How CrystalProxy Ranks Proxy Providers
CrystalProxy is an independent benchmarking platform for proxy providers. We do not accept affiliate links, paid placements, or sponsored rankings. Our rankings are data-driven and reproducible.
Every provider is evaluated using the same transparent methodology. Scores are calculated from publicly available information and normalized to ensure fair comparison.
Data Sources
All data used in our rankings comes from publicly available sources:
- Public provider documentation and websites
- Provider disclosures and feature announcements
- Publicly stated coverage, pricing, and capabilities
- Internal normalization logic to standardize metrics
What we do not do: We do not scrape private systems, intercept traffic, or use customer data. All information is sourced from public disclosures and documentation.
Scoring Overview
Each provider receives a composite score from 0 to 10, calculated using weighted factors. Higher scores indicate better overall value and capabilities.
Countries Coverage (15%)
The number of countries where proxy IPs are available. Broader geographic coverage provides more flexibility for use cases.
IP Pool Size (30%)
The total number of available IP addresses across residential, mobile, and ISP networks. Larger pools reduce IP reuse and improve success rates.
Pricing Efficiency (20%)
Starting price per GB or per request, normalized for comparison. Lower prices score higher, assuming comparable quality.
Rotation Capabilities (10%)
Support for different rotation modes (session-based, sticky, rotating, backconnect). More options provide better flexibility.
Targeting Depth (10%)
Granularity of targeting options (country, city, ASN, ISP). Deeper targeting enables more precise use cases.
KYC Requirements (10%)
Whether Know Your Customer verification is required. Lower KYC requirements score higher for privacy-focused use cases.
Ethical Sourcing (5%)
Whether the provider uses ethically sourced IPs with user consent. Ethical sourcing is rewarded but weighted lower than core capabilities.
Normalization
Different metrics are normalized to comparable scales before being combined into the final score. This ensures fair comparison across providers with different measurement units and pricing models.
For example, lower prices score higher in the pricing efficiency factor, and broader country coverage scores higher in the countries factor. All metrics are converted to a 0-10 scale before applying weights.
Scores are recalculated automatically when source data changes, ensuring rankings reflect the most current information available.
What is NOT Included
To maintain objectivity and transparency, our rankings explicitly exclude:
- Customer reviews: Subjective opinions are not factored into scores
- Affiliate commissions: We do not accept or consider affiliate relationships
- Subjective opinions: Rankings are purely data-driven
- Sponsored boosts: No provider can pay to improve their ranking
Updates & Versioning
Rankings are periodically reviewed and updated as provider information changes. When methodology evolves, changes are applied consistently across all providers to maintain fairness.
The current methodology version (v1) uses the weights and factors described above. Future versions will be documented with clear changelogs.
Disclaimer
Information presented on CrystalProxy is based on publicly available data and may change. Providers should be contacted directly for the latest pricing, features, and terms. CrystalProxy is an informational resource only and does not guarantee the accuracy of provider disclosures. Use rankings as a starting point for research, not as the sole basis for procurement decisions.