Shifter has been a decent proxy provider since 2012, but people have always complained that, for its price, it lacks many features that other alternatives consider standard.
Now that teams are scaling their scraping and data collection efforts, the gaps found in Shifter are obstacles to their growth, that’s why many are looking for alternatives.
If that’s the case for you, then you’re in the right place. In this guide, we’ll help you find the next proxy provider that will perfectly match your expectations in all aspects. From IP quality and connection performance to targeting flexibility, pricing transparency, and real-world reliability at scale.
We’ve tested and listed 10 options for you – we’ll go through every one of them in detail and see why it’s better than Shifter.
TL;DR
Want to quickly find a Shifter alternative and move on with your day? Read through this summary table and spot the right choice for you.
|
Provider |
IP Pool Size |
Locations |
Fraud Score |
Proxy Types |
Targeting Options |
Starting Price |
Best For |
|
Floppydata |
65M+ |
195+ |
Very low |
Residential, Mobile, ISP, Datacenter |
Country, city, rotation control |
$1/GB |
Best overall balance of quality, speed, and price |
|
SOAX |
191M+ |
195 |
Low |
Residential, Mobile, ISP, Datacenter |
Country, state, city, ISP |
$3.60/GB |
Clean residential IPs with advanced targeting |
|
ProxyScrape |
10M–55M+ |
140+ |
Medium–High |
Residential, Datacenter, Dedicated |
Country (limited) |
$20.5/5GB |
Cheap bulk datacenter usage |
|
Smartproxy |
65M+ |
195+ |
Low–Medium |
Residential, Mobile, ISP, Datacenter |
Country, state, city |
$3/GB |
Beginners and easy setup |
|
Bright Data |
150M+ |
195 |
Low–Medium |
Residential, Mobile, ISP, Datacenter |
Country, city, ASN |
$8/GB |
Enterprise-scale scraping |
|
IPBurger |
100M+ |
195 |
Low |
Residential, Mobile, ISP, Datacenter |
Country |
$79/month |
Stability-focused teams with high budgets |
|
MangoProxy |
90M+ |
200+ |
Medium |
Residential, ISP, Datacenter |
Country, city, ASN |
$0.6/GB |
Cheap, high-volume scraping |
|
IPCola |
100M+ |
195+ |
Unknown |
Residential, Datacenter, Direct Connect |
Country, city, ISP |
$0.8/GB |
Speed-focused, simple setups |
|
Oxylabs |
177M+ |
195+ |
Low |
Residential, Mobile, ISP, Datacenter |
Country, city |
$8/GB |
Enterprise-grade IP quality |
|
ProxyJet |
75M+ |
180 |
Medium |
Residential, Mobile, Datacenter |
Country |
$1.04/GB |
Budget users needing long traffic validity |
Best pick overall
The best Shifter alternative according to the table is Floppydata, which offers the best balance of clean IP quality, fast connection speeds, modern targeting, transparent pricing, and real 24/7 human support.
Brief overview of Shifter
Before we get into the details about the best Shifter alternatives, we’ll first talk a bit about Shifter itself, why people use it, and then see what’s the matter with it that people are leaving it.
What is Shifter
Established back in 2012 as Microleaves, Shifter.io is one of the world’s largest and oldest providers of proxy services and data-gathering infrastructure.
Businesses use Shifter for anonymity and large-scale data collection.
With a large pool of 30M+ IPs, it covers all countries worldwide. The pool is mostly residential, with stronger coverage in the US, UK, Germany, and favoring Tier-2 and Tier-3 countries.
Recent benchmarks show an improvement in speed and performance compared to earlier years. Some results include:
- Success rate of around 98-99%
- Response times of 0.4 s to 1.4 s (depending on region)
- Strong performance on retail and general websites
- Lower success rates on Google and social platforms
So in general, Shifter’s infrastructure is stable and fast, but performance is not consistent in some regions and plan types.
