The recent announcement of GeoSurf’s closure, a long-standing player in the proxy service industry, marks a significant shift in the landscape of web data extraction and online privacy. This event not only underscores the dynamic nature of the industry but also highlights the importance of choosing a reliable and efficient proxy service provider. In this context, OneProxy emerges as a noteworthy contender, offering a blend of innovative features, affordability, and robust performance. This article delves into the intricacies of GeoSurf’s shutdown, provides an in-depth review of both GeoSurf and OneProxy, and presents a compelling case for why OneProxy stands out as the best alternative in this changing proxy service market.
Background of GeoSurf’s Closure
GeoSurf, an Israeli proxy provider, is set to permanently close on December 20, 2023. This closure is the culmination of a legal dispute with Bright Data, another major proxy provider, involving allegations of patent infringement and theft of trade secrets. The conflict, which began in 2019, led to GeoSurf agreeing to discontinue selling proxy services and transition its customers to Bright Data. Despite attempts to appeal, the decision stands and GeoSurf is now directing its customers to Bright Data.
GeoSurf’s closure highlights the competitive and legal complexities within the web data extraction industry. Legal disputes, such as the ongoing cases involving Oxylabs, Bright Data, Meta, and others, reflect the growing stakes in this industry.
GeoSurf: A Review
Overview and Key Features
Founded in 2009, GeoSurf is a seasoned veteran in the residential proxy market, known for its enterprise-grade solution. It boasts a residential proxy network covering over 150 countries and 1700+ cities, with over 3.5 million residential IPs.
Pricing Structure
GeoSurf’s pricing follows a pay-as-you-go model based on monthly bandwidth consumption, starting at $300 for 25GB of transfer. While its entry-level pricing is higher compared to competitors, it offers competitive rates for higher bandwidth tiers.
Performance Metrics
Independent benchmark testing revealed that GeoSurf has a robust proxy pool with over 370,000 unique IPs. Its success rates and response times are adequate for most applications, although they fall short of top-tier services in terms of speed.
User Experience
GeoSurf offers a user-friendly proxy management dashboard, browser extensions, and API access. Despite some limitations, such as the lack of SOCKS5 support, it has been a reliable choice for location-specific data collection.
OneProxy: A Review
Overview and Distinct Features
OneProxy is a premium proxy service offering a network of servers in various countries. It is known for unlimited traffic across all plans, competitive pricing, and instant access post-payment. Supporting multiple protocols and offering rotating proxies, it caters to a range of online activities.
Trust and Reliability
OneProxy has a good trust score based on its SSL certificate validity and user reviews. It has garnered very positive reviews with an average score of 4.5 stars. However, it’s noted that the owner uses a service to hide their identity on WHOIS, and the website is hosted in a high-risk country.
Pricing and Usability
The transparent pricing structure is a significant strength of OneProxy, offering economical solutions without compromising quality. Users have lauded its performance, quality, and customer service, highlighting the user-friendliness of its website.
Why OneProxy is the Best Alternative to GeoSurf
Comparison of Features and Services
- Network Coverage: While GeoSurf has an extensive network, OneProxy also provides global coverage with IP addresses from over 20 countries.
- Pricing Flexibility: OneProxy’s competitive pricing, starting as low as 6 cents per IP address, makes it an economical choice compared to GeoSurf’s higher entry-level pricing.
- Unlimited Traffic and Diverse Protocols: OneProxy offers unlimited traffic across all plans and supports a wider range of protocols, including HTTP, HTTPS, SOCKS 4/5, and UDP.
- Ease of Use: With its user-friendly interface and immediate access post-payment, OneProxy stands out in terms of customer experience.
- Customer Support and Reliability: OneProxy’s strong customer support and reliable service, as evidenced by positive user reviews, make it a dependable choice.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | GeoSurf | OneProxy |
|---|---|---|
| Network Coverage | Over 150 countries and 1700+ cities | IP addresses from over 20 countries |
| Pricing | Starts at $300 for 25GB | As low as $0.06 per IP address |
| Traffic | Unlimited within monthly limits | Unlimited across all plans |
| Protocols Supported | HTTP/HTTPS | HTTP, HTTPS, SOCKS 4/5, UDP |
| User Experience | User-friendly dashboard, lacks SOCKS5 support | User-friendly website, easy access |
| Trust Score | N/A | High, with very positive reviews |
OneProxy’s wide protocol support, competitive pricing, global coverage, and user-friendly approach make it a strong alternative to GeoSurf, particularly for clients seeking economical and reliable proxy services.
