Bright Data vs Oxylabs: The Leading Proxy Providers Go Head-to-Head

ByPaul Christiano Last Update on

When it comes to proxy services, two names stand tall above the rest: Bright Data and Oxylabs. These industry titans have built a reputation for providing fast, reliable proxies at massive scale to power web scraping and data collection for thousands of businesses worldwide.

But in a direct matchup, which proxy provider comes out on top? In this comprehensive comparison, we‘ll pit Bright Data vs Oxylabs across key areas like customer base, proxy pool size, product offerings, pricing, and more to determine which is the superior choice for most users. Let‘s jump in!

Customer Base and Ratings

One of the clearest indicators of the quality and popularity of a proxy service is the size of its customer base. In this department, Bright Data has a clear edge. They proudly serve over 20,000 customers globally, from small startups to many Fortune 500 companies. Oxylabs‘ customer count comes in at around 2,000.

Bright Data‘s much larger clientele is likely due to them catering to businesses of all sizes and budgets. They aim to be an accessible solution for anyone in need of proxies.

When it comes to customer satisfaction, Bright Data shines here as well. On G2, the leading business software review site, Bright Data is ranked #1 in the Proxy Network category with an excellent 4.7 star rating across 139 reviews. Oxylabs also fares well with 4.4 stars, but they have less than a third as many reviews as Bright Data, suggesting Bright Data is the go-to choice for a larger number of proxy users.

Proxy Pool Size

The breadth and quality of a provider‘s proxy pool is crucial. With more unique IP addresses to rotate through, proxy traffic becomes harder to detect and block, leading to greater success rates.

In terms of sheer proxy pool size, Oxylabs takes the crown as the largest proxy network in the world. They offer:

  • 2M+ datacenter proxies
  • 100M+ residential proxies
  • 20M+ mobile proxies

Bright Data has the second largest network globally with:

  • 700K+ datacenter proxies
  • 72M+ residential proxies
  • 700K+ ISP proxies
  • 7M+ mobile proxies

So while Oxylabs has the overall edge in proxy volume, both providers offer massive diverse proxy pools that ensure high success rates and lower IP ban risk for even the largest scale web scraping projects. You‘re in good hands with either option.

Ethical Proxy Sourcing

With great proxy pool size comes great responsibility. Both Bright Data and Oxylabs go to great lengths to ethically obtain the millions of IP addresses in their networks.

Bright Data acquires proxies through several consensual methods:

  • Their Bright Data Earn App allows users to voluntarily share unused device resources for monetary rewards
  • The Bright VPN enables users to contribute idle bandwidth to the proxy pool
  • Physical edge devices like the Bright Data Piggy Box grow the network with user permission
  • The Bright Data SDK allows developers to integrate with apps, with full user awareness

Oxylabs sources most of its proxies via their Honeygain offering, where users opt-in to sharing internet bandwidth for compensation.

In both cases, all participants in the proxy network provide informed consent, ensuring no one‘s resources or privacy are being violated. Ethical proxy acquisition is an area Bright Data and Oxylabs take very seriously.

Extensive Product Offerings

Proxies are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Bright Data and Oxylabs‘ product suites. Both companies offer a range of tools designed to simplify and supercharge web scraping and data extraction.

Bright Data‘s ecosystem includes:

  • Proxy Networks – Datacenter, residential, ISP, and mobile proxy options
  • SERP APIs – Retrieve parsed search engine results from Google, Bing, and more in neat JSON format
  • Web Scraping Browser – A purpose-built scraping browser compatible with Playwright and Puppeteer for easy scraping
  • Web Scraper IDE – Build web scrapers visually with templates and JavaScript functions
  • Web Unlocker – Automatically solve CAPTCHAs, handle IP blocks, and unlock challenging sites
  • Datasets – Purchase structured ready-made datasets covering business, e-commerce, real estate, and more

Oxylabs offers a powerful but slightly pared back product suite in comparison:

  • Proxy Networks – The web‘s widest datacenter, residential, and mobile proxy services
  • Web Scraping APIs – Turn-key APIs for scraping search engines, e-commerce stores, and real estate listings

The extensive Bright Data product ecosystem enables users to source all their data gathering tools under one roof. It‘s little wonder they were awarded "Best Proxy Ecosystem" and "Best Tools for Data Collection" by Proxyway in 2021 and 2022.

