If you've been using Bright Data for web scraping and proxy services, you've probably noticed the premium price tag. The platform offers powerful features, but its complexity and cost can feel overwhelming for many teams.
Maybe you're tired of deciphering the dashboard or watching your budget drain with every gigabyte. Or perhaps you need something simpler that just works without requiring a PhD in proxy configuration.
I've tested dozens of proxy providers over the past three years, and Bright Data consistently ranks as one of the most expensive options. But here's the good news: several Bright Data alternatives deliver comparable performance at a fraction of the cost.
What Are the Best Bright Data Alternatives?
RoundProxies, Oxylabs, Decodo, and ScraperAPI are the best Bright Data alternatives in 2026. These providers offer competitive pricing, large IP pools, and simpler interfaces than Bright Data's complex platform. Most deliver 99%+ success rates while costing 40-70% less per gigabyte.
The Best Bright Data Alternatives at a Glance
| Provider | Best For | Standout Feature | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| RoundProxies | Cost-effective residential proxies | 180M+ IPs with traffic-based pricing | From $4/GB |
| Oxylabs | Enterprise-level scraping at scale | 175M+ IPs with AI-powered unblocker | From $8/GB |
| Decodo | Balanced performance and affordability | 115M IPs with <0.6s response time | From $3.50/GB |
| ScraperAPI | Simple API-first scraping | Automatic CAPTCHA solving and rotation | From $49/month |
Why Look for Bright Data Alternatives?
Bright Data dominates the proxy market, but it's not perfect. The platform charges premium prices that put it out of reach for smaller teams and individual developers.
The dashboard comes loaded with features that feel like overkill for straightforward scraping tasks. You'll spend hours configuring settings that should take minutes.
Their pricing structure uses confusing tiers and add-on costs. What looks like a reasonable entry price quickly balloons when you add essential features like city-level targeting or mobile proxies.
The learning curve frustrates beginners. Even experienced developers report spending days just understanding how to set up basic proxy rotation.
Support can feel impersonal at enterprise scale. You'll often get generic responses when you need specific technical guidance.
The Best Bright Data Alternatives
1. Roundproxies — Best for Cost-Effective Residential Proxies
RoundProxies delivers premium proxy services at prices that make Bright Data look overpriced. With 180 million residential IPs and 3 million datacenter proxies, they cover 190+ countries with precise geo-targeting down to the city level.
RoundProxies pros:
- Traffic-based pricing (pay only for what you use)
- 180M+ residential and 3M datacenter IPs
- 99.9% uptime guarantee
- User-friendly dashboard with quick setup
- 24/7 customer support via live chat
RoundProxies cons:
- Smaller IP pool than Oxylabs or Bright Data
- Less brand recognition in enterprise market
What makes RoundProxies stand out is the pricing model. Instead of charging per proxy, they use traffic-based billing similar to mobile data plans. This lets you rotate through the entire proxy pool while paying only for actual bandwidth used.
The dashboard strips away unnecessary complexity. You'll connect your first proxy within minutes, not hours. Session control allows sticky IPs for up to 30 minutes when you need consistent connections.
Geographic targeting works at country, state, and city levels. The network supports both HTTP/HTTPS and SOCKS5 protocols, making integration straightforward regardless of your tech stack.
Speed consistently impresses for a residential network. Concurrent multi-threaded operations complete faster than many competitors, letting you scale scraping operations without bottlenecks.
The 3-day money-back guarantee removes risk from testing. Payment options include credit cards, PayPal, and Bitcoin for those who prefer anonymous transactions.
Customer reviews consistently praise the responsive support team. Technical issues get resolved in minutes, not days. The team understands proxy configurations and can troubleshoot integration problems quickly.
RoundProxies pricing: Starts at $4/GB for residential proxies. Enterprise plans scale to $3/GB at 1,000GB. All plans include unlimited bandwidth and concurrent connections.
2. Oxylabs — Best for Enterprise-Scale Operations
Oxylabs competes directly with Bright Data in the premium segment. They offer 175 million IPs across 195 countries, backed by AI-powered scraping tools and dedicated account managers.
Oxylabs pros:
- 175M+ ethically sourced residential IPs
- AI-powered Web Unblocker for automatic block evasion
- Dedicated account managers for enterprise clients
- 99.95% average success rate
- Extensive documentation and integration guides
Oxylabs cons:
- Expensive pricing (starts at $8/GB)
- Overkill features for small projects
- Complex billing structure with multiple add-ons
The Web Unblocker represents Oxylabs' most compelling feature. This AI-driven solution automatically rotates IPs, solves CAPTCHAs, and renders JavaScript without manual configuration. You send a request, and it handles everything behind the scenes.
Their proxy network sources IPs ethically through transparent partnerships. All residential proxies come from consenting users, not shady peer-to-peer networks that could compromise your data.
City-level targeting works flawlessly across major metropolitan areas. ASN targeting lets you specify internet service providers when you need traffic from particular networks.
