Proxy Reviews

Smartproxy Proxy Review 2026

Smartproxy is a top-tier proxy provider ideal for developers and businesses needing scalable, high-concurrency scraping with fast onboarding and strong support. It’s less suited for users requiring exclusive IPs or those needing fully independent, non-shared infrastructure.

What I liked

Dashboard

The Smartproxy Dashboard delivers strong usability and capability, offering a comprehensive control center for managing smartproxy proxies with real-time tracking of traffic, usage stats, and top targets. Users can buy plans, set up proxies and scrapers, monitor spending analytics, and access help—all from a single interface, with visual graphs and detailed statistics clearly laid out on the main screen. While the dashboard is well-organized by product and includes dedicated sections for proxy types and scraping tools, some users may find the layout slightly fragmented due to its product-centric structure. Overall, it provides full control over IP parameters, subscription management, and team collaboration, though navigation may feel less unified for those expecting a more integrated experience.

Customer support

Smartproxy Customer support is highly responsive, available 24/7 via LiveChat and email, with agents delivering quick, nearly instant responses and a friendly, helpful demeanor—making it one of the provider’s strongest points. The support team is backed by extensive resources, including a Knowledge Hub with setup guides, troubleshooting tips, and a supportive Discord community, ensuring users can resolve issues efficiently. While some sources highlight Decodo’s customer service (a related entity) as award-winning and excellent, the evidence for Smartproxy’s own support remains consistently positive across multiple channels.

Documentation

Smartproxy Documentation is comprehensive and high-quality, offering detailed guides, code samples in Python, Node.js, PHP, Go, and cURL, and step-by-step tutorials for integrating smartproxy proxies into popular tools. The documentation includes a well-structured start guide, integration instructions for major automation platforms, configuration tips for browsers and OSes, and a dedicated hub with troubleshooting advice and advanced scraping tutorials. While some content has become outdated, the overall quality remains strong, with clear explanations and practical solutions for common proxy errors.

What I didn't like

KYC & geo-restrictions

Smartproxy KYC & geo-restrictions are not uniformly applied across all users—KYC is not mandatory by default but may be triggered if a user’s activity appears risky or if they attempt to access restricted targets like streaming platforms (Netflix, Twitch), business domains (Uber, Grammarly), or email services (Yahoo, Live). Some sources indicate that completing KYC unlocks access to more websites, while others note that identity verification is only required for sensitive target groups. However, there are conflicting reports: while one source states Decodo (a related service) denies access to underage users and those in Russia, no direct evidence confirms similar restrictions apply to Smartproxy. The overall picture suggests Smartproxy proxies may impose KYC and geo-restrictions conditionally, depending on usage patterns or target sites.

Onboarding & self-service

Smartproxy Onboarding & self-service is impressively straightforward, with a clean dashboard, intuitive setup, and full self-service capabilities across all products. Users benefit from quick start guides, ready-to-use code examples, and helpful tutorials that make integrating smartproxy proxies simple—even for those without deep technical expertise. The platform supports flexible configuration via username or port changes, which is especially useful when dealing with software that doesn’t handle credential-based authentication. While some sources highlight the ease of use and powerful tools like product recommendations, others note that managing IP rotation and scaling is handled seamlessly, allowing users to focus on results rather than infrastructure.

Pricing

Smartproxy Pricing starts at $2.25 per GB for its smartproxy proxies, with residential proxies available from $4 for 1 GB of data, making it a budget-friendly option for users seeking scalable proxy solutions. While some sources note that the entry-level price for Decodo’s datacenter proxies is below $10, which may suggest a lower starting point, Smartproxy maintains competitive pricing across its product line, with no extra cost for city or ASN specification and a price per IP that never exceeds $1.7. The overall package is considered affordable and well-priced, especially when factoring in performance and support, though one source notes that Decodo’s pricing is slightly lower in certain tiers.

Pricing & billing model

Smartproxy's pricing & billing model combines subscription flexibility with pay-as-you-go options, allowing users to either commit to plans or pay per gigabyte using a wallet system. Dedicated proxies are billed per IP, while rotating pool plans charge based on traffic, offering straightforward pricing depending on your use case. Users can top up their wallet at any time and use funds across services, with full visibility into transactions, invoices, and active plans through the Billing section. Team access is supported, and most products allow creating sub-users, though the exact billing structure for team tiers isn’t detailed in the provided evidence.

