One Request-Based API vs Bandwidth-Based Proxy Plans
Smartproxy is a solid proxy provider, but web scraping requires more: JS rendering, structured output, challenge resolution, and retry logic. AlterLab bundles all of it into one endpoint.
Why developers leave Smartproxy
Real pain points from developers who switched to AlterLab
Bandwidth billing is unpredictable
Proxy bandwidth costs depend on page size, not request count. A single JavaScript-heavy page can consume dramatically more bandwidth than a plain HTML page, making costs hard to forecast.
Scraping needs more than proxies
Smartproxy's core product is raw proxy access. JS rendering, challenge resolution, structured extraction, and retry logic all require additional tools or the separate Scraping Browser product.
Two products, two billing systems
Residential proxies and the Scraping Browser are separate products with separate plans and billing. You need both for modern web scraping.
Every feature, side by side
See exactly how AlterLab compares to Smartproxy across all key features
| Feature | AlterLab Winner | Smartproxy |
|---|---|---|
Request-based pricing Pay per request rather than per GB of bandwidth | Bandwidth-based for proxies | |
No subscription required Pay-as-you-go without a monthly plan | Subscription plans | |
Balance never expires Unused credit carries over indefinitely | ||
Free tier No-cost evaluation access | 5,000 requests, no credit card | 3-day trial |
Same features, 80% less
Get the same capabilities at a fraction of the cost. Start with 5,000 free scrapes — no credit card required.
See How Much You Save
Drag the slider to calculate your exact savings vs Smartproxy
See AlterLab in action
One endpoint. Any website. Results in under 2 seconds. No Smartproxy complexity.
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Try it yourself with 5,000 free requests
No credit card required. Get your API key in 30 seconds.
Switch from Smartproxy in 1-2 hours
Simple easy migration process. No downtime, no complex setup.
Migration Steps
Code Migration Example
import requests
proxies = {"http": "http://user:[email protected]:7000"}
resp = requests.get("https://example.com", proxies=proxies)import requests
resp = requests.post("https://api.alterlab.io/v1/scrape",
headers={"X-API-Key": "YOUR_KEY"},
json={"url": "https://example.com"})Compatibility Notes
- •Works with any HTTP client or language
- •Geo-targeting available via the geo parameter
- •No proxy credential management required
Ready to make the switch?
Start with 5,000 free requests. No credit card required.
Built for production workloads
Real platform metrics — not marketing promises
Start free — no credit card, no commitment
Frequently Asked Questions
More Comparisons
See how AlterLab stacks up against other scraping APIs
10x cost multipliers
Expiring monthly balance
75x cost for hard sites
Complex enterprise tooling
19,000+ Actors to manage
Monthly subscription required
Confusing token types
Enterprise complexity
Enterprise minimums, no developer API
Credits expire monthly, complex pricing
More Scraping API Resources
Part of the Web Scraping API Documentation cluster
Complete API reference with 5-tier auto-escalation — Curl to challenge resolution.
Pillar page10x cost multipliers vs pay-as-you-go pricing.
Complex enterprise tooling vs simple API integration.
Expiring monthly balance vs credits that never expire.
75x cost for hard sites vs auto-escalation pricing.
19,000+ Actors to manage vs a single unified API.
Monthly subscription required vs pay-per-request.
Confusing token types vs transparent per-request billing.
Real success rate and cost data across scraping APIs — no vendor data.
Drop Smartproxy, keep your budget
5,000 free requests. No credit card. Migrate from Smartproxy in under 5 minutes.