Anonymous Proxies vs Bright Data
A no-BS comparison for people who just want proxies that work - without the enterprise sales pitch.
Key takeaways - for the restless
I get it, time is short while researching, here are the key takeaways from our comparison page:
- Anonymous Proxies residential proxies cost $4/GB flat - Bright Data charges $8/GB (or $4/GB on temporary promos that expire)
- We support 7 proxy/VPN protocols (HTTP, SOCKS5, Shadowsocks, Trojan, DNS, WireGuard, Amnezia)
- No minimum order. Buy one IP if that's what you need. Bright Data requires minimum 10 IPs on datacenter plans. We have a re-usable credit instead.
- Signup takes 2 minutes, no KYC, video calls or up to a week of waiting
- Transparent billing. Your billing cycle starts when you pay. No mid-month resets, no charges for failed requests
- Dedicated IPs on clean infrastructure. No SDK-sourced residential IPs from unknowing app users
- Operating since 2010 with 100,000+ customers - proven reliability without the enterprise price tag
- Volume and long-term discounts bring DEDICATED datacenter proxies down to $1.11/IP - competitive with anyone in the market
That DEDICATED was capitalised intentionally. BrightData does a better job at showing the kind of proxy on the pricing page as opposed to Oxylabs.
Who is this comparison for?
If you're researching Bright Data alternatives, you're probably in one of two camps: either the pricing caught you off guard, or you signed up and got hit with a KYC verification process that felt more like applying for a mortgage than buying proxies.
Either way, you're here because something didn't feel right. Let's break down how Anonymous Proxies and Bright Data actually compare - pricing, features, protocols, and the stuff they don't put on their homepage.
Pricing: the numbers don't lie
This is where the conversation starts for most people, so let's get into it.
Residential proxies
Bright Data charges $8 per GB for residential proxies. They run frequent "50% off" promotions that bring it down to $4/GB, but here's the catch: those promos expire after about three months, and you're back to $8/GB.
Anonymous Proxies charges a flat $4/GB for rotating residential proxies. No promos, no bait. That's the price.
Datacenter proxies
Price per IP (monthly) | Minimum order | |
|---|---|---|
Anonymous Proxies | $2.20/IP (from $1.11 at volume) | 1 IP |
Bright Data | $2.20/IP | 10 IPs |
ISP proxies
Anonymous Proxies: $3.30/IP for dedicated ISP proxies with unlimited bandwidth.
Price per IP (monthly) | Minimum order | |
|---|---|---|
Anonymous Proxies | $3.30 | 1 IP |
Bright Data | $3.50/IP | 10 IPs |
Protocols: this is where we pull ahead
Bright Data sells HTTP/HTTPS proxies. That's it. Their product line has expanded into scraping APIs, datasets, and browser automation tools, but the actual proxy protocol support hasn't moved.
Anonymous Proxies supports:
- HTTP/HTTPS proxies (dedicated and shared)
- SOCKS5 proxies - the go-to for applications that need protocol flexibility
- Shadowsocks - encrypted proxy protocol, popular in regions with heavy internet restrictions
- Trojan proxy - TLS-based, designed to look like normal HTTPS traffic
- DNS proxy (Smart DNS) - for streaming and geo-restricted content
- WireGuard VPN with dedicated IP
- Amnezia VPN with dedicated IP - built to bypass deep packet inspection
If you need anything beyond basic HTTP proxies, Bright Data simply doesn't have it. This matters if you're using proxies for privacy, bypassing censorship, or running applications that don't speak HTTP.
Onboarding: minutes vs. days
Signing up at Anonymous Proxies takes about two minutes. Pick your product, pay, receive your credentials. Done.
Bright Data's onboarding process has become a pain point that shows up in review after review. Multiple users on Trustpilot report:
- Video call verification before account activation
- Business documentation requirements
- Verification delays of up to a week
- Accounts suspended immediately after signup, requiring payment method and additional identity checks
One reviewer described it as "essentially unusable without a company." If you're an individual user, a freelancer, or a small team - you're not their target customer, and the onboarding makes that clear.
Having a KYC is a fantastic thing and we have to. congratulate them for that but it makes us wonder who is it supposed to protect?
Apparently you are allowed to use their shared network but not the dedicated resources.