Trial & refund

Smartproxy offers a 3-day free trial for new users to test smartproxy proxies, allowing you to evaluate performance, rotation, sticky sessions, and region-specific targeting before committing. In addition to the trial, all paid plans include a 14-day money-back guarantee, with refunds available if the proxies don’t meet your requirements—though terms apply. Some sources also mention a 14-day limited refund and 100MB of free data for testing, though the exact conditions may vary. While the trial and refund options are clearly designed to reduce risk, users should confirm eligibility and timing with support directly.

Authentication & registration

Smartproxy Authentication & registration begins with a straightforward sign-up process: users can register using a Google or GitHub account or by entering an email and password, followed by email verification. Once registered, users gain access to the dashboard, though they cannot make purchases until their email is verified. Authentication for smartproxy proxies is supported via credentials and IP whitelisting, with endpoints and authentication details available directly in the dashboard. While some sources confirm that IP whitelisting serves as a pricing modifier, others note it's useful when software doesn't support credential-based authentication, suggesting flexibility in setup.

Residential Proxy Benchmark

ISP Proxy & Scraping Tests

Analysis

IP pool

Smartproxy advertises a mobile proxy pool of 10 million+ IPs sourced from 700+ carriers, with continuous IP rotation and support for city, ASN, and country-level targeting. Some benchmarks suggest Smartproxy’s IP pool is among the largest in the market, though one source notes that another provider controls a significantly larger pool, implying Smartproxy may not be the absolute leader. The advertised 10M+ mobile IP pool aligns with Smartproxy’s claims, but no direct measurement of the total IP pool size—residential or otherwise—is provided in the evidence. While Smartproxy’s mobile IP pool is large and well-targeted, the data does not confirm whether the full proxy pool (including residential) reaches the 115 million IPs claimed by a competitor, Decodo.

IP quality

Smartproxy IP quality stands out for its authenticity and clean sourcing, with proxies drawn from real residential and mobile devices across major global ISPs like AT&T, Verizon, Orange, and Tele2, ensuring genuine geographic and behavioral footprints. The service delivers both residential IPs from real household networks and mobile IPs from 3G/4G/5G carrier networks, with many confirmed as mobile via IP database verification and sourced ethically through opt-in programs. While most Decodo proxies are confirmed as mobile and assigned by local ISPs for regional authenticity, some IPs are described as static and from premium ASNs, suggesting a mix of residential and datacenter-like stability. This blend supports session consistency and reduces detection risks, though the presence of both residential and mobile types may affect uniformity depending on use case.

Geographic coverage

Smartproxy Geographic coverage spans 195+ countries, with the ability to target locations down to the city, state, ZIP code, and ASN level, offering precise geo-targeting for smartproxy proxies. The provider delivers global reach with servers in key regions like Europe (Germany), North America (Canada), and Asia (Singapore), and includes a large number of US IPs with accurate geolocation. While some sources highlight coverage across 160+ locations with 10M+ ethically sourced mobile IPs, others note that the network includes IPs in most countries worldwide, though exact country counts vary slightly between reports. The residential proxies are correctly geolocated and tied to major ISPs, enhancing authenticity and reliability.

Performance

Smartproxy Performance delivers consistently fast and reliable results, with requests completing in under a second on average and latency staying below one second across all tested locales—even the slowest connections finished within two seconds. Smartproxy proxies responded quickly to test pages, returning a 6KB page in around 200 ms, while maintaining a success rate above 99% globally, including in the US where it dipped slightly but remained above that threshold. The service handled high traffic, multiple threads, and frequent refreshes without degradation, and performed flawlessly on demanding tasks like scraping Google, Amazon, and social media platforms, with no noticeable slowdown from data parsing.

