Side by side
| Rayobyte | Geonode | Webshare | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential | Pay as you go; confirm expiry terms | Purchased GB never expire | Monthly plans, reported to reset |
| Mobile | Expires after 30 days | Check terms | N/A |
| Static IPs | Unmetered | Unmetered ISP | Chosen allowance |
At the time of writing. See pay-as-you-go proxies.
Why it matters
If you use half a monthly plan, you've paid double per GB. For irregular or seasonal workloads, expiry can matter more than list price.
Best fit by usage pattern
| Pattern | Best fit |
|---|---|
| Irregular or seasonal residential | Geonode |
| Steady residential | Any; compare per-GB prices |
| Bursty large projects | Rayobyte pay-as-you-go tiers (confirm expiry) or Geonode |
| Heavy traffic through fixed IPs | Rayobyte unmetered static IPs, or Webshare with an unlimited allowance |
Residential tip: You can test all three for little or nothing: Rayobyte has a no-card free trial, Webshare a free plan and Geonode a low-cost residential trial. Run the same script through each. See Rayobyte pricing explained.
A seasonal example
A travel analytics team collects heavily for eight weeks before each holiday season and lightly the rest of the year: about 300 GB in peak months and 30 GB in quiet ones.
- On monthly plans that reset, it must either buy a big plan every month (wasting most of it in quiet months) or change plans constantly.
- On Geonode, it can buy a large block once at a lower tier and draw it down over the year without losing anything.
- On Rayobyte pay as you go, it can buy at the 250 GB tier before each peak; confirm expiry terms if the balance will sit for months.
Across a year, non-expiring bandwidth can easily cut the effective price per GB by a third or more for patterns like this.
Allowances on proxy lists
Bandwidth also matters on per-IP products. Rayobyte's static IPs and Geonode's ISP IPs are unmetered under fair use. Webshare lists include an allowance you choose at checkout, up to unlimited. If a list will move heavy traffic, price the unlimited option before you compare.
Strengths and watch-outs
| Provider | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Rayobyte | Bursty projects on pay-as-you-go tiers; unmetered static IPs | Mobile expires in 30 days; confirm residential terms |
| Geonode | Irregular residential use; nothing expires | Unlimited plans are monthly |
| Webshare | Steady monthly residential; unlimited list bandwidth option | Residential resets each cycle |
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.
Bottom line
The less predictable your usage, the more non-expiring bandwidth is worth.
Before you commit to any provider, it helps to see the wider market: our guide to the best proxies in 2026 compares proxy types by job, and cheap proxies explains how to keep costs down without buying IPs that get blocked. To understand the IP type behind this, read our residential proxies guide.
For head-to-head versions of this comparison, see Rayobyte vs Geonode Bandwidth Expiry, Rayobyte vs Webshare Bandwidth Expiry, Webshare vs Geonode Bandwidth Expiry.
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 our complete Webshare guide.
Key takeaways
- Geonode's residential GB never expire.
- Webshare's residential plans reset monthly; Rayobyte's are pay as you go.
- Rayobyte's mobile bandwidth expires after 30 days.
- Match billing to how steady your usage is.
FAQ
Whose bandwidth never expires?
Geonode's purchased residential bandwidth.
Does Webshare roll over unused GB?
Reviews report its residential plans reset each cycle.
Does Rayobyte's bandwidth expire?
Mobile does after 30 days; confirm pay-as-you-go residential terms with support.
Does unmetered mean unlimited?
It means you aren't billed per GB, subject to a fair usage policy. Very heavy use can still fall outside fair use; read each provider's terms.
Should I buy a year of bandwidth up front?
Only with a provider whose bandwidth doesn't expire, and only once your usage is well understood.
Can I carry bandwidth from one plan to another?
On Geonode, purchased residential GB stay in your account; elsewhere, check plan-change terms.
Does unused static IP bandwidth matter?
No; static IPs are billed per IP, not per GB used.
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.