# Webshare 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. Zero of fourteen models named Webshare first on the direct prompt; one named SOAX. Page: https://it-ai-index.com/it-data/proxy-networks/webshare-vs-soax/

| | First-choice share | Rank | Negative rate | Labels | Models naming it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Webshare | 13% | #3 of 11 | 8% | 24 | 12 of 14 |
| SOAX | 2% | #6 of 11 | 0% | 23 | 12 of 14 |

## The direct prompt, model by model

- Gemini 3.5 Flash: soax first (first choices: SOAX, Smartproxy) (alternatives: Bright Data, NetNut, NodeMaven, Oxylabs, SimplyNode)
- 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)
- DeepSeek V4 Flash: neither first, one named (first choices: Smartproxy) (alternatives: Oxylabs, SOAX)
- Kimi K2: neither first, one named (first choices: Decodo) (alternatives: DataImpulse, SOAX)
- GLM 4.7 FlashX: neither first, one named (first choices: Smartproxy) (alternatives: Bright Data, Oxylabs, SOAX, Webshare)
- 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)
- MiniMax M2.5: neither named (first choices: Rayobyte, Smartproxy) (alternatives: Oxylabs)
- GPT-6 Luna: neither named (first choices: Decodo) (alternatives: Bright Data, Oxylabs)

## What the models said about Webshare

- "More straightforward and budget-oriented, but less ideal if you need a more robust mid-market setup" (Perplexity Sonar, direct prompt, soft negative)
- "great for quick demos, but limited support & reliability compared to above" (MiniMax M2.5, budget prompt, soft negative)
- "Best overall affordable all-rounder: Webshare ... It's the most recommended "best cheap proxy provider" for small businesses." (Muse Glimmer 30B, budget prompt, first choice)
- "Webshare is often recommended for datacenter proxies due to its affordability and decent performance for small businesses" (Mistral Small, budget prompt, first choice)
- "Webshare — Best Overall Value ... Start with Webshare's free 10 proxies or their $2.99/month datacenter plan." (DeepSeek V4 Flash, budget 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.