Two datacenter specialists
Both providers started with datacenter proxies: Rayobyte as Blazing SEO, Webshare with its configurable proxy lists. Today they sell them differently. See datacenter proxies.
Side by side
| Rayobyte | Webshare | |
|---|---|---|
| Shared lists | Semi-dedicated: up to 3 users per IP, from $1/IP | Shared from $2.99 per 100 IPs |
| Private | No separate tier | Private tier (few users per IP) |
| Dedicated | Static datacenter, 29 countries, per-country pricing | Dedicated tier |
| Rotating per GB | $0.30 to $0.23/GB PAYG; monthly about 1 cent | No per-GB rotating pool; backbone rotates across your list |
| Bandwidth | Unmetered (fair use) | Allowance you choose, up to unlimited |
| Threads | Not capped per plan on static | Thread count chosen at checkout |
| Discounts | Volume 15% to 25%, prepay 5% to 15% | Volume tiers, yearly billing up to about 30% off |
At the time of writing.
Price per IP: Webshare
Webshare's shared lists cost about 3 cents per IP per month, and even its higher tiers are cheap. For spreading light requests over hundreds or thousands of IPs, nothing in Rayobyte's catalog comes close on price. See Webshare datacenter proxies and cheap datacenter proxies.
Sharing rules: Rayobyte is explicit
Rayobyte's semi-dedicated IPs have a clear cap of three users per IP. Webshare's shared IPs are shared more widely, and its private tier is shared with a very small number of users. If reputation matters, compare Rayobyte semi-dedicated with Webshare private. See shared vs semi-dedicated compared.
Rotation per GB: Rayobyte
If you want a rotating datacenter pool billed by traffic instead of a list, only Rayobyte sells one. It suits bursty workloads and pre-checks. See Rayobyte rotating datacenter proxies.
Residential tip: A common split is Webshare for cheap per-IP lists and Rayobyte for residential traffic, mobile IPs or managed scraping. Our Rayobyte static datacenter proxies covers each Rayobyte product.
Bandwidth
Rayobyte's static IPs are unmetered by default. Webshare plans include a bandwidth allowance you choose, up to unlimited under fair use; heavier allowances raise the price.
Which to choose
| Need | Better fit |
|---|---|
| Cheapest IPs for lenient sites | Webshare shared |
| Strictly capped sharing | Rayobyte semi-dedicated |
| Dedicated IPs in many countries | Compare both |
| Rotating datacenter billed per GB | Rayobyte |
| Heavy bandwidth through few IPs | Rayobyte (unmetered) |
With Geonode: datacenter across all three.
A real-world example
An SEO tool vendor runs 2 million light requests a month against search and public data endpoints. It needs many IPs at low cost and doesn't care which IP serves which request. A Webshare list of 2,000 shared IPs costs about $50 a month and spreads the load to around 1,000 requests per IP per month. A competitor that pushes heavy downloads through just 20 IPs prefers Rayobyte's dedicated datacenter IPs, because unmetered bandwidth means its terabytes cost the same as megabytes.
Decision checklist
- Need many IPs for light traffic? Webshare shared lists.
- Need a strict cap on sharing? Rayobyte semi-dedicated (3 users max) or Webshare private.
- Heavy traffic through few IPs? Rayobyte unmetered static IPs.
- Bursty traffic you'd rather pay for per GB? Rayobyte rotating datacenter.
Budget tip: To test the Webshare side of this comparison, start with Webshare's free plan: 10 datacenter proxies and 1 GB a month with no card. See Webshare datacenter proxies.
Pros and cons for datacenter
Rayobyte
- Unmetered dedicated IPs in 29 countries.
- Semi-dedicated IPs with a three-user cap.
- Per-GB rotating datacenter pool.
- Much higher price per IP.
Webshare
- About 3 cents per shared IP.
- Private and dedicated tiers.
- Configurable bandwidth, threads and countries.
- Wider sharing on the cheapest tier.
Bottom line
Webshare is the default for cheap datacenter lists. Rayobyte earns its place for unmetered heavy traffic, capped sharing and per-GB rotation.
Rayobyte, Geonode and Webshare are three options among many. Our best proxies in 2026 guide explains how to match a proxy type to each task, and cheap proxies that work shows where budget providers fit.
Proxy tip: If your residential usage goes up and down, compare Geonode: its per-GB residential bandwidth doesn't expire, so you only pay for what you use. See Geonode datacenter proxies.
Key takeaways
- Webshare is far cheaper per IP for shared lists.
- Rayobyte caps sharing at three users and offers unmetered static IPs.
- Only Rayobyte sells rotating datacenter per GB.
- Choose by price per IP vs bandwidth and sharing needs.
FAQ
Which datacenter proxies are cheaper?
Webshare per IP; Rayobyte per GB of rotating traffic.
Are Webshare shared proxies the same as Rayobyte semi-dedicated?
No. Rayobyte caps semi-dedicated IPs at three users; Webshare's shared IPs are shared more widely.
Which has unmetered bandwidth?
Rayobyte's static IPs by default; Webshare plans can be raised to unlimited.
Can I choose countries for datacenter IPs on both?
Yes. Rayobyte lists 29 countries for static datacenter IPs, and Webshare lets you pick locations at checkout.
Are datacenter proxies good enough for scraping?
On lenient sites, yes, and they're far cheaper. Move only blocked domains to ISP or residential.
How many datacenter IPs do I need?
Enough to keep each IP's request rate below what your targets tolerate; start small and scale.
Can I mix both providers' datacenter IPs?
Yes; many teams use Webshare lists by default and Rayobyte's rotating pool for bursts.
Sources and further reading
Independent references that back up the points above, from standards bodies, governments, universities and non-profits. They open in a new tab.
- Bandwidth (computing) (Wikipedia): What bandwidth means, the unit most residential proxies are priced by.
- hiQ Labs v. LinkedIn (9th Cir. 2022) (US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit): The appeals ruling on scraping publicly available profile data.
- Carrier-grade NAT (Wikipedia): How mobile carriers share one public IP between many users.
- IPv4 Depletion and Transfers (ARIN): Background on IPv4 run-out, which is why IPv4 proxies cost more than IPv6.
- Glossary: Proxy (NIST CSRC): NIST's definition of a proxy as an intermediary acting on behalf of a client.
Editorial note: Proxy providers change their pools, features and prices often, so treat any figures here as typical ranges at the time of writing and confirm current terms with the provider before you buy.