Key features of Shifter
|
Feature |
Description |
|
Proxy type |
Residential proxies |
|
IP pool size |
~30M+ residential IPs |
|
Locations |
Global country coverage |
|
Geo targeting |
Country-level only (no city/ASN) |
|
Rotation |
5–60 minutes (1 minute on Fast Rotation plans) |
|
Authentication |
IP whitelisting only |
|
Protocols |
HTTP(S), SOCKS5 (not on all plans) |
|
Concurrency |
~50 threads per port |
|
Traffic model |
Port-based with fixed GB per port |
|
Dashboard |
Basic usage tracking and plan management |
Shifter pros vs. cons
|
Pros |
Cons |
|
Large residential IP pool |
No City or ASN targeting |
|
Good global coverage |
Rigid rotation rules |
|
Strong infrastructure uptime |
Limited customer support |
|
Competitive cost per GB |
Pricing escalates quickly |
|
Suitable for traffic-heavy scraping |
Questionable transparency |
Shifter Pricing
Most modern proxy providers charge by bandwidth; Shifter instead uses a port-based pricing model, which means you pay for a fixed number of ports, with each port including a predefined amount of traffic. This approach can be cost-effective for long-running workloads, but you might feel stuck because there is no flexibility in this type of pricing model.
There is also a distinction between Basic and Special rotating proxies that annoys many people. Basic plans are cheaper but come with random geolocation and more restrictions, while Special plans unlock geo-targeting and better usability but at a higher cost.
Here are the starting prices by proxy type:
- Basic Rotating Residential Proxies: starting from $99.98/month
- Special Rotating Residential Proxies: starting from $199.99/month
- Static Residential Proxies: starting from $74.99/month
- Sneaker Residential Proxies: starting from $74.99/month
Naturally, most teams will end up paying for the Special plans, which pushes the realistic monthly spend closer to the $200-$23,999 range or more. That’s just too expensive compared to what’s out there on the market.
Why look for a Shifter alternative?
All in all, Shifter is not a bad proxy provider, but it has many limitations that are considered the bare minimum in the market right now, such as:
- Limited targeting options with only country-level geo-targeting, and no city or ASN-level targeting
- Port-based pricing model, which is not flexible, restricts concurrency, and can become pricy as you grow
- Higher entry pricing, especially for Special plans that unlock basic features competitors include by default
- Lack of transparency around IP sourcing and reputation
- Inconsistent IP quality for certain targets – some users report many reused or blocked IPs
- Customer support that doesn’t always scale with the price – multiple reports of slow responses, unresolved tickets, and limited follow-up on complex issues
Knowing these limitations helped us know exactly what to look for in a proxy provider that can perfectly replace Shifter.io, that’s where the list below came from.
Our verdict
Overall, Shifter is a workable option for traffic-heavy use cases, but its limitations are increasingly difficult to ignore, especially given the costly pricing. The limitations we’ve mentioned show that this provider is not suitable for teams that need flexibility and long-term scalability.
Listed: The best 10 Shifted alternatives in the market right now (2026)
The top Shifter alternatives in 2026 are Floppydata, SOAX, ProxyScrape, Smartproxy, and Bright Data.
Other options worth mentioning are IPBurger, MangoProxy, IPCola, Oxylabs, and ProxyJet.
How we selected the best Shifter alternatives
Our main focus when building this list was on what teams hate most about Shifter, and what they need most when they start scaling. Here’s what we looked at:
- IP quality and fraud score stability
- Connection speed and consistency
- Targeting flexibility
- Pricing transparency
- Scalability
- Real-world reliability
- Support quality
FYI: While this list of alternatives isn’t strictly ranked, we intentionally placed the strongest option first, as it clearly stands out as the best alternative overall.
1. Floppydata – the best overall Shifter alternative
Let’s not waste any more time and start with the best Shifter alternative out there: Floppydata.
Floppydata is a modern proxy provider that offers residential, mobile, datacenter, and ISP proxies, rather than focusing only on residential or ISP proxies like Shifter does.
It’s built for users who want:
- High IP quality
- Full targeting flexibility
- Transparent pricing
- And real human support.
