Oxylabs is a well-known enterprise proxy provider with a large proxy network. In our review, this guide explores alternatives that offer different approaches to web scraping and proxy services.

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.

These alternatives offer different approaches to web scraping and proxy services, with various pricing models and feature sets.

Firecrawl takes a different approach than Oxylabs. While Oxylabs focuses on proxy infrastructure, Firecrawl is purpose-built for web scraping from the ground up.

Managed proxies without the complexity

Firecrawl handles proxy management 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

Firecrawl's pricing is transparent. You pay for what you use with clear credit costs upfront. The billing model is straightforward: you know exactly what each scrape costs before you run it.

Quick setup

Firecrawl's API is straightforward. You get an API key, make a request, and start collecting data.

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 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. 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 by page size.

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

It may be well-suited for teams that want to focus on extracting data rather than managing proxy pools and dealing with anti-bot systems. The transparent pricing and quick setup may be attractive for small to mid-sized teams.

Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) offers competitive proxy success rates with different pricing models in our evaluation.

Intuitive setup

Setup takes minutes with clear controls. The dashboard is designed for both technical and non-technical 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

Consider Decodo if you want competitive success rates with different pricing models. It may be well-suited for mid-market businesses who need reliable proxies, modern integrations, and transparent billing.

Bright Data operates at enterprise scale similar to Oxylabs. With 150M+ IPs and a mature platform, they offer both proxy infrastructure and web scraping APIs.

120+ no-code scrapers

Pre-built data collectors for Amazon, LinkedIn, Walmart, and other major platforms let non-technical users schedule scraping tasks through the web interface.

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.

• 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

Consider Bright Data if you need enterprise-scale infrastructure with both proxy and scraping capabilities. The no-code scrapers and automatic parameter selection may make it accessible without deep technical expertise.

IPRoyal takes a different pricing approach with unlimited bandwidth on datacenter proxies at a flat per-IP rate, providing predictable costs regardless of usage volume.

Unlimited bandwidth for predictable costs

IPRoyal's unlimited datacenter bandwidth at $1.57/IP monthly provides predictable costs. Run high-volume scraping operations without worrying about bandwidth overages.

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

In our testing, IPRoyal delivered 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

Consider IPRoyal if cost predictability matters more than absolute top-tier performance. It may be well-suited for budget-conscious teams running high-volume datacenter proxy operations where you need to forecast costs accurately. The unlimited bandwidth model may be attractive for scraping large amounts of data without concern about surprise 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. If you're looking for a web scraping solution rather than raw proxy infrastructure, Firecrawl provides 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 offers strong proxy infrastructure. Firecrawl is purpose-built for scraping with automatic proxy management and streamlined configuration.

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. You get automatic proxy management, JavaScript rendering, and transparent pricing with pay-as-you-grow pricing.

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?

Oxylabs' $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.

What are common considerations when evaluating Oxylabs?

Oxylabs appears designed for enterprise use with enterprise pricing. Teams should consider their specific needs, budget, and whether they require proxy infrastructure or web scraping capabilities.

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 in our testing. Firecrawl handles JavaScript rendering, dynamic content, and anti-bot protection as core features.