What each offers
| Rayobyte | Geonode | |
|---|---|---|
| Residential | Free trial, no card | Low-cost residential trial |
| Rotating ISP and datacenter | Free trial (pay-as-you-go products) | Check current offers |
| Scraping API | 5,000 free requests, once | 1,500 free Scraper API requests a month |
| Other free tools | Web Unblocker trial; 48 rayobrowse hours | None listed |
| Card required | No | Payment for the residential trial |
| Static ISP | Through sales | Check current offers |
At the time of writing. Trial terms change; check both sites. See the Rayobyte free trial and our general proxy free trials guide.
Rayobyte: broad and card-free
Rayobyte's trial covers several products without a card, so you can compare datacenter, ISP and residential on the same targets for nothing. That's ideal for working out which product each domain needs. Static ISP and mobile tests need a word with sales.
Geonode: cheap trial, recurring API tier
Geonode's residential trial costs a little but gives you real bandwidth that doesn't expire. Its 1,500 free Scraper API requests a month recur, which is useful for small ongoing jobs, not just testing.
A test plan that uses both
- Pick three hard and two typical targets.
- On Rayobyte, run each through rotating datacenter, rotating ISP and Premium Residential.
- On Geonode, run each through residential with the same code.
- Try both scraping APIs on the target that failed most.
- Compare cost per 1,000 successful results at list prices.
See testing Rayobyte proxies for a script, and speed and reliability compared.
Residential tip: The simplest way to settle this comparison is to test both: Rayobyte has a free trial with no card, and Geonode sells a low-cost residential trial. Run the same targets through each. See the Rayobyte free trial.
Which trial is better?
For deciding which product type you need, Rayobyte's multi-product, card-free trial is more useful. For ongoing light API use at no cost, Geonode's monthly allowance wins. For a realistic residential test you can continue from, Geonode's paid trial carries straight into normal non-expiring usage.
Adding Webshare
Webshare has a permanent free plan with 10 datacenter proxies and 1 GB a month, the best option for long-term free light use. See free options across all three.
A real-world example
A developer evaluating providers for a client spends a day testing. On Rayobyte's card-free trial, they run the client's 10 target URLs through rotating datacenter, rotating ISP and Premium Residential and find 6 work on datacenter, 2 on ISP and 2 only on residential. They then buy Geonode's small residential trial and run the 2 hard targets through it, plus the Scraper API's free requests. The resulting report recommends Rayobyte datacenter for most targets and Geonode residential for the hard two.
Proxy tip: If your residential usage comes in bursts, Geonode is worth a look: purchased GB doesn't expire and sticky sessions can last up to 24 hours. More in our complete Geonode guide.
Pros and cons of each free option
Rayobyte
- No card needed.
- Covers several proxy types plus API and browser allowances.
- Static ISP and mobile tests need sales.
Geonode
- Trial bandwidth doesn't expire.
- 1,500 free API requests every month.
- The residential trial costs a little.
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. To understand the IP type behind this, read our residential proxies guide.
Budget tip: For jobs where a fixed IP list is enough, Webshare is one of the cheapest options: shared datacenter proxies are sold by the IP, and static residential (ISP) proxies cost well under a dollar per IP per month at the time of writing. More in Webshare's free proxy plan.
Key takeaways
- Rayobyte's trial is free, card-free and covers several products.
- Geonode's residential trial costs a little; its Scraper API gives 1,500 free requests every month.
- Use Rayobyte's trial to find the right product type, and both to compare providers.
- Compare cost per successful result, not trial size.
FAQ
Do I need a card for Rayobyte's trial?
No, at the time of writing.
Is Geonode's free API allowance monthly?
Yes, 1,500 Scraper API requests a month at the time of writing.
Can I test ISP proxies for free?
Rayobyte's static ISP tests go through sales. Check Geonode's current offers.
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.