Pay-Per-IP or Pay-Per-GB? Proxy Pricing Guide

The proxy service market is growing, and while every provider offers different proxy types and benefits, one thing remains the same – the popular Pay-Per-IP and Pay-Per-GB pricing models. Yet, even if these two are some of the most used pricing models, many users still wonder how they differ, and more importantly, which proxy pricing model is the right one for them.

In this article, we’ll explain the Pay-Per-IP and Pay-Per-GB pricing models, what defines them, and how they work, so you’ll be better equipped to pick a pricing model that suits your needs.

What Determines Proxy Pricing?

To start, several factors determine proxy pricing, and even then, pricing models and tiers can vary widely across proxy service providers. Most commonly, different providers add their unique technical features and service guarantees, so the costs differ:

• IP address type. Most proxies come with four potential IP sources:
  • Datacenter IPs: virtually created IPs that are typically the cheapest and fastest due to high-tier internet plans, but are more prone to detection.
  • ISP IPs: slightly more expensive IPs that offer higher trust by using static, ISP-assigned residential addresses.
  • Residential IPs: sourced from real household devices, providing high trust but generally slower speeds and higher costs.
  • Mobile (3G/4G/5G) IPs: the most expensive option, offering the highest trust rates and lowest detection risk.
• Location. Many providers today offer worldwide proxies, but high-demand or limited-supply regions usually cost more. Plus, more precise country and city targeting with ASN selection also increases the price.
• Bandwidth & traffic mode. Pay-per-GB plans are usually tied to mobile or residential proxies and charge based on data usage. In contrast, datacenter proxies come with unlimited or fixed-bandwidth plans and are priced per port or IP count.
• Rotation & session control. Generally, long sessions with sticky IPs are more expensive than rapid rotation, but features like advanced rotation control can also amp up the price.
• Reliability & quality. Proxy service providers dedicate a substantial amount of resources to guarantee high uptime, great success rates, low latency, and clean, ethically-sourced IP pools. Additional services like dedicated IPs, dashboards, Service Level Agreements (SLAs), and 24/7 support also factor into the end price.

Example Proxy Pricing Range

Note: The prices provided in this table serve to provide a general view only. Actual pricing plans can vary significantly.

Pay-Per-IP Proxy Pricing Model

A pay-per-IP proxy pricing model charges customers based on the number of unique proxy IP addresses they bought. Typically, every IP has fixed prices for a defined period, like a day, a week, or a month. So, the more IPs you buy, the more you pay.

You can use these proxies regardless of traffic or bandwidth because you’ll be paying for an IP or IPs, not their usage. Datacenter proxies, ISP proxies, and, in some cases, static residential proxies mostly use IP-based pricing.

Pay-Per-IP Proxy Pricing Model Advantages

• Pricing is largely set, allowing you to have a clear picture of the cost and its forecast for future proxy usage.
• Users can send an unlimited number of requests without worrying about bandwidth charges.
• Best for tasks requiring a stable IP address for high-usage scenarios, such as quality assurance, certain monitoring cases, and internal tool usage.

Pay-Per-IP Proxy Pricing Model Disadvantages

• Not great for low usage, meaning that if IPs aren’t used to their full extent, users still have to pay the full price.
• Scaling often requires users to buy more IPs, which can quickly get expensive if users choose pay-per-IP pricing model without considering scalability.
• Less flexible when used with rotating IPs, leading to unnecessarily higher costs.

Pay-Per-GB Proxy Pricing Model

The pay-per-GB proxy pricing model is the exact opposite of the pay-per-IP model. When you choose to purchase the pay-per-GB model, you pay for the amount of data, measured by gigabytes (GB). In simpler terms, the per IP pricing model charges users for the IPs purchased, and the per GB model has a specific bandwidth allowance with different usage tiers.

Generally, mobile and residential proxies use the pay-per-GB model as they rely on IP diversity for web scraping, market research, SEO monitoring, and SERP tracking.

Pay-Per-GB Proxy Pricing Model Advantages

• Highly cost-effective for light usage or cases that involve multiple actions, allowing users to pay only for the data they use.
• Easily scalable on the go, users can always easily buy more bandwidth if they need it.
• Best for tasks involving frequent or constant IP rotation, avoiding bans, and accessing restricted global content.

Pay-Per-GB Proxy Pricing Model Disadvantages

• It can lead to unpredictable costs if users don’t assess their needs carefully before buying.
• Requires traffic optimization to use IPs wisely and not overpay for additional bandwidth.
• The pay-per-GB model is not suitable for activities that need consistent logged-in sessions.

Comparing Pay-Per-IP vs. Pay-Per-GB

Other Proxy Pricing Models

While pay-per-IP and pay-per-GB models are the most common ones, there are other pricing model alternatives, designed for different usage patterns, available budgets, and end goals. Let’s take a quick look at these alternatives to get a better understanding of what goes into a proxy pricing model.

Subscription-Based Pricing Models

A great pricing option for users who need different features, benefiting small to medium-sized businesses, small teams, and long-term projects. Instead of focusing on IPs or bandwidth, users can pick a package with a predefined number of IPs, bandwidth, access to specific types of proxies, and locations.

Pay-As-You-Go Models

These are one of the most flexible plans, making it easier for users to get started with proxy services without investing too much time into researching and defining their proxy needs early on.

Instead of buying a fixed plan with overly advanced features, users start small and grow from there, paying in proportion to how much they use proxies. That’s why the pay-as-you-go model is often favored by startups and individual developers who are trying out different services.

Hybrid Pricing Models

These models combine multiple elements from other pricing models, like a base subscription with a specific number of IPs or GBs, with charges based on overall usage. Hybrid models are mostly used by growing companies or large organizations with multiple teams that need proxies for different use cases. If you ever notice a proxy provider having an enterprise plan, that usually means a hybrid pricing model.

Choosing the Right Proxy Provider

Now that we’ve gone over most of what you need to know about the pay-per-IP and pay-per-GB proxy pricing plans with some additions, the next step is to choose the right proxy provider.

While proxies have become more popular, resulting in a multitude of proxy providers, this also means more confusion for users. Here’s a proxy provider selection checklist to make the process easier.

• Uptime: Focus on proxy service providers offering high uptime of 99% or higher with consistent availability, regular service updates, and technical round-the-clock support.
• Speed & performance: Look for low latency and fast response times, and make sure that the provider you’re interested in offers multiple geographic locations.
• IP quality & rotation settings: Confirm whether or not a provider includes static or rotating features, and research their IP pool size and IP acquisition process.
• Transparency & refund Policies: Review refund policies, particularly if you’re new to proxies. If in doubt, it’s always best to go with a provider that has great reviews and crystal clear billing.
• Scalability & flexibility: Whether you’re an individual user or a business, verify whether a proxy service provider can scale with your needs without complex or steep cost additions.
• Support & documentation: Active and responsive support teams are where reputable proxy providers shine. Look for 24/7 support, clear documentation, SDKs, and check for dedicated account manager availability if you’re a business owner.

Conclusion

Choosing the right proxy is one thing, but knowing what pricing plan to go with is just as important, if not more. Pay-per-IP and pay-per-GB proxy pricing plans are two popular choices, but they price proxy services differently.

If you’re involved in data collection and price monitoring with residential proxies, the pay-per-GB is probably the best for you. But if you’re dealing with tasks that require consistent login sessions, you should consider the pay-per-IP mode. Add in your traffic needs and proxy usage patterns to choose the best pricing plan and proxy service provider, like IPRoyal, to help you reach your goals!

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