Bright Data vs Smartproxy (Decodo): Honest 2026 Comparison (and a Cheaper Alternative)

At a Glance

Bright Data is the largest provider with 72M+ residential IPs and enterprise pricing. Smartproxy (now Decodo) is a mid-market competitor with 55M+ IPs and more accessible plans. Both are serious players but expensive for small businesses. GProxy offers residential from $0.85/GB — 4-6x cheaper than both.

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Short comparison

Query Parameters:	GProxy	Bright Data vs Smartproxy (Decodo)
Founded	2019	Bright Data 2014 · Smartproxy 2018
Residential IP pool	10M+	Bright Data 72M+ · Smartproxy 55M+
Residential pricing	$0.85/GB	Bright Data $5.04/GB · Smartproxy $3.75/GB
Mobile proxies	✓ from $6.90/day, 40+ countries	Bright Data ✓ from $8.40/GB · Smartproxy ✗ none
Datacenter proxies	✗	Bright Data ✓ 770K+ · Smartproxy ✓ 400K+
SERP API	✗	Bright Data ✓ from $500/mo · Smartproxy ✓ from $50/mo
Free trial	✓ 10 min mobile	Bright Data ✓ trial · Smartproxy ✓ 14-day refund
Minimum payment	$0.85 (1 GB)	Bright Data $500 (mobile) · Smartproxy $11.25
Daily billing	✓	Bright Data ✗ · Smartproxy ✗
SOCKS5	✓	Bright Data ✓ · Smartproxy ✓
Ease of setup	Easy	Bright Data — complex · Smartproxy — easy
Scraping Browser	✗	Bright Data ✓ · Smartproxy ✗

Competitor data — from public pages at the time of publication. Prices may change.

Prices by proxy types

Bright Data vs Smartproxy: Key Differences

Bright Data (formerly Luminati) is the world's largest proxy provider, founded in 2014 in Israel. Smartproxy, rebranded to Decodo in 2024, is a Lithuanian company founded in 2018. Both offer residential, datacenter, and SERP API, but with different focus.

Bright Data targets enterprise: largest IP pool, ready-made datasets, Scraping Browser, Web Unlocker. Smartproxy targets mid-market: easier setup, clearer pricing, more intuitive dashboard.

When Bright Data Is Better

Enterprise companies with $1000+/month budgets needing the largest IP pool, SERP API, datasets, and a dedicated account manager. Bright Data is the choice when price isn't the main factor.

When Smartproxy Is Better

Mid-size businesses and agencies with $100-500/month budgets needing simple setup, clean dashboard, and a solid IP pool without enterprise complexity.

When Both Are Overkill

If your budget is under $100/month or you need mobile proxies — both are expensive and target a different segment. GProxy offers residential from $0.85/GB (4-6x cheaper) and mobile proxies from $6.90/day, which Smartproxy doesn't offer and Bright Data starts at $500 minimum.

Pros and cons

GProxy — pros

✓Residential from $0.85/GB — 4-6x cheaper than Bright Data and Smartproxy
✓Mobile proxies from 40+ countries from $6.90/day — Smartproxy has no mobile, Bright Data starts at $500
✓Daily billing — no mandatory monthly subscription
✓Free 10-minute test without credit card
✓HTTP/SOCKS5, antidetect browser compatible

GProxy — minus points

–10M+ residential pool — smaller than Bright Data (72M+) and Smartproxy (55M+)
–No SERP API or Scraping Browser
–No datacenter proxies
–No enterprise support with dedicated manager

Bright Data vs Smartproxy (Decodo) — pros

✓Bright Data: 72M+ residential IPs — largest pool, Scraping Browser, SERP API, datasets
✓Smartproxy: 55M+ IPs, intuitive dashboard, SERP API from $50/mo, Social Media API
✓Both: datacenter proxies for mass scraping
✓Bright Data: Web Unlocker for bypassing any anti-bot system

Bright Data vs Smartproxy (Decodo) — minus points

–Bright Data: residential from $5.04/GB — 6x more expensive than GProxy, $500 minimum for mobile
–Smartproxy: residential from $3.75/GB — 4x more expensive than GProxy, no mobile proxies
–Both: mandatory monthly subscription, no daily billing
–Bright Data: complex interface and pricing — learning curve

Who needs what

Take GProxy if

Small and mid-size businesses, media buyers, SMM agencies — who need affordable residential and mobile proxies without enterprise pricing.

Take Bright Data vs Smartproxy (Decodo) if

Bright Data — enterprise with $1000+/month budgets. Smartproxy — mid-size businesses with $100-500/month who need SERP API.

FAQ

Bright Data or Smartproxy — which is better for scraping? +

Depends on scale. Bright Data is better for enterprise: more IPs, Scraping Browser, Web Unlocker. Smartproxy for mid-size: easier setup, cheaper. For budget scraping, GProxy residential at $0.85/GB costs 4-6x less.

Why did Smartproxy rebrand to Decodo? +

In 2024, Smartproxy rebranded to Decodo to reflect its expanded product line beyond proxies. Same service, new brand. Old links redirect to decodo.com.

Who has the better SERP API? +

Bright Data: more powerful, structured data (PAA, featured snippets, local pack), but from $500/mo. Smartproxy: simpler, from $50/mo, sufficient for most tasks. GProxy doesn't offer SERP API — use residential proxies ($0.85/GB) with your own parser.

Does Smartproxy offer mobile proxies? +

No. Smartproxy (Decodo) does not offer mobile proxies. Bright Data does, but starting at $500 minimum. GProxy offers mobile from 40+ countries from $6.90/day with free trial.

What's the minimum budget for each provider? +

GProxy: from $0.85 (1 GB residential) or $6.90 (1 day mobile). Smartproxy: from $11.25/mo (3 GB). Bright Data: from $500 for mobile, ~$15/mo for residential.

Total

Bright Data leads in scale and features but is the most expensive. Smartproxy is the middle ground with good price-to-quality ratio. If your priority is price and mobile proxies, GProxy offers residential 4-6x cheaper than both and mobile proxies that Smartproxy doesn't offer at all.

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