Decodo alternatives
Best Decodo alternatives in 2026
Decodo (the provider formerly known as Smartproxy) is the mainstream value pick: a friendly dashboard, decent per-GB rates at volume, and extras like a site unblocker. It earns its popularity. But its wallet top-ups, KYC checks, and volume-tiered pricing add friction that smaller buyers often want to skip. These are the alternatives they compare.
Why people look for Decodo alternatives
Wallet friction
Pay-as-you-go runs through a wallet you top up first, buying traffic a gigabyte at a time — and you cannot run a subscription and pay-as-you-go side by side. Some buyers want one plan, one checkout.
Verification and process
Decodo runs a KYC process and payment processing through a merchant-of-record provider. That is normal for the mainstream — but it is still more process than an email signup.
Best rates need volume
The attractive $2/GB rate sits on the 1 TB tier. Smaller plans run $3.75–$4/GB before VAT, so light users pay the highest unit price on the ladder.
IPStation vs Decodo, head to head
The numbers that actually decide a purchase — entry price, trial, and what it takes to get started.
| Compared on | IPStation | Decodo |
|---|---|---|
| Residential entry price | From $2.50/GB (2 GB plan at $4.99) — one flat rate | From $3.75/GB on the 3 GB plan; $4/GB pay-as-you-go; ~$2/GB only at 1 TB, plus VAT |
| Free trial | 200 MB residential traffic — no card, no auto-charge, ever | 100 MB / 3 days — auto-converts to a paid plan unless cancelled |
| Signup requirements | Email only. Verify, and the trial is live | Account plus KYC verification steps; payments processed via Paddle |
| Static ISP pricing | From $3.99 per IP / month | ISP proxies available from low per-IP entry pricing — check current tiers |
| Traffic expiry | Never expires | Non-expiring credits on current plans |
| Minimum spend | None — $4.99 plan or the free trial | None on pay-as-you-go (wallet top-up per GB) |
| Payment methods | USDT on TRON, paid directly on-chain | Cards, PayPal, Alipay, Google Pay, Apple Pay; crypto on most products (not ISP/datacenter per-IP) |
| Product range | Dynamic residential, dynamic mobile, static ISP, datacenter | Residential, mobile, ISP, datacenter, site unblocker, scraping APIs, AI tools |
Decodo prices are listed before VAT on their pricing pages, and per-GB rates depend heavily on plan size. Confirm the current figures and trial terms on their site before comparing totals.
The honest split
No provider wins everything. Here is where each one genuinely comes out ahead.
Where Decodo still wins
- •User experience: a genuinely beginner-friendly dashboard and documentation, plus free tools bundled with subscriptions.
- •Managed extras: site unblocker and scraping APIs if you would rather rent unblocking logic than build retry handling yourself.
- •Scale of claimed pool (115M+ IPs) and a mainstream brand with years of public reviews.
Where IPStation wins
- Flat pricing from the first gigabyte: $2.50/GB at entry, no 1 TB commitment needed for a fair rate.
- No wallet, no KYC queue, no auto-converting trial — email signup and you are testing in minutes.
- The price you see is final: USDT checkout has no VAT added on top.
- 200 MB free trial — double Decodo's 100 MB, with no card attached.
Decodo is a strong default for teams that want a polished, mainstream platform and will use its unblocker or APIs. If your buying criteria are simpler — flat low pricing at small volumes, zero-friction signup, and a trial that cannot convert into a charge — IPStation is the leaner alternative.
Common questions
Yes — Decodo is Smartproxy's new name since its April 2025 rebrand. Same team and network, refreshed brand and product lineup.
At entry volumes, yes: IPStation's residential starts at $2.50/GB flat, versus Decodo's $3.75/GB smallest plan or $4/GB pay-as-you-go (both before VAT). At very high volumes Decodo's per-GB rate drops toward $2/GB — if you genuinely use a terabyte a month, run the totals on both.
Decodo describes a KYC verification process in its own FAQ, and payments run through its merchant-of-record provider. IPStation requires only an email address to sign up and start a free trial; payment is USDT on-chain.
For small or intermittent projects, look for flat pricing, non-expiring traffic, and a real free trial — that combination keeps a side project at near-zero cost until it grows. IPStation is built around exactly that: $4.99 entry, traffic that never expires, 200 MB free.
Test it against your real targets — free
Every new account gets 200 MB of residential traffic, no card required. Run the same jobs you run today and compare success rates before you spend anything.