critical.

The billing dispute experience from one long-term customer summarizes the broader issue. When you’re paying premium rates and depending on the service for business-critical web scraping, you shouldn’t have to fight for basic accountability or proper technical support when things go wrong.

We’ve selected these alternatives because they specifically address Oxylabs’ core problems: unpredictable billing, underperforming scraping APIs, complex setup processes, and enterprise-only pricing that locks out smaller teams.

Firecrawl takes a fundamentally different approach than Oxylabs. Instead of selling you proxies and making you build scraping infrastructure on top, Firecrawl is purpose-built for web scraping from the ground up.

Managed proxies without the complexity

Oxylabs makes you choose between different proxy types, manage rotation yourself, and figure out which IPs work for which sites. Firecrawl handles all of this automatically. Every request routes through Firecrawl’s proxy pool by default with zero configuration needed.

You get three simple options:

• proxy="basic" for standard scraping needs
• proxy="stealth" for sites with advanced anti-bot protection
• proxy="auto" automatically retries with stealth proxies if the basic proxy fails

Location targeting works through simple location.country parameters (US, IN, DE, and more). No need to understand the difference between residential, datacenter, or mobile IPs - Firecrawl picks the right infrastructure for you.

One developer confirmed the speed difference - Alex Reibman shared on X:

Moved our internal agent’s web scraping tool from Apify to Firecrawl because it benchmarked 50x faster with AgentOps

Transparent pricing you can actually predict

Unlike Oxylabs where technical changes can cause unexpected 30x billing spikes, Firecrawl’s pricing is completely transparent.

You pay for what you use with clear credit costs upfront.

No hidden multipliers, no surprise infrastructure “fixes” that suddenly drain your budget. The billing model is straightforward: you know exactly what each scrape costs before you run it.

Setup takes minutes, not days

Firecrawl’s API is straightforward. You get an API key, make a request, and start collecting data. No complex scraper activation, no troubleshooting basic functionality to get started.

The platform handles JavaScript rendering, dynamic content, and anti-bot protection as core features rather than add-ons you need to configure separately.

Morgan, a Firecrawl user, wrote on X,

If you’re coding with AI, and haven’t discovered @firecrawl_dev yet, prepare to have your mind blown.

• Automatic proxy management: Basic, stealth, and auto modes handle everything
• JavaScript rendering: Built-in headless browser support for dynamic sites
• Multiple output formats: Markdown, HTML, structured data, or LLM-ready content
• Location targeting: Route requests through specific countries without managing IP pools
• Fast integration: Single API call to start scraping, comprehensive SDKs for all major languages

Firecrawl offers a generous free tier to test thoroughly before committing (unlike Oxylabs’ $49 minimum). Paid plans start at affordable rates for small teams, scaling up as your needs grow. You pay for successful scrapes, not for proxy bandwidth that varies wildly by page size.

Choose Firecrawl if you need a web scraping solution rather than raw proxy infrastructure.

It’s ideal for teams that want to focus on extracting data, not managing proxy pools and dealing with anti-bot systems. The transparent pricing and quick setup make it particularly attractive for small to mid-sized teams who don’t want to navigate enterprise sales processes or worry about unexpected billing.

Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) delivers higher proxy success rates than Oxylabs while costing significantly less.

Intuitive setup that actually works

Setup takes minutes with clear controls that don’t require extensive documentation or support tickets. The dashboard is designed for both technical and non-technical users, eliminating the self-service transition problems that plague Oxylabs users.

Web Scraping API with ready-made templates

Beyond proxies, Decodo offers a comprehensive Web Scraping API with 100+ pre-built templates for popular targets. Features like task scheduling, bulk upload, and automatic retries come built in. They also support modern AI workflows through their MCP server, n8n node, and LangChain integration.

• 125M+ IP pool: Residential, datacenter, mobile, and ISP proxies across 195+ locations
• Unlimited concurrent sessions: No throttling on simultaneous requests
• Transparent pricing: Clear cost structure with usage alerts

Choose Decodo if you want the highest success rates without paying enterprise premiums. It’s particularly strong for mid-market businesses who need reliable proxies, modern integrations, and transparent billing without surprise cost spikes.

Bright Data operates at the same enterprise scale as Oxylabs but delivers significantly better web scraping performance. With 150M+ IPs and a mature platform, they’ve built competitive scraping APIs alongside their proxy business rather than treating it as an afterthought.

120+ no-code scrapers eliminate setup friction

Pre-built data collectors for Amazon, LinkedIn, Walmart, and other major platforms let non-technical users schedule scraping tasks through the web interface. This solves the setup friction that Oxylabs users report, where “issues with the scrapers even with the simplest activation” cause missed opportunities.

Automatic parameter selection

Web Unlocker automatically determines whether residential proxies, JavaScript rendering, or specific retry logic is needed for each request. You send the URL and receive results without experimenting with different configurations. This eliminates the guesswork Oxylabs forces on users.

• 150M+ IP pool: Extensive coverage across all proxy types
• Web Unlocker: Automatic proxy and parameter selection
• Dataset Marketplace: Ready-to-use pre-collected data
• Browser API: Managed headless browser infrastructure

Choose Bright Data if you need enterprise-scale infrastructure but want significantly better scraping API performance. The no-code scrapers and automatic parameter selection make it accessible without deep technical expertise, avoiding the setup problems that plague Oxylabs users.