The platform gives users access to 65M+ IPs across 195+ countries, with precise city-level targeting, automatic rotation, and sticky sessions when needed, which is noticeably more advanced than what Shifter offers.
Its IP quality is competitive, with an average response time that stays below 0.3 seconds, uptime that sits at 99.99%, and IP cleanliness consistently tests that are often above 95%.
All this with a comfortable pricing structure – unlike Shifter’s older port-based model, Floppydata uses a straightforward per-GB and per-IP pricing model, so it’s easier to scale and way more flexible.
Another area where Floppydata excels compared to Shifter is support. Floppydata provides 24/7 real human assistance on all plans, including live chat and Telegram, while Shifter constantly receives complaints about its bad customer support, which is neither responsive nor helpful.
Key Features
|
Feature |
Description |
|
Proxy types |
Residential, Mobile, Datacenter, ISP |
|
IP pool size |
65M+ clean IPs |
|
Locations |
195+ countries with city-level targeting |
|
Rotation |
Automatic rotation + sticky sessions |
|
Speed |
<0.3s average response time |
|
Uptime |
99.99% guaranteed |
|
Authentication |
IP whitelist and credentials |
|
Integrations |
GoLogin, Multilogin, AdsPower, Playwright |
|
Support |
24/7 human support (no AI bots) |
Unique Floppydata features that make a big difference
All the tools mentioned below are free to use with no sign-up needed:
- Website Checker: This tool allows you to test a website with Floppydata’s proxies before spending any traffic. The steps are simple: just enter a URL, select the proxy type and location, and then you’ll know whether the site works with Floppydata’s proxies or not, along with information about the HTTP status, exit IP, precise location (city-level), ASN, and even a live fraud score.
- Fingerprint & IP location checking tools: Want to know exactly what personal information websites see about you? Floppydata offers 8 tools that can tell you everything you need to know.
- Free Proxy Server List: With no charge and with no strings attached, you can benefit from Floppydata’s list of free proxies – with 1500 fresh IPs added daily – that you can use for online privacy purposes, security enhancement, or even to bypass geo-restrictions.
- Proxy Traffic Calculator: This is another interesting free tool Floppydata offers, which will tell you approximately how much traffic you actually need depending on your use case, whether it’s data collection, social media management, affiliate & ads, e-commerce, or many other purposes you can use proxies for. This will mostly help you choose the adequate plan depending on the results.
- Proxy Type Selector: This tool helps you choose the right proxy server for your specific needs. After answering a short questionnaire, the tool will give the proxy setup that will work best for you.
Some providers offer these tools, but behind a paywall, while others don’t offer them at all. Floppydata takes another approach: it offers these features for free so its users can have a secure online experience, can verify real-world proxy performance, and make smarter spending decisions before committing traffic.
Pros vs. Cons
|
Pros |
Cons |
|
Very large and clean IP pool |
Newer compared to Shifter |
|
City-level targeting included |
ISP proxies priced per IP (not per GB) |
|
Flat, transparent pricing |
|
|
Excellent speed and uptime |
|
|
Real 24/7 human support |
Pricing
Floppydata uses flat-rate pricing with no port limits, no forced upgrades, or any hidden fees.
- Residential proxy: Starts at $1/GB
- Mobile proxy: Starts at $1/GB
- Datacenter proxy: Starts at $0.6/GB
- ISP Proxies: Starts at $5/IP
Custom pricing and discounts are available for higher volumes, and there are no long-term commitments required.
Why switch from Shifter to Floppydata?
If you want to remove operational friction, then switching from Shifter to Floppydata makes sense. It replaces Shifter’s rigid pricing and bad support experience with clear costs, better performances, and a customer support team that actually cares.
Our verdict
For most teams in 2026, Floppydata delivers everything Shifter does well, while fixing all the issues that push users to look for an alternative in the first place.
2. SOAX
The second alternative to Shifter we’ll talk about is SOAX.
