Suppose you're searching for a reliable proxy provider that balances performance, ease of use, and global coverage. In that case, chances are you've come across Smartproxy, now called Decodo, one of the most popular choices on the market. Whether you're doing data scraping, ad verification, SEO monitoring, or managing multiple accounts, choosing the right proxy service can make or break your workflow. But is it suitable for your needs?
In this Smartproxy review, we'll break down everything you need to know, from its features and pricing structure to whether it's worth the investment. We'll also introduce a cost-effective alternative, IPcook, that may be better suited for budget-conscious needs with lightweight tasks. Let's dive in.
If you've seen the name Smartproxy around but recently stumbled upon "Decodo", don't be confused—they're the same company. In 2024, Smartproxy officially rebranded to Decodo, aiming to reflect its evolution from a simple proxy service to a more robust, data-centric platform. Despite the new name, many still refer to it as Smartproxy, and it remains a well-known brand in the web scraping and automation community.
Smartproxy (Decodo) positions itself as a mid-to-high-end proxy solution, striking a balance between enterprise-grade performance and accessibility for smaller dev teams. It's built for developers, marketers, growth hackers, and tech-savvy teams who need reliable IP infrastructure but don't want to navigate the complexity or costs of traditional enterprise providers.
The product lineup includes:
Residential Proxies (55 M+ IPs): Ideal for web scraping, ad verification, and sneaker bots
Datacenter Proxies: Fast and affordable for high-volume tasks
Mobile Proxies: 3G/4G IPs for app testing and mobile content validation
ISP Proxies: Blend of residential legitimacy with datacenter speed
From flexible rotation to geo-targeting and session control, Smartproxy offers the features needed for serious data collection, without demanding a massive learning curve. But is it the best choice for your budget and needs? Read on to find your answer!
💡 Related Readings
The short answer is yes—Smartproxy (now Decodo) is widely regarded as a trustworthy and secure proxy provider. With thousands of reviews on platforms like Trustpilot, where it holds a strong 4.7/5 rating, users consistently praise its stability, customer support, and transparency.
From a technical standpoint, Smartproxy adheres to major data protection frameworks like GDPR and CCPA, and does not engage in shady practices like IP hijacking or malicious data injection. All residential proxies are ethically sourced from real users who opt in, and the company outlines its collection and use policies clearly in its privacy documentation.
As a Lithuanian-based provider with years of operation and a growing user base across Europe, the US, and Asia, Smartproxy has built a reputation for compliance and integrity. While not every provider in the proxy space is transparent about how their IPs are acquired or how data flows through their systems, Smartproxy stands out for its clear policies and ethical network sourcing.
Bottom line? In terms of safety, Smartproxy ranks above the majority of mid-sized competitors, making it a reliable choice for businesses and individual users alike.
After understanding so much, let's break down the main features of Smartproxy in detail.
Smartproxy (now Decodo) maintains one of the largest and most diverse proxy infrastructures on the market. With access to over 55 million smartproxy residential proxies across 195+ countries, users can conduct truly global scraping or verification tasks with city-level granularity.
In addition to residential IPs, Smartproxy also offers datacenter, mobile, and ISP proxies, giving users flexibility based on their performance and anonymity needs. The platform supports HTTP, HTTPS, and SOCKS5 protocols, and provides robust IP rotation to minimize detection and blocking.
💡 Related Readings
What sets Smartproxy apart is its emphasis on usability. Whether you're a seasoned developer or a marketing analyst just starting, the dashboard, proxy generator, and browser extensions are built for quick setup and real-time adjustments.
Advanced users will appreciate the support for sub-user permission management, enabling team collaboration without compromising access control. Smartproxy's infrastructure works seamlessly with popular automation tools like Scrapy, Selenium, and Playwright, ensuring a smooth integration into most data collection pipelines.
In performance benchmarks, Smartproxy holds its own among top-tier providers. The average response time ranges from 0.5 to 0.7 seconds, with an impressive uptime of 99.99% across all proxy types. During tests targeting platforms such as Google, Amazon, and Instagram, the service maintained a success rate of approximately 99.7%, even under high concurrency. This reliability makes it a viable option for demanding, always-on scraping environments.
It's clear the platform positions itself in the mid-to-premium range of the proxy market. The residential proxies start at $3 per GB under the pay-as-you-go model. However, if you opt for the enterprise version, the effective rate can drop to around $1.5/GB, depending on the plan size. This gives growing teams or long-term users a chance to benefit from volume discounts.
Smartproxy supports both subscription-based pricing and pay-as-you-go flexibility, which is helpful for different usage needs. It also offers a 3-day money-back guarantee, allowing some peace of mind, though it's worth noting that no free trial is available, which may be a drawback for users who want to test the service before committing.
Overall, while Smartproxy's pricing is competitive within the high-reliability proxy segment, it may not be the best fit for one-off scraping tasks or users on a shoestring budget. For those cases, lighter and cheaper alternatives like IPcook might be more practical. Still, if you need a stable, feature-rich proxy network with strong support, Smartproxy justifies its pricing.