Uptime & reliability

Smartproxy Uptime & reliability is exceptionally strong, with smartproxy proxies demonstrating near-perfect success rates in real-world testing—reaching up to 99.75% and even 99.99% for datacenter proxies, according to Smartproxy’s own claims and independent benchmarks. The infrastructure shows remarkable resilience, with Decodo’s network running without failure across seven-day tests and only 10 out of every 10,000 connections failing before reaching the target, indicating minimal downtime. While the provider emphasizes enterprise-grade reliability and high success rates in data collection tasks, the evidence suggests that failure is rare but not entirely absent, with some connections still terminating prematurely. Overall, smartproxy proxies perform consistently, making them a dependable choice for mission-critical scraping and monitoring.

Concurrency & limits

Smartproxy Concurrency & limits are designed for high-volume scraping, with no restrictions on threads, ports, or concurrent sessions—every plan includes unlimited concurrent sessions and supports unlimited threads and ports for concurrent connections. The infrastructure auto-scales to handle scraping volumes from thousands to millions of pages daily, and Decodo, the underlying proxy network, imposes no limitations on concurrency or the number of requests that can be made at once. Some sources highlight Decodo’s ability to scale competitively into hundreds of gigabytes, with premium options reportedly falling short even at terabyte-level data throughput. There are no indications of conflicting limits across the provided evidence, so the consensus is clear: smartproxy proxies offer truly unconstrained concurrency and request capacity.

IP rotation

Smartproxy IP rotation lets you choose between rotating your IP with every request or maintaining a sticky session lasting up to 24 hours—some sources even indicate a new IP after 60 seconds of inactivity or upon disconnect. This flexibility means you can get a fresh IP per connection for maximum anonymity, or stick with the same IP for longer sessions, ideal for tasks requiring consistency. However, it's worth noting that ISP proxies from Smartproxy do not rotate at all and retain a fixed IP indefinitely, making them better suited for login-heavy or long-running workflows. Overall, Smartproxy proxies offer strong control over rotation timing, though the behavior varies slightly depending on the proxy type.

Targeting & filtering

Smartproxy Targeting & filtering offers highly precise location-based control, allowing users to filter smartproxy proxies by country, city, state, ZIP code (US only), ASN/ISP, and continent. You can target specific cities like New York or Mumbai, and even drill down to ZIP-level accuracy for US-based projects, with additional carrier- and ASN-level precision for mobile and datacenter proxies. While the platform supports detailed filtering across multiple dimensions, ZIP code targeting is explicitly limited to the United States. This level of granularity is available out of the box, without needing to modify usernames or rely on manual workarounds.

Sticky sessions

Smartproxy supports sticky sessions, allowing users to maintain the same IP address for extended periods—either with pre-set durations or custom timeframes up to 24 hours. Some sources confirm that you can keep the same proxy for as long as needed, while others note that a new IP is assigned after 60 seconds of inactivity or session disconnect, suggesting session persistence may be limited by inactivity rather than a hard time cap. This means sticky sessions are effective for ongoing tasks, but may reset if the connection drops or remains idle. Smartproxy proxies offer both rotating and sticky session options, with static IPs and fixed addresses available for consistent use.

Protocol support

Smartproxy protocol support includes HTTP, HTTPS, and SOCKS5, with full compatibility confirmed across multiple sources. UDP is available upon request, though not universally enabled by default, which may affect users needing it for real-time applications. While the provider clearly supports HTTP(S) and SOCKS5 for general use—especially for location targeting—UDP access isn't standard and requires direct coordination. This setup works well for most web scraping and automation tasks but may require extra steps for UDP-dependent workflows.

Scraping APIs

Smartproxy offers a suite of scraping APIs designed to streamline web data collection, including a Scraping API that reliably returns page contents when given a URL—similar to how Decodo’s APIs function. These Smartproxy Scraping APIs support specialized use cases, such as direct input of search queries, ASINs, or hashtags without URL construction, and come with an interactive playground for testing and generating integration code. Additionally, the platform provides a comprehensive API for programmatic proxy control, enabling users to manage sub-users, set traffic limits, monitor usage, and filter endpoints—all accessible to all customers, not just resellers. While Smartproxy also supports Google Sheets integration for no-code scraping and mobile proxies for mobile-first content, the evidence on whether these are part of the same API suite remains unclear.