It’s a UK-based proxy provider that offers a large residential proxy network and good targeting options. While residential proxies are its core offering, SOAX also provides mobile, US ISP, and datacenter proxies, so when it comes to data collection and automation, it’s more of a flexible option than Shifter.
It accesses 191M+ residential IPs across 195 countries, which is significantly larger than Shifter’s pool, and which also results in better IP rotation depth and lower reuse rates. Fraud scores also tend to be lower than Shifter’s, especially when using residential and mobile proxies.
That said, SOAX is not perfect and without drawbacks. It’s not the fastest provider out there, and pricing also can become a turn off for some people.
Key Features
|
Feature |
Description |
|
Proxy types |
Residential, Mobile, US ISP, Datacenter |
|
IP pool size |
191M+ residential IPs |
|
Locations |
195 countries worldwide |
|
Targeting |
Country, state, city, ISP |
|
Rotation |
Per-request, sticky, or timed (90-600s) |
|
Protocols |
HTTP, HTTPS, SOCKS5 |
|
Fraud score |
Generally low on residential & mobile IPs |
|
API access |
Available |
Pros vs. Cons
|
Pros |
Cons |
|
Very large residential IP pool (191M+ IPs) |
Expensive at scale compared to modern flat-rate providers |
|
Lower fraud score than Shifter on residential IPs |
Slower average speeds than Floppydata |
|
Advanced targeting (city, state, ISP) |
Pay-as-you-go pricing comes at a premium |
|
No port-based or concurrency limits |
Not ideal for traffic-heavy scraping workloads |
|
Flexible rotation options (sticky & per-request) |
Value drops significantly for high-bandwidth usage |
Pricing
- Residential Proxies: from $3.60/GB
- Mobile Proxies: from $3.60/GB
- US ISP Proxies: from $3.00/GB
- Datacenter Proxies: from $0.62/GB
- Pay-as-you-go: $4/GB
Our Verdict
SOAX is clearly a step up from Shifter and can be very appealing for teams who care about IP cleanliness, targeting depth, and low fraud scores. Only the pricing and the average speed could make someone skip this option. If that’s the case for you, then other alternatives from this list would be better suited for you.
3. ProxyScrape
Next up is ProxyScrape:
Known for its datacenter proxy inventory, it offers up to 40,000 proxies, most of which are residential. It supports HTTP and SOCKS5 and promises high uptime. So it is generally considered a practical pick for users who need a lot of datacenter IPs without a complex setup.
ProxyScrape is simpler and more basic compared to Shifter because it focuses on ready-to-use proxy lists and straightforward plans. You get many IPs, fast setup, and unlimited concurrent connections, all for a low price.
The trade-offs are fraud score and detectability, which are typically more of a concern with datacenter proxies. Also, at high bandwidth volumes, their residential pricing can be expensive.
Key Features
|
Feature |
Description |
|
Proxy types |
Residential (rotating), Datacenter (“Premium”), Dedicated |
|
Datacenter pool size |
Up to ~40,000 proxies |
|
Residential pool size |
10M+ to 55M+ claimed (varies by source) |
|
Locations |
140+ countries (varies by plan/type) |
|
Protocols |
HTTP, SOCKS5 |
|
Uptime |
99.9% uptime guarantee |
|
Concurrency |
Unlimited concurrent connections (datacenter plans) |
|
Speed signals |
Residential advertised around ~0.8s response time; dedicated up to 1Gbps |
Pros vs. Cons
|
Pros |
Cons |
|
Large datacenter proxy supply for bulk use |
Datacenter proxies usually have a higher fraud score profile vs residential/mobile |
|
HTTP + SOCKS5 support |
No clear, published fraud score or “clean IP” transparency |
|
Unlimited concurrent connections |
Residential pricing is expensive for high traffic ($/GB adds up fast) |
|
Simple plans and easy access to proxies |
Residential pool size claims vary depending on the source |
|
Dedicated proxies available for more stability |
Less ideal for sensitive targets compared to higher-trust providers |
Pricing
There are many ways you can pay ProxyScrape, it offers more flexibility when it comes to pricing:
- Premium plans: start at $25/month for 1000 proxies
- Dedicated Datacenter proxies: from $9.50 for 5 proxies
- Unlimited Residential Proxies: from $296 for one day
- Residential Proxies: from $20.5 for 5GB (30 days)
- Mobile Proxies: from $20.5 for 5GB (30 days)
Our Verdict
ProxyScrape is a workable Shifter alternative if what you’re looking for is a cheap option with high-volume datacenter proxies. The only thing to note is that it can be delicate for hard targets, a bit unsafe too.