When considering a proxy provider, weighing its pros and cons is essential to making an informed decision. Smartproxy (now Decodo) stands out in many ways, especially for users seeking a balance between performance and ease of use.
✅ Pros:
User-Friendly Experience: The platform offers an intuitive dashboard, Chrome extension, API access, and a proxy generator—ideal for both beginners and seasoned developers.
Extensive IP Pool: With over 55 million residential IPs, plus datacenter, mobile, and ISP options, coverage spans 195+ global locations.
Powerful Proxy Features: Smartproxy includes automatic IP rotation, geo-targeting, session control, and sub-user management to support advanced use cases.
Reliable Performance: Speeds are consistently high, and uptime is strong—making it well-suited for real-time scraping and automation.
Responsive Support: Customer support is available 24/7, multilingual, and often praised in user reviews across G2, Trustpilot, and others.
❌ Cons:
Higher Pricing: Compared to budget providers, Smartproxy's cost may be a barrier for small projects or individual users.
Learning Curve: Some key proxy concepts (like residential vs. datacenter IPs, sticky sessions) may confuse absolute beginners.
No Free Trial: Although a money-back guarantee is offered, users can't test the service for free before committing.
Whether these pros outweigh the cons depends largely on your technical comfort level and budget. For serious, long-term proxy users, Smartproxy remains a compelling choice.
While Smartproxy (now Decodo) delivers a professional-grade proxy solution with excellent usability and global IP coverage, it may not be the most practical choice for everyone, especially freelancers, startup teams, or users with lighter or short-term scraping needs. The higher pricing, lack of free trial, and relatively complex onboarding process can be barriers for those seeking speed, simplicity, and affordability.
That's where IPcook comes in as a highly effective Smartproxy proxy alternative. It is designed with flexibility and accessibility in mind. Unlike Smartproxy, IPcook offers:
True pay-as-you-go pricing starts at just $3.2/GB, with no subscriptions, no monthly minimums, and no hidden fees. This means you only pay for what you use—ideal for unpredictable or seasonal data needs.
Session persistence beyond 24 hours, which is often limited or available only on specific plans in Smartproxy.
Full support for SOCKS5 and HTTPS protocols across all proxies, giving users more flexibility depending on toolsets and security requirements.
Manual and automatic IP rotation, plus city-level targeting, without needing to commit to higher-tier pricing plans.
Simplified onboarding and integration, with ready-to-use proxy credentials and full compatibility with mainstream tools like Selenium, Playwright, Scrapy, and more—no need to learn proxy-specific jargon or navigate advanced dashboards.
No account commitment, so you can deploy proxies instantly for a single scraping project or ongoing campaigns, without entering into long-term contracts.
IPcook delivers exceptional value and agility; it's the go-to solution if you want professional-grade residential proxies without the complexity or cost of enterprise-focused platforms. Based on these, we've made you a full comparison table, helping you make a smarter choice.
Feature | Smartproxy (Decodo) | IPcook |
Starting Price | From $6/2 GB (residential); monthly plans only | From $3.2/GB, pay-as-you-go, no subscription |
Pricing Model | Monthly billing, no free trial, 3-day refund policy | Fully usage-based billing, no contracts, instant use |
Proxy Types | Residential, Datacenter, Mobile, ISP | Residential IPv4, some ISP-level proxies |
Targeting Options | Country, City, ASN, ZIP code | Country, City |
Session Persistence | Up to 30 mins (default), extended sessions available in higher plans | 24+ hours of session persistence |
Protocol Support | HTTPS (SOCKS5 only available on limited plans/tools) | HTTPS + SOCKS5 available across all plans |
Ease of Use | Advanced dashboard, Chrome extension, API generator | Simple dashboard, ready-to-use credentials |
Tool Compatibility | Selenium, Puppeteer, Scrapy, Playwright, etc. | Same full compatibility |
Security & Compliance | GDPR/CCPA compliant, trusted by enterprises | GDPR compliant, transparent sourcing |
Customer Support | 24/7 live chat, multilingual | Email/ticket support, responsive for developers |
Best For | Large teams, agencies, and enterprise-scale projects | Developers, freelancers, SMBs, and short-term use |
Whether you're seeking robust infrastructure for enterprise-scale data collection or a lightweight solution for flexible, pay-as-you-go tasks, this breakdown will point you in the right direction.
As this Smartproxy review shows, the platform—now operating as Decodo—delivers a strong balance of reliability, ease of use, and advanced features. For businesses and developers seeking a stable, scalable, and user-friendly proxy solution, Smartproxy is worth it. Its global IP pool, smart automation tools, and responsive support make it a solid choice for long-term, professional data acquisition.
However, if you're looking for more pricing flexibility, lower entry cost, and a faster setup, IPcook offers a smarter, leaner alternative. It's particularly well-suited for developers, startups, or data-driven projects that don't need the overhead of full enterprise solutions. Explore IPcook today as a smarter option tailored to flexible and budget-conscious needs!
