# Smartproxy vs SOAX: 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; one named SOAX. Page: https://it-ai-index.com/it-data/proxy-networks/smartproxy-vs-soax/

| | First-choice share | Rank | Negative rate | Labels | Models naming it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smartproxy | 15% | #2 of 11 | 5% | 21 | 12 of 14 |
| SOAX | 2% | #6 of 11 | 0% | 23 | 12 of 14 |

## The direct prompt, model by model

- Gemini 3.5 Flash: both 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: neither first, one named (first choices: Decodo, Oxylabs) (alternatives: Bright Data, SOAX)
- GPT-5.4 mini: neither first, one named (first choices: Bright Data, Oxylabs) (alternatives: Decodo, NetNut, SOAX)
- Grok 4.1 Fast: neither first, one named (first choices: Decodo) (alternatives: Oxylabs, SOAX)
- Kimi K2: neither first, one named (first choices: Decodo) (alternatives: DataImpulse, SOAX)
- Muse Glimmer 30B: neither first, one named (first choices: Decodo) (alternatives: Infatica, SOAX)
- Perplexity Sonar: neither named (first choices: Decodo) (alternatives: Oxylabs, Proxy-Seller)
- Mistral Small: neither named (first choices: Decodo) (alternatives: Oxylabs, ProxyWing)
- Llama 4 Maverick: neither named (first choices: Decodo) (alternatives: Infatica, Oxylabs, ProxyWing)
- Qwen 3.7 Flash: neither named (first choices: Decodo) (alternatives: Oxylabs)
- GPT-6 Luna: neither named (first choices: Decodo) (alternatives: Bright Data, Oxylabs)

## 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 SOAX

- "moving toward mid-sized specialized providers (such as Decodo, Soax, or NodeMaven)" (Qwen 3.7 Flash, negative prompt, first choice)
- "The Best All-Rounders: Smartproxy & SOAX" (Gemini 3.5 Flash, direct prompt, first choice)
- "SOAX: Predictable pricing, 155M+ IPs (strong mobile/residential). City/ZIP/ASN targeting, stable for business." (Grok 4.1 Fast, comparative prompt, alternative)

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.