4. Smartproxy (now Decodo)
Now we’ll talk about Decodo, which was once called Smartproxy, and which is loved by beginners:
It focuses more on ease of use and predictable performance, so if you’re a team who just wants to get started quickly, Smartproxy would be great for you.
It has an IP pool of 65M+ across 195 locations worldwide, with a broad range of proxy types, including residential, ISP, mobile, datacenter, and dedicated datacenter proxies. Rotation is flexible, and fraud score is generally lower and more stable than Shifter’s.
It offers a bandwidth-based pricing model, so the port-based limitations don’t exist with Smartproxy (Decodo).
Its average response time is around 0.46 seconds, which is not the fastest on the market, but not many people are bothered by it.
The only turn off would be the fact that costs can rise noticeably at higher traffic volumes, especially for mobile and static residential proxies.
Key Features
|
Feature |
Description |
|
Proxy types |
Residential, Mobile, ISP, Datacenter, Dedicated DC |
|
Residential IP pool |
65M+ IPs |
|
Mobile IP pool |
10M+ IPs (160+ countries) |
|
Datacenter IPs |
500K+ IPs |
|
Locations |
195+ countries |
|
Targeting |
Country, state, city |
|
Average speed |
~0.46s response time |
|
Success rate |
~99.68% |
|
Protocols |
HTTP, HTTPS, SOCKS5 |
Pros vs. Cons
|
Pros |
Cons |
|
Cleaner residential IPs than Shifter |
More expensive than Shifter at high traffic volumes |
|
Simple, user-friendly dashboard |
Mobile and static plans are costly |
|
Flexible rotation and targeting |
Speed not top-tier compared to Floppydata |
|
No port-based restrictions |
Occasional geolocation inaccuracies |
|
3-day free trial available |
Limited value for heavy bandwidth users |
Pricing
- Residential proxies: from $3.00/GB
- Datacenter proxies: from $0.60/GB
- Static residential proxies: from $13.00/GB
- Mobile proxies: from $7.50/GB
Our Verdict
Smartproxy, or Decodo, is a clear improvement over Shifter and a solid choice for beginners who just want to start right away. However, for more advanced tasks and top-tier speeds, we think you’d better use another option from this list.
5. Bright Data
Fifth on the list is Bright Data, which has huge IP pools and global coverage.
If you’re used to Shifter, Bright Data may seem like a huge platform in comparison. It sells 150M+ residential IPs across 195 countries, plus 1.3M+ ISP proxies, 1.3M+ datacenter proxies, and 7M+ mobile IPs. It also supports strong targeting options like country, state, city, ASN, and more (depending on the network).
So yes, using Bright Data will feel like a big step up from Shifter, but keep in mind that these big numbers will also come with a big price tag. Not only that, but onboarding and compliance can be stricter than simpler providers.
