# Smartproxy vs Oxylabs: which do AI models recommend for proxy and web data, October 2026

IT AI Recommendation Index, October 2026 Edition, Proxy and web data providers. Four of fourteen models named Smartproxy first on the direct prompt; two named Oxylabs. Page: https://it-ai-index.com/it-data/proxy-networks/smartproxy-vs-oxylabs/

| | First-choice share | Rank | Negative rate | Labels | Models naming it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smartproxy | 15% | #2 of 11 | 5% | 21 | 12 of 14 |
| Oxylabs | 11% | #4 of 11 | 15% | 55 | 14 of 14 |

## The direct prompt, model by model

- Gemini 3.5 Flash: smartproxy first (first choices: SOAX, Smartproxy) (alternatives: Bright Data, NetNut, NodeMaven, Oxylabs, SimplyNode)
- DeepSeek V4 Flash: smartproxy first (first choices: Smartproxy) (alternatives: Oxylabs, SOAX)
- GLM 4.7 FlashX: smartproxy first (first choices: Smartproxy) (alternatives: Bright Data, Oxylabs, SOAX, Webshare)
- MiniMax M2.5: smartproxy first (first choices: Rayobyte, Smartproxy) (alternatives: Oxylabs)
- Claude Haiku 4.5: oxylabs first (first choices: Decodo, Oxylabs) (alternatives: Bright Data, SOAX)
- GPT-5.4 mini: oxylabs first (first choices: Bright Data, Oxylabs) (alternatives: Decodo, NetNut, SOAX)
- Perplexity Sonar: neither first, one named (first choices: Decodo) (alternatives: Oxylabs, Proxy-Seller)
- Grok 4.1 Fast: neither first, one named (first choices: Decodo) (alternatives: Oxylabs, SOAX)
- Mistral Small: neither first, one named (first choices: Decodo) (alternatives: Oxylabs, ProxyWing)
- Llama 4 Maverick: neither first, one named (first choices: Decodo) (alternatives: Infatica, Oxylabs, ProxyWing)
- Qwen 3.7 Flash: neither first, one named (first choices: Decodo) (alternatives: Oxylabs)
- GPT-6 Luna: neither first, one named (first choices: Decodo) (alternatives: Bright Data, Oxylabs)
- Kimi K2: neither named (first choices: Decodo) (alternatives: DataImpulse, SOAX)
- Muse Glimmer 30B: neither named (first choices: Decodo) (alternatives: Infatica, SOAX)

## What the models said about Smartproxy

- "free tiers from providers like Luminati or Smartproxy, but these often come with limitations in terms of speed and IP pool size" (Mistral Small, budget prompt, soft negative)
- "For most mid-market B2B companies, Smartproxy (Decodo) offers the best combination of network quality, feature set, and pricing" (DeepSeek V4 Flash, direct prompt, first choice)
- "For most mid-market B2B companies, Smartproxy (Decodo) offers the best combination of features, pricing, and ease of use" (GLM 4.7 FlashX, direct prompt, first choice)
- "I recommend focusing on providers like Smartproxy or Rayobyte due to their mid-market positioning" (MiniMax M2.5, direct prompt, first choice)

## What the models said about Oxylabs

- "Avoid starting with enterprise-heavy plans like Oxylabs residential if budget is tight" (GPT-5.4 mini, budget prompt, hard negative)
- "Avoid Enterprise-Only Providers (Bright Data, Oxylabs)" (Kimi K2, direct prompt, hard negative)
- "Users report frequent account blocks triggered by false positives... Frequently cited as being overpriced for smaller-scale projects" (Qwen 3.7 Flash, negative prompt, soft negative)
- "Bright Data & Oxylabs: As above—hybrid leaders with scraping APIs, pre-built datasets (e.g., e-commerce prices), managed services." (Grok 4.1 Fast, comparative prompt, first choice)
- "Choose Bright Data or Oxylabs if you need an enterprise-grade platform with broad coverage and stronger managed-data options." (Perplexity Sonar, comparative prompt, first choice)
- "For most mid-market B2B operations, Oxylabs or Decodo tend to offer the best balance of reliability, support, and scalability" (Claude Haiku 4.5, direct prompt, first choice)

Share is the count of first choices across the direct, paraphrase, budget and scale prompts over all fourteen models, for a mid-market B2B company; rank is within the category. Comparisons are drawn for the top eight products in each category. Published under CC BY 4.0; the output is the models' output, and nothing here is a recommendation by the index.