Data & extraction

Smartproxy Data & extraction offers robust capabilities through a combination of proxy-based scraping and AI-powered data structuring. With smartproxy proxies, users can collect large-scale data over extended sessions using ISP proxies that maintain trusted IP consistency, reducing blocks and interruptions—ideal for long-running data collection. The platform enables real-time data gathering via tools like Decodo and Google Sheets integration, where web content can be scraped, parsed, and pulled into spreadsheets, while Google Apps Script automates these tasks. Additionally, Smartproxy turns raw HTML into structured JSON, Markdown, or clean data formats instantly, powering AI workflows, LLMs, and analytics pipelines without complex setup.

Integration

Smartproxy Integration is straightforward, supporting direct connections via Python, Node.js, cURL, and popular tools like Requests, Playwright, and Puppeteer, with smartproxy proxies routing traffic seamlessly through dynamic gateways. The system automatically selects the closest load balancer for efficient delivery, while backconnect entries maintain consistent gateway routing, allowing IP filtering via username parameters. You can integrate smartproxy proxies into workflows using n8n nodes, LangChain agents, or Decodo’s MCP server and AI Parser for automated data pipelines, with support for dynamic rendering and advanced browser fingerprinting. While some sources highlight drop-in compatibility with major libraries, others emphasize the need to manage proxy networks and website protections—though Smartproxy aims to minimize that burden.

Configuration & setup

Smartproxy Configuration & setup is straightforward, thanks to intuitive dashboard widgets that let you specify core parameters like location, rotation, and protocol (HTTP(S) or SOCKS5) before generating proxy lists and code samples in multiple programming languages. You can configure and manage your smartproxy proxies via API or an endpoint generator, backed by extensive documentation and quick start guides, enabling a setup in minutes. While some users report improved agent performance through correcting client hints, others found that adding a real browser did not enhance performance, suggesting variable results depending on use case. Additionally, users can access different IPs by changing the port number while retaining one IP address, though this method may not suit all needs.

Market position

Smartproxy holds a strong market position among proxy providers, consistently recognized for top-tier proxy and scraping solutions for five years in a row. Its advertised proxy pool of 115 million IPs places it among the larger networks, contributing to its reputation as a leading player in the space. While some sources position Decodo as a top-five provider and a top all-rounder, even competing with cheaper services, Smartproxy is similarly acknowledged for balancing features and affordability, with recognition from both Proxyway and G2. The provider is praised for ease of use and fast time to value, reinforcing its standing in the smartproxy proxies landscape.

Company overview

Smartproxy, founded in 2018 under the same name, rebranded to Decodo in April 2025, marking a shift in its public identity while maintaining its core proxy services. The company, which has between 100 and 150 employees, is part of the Tesonet group and originally emerged as a more accessible alternative to premium providers like Luminati and GeoSurf. While some sources confirm the rebranding from Smartproxy to Decodo, others note that the company was founded in 2018 as Smartproxy and later transitioned to Decodo. Smartproxy proxies have been used by over 135,000 clients, with the service offering features such as mobile footprints and ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification.

Proxy types

Smartproxy offers a comprehensive range of proxy types, including residential, mobile (3G/4G/5G), datacenter, and ISP proxies, catering to diverse use cases from web scraping to account management. Their residential proxies are sourced from real devices worldwide, while mobile proxies leverage carrier-grade networks to bypass geo-restrictions. ISP proxies combine the authenticity of residential traffic with the reliability of datacenter infrastructure, using ISP-assigned subnet ranges to appear as genuine residential connections, and static ISP proxies maintain a consistent IP across sessions—ideal for logins and sessioned workflows. Some sources also note that Decodo, the underlying network, provides all four major proxy types, with username modifiers enabling precise targeting of locations and individual IPs.

Product offering

Smartproxy offers a range of proxy solutions including rotating and static ISP proxies with shared or dedicated IP options, designed for bypassing geo-restrictions, CAPTCHAs, and IP blocks. The Smartproxy product offering includes browser-based tools that streamline proxy and profile management, with features like seamless mode switching and instant access via Chrome and Firefox extensions—accessible in just two clicks. While Decodo (a related entity) provides additional tools such as an antidetect browser and web scrapers, Smartproxy focuses on proxy-centric functionality with integrated management features directly in the browser. Some sources note that Bright Data offers more advanced proxy management tools and broader features than Decodo, though Smartproxy emphasizes ease of use and a streamlined experience.