Key Features
|
Feature |
Description |
|
Proxy types |
Residential, Mobile, ISP (static residential), Datacenter |
|
Residential IP pool |
150M+ |
|
Mobile IP pool |
7M+ |
|
Datacenter IP pool |
1.3M+ |
|
ISP proxy pool |
1.3M+ |
|
Locations |
195 countries |
|
Targeting |
Country, state, city, ASN (varies by proxy type) |
|
Rotation & sessions |
Rotating available, sessions supported |
|
Protocols |
HTTP, HTTPS, SOCKS5 |
|
Claimed uptime and success |
99.99% uptime, 99.95% success rate |
Pros vs. Cons
|
Pros |
Cons |
|
Huge IP pools across all major proxy types |
Premium pricing can get expensive fast |
|
Strong global coverage |
Not as beginner-friendly as simpler providers |
|
Supports advanced targeting (ASN, carrier, etc.) |
Stricter compliance and usage policies |
|
Generally solid performance infrastructure |
Fraud score can vary by pool (US can look “hotter” than global) |
|
Works well for large, structured proxy operations |
Overkill if you only need small traffic and basic rotation |
Pricing
- Residential: from $8/GB
- Datacenter: from $1.4/IP
- ISP: from $1.8/IP
- Mobile: from $8/GB
Our Verdict
Bright Data can beat Shifter on infrastructure and options, but it’s not the most cost-friendly pick. If you want the best balance of IP quality, speed, and pricing that scales cleanly, other safer recommendations have been mentioned in this guide.
6. IPBurger
Next up is IPBurger:
IPBurger is a proxy provider that focuses on all-in-one access by offering multiple proxy types under one roof. It doesn’t only push one network, but instead it sells rotating residential, static ISP, mobile proxies, and dedicated datacenter IPs. So if your team has mixed needs, it’s a really good option.
It has a 100M+ residential IP pool covering 195 countries, so it is way larger and more flexible than Shifter.
The main drawback of IPBurger is its pricing. For example, their residential plan lands around $11 per GB, which is far above the typical range for that usage level. Another drawback is that there is no pay-as-you-go option. So it’s not ideal for short runs or low traffic testing.
Key Features
|
Feature |
Description |
|
Proxy types |
Rotating residential, Static ISP, Mobile, Dedicated datacenter |
|
Residential IP pool |
100M+ |
|
Locations |
195 countries |
|
Rotation & sessions |
Rotating supported, unlimited concurrent sessions |
|
Free trial |
No |
|
Support |
24/7 customer support |
|
Pay-as-you-go |
No |
|
Money-back guarantee |
No |
Pros vs. Cons
|
Pros |
Cons |
|
Very large residential pool (100M+) |
Residential pricing is expensive (example works out to ~$11/GB) |
|
Multiple proxy types available |
No pay-as-you-go for short projects |
|
Wide geo coverage (195 countries) |
No free trial |
|
Unlimited concurrent sessions (claimed) |
No money-back guarantees |
|
24/7 support |
Limited transparency on IP sourcing |
Pricing
- Static Residential Proxies: from $14.41/month
- Fresh Dedicated IPs: from $9.58/month
- Private Dedicated IPs: from $4.58/month
- Residential Proxies: from $79/month
- Mobile Proxies: from $99/month
Our Verdict
IPBurger can work if budget isn’t a constraint and you want stable access, but it’s not the best “value upgrade” from Shifter as other options are.
7. MangoProxy
Do you want a budget-friendly proxy provider? You’d probably like MangoProxy.
MangoProxy targets users who don’t want long-term contracts. It offers both pay-per-GB and pay-per-IP models, and covers residential, dynamic ISP, static ISP, and data center proxies. So, not only is it cheaper, but it is also more flexible than Shifter.
It covers 200+ locations, with 90M+ IPs. It supports HTTP(S) and SOCKS5, and its pricing starts at $0.6 per GB, which is significantly cheaper than Shifter’s entry point.
That said, you must know that MangoProxy prioritizes price and scale over refinement. It is not a secret that cheap pricing means bad quality. So, for sensitive targets, it’s not that ideal.