Educational Resources and Support

Bright Data goes above and beyond to educate users on all things web scraping. Their blog is a treasure trove of how-to guides for scraping specific sites, comparing web scraping tools and techniques, and tactical tips to gather data effectively. Bright Data‘s Web Data Master Class features top content from scraping-focused YouTube channels like Fireship to level up your skills. Their regular webinars also provide expert advice for solving common web scraping roadblocks.

Oxylabs also maintains an educational blog geared toward the web scraping community, with informative posts on scraping, using proxies, product updates, and more.

Both companies provide extensive documentation and responsive customer support to help users make the most of their platforms and troubleshoot issues. But Bright Data‘s rich array of educational content gives them an edge for users looking to really uplevel their web scraping capabilities.

Pricing and Trials

As the top proxy services on the market, both Bright Data and Oxylabs are premium offerings. Let‘s break down the pricing essentials, focusing on their pay-as-you-go rates:

Bright Data Pricing:

  • Residential: $10.5 per GB
  • Datacenter: $0.11 per GB ($0.80 per IP + $0.11 per GB)
  • ISP: $15 per GB
  • Mobile: $24 per GB

Oxylabs Pricing:

  • Residential: $10 per GB
  • Datacenter: $0.65 per GB ($50 for 77GB minimum)
  • ISP: $17 per GB
  • Mobile: $22 per GB

Pricing is quite comparable between providers, with Oxylabs coming in slightly cheaper for most proxy types. However, Bright Data offers pay-as-you-go datacenter proxies while Oxylabs requires committing to a plan, making Bright Data preferable for small scale datacenter proxy needs.

Both services allow self-serve sign up for residential proxies. But for other proxy types, Bright Data enables self-serve across the board while Oxylabs requires contacting sales support. The ability to choose your preferred proxy server location down to the city or ASN level is available with either provider.

Free trials are also offered by both Bright Data and Oxylabs so you can test out their proxies before subscribing. Definitely take advantage to compare performance and ease of use for your specific use case.

The Verdict

So which proxy titan takes the crown in this head-to-head matchup? Both Bright Data and Oxylabs are exceptional proxy providers with lightning-fast global networks and a slew of powerful data gathering tools. You‘re in very capable hands with either choice.

However, Bright Data comes out a cut above overall and is our recommended pick for most users. It‘s easy to see why:

  • Bright Data is trusted by 10 times as many customers, including numerous Fortune 500s
  • They hold the #1 spot on G2‘s Proxy Network rankings with 3x as many positive reviews
  • Bright Data‘s rich product ecosystem makes them a one-stop-shop for all your web scraping needs
  • Their extensive educational blog, webinars, and Web Data Master Class help customers become scraping power users
  • Pay-as-you-go pricing is available for all Bright Data‘s proxies
  • They cater to businesses of all sizes, from lean startups to massive enterprises

Unless you have a specific use case requiring Oxylabs‘ larger proxy pool, Bright Data offers the best blend of performance, features, and flexibility for almost any scraping project. Over 20,000 customers worldwide can‘t be wrong.

We encourage you to take advantage of Bright Data‘s free trial to experience their elite proxies and tools firsthand. With their proven track record and comprehensive offerings, they are well-equipped to support your web data initiatives, no matter how ambitious.

I am Paul Christiano, a fervent explorer at the intersection of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and their broader implications for society. Renowned as a leading figure in AI safety research, my passion lies in ensuring that the exponential powers of AI are harnessed for the greater good. Throughout my career, I've grappled with the challenges of aligning machine learning systems with human ethics and values. My work is driven by a belief that as AI becomes an even more integral part of our world, it's imperative to build systems that are transparent, trustworthy, and beneficial. I'm honored to be a part of the global effort to guide AI towards a future that prioritizes safety and the betterment of humanity.

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