Use cases

Smartproxy proxies are designed for a broad range of use cases, from small-scale web scraping and sneaker copping to large-scale AI data collection and mobile app testing. The platform supports both residential and mobile proxies, with 10M+ IPs across 700+ carriers, making it suitable for tasks requiring authentic identities—like bypassing geo-restrictions, CAPTCHAs, and advanced blocks—especially in AI training and multi-accounting scenarios. While Decodo (a related service) is noted for affordability and appeal to small-scale users and Instagram managers, Smartproxy’s premium mobile-first offerings are positioned for demanding targets and high-throughput operations, including 4K video streaming and AI-scale data collection. Some users may find the entry-level datacenter proxies ideal for efficient scraping, while others see the full suite as a viable option for large projects.

Security & trust

Smartproxy Security & trust is strong, backed by industry recognition and a robust infrastructure designed to protect user anonymity and reduce detection risks. The provider leverages ethically-sourced, real mobile IPs that mimic genuine user behavior—making smartproxy proxies appear as normal mobile traffic to target sites, which helps bypass anti-bot systems and block mechanisms. Users benefit from 256-bit SSL encryption, automatic IP rotation, and a track record trusted by over 135K clients and highlighted in G2’s 2026 best security products list. While the provider claims high reliability and low block rates through human-like signals, some of these benefits are based on self-reported claims without independent verification.

Usage & access policies

Smartproxy Usage & access policies allow reliable access to mobile-only content, SERPs, social media, and eCommerce targets—ideal for AI datasets, benchmarking, and competitive intelligence—while routing traffic through alternative IPs to bypass geo-restrictions, CAPTCHAs, and IP blocks for maximum anonymity. However, access to certain high-risk sites like banking, government, and telecom platforms is restricted to prevent misuse, and Smartproxy proxies are not available to users in Russia or underage individuals, though the provider does not explicitly state a refund policy beyond mentioning money-back guarantee terms apply. These policies balance functionality with compliance, though the lack of clarity on refund conditions may leave users uncertain.

Alternative comparison

Smartproxy stands out in a Smartproxy Alternative comparison for its fast onboarding and clear feature comparisons, letting users quickly evaluate proxies, scraping APIs, and Site Unblocker options with minimal setup. While the platform offers strong time-to-value—boasting awards for speed and automation-friendly workflows—users should weigh the trade-offs: shared IP pools, though more affordable, can lead to performance dips or higher ban risks if overused. In contrast, alternatives like SOAX match Decodo in performance, but the best residential proxy provider ultimately depends on your needs for speed, geographic reach, and budget. Differences between residential and datacenter proxies—such as traffic models and target complexity—are critical to consider, even if they may seem similar at first glance.

Review content quality

Smartproxy Review content quality is generally strong, offering practical guidance on selecting the right proxy type and providing useful insights for web data projects, particularly around ISP and residential proxies. The blog content effectively builds knowledge and inspires new ideas, with some pieces highlighting real-world benefits like boosted business growth and improved efficiency through professional expertise. However, the most recent testing of Decodo’s residential proxies was reported in April 2026, suggesting that some information may not reflect current performance, and the content occasionally leans toward promotional language rather than objective analysis. Overall, the material is informative and relevant for users exploring smartproxy proxies, though its objectivity and timeliness vary.

Overall verdict

Smartproxy Overall verdict: Based on user feedback and expert reviews, Smartproxy (formerly Decodo) is a highly effective and well-balanced proxy provider that delivers on its core promises, making it a strong recommendation for most users. The service stands out with its intuitive product recommendation tool, allowing users to input a use case, feature, or target to get tailored suggestions, and has earned positive feedback from over 135,000 users and industry experts. Multiple sources affirm that Smartproxy is something truly great, highly effective, and a provider you can freely recommend—so much so that reviewers say they “couldn’t ask for more.”