The platform includes multiple scraping APIs beyond raw proxies. E-commerce scraper APIs handle Amazon, eBay, and other difficult targets. SERP APIs extract Google search results without triggering blocks.
Support quality matches enterprise expectations. Response times average under 2 hours, with technical specialists who understand complex integration challenges.
The downside? Pricing climbs quickly as you scale. Entry plans start around $300/month for basic access, with costs increasing based on features and bandwidth.
Oxylabs pricing: From $8/GB for residential proxies. Enterprise plans require custom quotes. 7-day free trial available for qualifying businesses.
- Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) — Best Value for Mid-Scale Projects
Decodo rebranded from Smartproxy but kept the same value proposition: excellent performance without premium pricing. Their 115 million IP pool covers 195 countries with reliable connections.
Decodo pros:
- 115M residential IPs with city-level targeting
- Average response time under 0.6 seconds
- Competitive pricing at $3.50/GB
- Excellent customer support (highly rated)
- Simple dashboard with intuitive controls
Decodo cons:
- Smaller IP pool than RoundProxies or Oxylabs
- Fewer advanced features for complex configurations
- No request-based pricing options
Response times consistently clock in under 0.6 seconds. This speed advantage matters when you're scraping thousands of pages and every millisecond compounds.
The platform scales smoothly from starter projects to mid-size operations. Pricing tiers accommodate growing bandwidth needs without forcing you into expensive enterprise contracts.
Geographic coverage hits the sweet spot between breadth and depth. You'll find IPs in every major market, with city-level targeting in high-demand locations.
Support quality rivals premium providers. Live chat responses arrive within minutes, and the team resolves technical issues quickly. They actually understand proxy configurations instead of reading scripts.
The referral program and discount codes (like RESI50 for 50% off) make testing affordable. A free trial lets you verify performance before committing.
Session management allows rotating or sticky sessions based on your needs. The network handles both short-duration tasks and longer sessions requiring consistent IPs.
Decodo pricing: From $3.50/GB for residential proxies. Monthly plans start at $75. Use code RESI50 for 50% off your first purchase.
4. ScraperAPI — Best for Developers Who Want Simplicity
ScraperAPI takes a different approach than traditional proxy providers. Instead of selling raw proxies, they offer an API that handles all the complexity behind a single endpoint.
ScraperAPI pros:
- Simple API requiring just one line of code
- Automatic proxy rotation from millions of IPs
- Built-in CAPTCHA solving (no third-party services)
- JavaScript rendering included
- Geotargeting without complex configuration
ScraperAPI cons:
- No raw proxy access (API-only approach)
- Credit-based system instead of bandwidth billing
- May not suit advanced users who need full control
The entire service revolves around simplicity. Send a GET request with your target URL, and ScraperAPI returns the HTML. It handles proxy rotation, CAPTCHA solving, and retry logic automatically.
This approach eliminates hours of configuration work. No need to manage proxy pools, implement rotation logic, or integrate separate CAPTCHA services. Everything works through one endpoint.
JavaScript rendering happens automatically when needed. Sites built with React, Vue, or Angular pose no problems. The headless browser renders pages and returns complete HTML.
Geographic targeting works through simple parameters. Add country codes to your requests without managing location-specific proxy pools or connection strings.
The credit system charges per request rather than bandwidth. This makes pricing predictable for projects with consistent scraping patterns. Failed requests don't consume credits.
Documentation shines with code examples in Python, Node.js, PHP, Ruby, and other languages. Integration takes minutes regardless of your preferred stack.
Support responds quickly to technical questions. The team understands web scraping challenges and can troubleshoot difficult targets.
ScraperAPI pricing: Starts at $49/month for 100,000 API credits. Business plans begin at $299/month for 3 million credits. Free tier includes 5,000 credits for first 7 days.
Which Bright Data Alternative Is Right for You?
Bright Data delivers enterprise-grade features, but several alternatives match its performance at better prices. The right choice depends on your specific needs and budget.
Choose Roundproxies if you want the best value without sacrificing quality. The traffic-based pricing and user-friendly dashboard make it ideal for teams who need powerful proxies without complexity. At $4/GB, you'll save thousands compared to Bright Data's premium rates.
Choose Oxylabs when you need maximum scale and enterprise support. The AI-powered unblocker and dedicated account managers justify the premium pricing for large operations. Performance and reliability match Bright Data's standards.
Choose Decodo for the sweet spot between affordability and features. Mid-scale projects benefit from the fast response times and competitive pricing. The simple dashboard makes setup painless.
Choose ScraperAPI when you prioritize developer experience over customization. The API-first approach eliminates configuration headaches. You'll scrape data in minutes, not hours.
All four Bright Data alternatives offer free trials or money-back guarantees. Test each one with your actual scraping workload before committing. Performance varies based on target websites and geographic requirements.
The proxy market continues evolving, bringing better performance at lower prices. You don't need to pay Bright Data's premium rates to get professional results. These alternatives prove that quality proxy services can be both powerful and affordable.
