Web Scraping vs Web Crawling: Differences & Real Use Cases

• Proxy ranking

If you have ever felt caught between pricey premium proxies that drain your budget and free options that stop working the moment you rely on them, you are not alone. Prices keep rising, free proxy lists rarely stay online long enough to be useful, and many low-cost services look promising but fall apart once you try simple tasks like scraping a small page, loading a basic site, or keeping the same IP for more than a moment. When you are working with a tight budget, it becomes hard to tell which providers actually work and which ones will only slow everything down. This guide keeps things clear and easy to follow. We looked into a wide range of providers and narrowed the list to six cheap proxy services that offer solid value for everyday use. You will see honest pros and cons, realistic pricing, and plain explanations of what each option is good for, making it easier to choose a service that fits your needs without wasting time or money.

• Proxy ranking

Oxylabs residential proxies offer over 40 million IPs across residential, datacenter, ISP, and mobile proxy pools. It delivers unmatched scalability, enterprise-grade SLA guarantees, and powerful tools built for large-scale data operations. However, it's not built for everyone, as its steep pricing, enterprise-first focus, and rigid plans make it less accessible for startups, solo developers, or rapidly evolving use cases.

• Proxy ranking

When it comes to premium web scraping infrastructure, BrightData (formerly Luminati) stands out with its massive residential proxy network, powerful programmable APIs, geo-targeting capabilities, and full browser rendering support. It's widely trusted for enterprise-level scraping, ad verification, market research, and more.