The short answer
Webshare and Geonode are both self-serve proxy providers aimed at developers, small businesses and data teams, but they're strong in different places:
- Webshare is the budget leader for per-IP products: datacenter proxy lists from a few dollars a month, very cheap static residential (ISP) IPs, and a permanent free plan.
- Geonode is stronger for per-GB residential traffic: lower list prices per GB, bandwidth that doesn't expire, sticky sessions up to 24 hours, unlimited residential plans, and scraping APIs that Webshare doesn't offer.
Many buyers end up using both. Disclosure: Team of Monkeys is an affiliate of both companies, and links on this page are referral links. We've tried to make this comparison useful whichever you choose.
Side-by-side overview
| Webshare | Geonode | |
|---|---|---|
| Core strength | Cheap configurable proxy lists | Flexible per-GB residential and scraping APIs |
| Residential pricing (list, Oct 2026) | $3.50/GB at 1 GB to $1.40/GB at 3,000 GB, monthly plans | About $0.88/GB pay as you go at 10 GB, falling to $0.30/GB at 100 TB |
| Residential bandwidth expiry | Monthly plans (reported to reset each cycle) | Purchased GB doesn't expire |
| Residential pool (provider figures) | 80M+ IPs, 195 countries | 7.5M+ IPs active monthly, 150+ countries |
| Residential targeting | Country, state, city, ZIP, ASN | Country, state, city, ASN |
| Sticky sessions | Session suffix on the gateway | Up to 24 hours |
| Datacenter proxies | Per-IP lists, from $2.99 for 100 shared IPs | Rotating datacenter, per GB (about $0.53/GB at 10 GB pay as you go) |
| ISP / static residential | From $0.30 per IP per month (base plan) | From $1.75 shared or $3.50 dedicated per IP, unmetered, 3-IP minimum |
| Unlimited residential | No | Yes, from $1,800/month at 200 Mbps |
| Scraping APIs | No | Scraper API, Map, Crawl and Search APIs |
| Free option | Free plan: 10 datacenter proxies, 1 GB/month | Scraper API: 1,500 free requests/month; low-cost residential trial |
| Protocols | HTTP, SOCKS5 | HTTP, HTTPS, SOCKS5 |
| Authentication | Username/password, IP authorization | Username/password, IP whitelisting |
All prices are list prices at the time of writing and change often. Note that the two providers measure pool size differently (total IPs vs IPs active per month), so the pool figures aren't directly comparable. Check both sites before you buy.
Where Webshare wins
- Lowest cost per IP. For datacenter lists and static residential IPs, Webshare's list prices are hard to beat. See Webshare vs Geonode datacenter proxies and ISP proxies.
- Free plan. Ten real proxies with no card and no time limit is the easiest way to start. See free plans and trials compared.
- Configurable plans. Choose proxy count, bandwidth, threads and countries.
- ZIP-level residential targeting.
Where Geonode wins
- Cheaper residential per GB at list prices, across most volumes. See Webshare vs Geonode pricing.
- Non-expiring bandwidth. You don't lose unused GB at the end of the month. See bandwidth expiry compared.
- Long sticky sessions, up to 24 hours. See sticky sessions compared.
- Unlimited residential plans for steady, heavy use. See unlimited residential compared.
- Scraping APIs that render pages and return HTML or Markdown. See scraping APIs compared.
Which to choose, by job
| Job | Better fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Learning and testing for free | Webshare | Permanent free plan |
| Bulk scraping of lenient sites | Webshare | Cheap per-IP datacenter lists |
| Scraping protected sites | Geonode | Cheaper per-GB residential, no expiry |
| Account management | Webshare (budget) or Geonode | Both sell static ISP IPs; compare locations |
| Sneaker checkout | Either | Test both on your sites |
| Seasonal or irregular residential use | Geonode | Bandwidth doesn't expire |
| Managed scraping without browsers | Geonode | Scraper API |
| Hyperlocal (ZIP) checks | Webshare | ZIP targeting |
More detail by use case: web scraping, sneakers, social media, SEO, price monitoring and AI training data. For beginners, see Webshare vs Geonode for beginners.
