Webshare vs IPRoyal is a choice between two self-serve, budget proxy providers that sell the same three core proxy types: residential, datacenter and ISP. The short answer: Webshare is cheaper to start with and has a free plan; IPRoyal costs more at small volumes but never expires your residential traffic and sells mobile proxies and an unblocker that Webshare doesn't.
Residential Proxies
This is where most scraping budgets go, and where the two differ most.
| Webshare | IPRoyal | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 GB | $3.50/GB | $7.35/GB pay-as-you-go, $7.00 on subscription |
| 10 GB | $2.75/GB | $5.51/GB pay-as-you-go, $5.25 on subscription |
| Largest listed plan | $1.40/GB at 3,000 GB | $1.84/GB pay-as-you-go, $1.75 on subscription, custom plans from 10 TB |
| Billing | Monthly plans sized in GB | Pay-as-you-go or subscription; traffic never expires |
| Pool | 80M+ IPs, 195 countries | 64M+ IPs, 195+ countries |
| Targeting | Country, state, city, ZIP, ASN | City-level targeting |
| Sessions | New IP per request, or a session ID to keep one IP | Auto-rotation every 1, 10 or 30 minutes, or sticky for up to 7 days |
Price. At every size both providers list publicly, Webshare's per-GB price is lower, roughly half of IPRoyal's on small plans. IPRoyal's headline "from $1.75/GB" applies only to custom plans of 10 TB and more.
Expiry. IPRoyal's advantage is that traffic you buy never expires. If you scrape in bursts, buying 10 GB from IPRoyal can waste less than paying for a Webshare plan every month. If your scraper runs steadily, Webshare's monthly plans cost less.
Targeting and sessions. Webshare lists ZIP and ASN targeting. IPRoyal's residential page mentions city-level targeting and is the one that states a sticky-session length, up to 7 days.
Pool sizes are each provider's own claim. For how pool size and IP type affect blocking, see residential vs datacenter proxies.
Datacenter Proxies
| Webshare | IPRoyal | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | $2.99/month for 100 proxies | From $1.57 per proxy (30 days) or $1.39 (90 days) |
| Private or dedicated IPs | Private from $0.741/IP, dedicated from $1.33/IP | Per-proxy plans |
| Bandwidth | 250 GB included on paid plans | Not stated; unlimited threads and sessions |
| Locations | 400K+ IPs (Webshare's figure) | 50+ countries |
Webshare's standard plan is far cheaper per proxy: 100 proxies cost less than two IPRoyal proxies. Its private and dedicated tiers, priced per IP, are the closer match to IPRoyal's per-proxy plans, and even those start lower. Datacenter proxies are the right first try for sites that don't block hosting networks.
ISP (Static Residential) Proxies
| Webshare | IPRoyal | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | $6/month for 20 proxies ($0.30 each) | From $2.70 per proxy for 30 days, $2.40 for 90 days |
| Short-term option | Not listed | $1.80 per proxy for 24 hours |
| Coverage | ISPs including Comcast and AT&T | 31+ countries, state and city targeting |
| Protocols | Not stated for ISP | HTTP(S) and SOCKS5 |
Webshare again starts much lower. IPRoyal lists more about coverage and protocols, and a 24-hour option for short jobs. See our guide to ISP proxies for when they're the right type.
What Only IPRoyal Sells
- Mobile proxies. IPRoyal sells them from $10.11 a day or $130 for 30 days, with per-GB plans from $6.80 down to $5.20. Webshare doesn't list mobile proxies. See mobile vs residential proxies for when you need them.
- Web Unblocker. IPRoyal's unblocker handles rate limits, CAPTCHAs and retries for you, from $1.00 per 1,000 requests down to $0.70 at 100,000. Its page doesn't say whether failed requests are billed. Webshare has no equivalent; with Webshare, your own scraper handles blocks.
What Only Webshare Offers
- A free plan. 10 proxies and 1 GB of bandwidth a month, with no card and no time limit. IPRoyal's pricing pages don't list a free plan or trial.
- ZIP and ASN targeting on residential proxies, per Webshare's residential page.
Refunds
Webshare refunds only within 2 days of payment, and only if you've used less than 1 GB (0.1 GB on rotating residential) and fewer than 1,000 proxies. IPRoyal's pricing pages don't state a refund policy, so check its terms before a large purchase.
Verdict: Webshare vs IPRoyal
For the lowest bill on steady, everyday scraping, Webshare is cheaper at every plan size both providers publish, and its free plan lets you test a target before you pay. IPRoyal is the better fit when your scraping comes in bursts, because its residential traffic never expires, or when you need mobile proxies or an unblocker, which Webshare doesn't sell.
We rate IPRoyal 4.2/5 in our IPRoyal review and Webshare 4.0/5 in our Webshare review. The scores are close and the right pick depends on how you scrape, so this comparison doesn't name an overall winner. For other budget options, see IPRoyal vs DataImpulse and the ranked provider directory.
FAQ
Is Webshare cheaper than IPRoyal?
On small and mid-sized plans, yes. Webshare's residential plans start at $3.50/GB for 1 GB, against IPRoyal's $7.35/GB pay-as-you-go, and Webshare's datacenter and ISP plans start lower per proxy. IPRoyal's lowest residential rate, $1.75/GB, applies only to custom plans from 10 TB.
Does Webshare or IPRoyal traffic expire?
IPRoyal says its residential traffic never expires. Webshare sells residential bandwidth as monthly plans sized in GB, so plan your usage per month.
Does either have a free trial?
Webshare has a permanent free plan with 10 proxies and 1 GB of bandwidth a month, with no credit card. IPRoyal's pricing pages don't list a free plan or trial; its smallest residential purchase is 1 GB.
Which is better for protected sites?
Neither proxy network solves bot protection on its own. IPRoyal also sells a Web Unblocker that handles CAPTCHAs and retries, which Webshare doesn't offer. For the hardest targets, see our reviews of dedicated unblockers and scraping APIs, such as the Bright Data Web Unlocker and Scrape.do.