Key Features
|
Feature |
Description |
|
Proxy types |
Residential, Dynamic ISP, Static ISP, Datacenter |
|
IP pool size |
90M+ |
|
Locations |
200+ countries |
|
Targeting |
Country, state, city, ASN |
|
Protocols |
HTTP(S), SOCKS5 |
|
IP rotation |
Automatic (dynamic pools), API-controlled |
|
Concurrent sessions |
Unlimited |
|
Free trial |
No |
|
Pay-as-you-go |
Yes (per GB) |
|
Support |
24/7 (Telegram + email) |
Pros vs. Cons
|
Pros |
Cons |
|
Very low entry pricing (from $0.6/GB) |
Limited transparency on IP sourcing |
|
Huge IP pool across 200+ locations |
IP quality can vary by region |
|
Unlimited threads and bandwidth |
No free trial |
|
Flexible pricing models (GB or IP) |
Less predictable fraud scores on strict targets |
|
Fast setup and instant delivery |
Not ideal for high-trust or enterprise use cases |
Pricing
- Residential proxies: from $2/GB
- Dynamic ISP proxies: from $0.8/GB
- Datacenter proxies: from $0.6/GB
- Static ISP proxies: from $2.1/IP
- Static datacenter proxies: from $2.1/IP
Our Verdict
Mango Proxy is a cost-efficient alternative to Shifter, not a premium one. It’s useful if you care about volume and speed, but if your priority is consistently clean IPs with minimal risk, you might want to skip this one.
8. IPCola
IPCola focuses on large-scale residential and data center proxy access. Let’s find out more about it.
It emphasizes compliance, uptime, and draw performance. It markets itself as a premium but affordable solution, offering rotating, static, and direct-connect proxies that work perfectly for scraping, SEO, ad verification, and automation use cases.
It has access to 100M+ active IPs across 195+ countries, with very fast average response times of around 0.1 seconds. It also offers unlimited concurrent sessions, supports both HTTP and SOCKS5, and offers country, state, city, and ISP-level targeting, which already puts it ahead of Shifter.
However, while the numbers look strong, independent data on fraud scores and long-term IP cleanliness is limited.
Key Features
|
Feature |
Description |
|
Proxy types |
Rotating, Static, Direct Connect (Residential + Datacenter) |
|
IP pool size |
100M+ |
|
Locations |
195+ countries |
|
Targeting |
Country, state, city, ISP |
|
Protocols |
HTTP, SOCKS5 |
|
Average response time |
~0.1s |
|
Concurrent sessions |
Unlimited |
|
Uptime |
99.9% |
|
Free trial |
Yes |
|
Payment methods |
Card, cryptocurrency |
|
Support |
24/7 |
Pros vs. Cons
|
Pros |
Cons |
|
Large global IP pool (100M+) |
Limited transparency on IP sourcing |
|
Very fast response times |
Unclear fraud score benchmarks |
|
Simple pricing vs Shifter’s port-based model |
Less proven on high-risk targets |
|
Unlimited concurrent sessions |
Feature set is basic compared to top-tier providers |
|
Crypto payments supported |
Not the best choice for ultra-sensitive use cases |
Pricing
- Rotating proxies: from $0.8/GB
- Static IPs: from $1.2/month
- Direct connect IPs: from $1.8/month
Our Verdict
IPCola would be a practical Shifter alternative for users who want speed and simplicity. But if your priority is consistently clean IPs with predictable fraud scores at both low and high traffic levels, other, more reliable choices exist.
9. Oxylabs
Founded in 2015, Oxylabs is positioned in the premium and enterprise-grade segment.
It’s known for its massive residential proxy network of around 177M+ IPs across 195+ countries, covering residential, mobile, ISP, and data center proxies.
It has a strong performance overall, with an average response time that’s almost always under 0.5 seconds and a reported 99.61% success rate.
The main drawback of Oxylabs is its pricing, which is not built for budget-conscious users or small teams at all.