IPRoyal takes a different pricing approach that solves one of Oxylabs’ biggest pain points: unpredictable costs based on bandwidth consumption. With unlimited bandwidth on datacenter proxies at a flat per-IP rate, you know exactly what you’ll pay regardless of usage spikes.

Unlimited bandwidth ends billing surprises

Remember that user whose Oxylabs bill jumped from $50/day to $1,500/day after a technical change? IPRoyal’s unlimited datacenter bandwidth at $1.57/IP monthly makes those scenarios impossible. Run high-volume scraping operations without worrying about bandwidth overages or surprise charges.

For residential proxies, IPRoyal charges $7/GB, slightly cheaper than Oxylabs’ $8/GB. But the real value is in the datacenter offering where unlimited bandwidth provides complete cost predictability.

Solid performance for ecommerce scraping

IPRoyal delivers consistent success on Shopify, Footsites, and sites with moderate anti-bot protection.

• 32M+ residential IPs: Smaller pool but adequate for most use cases
• Unlimited datacenter bandwidth: Flat per-IP pricing with no overage fees
• Multiple proxy types: Residential, datacenter, mobile, and US ISP
• Good ecommerce performance: Reliable on commercial platforms
• Transparent pricing: No hidden bandwidth charges

Choose IPRoyal if cost predictability matters more than absolute top-tier performance. It’s ideal for budget-conscious teams running high-volume datacenter proxy operations where you need to forecast costs accurately. The unlimited bandwidth model makes it particularly attractive for scraping large amounts of data without fear of surprise billing.

ScrapingBee offers a refreshingly simple approach to web scraping with transparent pricing that puts you in control. Unlike Oxylabs where costs can spiral unexpectedly, ScrapingBee uses an opt-in credit multiplier system where you explicitly enable features and know exactly what they’ll cost.

Transparent opt-in pricing model

ScrapingBee’s pricing is straightforward: base requests cost 1 credit, JavaScript rendering costs 5x, premium proxies cost 10x, and both together cost 25x. You enable these features explicitly in each request, so there’s no scenario where a technical change suddenly multiplies your costs without warning. This eliminates the billing transparency problems that plague Oxylabs users.

Handles JavaScript rendering automatically

ScrapingBee uses headless Chrome to render JavaScript-heavy pages, ensuring no content is missed on dynamic websites. The API handles proxy rotation, CAPTCHA solving, and browser fingerprinting automatically, removing the complexity of managing these components separately.

• 40M+ IP pool: Automatic proxy rotation across 50+ countries
• JavaScript rendering: Built-in headless Chrome support
• CAPTCHA handling: Advanced techniques including browser fingerprinting
• Custom JavaScript execution: Run your own code within pages
• Transparent credit system: Know exactly what each request costs

Choose ScrapingBee if you want a user-friendly scraping API with completely transparent pricing. It’s ideal for small to medium projects where you need reliable JavaScript rendering and automatic proxy management without enterprise complexity or unpredictable billing.

The right choice depends on what matters most to your team.

Oxylabs built its reputation on enterprise proxy infrastructure, and their proxies perform well. But their web scraping API underperforms, their pricing targets only large organizations, and user reviews consistently highlight billing transparency issues and setup problems.

If you’re looking for a web scraping solution rather than raw proxy infrastructure, Firecrawl eliminates these pain points entirely. No proxy management, no surprise billing, no complex setup processes. Just clean, reliable web scraping with automatic proxy routing, JavaScript rendering, and transparent pricing.

Start scraping with Firecrawl’s free tier and see the difference.

Is Oxylabs good for web scraping?

Oxylabs’ proxies are excellent, but their Web Scraper API underperforms. Firecrawl is purpose-built for scraping with automatic proxy management, faster performance, and no complex configuration needed.

Why is Oxylabs so expensive?

Oxylabs targets Fortune 500 companies with enterprise-grade infrastructure and dedicated account management. Their $8/GB residential proxies and $49 API minimum reflect this positioning.

What’s the cheapest alternative to Oxylabs?

Firecrawl offers a generous free tier to test thoroughly before committing, unlike Oxylabs’ $49 minimum. You get automatic proxy management, JavaScript rendering, and transparent pricing without paying enterprise rates for scraping capabilities you actually need.

Does Firecrawl replace the need for Oxylabs proxies?

Yes, completely for web scraping. Firecrawl includes automatic proxy management (basic, stealth, and auto modes) with location targeting built-in. You don’t need to purchase, configure, or manage separate proxy infrastructure at all.

Can I use Oxylabs for small projects?

Technically yes, but the $49 minimum and $8/GB pricing targets enterprises. Firecrawl’s free tier and pay-as-you-grow model makes it ideal for small projects, letting you scale without enterprise commitments or unpredictable billing.

What are the main complaints about Oxylabs?

User reviews cite unexpected billing spikes (30x increases), complex setup causing missed opportunities, inflexible customer service, and underperforming scraping APIs.

Which Oxylabs alternative has the best success rate?

For web scraping specifically, Firecrawl is optimized end-to-end with automatic proxy selection and retry logic. Unlike Oxylabs, Firecrawl handles JavaScript rendering, dynamic content, and anti-bot protection as core features.