Proxy tip: If you need managed scraping rather than raw proxies, Geonode also sells a Scraper API with a free monthly allowance, which Webshare doesn't offer. More in our complete Geonode guide.
Using both
A common setup is Webshare for cheap datacenter and static IPs, and Geonode for residential traffic and hard targets. Both support standard proxy URLs, so routing by domain is a few lines of code. See using Webshare and Geonode together.
How to decide for yourself
- Start Webshare's free plan and buy Geonode's small residential trial.
- Run the same targets, code and concurrency through each product.
- Measure success rate, speed and cost per 1,000 successful results.
- Choose per target, not per provider.
Our speed and reliability comparison has a full test plan.
Decision guide in five questions
- Do your targets accept datacenter IPs? If yes for most, start with Webshare's datacenter lists.
- Do you need residential traffic every month at a steady level? If steady and moderate, either works; compare per-GB prices. If irregular, Geonode's non-expiring bandwidth wastes less.
- Do you manage many accounts? Webshare's per-IP static residential pricing is hard to beat at volume; Geonode's ISP proxies include unmetered bandwidth and a 3-IP minimum.
- Would a managed scraper save you time? Only Geonode offers one.
- Do you need ZIP-level targeting? Webshare offers it.
If your answers point both ways, you're a candidate for using both.
Typical profiles
| Buyer | Likely choice |
|---|---|
| Student or hobbyist | Webshare free plan |
| Price monitoring startup | Webshare datacenter, Geonode residential for hard retailers |
| Social media agency | Webshare static residential for accounts, Geonode residential for research |
| AI data team | Webshare datacenter for bulk, Geonode APIs and residential for hard sources |
| Sneaker reseller | Both, to diversify IP batches |
| Seasonal travel analytics | Geonode residential |
What we'd test first
Run your three hardest targets through Webshare datacenter, Webshare residential and Geonode residential with identical code. In most cases the results make the choice obvious within a day. Keep the test script; re-running it every quarter keeps your routing honest as sites change.
Budget tip: Many teams end up using both: Webshare for cheap per-IP datacenter and static residential lists, Geonode for per-GB residential traffic that doesn't expire. Start with Webshare geo-targeting.
How we wrote this comparison
We compared both providers' public product pages, documentation and list prices at the time of writing, and focused on differences that change real costs or workflows. We're affiliates of both, so we have no reason to favour one, and we've tried to say plainly where each is stronger.
A real-world example
A price intelligence company covering 300 retailers tests both providers. Webshare's datacenter lists handle 260 retailers at a fixed monthly cost. On the 40 protected retailers, both providers' residential pools reach similar success rates, but Geonode's lower per-GB price and non-expiring bandwidth make it cheaper, especially around sales events. The company keeps Webshare for datacenter and account IPs, Geonode for residential, and a small fallback on each in case one has problems on a retailer.
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.
Key takeaways
- Webshare is strongest for per-IP products: cheap datacenter lists, cheap static residential IPs and a permanent free plan.
- Geonode is strongest for per-GB residential: lower list prices, non-expiring bandwidth, 24-hour sticky sessions, unlimited plans and scraping APIs.
- Choose per job and per target, not per provider.
- Test both on your hardest targets before committing volume.
- Many teams use both, routed by domain.
FAQ
Is Webshare or Geonode cheaper?
Webshare is usually cheaper for per-IP products (datacenter and static residential). Geonode is usually cheaper for per-GB residential traffic at list prices.
Which has more residential IPs?
Webshare advertises a larger total pool, while Geonode reports IPs active per month. The figures measure different things, so test success rates on your own targets instead.
Can I use Webshare and Geonode together?
Yes, and many teams do. Route each target to whichever performs best per dollar.
Which is better for beginners?
Webshare, because its free plan lets you learn with real proxies at no cost. See Webshare vs Geonode for beginners.
Which has scraping APIs?
Geonode. Webshare sells proxies only.
Which is better for sneakers?
Both sell ISP proxies for checkout; Webshare is cheaper per IP and Geonode includes unmetered bandwidth. See sneakers compared.
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.