Key Features
|
Feature |
Oxylabs |
|
IP pool size |
177M+ |
|
Proxy types |
Residential, Mobile, Datacenter, ISP |
|
Locations |
195+ countries |
|
Targeting |
Country, city (varies by plan) |
|
Protocols |
HTTP(S), SOCKS5 |
|
Avg. response time |
< 0.5s |
|
Success rate |
99.61% |
|
Bandwidth limits |
Unlimited |
|
Free trial |
$1 risk-free trial |
|
Support |
24/7 |
|
G2 rating |
4.5 |
Pros vs. Cons
|
Pros |
Cons |
|
Extremely large and stable IP pool |
Expensive for low-volume users |
|
Strong IP quality vs Shifter |
Residential traffic costs are high |
|
Fast and consistent connection speeds |
Discounts require long commitments |
|
Reliable for large-scale scraping |
Overkill for simple proxy needs |
|
Enterprise-grade support & docs |
Not flexible for short-term projects |
Pricing
- Residential proxies: $8/GB (down to ~$4/GB with long-term plans)
- Mobile proxies: $9/GB
- Datacenter proxies: $1.2/IP
- ISP proxies: $1.6/IP
Our Verdict
Oxylabs is a strong Shifter alternative for enterprises that prioritize IP quality over cost. For teams that are not ready for an enterprise-level spend, skip this option.
10. ProxyJet
Last but not least, ProxyJet, which is a newer proxy provider that’s simple, relatively cheap, and focuses on performance-first residential proxies.
ProxyJet offers residential, static residential, mobile, and data center proxies with a clear usage-based model that avoids Shifter’s port-based limitations.
ProxyJet offers 75M+ residential IPs, covering 180 locations, with average response times of around 0.3 seconds and a 99.9% success rate.
The biggest standout difference from Shifter is ProxyJet’s 365-day traffic validity, which means unused bandwidth doesn’t expire monthly. Another perk is that it doesn’t charge for failed requests, which can reduce waste on unstable targets.
That said, ProxyJet is still a relatively young provider compared to Shifter, so while performance metrics are strong, there’s less long-term data on fraud score.
Key Features
|
Feature |
ProxyJet |
|
IP pool size |
75M+ |
|
Proxy types |
Rotating Residential, Static Residential, Mobile, Datacenter |
|
Locations |
180 |
|
Protocols |
HTTP, SOCKS5 |
|
Avg. response time |
~0.3s |
|
Success rate |
99.9% |
|
Traffic validity |
365 days |
|
Concurrent sessions |
Unlimited |
|
Support |
24/7 |
Pros vs. Cons
|
Pros |
Cons |
|
Very competitive pricing per GB |
Less established than Shifter |
|
1-year traffic validity |
Limited historical data on fraud scores |
|
Fast connection speeds |
Smaller pool than top-tier providers |
|
No charge for failed requests |
Advanced targeting options are limited |
|
Simple, self-serve platform |
Not ideal for ultra-sensitive targets |
Pricing
- Rotating residential proxies: from $1.04/GB
- Static residential proxies: from $1.80/GB
- Mobile proxies: from $2.90/GB
- Datacenter proxies: from $0.32/GB
Our Verdict
ProxyJet is a strong budget-friendly Shifter alternative. Still, for teams that need consistently clean IPs across all geos with better stability at scale, it’s not the safest long-term option.
Final Thoughts
Shifter.io has many limitations that many modern proxy providers have overcome a long time ago. Most complaints are about its rigid pricing structure, its limited proxy types and targeting options, and its non-responsive support. These things are basic needs that other providers offer as a norm, and for that price, users expected better from Shifter.
We’ve made this complete list of the top 10 Shifter alternatives focusing on competitors that not only solve these issues, but also for a better price. And among all the options we’ve talked about, Floppydata stands out with clean IPs, fast & stable connections, modern targeting, and real people on support that work 24/7, all offered at a reasonable price. If you’re ready to leave Shifter behind, you can try Floppydata for just $1 today.
FAQ
What are the best Shifter.io alternatives?
The best Shifter.io alternatives are Floppydata, SOAX, Smartproxy, Bright Data, Oxylabs, ProxyJet, MangoProxy, IPCola, IPBurger, and ProxyScrape.
What is the best Shifter alternative in 2026?
Floppydata is the best Shifter alternative in 2026. It offers cleaner IPs, faster speeds, flexible targeting, transparent pricing, and real 24/7 human support, which clearly feels like a huge upgrade compared to Shifter.
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