What research projects need
Market research collects public data across markets: prices, products, reviews, listings and trends. Projects are often time-boxed, data must reflect each market, and sources range from open data to well-defended sites. See market research proxies.
Side by side
| Rayobyte | Geonode | |
|---|---|---|
| Residential countries | 190+ | 150+ |
| Local targeting | State, city, ZIP, ASN, device OS | State, city, ASN |
| Open data sources | Rotating datacenter from $0.30/GB | Rotating datacenter |
| Hard sources | Web Unblocker, Scraping API | Scraper API |
| Site discovery | Bring your own URLs | Map and Crawl APIs |
| Project-based bandwidth | Confirm PAYG expiry terms | Residential doesn't expire |
At the time of writing.
Coverage
Rayobyte lists more countries and finer targeting, which matters for multi-market studies that include smaller markets or need ZIP-level data. Geonode's 150+ countries cover most commercial research.
Project economics
Research is bursty. Geonode's non-expiring bandwidth means leftover GB carries into the next project. With Rayobyte, use pay as you go and confirm expiry terms, and take advantage of tier thresholds when a project is large.
Residential tip: Many teams end up using more than one provider: Rayobyte for ZIP and ASN targeted residential traffic or its Scraping API, Geonode for non-expiring per-GB bandwidth and long sticky sessions. Start with Rayobyte for market research.
Discovery
Geonode's Map and Crawl APIs can map a site's URLs for you, useful when researching unfamiliar sources. With Rayobyte you discover URLs yourself.
Which to choose
| Situation | Better fit |
|---|---|
| Studies across many or smaller markets | Rayobyte |
| ZIP-level local research | Rayobyte |
| Bursty, project-based work | Geonode |
| Exploring unfamiliar sites | Geonode Map and Crawl APIs |
| Large open-data collection | Rayobyte datacenter |
See Rayobyte for market research and Geonode for market research. With Webshare: market research across all three.
A real-world example
A research agency runs a six-week study of consumer electronics prices in 20 countries, twice a year. It buys Geonode residential in one large block, which carries over between studies because it doesn't expire. For six smaller markets outside Geonode's coverage, it uses Rayobyte residential. Geonode's Map API helps it discover product pages on unfamiliar regional retailers quickly.
Proxy tip: To test the Geonode side of this comparison, a small residential balance from Geonode is enough, and it doesn't expire if you pause. See Geonode for market research for its full product range.
Pros and cons for market research
Rayobyte
- More listed countries and ZIP targeting.
- Managed tools for hard sources.
- Confirm pay-as-you-go expiry for long gaps.
Geonode
- Non-expiring bandwidth for project work.
- Map and Crawl APIs for discovery.
- Fewer listed countries.
If you're still shortlisting, compare these options with the wider market in our best proxies guide, and use our cheap proxies guide to estimate a sensible budget. To understand the IP type behind this, read our residential proxies guide.
Budget tip: If you want a cheap proxy to try this with, Webshare has a free plan with 10 datacenter proxies and 1 GB of bandwidth a month, no card required. Paid lists let you pick proxy count, bandwidth and location. See Webshare for market research.
Key takeaways
- Rayobyte offers wider country coverage and finer targeting.
- Geonode's non-expiring bandwidth and discovery APIs suit project-based research.
- Use datacenter for open data on either.
- Choose by markets and project rhythm.
FAQ
Which covers more countries?
Rayobyte, at 190+ residential countries.
Which is better for short research projects?
Geonode, because unused bandwidth doesn't expire.
Can I collect reviews and listings with both?
Yes, using residential proxies with sticky sessions for pagination.
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.