Our Testing Methodology
ProxyTally tests proxy providers independently using a standardized protocol. Here is exactly how we evaluate each provider and how our ratings are calculated.
Testing Protocol
Test environment: All providers are tested from the same dedicated testing infrastructure (fixed server location) to eliminate geographic bias. Tests run continuously across a 48-hour evaluation window to capture performance variance across peak and off-peak hours.
Target URL set: We test against a standardized set of 20 target URLs representing different protection levels — from publicly accessible data sources to platforms using enterprise-grade bot protection systems (Cloudflare Enterprise, DataDome, PerimeterX). The exact target list is not published to prevent providers from optimizing specifically for our test suite.
Request volume: Each provider receives a minimum of 10,000 test requests during the evaluation window, distributed across target URLs and geographic endpoints. This volume is sufficient to produce statistically meaningful success rate measurements.
IP type consistency: Where a provider offers multiple proxy types, we test each type separately. Residential, datacenter, and mobile proxies are evaluated independently. Composite scores weight residential performance most heavily as it represents the most demanding use case.
Metrics We Measure
Percentage of requests that return the expected HTTP 200 response with complete content. Failed requests (4xx, 5xx, timeouts, blocks) reduce this score.
Median time-to-first-byte across all successful requests in milliseconds. Lower is better. Measured at the proxy endpoint, not end-to-end.
Proxy endpoint availability measured over a 30-day rolling window. A provider with 99.9% uptime has less than 44 minutes of downtime per month.
How frequently the same IP appears in a rotating session. Higher diversity means lower repeat-IP risk for high-volume scraping.
Number of countries with verifiable residential or datacenter proxy availability. Self-reported country counts are verified independently.
Effective cost per 1,000 successful requests at a 10GB monthly equivalent volume, accounting for nominal bandwidth cost and success rate.
How Ratings Are Calculated
The composite rating (displayed on a 5.0 scale) is calculated as a weighted average of five dimensions:
| Dimension | Weight | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Performance (success rate + speed) | 40% | Core proxy reliability |
| Geographic coverage | 25% | Country and region availability |
| Pricing value | 20% | Cost at typical usage volumes |
| Ease of use (API, docs, dashboard) | 10% | Setup friction and documentation quality |
| Support quality | 5% | Response time and resolution quality |
Ratings are not influenced by affiliate relationships. We do have commercial partnerships with some providers — this is disclosed on every page. Our editorial evaluation process is conducted independently of commercial arrangements, and providers cannot pay to improve their rating.
Update Frequency
Provider ratings and performance data are updated quarterly. Pricing data is reviewed monthly. When a provider makes significant changes to its infrastructure, pricing, or feature set, we re-evaluate out of cycle and update the relevant pages within 30 days. The "Last updated" date on each provider review reflects the most recent evaluation.