Bright Data vs Oxylabs (2026)
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Verdict
- Pick Bright Data if you want to start free (5K Web Unlocker requests a month) and pay per successful request: $1.5 per 1K with no monthly commitment.
- Pick Oxylabs if you prefer fixed monthly tiers with stated search volumes ($30, $100, $500) and a vendor that lists ISO/IEC 27001:2022 and SOC 2 Type II certifications.
- Price: in USD, Bright Data Web Unlocker is free up to 5K requests, $1.5 per 1K pay as you go, or $499 for Scale; Oxylabs is $30, $100, $500, Enterprise from $2,500 a month.
Bright Data
Web data platform with unblocking API, proxies and datasets for developers and AI teams
From $1.50 · Free plan
Try Bright Data free
Oxylabs
Web search API, scraping API and proxies for AI agents and data teams
From $30/mo · Free trial
Try Oxylabs freeSide by side
| Feature | Bright Data | Oxylabs |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Web Scraping & Proxies | Web Scraping & Proxies |
| Price from (monthly billing) | $1.50 | $30/mo |
| Lowest annual-billing price | not published | not published |
| Plans | Web Unlocker Free Tier, Web Unlocker Pay as you go, Web Unlocker Scale | Starter, Basic, Flexible, Enterprise |
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Free trial | not published | Welcome credits: $5 toward any product |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Platforms | api | api |
| Key limits | Web Unlocker Free Tier: 5K requests per month, expert support · Web Unlocker Pay as you go: Pay only for success, monthly spend limits, unlimited concurrency | Starter: Search: $1/1K searches, up to 5.6K searches; VAT may apply · Basic: Search: $1/1K searches, up to 30K searches; VAT may apply |
| Pricing page | Official pricing page checked 2026-10-20 | Official pricing page checked 2026-10-20 |
Cost for 5 / 30 / 100 thousand requests per month
Bright Data Web Unlocker: Free up to 5K, then volume × $1.5 per 1K pay as you go; Scale is $499 with 383K included. Oxylabs: the monthly plan whose limit covers the volume (Starter up to 5.6K, Basic up to 30K, Flexible up to 100K searches).
| thousand requests per month | Bright Data | Oxylabs |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | $0 (Free Tier, 5K requests) | $30 monthly (Starter, up to 5.6K searches) |
| 30 | $45 (30 × $1.5 pay as you go) | $100 monthly (Basic, up to 30K searches) |
| 100 | $150 (100 × $1.5 pay as you go) | $500 monthly (Flexible, up to 100K searches) |
Not like for like: Bright Data's figures are Web Unlocker requests, while Oxylabs' limits on the card are searches, billed at $1 per 1K on Starter and Basic. Bright Data charges only for successful requests. Oxylabs notes VAT may apply. Prices for proxies, SERP API and datasets are not covered by the cards.
Which one to choose
Choose Bright Data if…
- You want to test an unblocking API without paying: the Free Tier gives 5K requests a month.
- Your volume is uneven and you prefer usage-based billing with monthly spend limits over a fixed plan.
- You need a broad range: proxy networks, SERP API, Crawl API and datasets alongside the Unlocker.
Choose Oxylabs if…
- You want a predictable monthly fee tied to a search allowance, from $30 up to $500 a month.
- You want search and structured scraping through one API, plus an MCP Server for AI agents.
- Your procurement asks for security certifications: ISO/IEC 27001:2022 and SOC 2 Type II are listed on the homepage.
Pros and cons
Bright Data: Pros
- Free Tier of 5K requests per month
- Pay as you go at $1.5 per 1K, no monthly commitment
- Charged only for successful requests
- Handles CAPTCHAs, retries, IP rotation and JavaScript rendering in one call
Bright Data: Cons
- Scale costs $499 per month before extra requests at $1.3 per 1K
- Pay as you go costs more per request than the Scale overage rate
- Web Unlocker is not designed for Puppeteer or Playwright
Oxylabs: Pros
- Monthly tiers with stated search limits (5.6K, 30K, 100K)
- Residential, mobile, ISP and datacenter proxies
- $5 welcome credits toward any product
- MCP Server and Agent Skills for AI agents
Oxylabs: Cons
- No free plan; cheapest tier is $30 per month
- No annual prices on the pricing page
- Enterprise starts at $2,500 per month
- VAT may apply on top of listed prices
Head to head
How you pay
Bright Data's Web Unlocker is usage-based. The Free Tier gives 5K requests a month, pay as you go is $1.5 per 1K with spend limits you set, and Scale is $499 per month with 383K requests included, then $1.3 per 1K. Enterprise is custom. Oxylabs sells monthly tiers: Starter $30, Basic $100, Flexible $500 (marked most popular) and Enterprise from $2,500, with search listed at $1 per 1K on Starter and Basic.
Free access
Bright Data has a free plan for Web Unlocker. Oxylabs has no free plan; new accounts get $5 in welcome credits usable on any product. The two free offers are measured differently (requests vs credit), so they are not directly comparable.
Product scope
Bright Data lists an Unlocker API, SERP API, Browser API, Crawl API, scraper APIs, datasets, a web archive and 400M+ proxy IPs. Oxylabs lists a search and scraping API, residential, mobile, ISP, dedicated ISP and datacenter proxies, a Web Unblocker, an Agent Browser and custom datasets. The cards only publish price details for Bright Data's Web Unlocker and Oxylabs' search.
Limits and fit
Bright Data says Web Unlocker is not meant for browser interaction with Puppeteer or Playwright and points to a separate browser product. Oxylabs plans carry stated search ceilings, and above them you contact your account manager or top up in the dashboard. Oxylabs lists only the API as a platform on its official pages.
Frequently asked questions
Is Bright Data cheaper than Oxylabs?
For small volumes the published numbers favor Bright Data: 5K Web Unlocker requests are free, and pay as you go is $1.5 per 1K. Oxylabs starts at $30 per month for up to 5.6K searches. The units differ, requests versus searches, so check your own workload.
Does Bright Data or Oxylabs have a free plan?
Bright Data does: the Web Unlocker Free Tier gives 5K requests per month with expert support. Oxylabs has no free plan; new accounts receive $5 in welcome credits that can be used toward any product, and its cheapest listed tier is $30 per month.
Bright Data vs Oxylabs: which is better for scraping at scale?
Both cards describe vendors built for volume. Bright Data's Scale plan is $499 per month with 383K requests, then $1.3 per 1K, and Enterprise adds an SLA. Oxylabs Flexible is $500 for up to 100K searches, with Enterprise from $2,500. Compare per-request cost on your own mix.
Which one has more proxy types?
Both sell proxies. Bright Data lists residential, datacenter and ISP networks, with 400M+ proxy IPs. Oxylabs lists residential, mobile, ISP, dedicated ISP and datacenter proxies. Only Oxylabs names mobile proxies on its card; proxy pricing is not covered by either card.
Do they work with AI agents?
Oxylabs lists an MCP Server and Agent Skills for connecting AI agents, plus an Agent Browser for multi-step tasks. Bright Data describes itself as aimed at developers and people building AI agents, with a Crawl API for AI-friendly site data; its card does not mention an MCP server.
Explore further
How we check
Plans, prices, trials and limits in the table are copied from each tool's card, which is built from the vendor's official pages and dated. The page is only as fresh as the older of the two checks above. How we review.
Data is collected and checked by AI agents from official vendor pages; the owner is responsible for the project.
Partner link: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes our order or verdicts. Affiliate disclosure