The right replacement depends on what you used it for. If you only need IPs, a proxy network will do. If you want pages turned into data, a scraping API fits. If you'd rather not build at all, a managed service or a library of ready-made scrapers saves the work. Whichever you pick, ask where its residential IPs come from.
Bright Data sells web data infrastructure: tools to search, crawl, extract and act across the public web. It covers a lot of ground, which suits big data teams and is often more than a small team will ever use.
If you're a smaller team moving on, the useful first step is naming the part you relied on. Was it the proxies, the scraping API, or the finished data? The nine providers below each centre on one of those, and they're listed in no particular order.
Nine providers in one table
| Tool | Built around | Choose it for |
|---|---|---|
| Apify | Library of ready-made scrapers | Jobs someone has already built a scraper for |
| Crawlbase | Crawling API | Scraping without running browsers or proxies |
| DataImpulse | Proxy network | Geo-targeted requests over HTTP or SOCKS5 |
| Decodo | Proxies plus a web data API | Every proxy type plus a data API |
| Geonode | Proxies plus a scraper API | Residential proxies from the vendor's own network |
| Nimble | Web search agents | Structured data for AI and analytics |
| Oxylabs | Proxies plus scraper and search APIs | A large proxy pool with APIs for AI agents |
| SOAX | Proxy network | Rotation and selection handled for you |
| Zyte | Scraping API plus managed data delivery | Teams who might hand the work over |
Four shapes of web data provider
Proxy networks. SOAX and DataImpulse sell access to IPs and leave the scraping to you. One handles rotation and selection inside a single system; the other leads on worldwide coverage and geo-targeting over HTTP or SOCKS5.
Proxies with an API on top. Oxylabs, Decodo and Geonode give you proxies plus a scraping or data API, so you can start with raw IPs and move up a level when blocks get annoying. The first leans on AI agent use cases, the second covers every proxy type in one account, and the third says its residential network is its own.
Scraping and crawling APIs. Crawlbase and Nimble hide the proxies completely. You ask for pages or results and get data back, with one offering a Web MCP Server for AI tools and the other using search agents to turn the live web into structured data.
Done for you. Zyte offers a team that delivers the data, as well as APIs for your own developers. Apify takes another route: a big library of ready-to-run scrapers, so many common jobs need no custom code at all.
Best for, provider by provider
Alphabetical, and in no particular order.
Apify
Best for: Teams who'd rather run a ready-made scraper or automation for lead generation or competitor tracking than write and maintain their own.
Crawlbase
Best for: Developers who want a crawling API, managed scrapers and an AI proxy, plus a Web MCP Server for AI tools, with no browsers or proxies to maintain (vendor claim).
DataImpulse
Best for: Smaller projects that need proxies with worldwide coverage, HTTP and SOCKS5 support, and flexible geo-targeting by location.
Decodo
Best for: Buyers who want residential, mobile, ISP and datacenter proxies in one account alongside a Web Data API; the company was previously called Smartproxy.
Geonode
Best for: Small teams wanting residential proxies from a provider that says it runs its own network, with a Scraper API for when proxies alone aren't enough.
Nimble
Best for: AI and analytics teams that want the live web turned into structured data by purpose-built search agents, rather than managing raw proxies.
Oxylabs
Best for: Companies collecting public web data at scale through a large proxy network plus scraping and search APIs built for AI agents and applications (vendor claim).
SOAX
Best for: Developers who want IP rotation and selection handled in one connected system, which the vendor says shortens the path each request travels.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
Zyte
Best for: Anyone weighing up in-house scrapers against having a vendor's team deliver the data, since it offers both routes from one company.
My advice on picking a scraping provider
Buy the smallest layer that does the job. If your developers already have working scrapers and just need clean IPs, a proxy network is enough. If they're spending their week fighting blocks, move up to an API. If nobody on the team wants to maintain scrapers at all, look at managed delivery or a ready-made scraper.
Whatever you scrape, check the site's terms and the data protection rules that apply to you. Rules on scraping and personal data vary by country, so take guidance from the relevant regulator if personal data is involved. My list of SERP APIs covers search results specifically, and my roundup of Firecrawl alternatives looks at tools that turn pages into AI-ready text.
Where do the residential IPs come from?
Proxy buyers compare pool sizes and country lists. Very few ask the question that matters more: where did these residential IPs come from, and did the people behind them opt in? Residential proxies route your traffic through real household connections. If those users never agreed, you're relying on a network that could be shut down, and your project is tied to it.
Providers can vanish overnight. NetNut, a name often listed in this category, now shows only a notice reading 'Seized by the Federal Bureau of Investigation' on its website, which is why it isn't on this list.
Ask every shortlisted provider these questions in writing:
- Where do your residential IPs come from?
- How do the people behind them opt in, and how can they opt out?
- What happens to my account if part of your network is shut down?
- Can I take my settings and usage logs with me if I leave?
Then build in two habits. Keep your scraper code provider-agnostic, so proxies and APIs sit behind settings you can change in an afternoon. And don't prepay a year with any provider, however good the deal looks; going month to month keeps you free to move.
Do you make proxies, a scraping API or web data tools? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between a proxy network and a scraping API?
A proxy network gives you IPs and leaves the scraping to your code. A scraping API handles proxies, retries and often rendering, and returns the page or the data to you.
Is web scraping legal?
It depends on what you collect, how you collect it and where you are. Rules on personal data and website terms vary by country, so check with the relevant regulator or a lawyer before scraping personal data.
What should I ask a residential proxy provider?
Ask where its residential IPs come from, whether the users opted in and how they can opt out. Get the answers in writing before you commit.
Can I avoid writing scrapers altogether?
Yes. Some providers deliver the data for you, and others offer libraries of ready-made scrapers for common jobs such as lead lists and competitor tracking.
How do I make switching providers easier later?
Keep proxy and API settings outside your scraper code, avoid long prepaid commitments, and keep your own copy of the data you've collected.
