Among the top contenders in the proxy service industry, Bright Data and Smartproxy stand out for their comprehensive range of web scraping solutions and capabilities. As a data analyst specializing in big data and machine learning, I evaluate these two popular vendors across key criteria to help you determine the right fit.
About the Providers
Both Smartproxy and Bright Data offer web scraping APIs, no-code data collection tools, and a variety of proxy types with extensive proxy pools. However, they have differentiated themselves in the market:
Smartproxy
Smartproxy positions itself as a cost-effective option compared to enterprise-targeted proxy providers. This makes them suitable for individual users and smaller businesses looking for quality proxies without breaking the bank.
Bright Data
Bright Data offers an extensive range of premium features with one of the world‘s largest proxy pools. They predominantly serve enterprise-scale customers requiring large amounts of granular, geography-specific web data.
Competitive Comparison
When evaluating web data service providers, key criteria include market reputation based on customer reviews, number of employees indicating company scale and support capability, and breadth of proxy locations and types catering to diverse use cases.
Market Positioning and Capability
| Criteria | Smartproxy | Bright Data |
| Total User Reviews | 40 | 222 |
| Average Rating | 4.4 | 4.7 |
| Employees | 127 | 913 |
Bright Data edges out Smartproxy in number of reviews and customer rating, along with considerably higher headcount. This indicates they likely have more resources for support, customization and innovation. However, Smartproxy offers robust capabilities despite the smaller team.
Proxy Features and Performance
When it comes to proxy features, both vendors provide extensive options. Let‘s compare them across some key proxy types:
1. Residential Proxies
| Feature | Smartproxy | Bright Data |
| Pool Size | 55 million | 72 million |
| Location Targeting | City, State, Zip Code | City, ASN, Zip Code |
| Rotation | Custom via Manager | Per Request |
| Price Per GB | $4 – $8.50 | $7.35 – $10.50 |
Bright Data has the edge in pool size and location granularity, while Smartproxy offers more control over rotation rules. Both offer competitive pricing suited to mid-large scale residential proxy needs.
2. Datacenter Proxies
| Feature | Smartproxy | Bright Data |
| Pool Size | 100K Shared 400K Dedicated |
1.6 million |
| Locations | US, Europe | 98 Countries |
| Session Types | Rotating, Static | Rotating, Static |
| Price Per GB | $0.70 – $2.50 | $0.066 – $0.075 |
For datacenter proxies, Bright Data clearly dominates in terms of scale and geographic diversity. Their pricing is also very competitive, making them suitable for nearly any use case requiring anonymous datacenter IP addresses.
3. Mobile Proxies
| Feature | Smartproxy | Bright Data |
| Pool Size | 10 million | 7 million |
| Locations | 130 Countries | 195 Countries |
| Pricing | $17-$19/GB | $14-$16/GB |
For mobile proxies specifically, Smartproxy actually leads in pool size, while Bright Data has a more impressive global footprint. Bright Data maintains the pricing advantage for mobile IP addresses as well.
4. Performance & Reliability
Analyzing verified user reviews from research aggregator G2, Bright Data and Smartproxy earn similarly stellar marks for performance and ease of use from real-world customers:
Figure 1: Customer review scores highlighting strengths of Bright Data and Smartproxy (Source: G2[1])
Both providers satisfy the vast majority of customer needs when it comes to dependable, fast proxy functionality. Focus should shift to determining the optimal fit based on pricing, exact features required, and intended use cases.
Pros and Cons Comparison
To further identify areas of differentiation, I‘ve summarized key strengths reported by users of both Bright Data and Smartproxy from 2023 customer reviews, along with common downsides or limitations mentioned.
Bright Data Feedback
Pros
- Reliable, fast proxy performance
- Helpful customer support and account management
- Useful range of capabilities to explore
- Easy integration even at scale
- Well-structured datasets
- Massive, geographically diverse IP pool
Cons
- Complex proxy security configurations
- Limited docs and support for custom scrapers
- Suggestions to improve security, uptime, evasion capabilities
- Scarce Selenium integration guidance
- Sample code difficult to find after docs restructure
Smartproxy Feedback
Pros
- Diverse proxy types and locations
- Great for gathering SERP data
- Responsive, effective customer service
- Easy onboarding, payments, browser extension
- Reliable SERP API with low fail rate and speed
- Quality, reasonably priced proxy packages
Cons
- Manual payment of invoices inconvenient
- Desire for more control and integration capabilities
- Learning curve to leverage city-specific proxies
- No programmatic tracking of requests remaining
- Session length capped at 30 mins limiting use cases
Pricing and Plans
Smartproxy accommodates lower budgets with small-scale proxy plans, while Bright Data focuses on custom enterprise packages:
Smartproxy Pricing
- 1-month free trial with 3,000 requests
- Refund if under 20% of data traffic or 1 GB used
- Pay-as-you-go available for residential and mobile
- Auto-renewing subscriptions, billed for usage/IPs per month
Bright Data Pricing
- Free trial for registered businesses only
- Minimum monthly fee based on "basic" usage limits
- Pay-as-you-go options available but limited
- Must contact sales for enterprise custom plans
The Final Verdict?
For researchers, marketers, developers and other individuals with web automation needs, Smartproxy provides a balanced and budget-friendly web data solution.
Meanwhile large companies, ecommerce brands, data science teams and organizations processing vast amounts of granular web data turn to Bright Data’s enterprise-grade scraping infrastructure.
Reach out if you need guidance finding the right proxy provider!
Transparency Statement: AIMultiple has business relationships with both Bright Data and Smartproxy but provides objective market analysis.
Explore Further…
To learn more about proxy services and stay on top of the latest options, trends and insights, explore these additional resources:
- Top Proxy Providers for Web Scraping [2023 Guide]
- Getting Started with Web Scraping APIs
- Beginner’s Guide to No-Code Web Scraping
Or for expert guidance finding the optimal data services for your needs:
- [1] Bright Data vs Smartproxy. G2. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
