Prompt
What is the best residential proxy network for large-scale data collection?
Latest observation
For large‑scale data collection in 2026, the best residential proxy networks are Bright Data and Oxylabs, with Decodo (Smartproxy) and DataImpulse as strong value‑oriented alternatives when you need broad coverage at lower cost. kdnuggets
Top picks for large‑scale scraping
Bright Data
- Why it leads: Largest and most diverse network (72M+ residential plus mobile, ISP, and datacenter), 195+ countries, and deep geo‑targeting (country/state/city/ZIP/ASN). kdnuggets
- Enterprise features: Advanced Proxy Manager, fine‑grained session control, CAPTCHA solvers, and transparent, audited compliance—important when scaling to millions of requests. kdnuggets
- Best for: Enterprise or high‑volume programs that need maximum success rates, global reach, and strong governance. kdnuggets
- Pricing: Premium; pay‑as‑you‑go and volume subscriptions (often ~$4/GB or lower at scale). kdnuggets
Oxylabs
- Why it’s strong: Millions of residential IPs across 195 countries, solid city‑level targeting, and good CAPTCHA/anti‑bot handling; widely used for AI/ML and business data pipelines. kdnuggets
- Best for: Large‑scale, production scraping where you want a direct competitor to Bright Data with comparable coverage and support. kdnuggets
- Pricing: Enterprise‑tier monthly plans; typically higher $/GB but discounted at volume. kdnuggets
Decodo (Smartproxy)
- Why it’s compelling: 115M+ residential IPs, 195+ locations, strong success rates, and simpler pricing; good balance of performance and cost for mid‑to‑large scale. kdnuggets
- Best for: Teams that need global scale but want to avoid top‑tier pricing. kdnuggets
- Pricing: Roughly $3–$7/GB depending on plan/volume. kdnuggets
DataImpulse
- Why consider it: 90M+ first‑party residential IPs, 195 countries, no traffic expiry, and very low entry pricing (~$1/GB PAYG). kdnuggets
- Best for: Cost‑sensitive large‑scale projects where you can tolerate a bit more DIY and slightly less enterprise polish. kdnuggets
How to choose
- Maximum reliability + compliance at scale: Bright Data or Oxylabs. kdnuggets
- Best value for broad global scale: Decodo (Smartproxy) or DataImpulse. kdnuggets
- Need deep geo controls (city/ZIP/ASN) and managed tooling: Bright Data or Oxylabs. kdnuggets
If you share your target sites, countries, and approximate monthly volume (GB or requests), I can recommend a specific provider and plan size.
Citations
- https://iproyal.com/blog/best-web-scraping-proxy-providers/
- https://www.kdnuggets.com/2025/11/brightdata/the-best-proxy-providers-for-large-scale-scraping-for-2026
- https://www.ipfoxy.com/blog/brand-spotlights/5497
- https://thedatascientist.com/10-best-residential-proxy-providers-for-web-scraping-and-data-extraction-2025-edition/
Observation history
How did Obsurfable measure this prompt?
Obsurfable records AI answers to buyer-style prompts in its research corpus (5 observations for this page). Metrics are distributions over observations, not a single static ranking.
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OpenAI,
ChatGPT,
Google,
Gemini,
Google AI Mode,
Anthropic,
Claude,
Perplexity,
Grok,
DeepSeek,
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Copilot,
Meta AI,
Qwen.
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