Head-to-Head Proxy ComparisonVerified Public Specifications (Oct 2026)
PacketStream vs Decodo
Side-by-side comparison of PacketStream and Decodo across supported proxy types, residential pricing per GB, datacenter & ISP pricing, geographic coverage, protocols, session rotation, authentication, platform features, and pros & cons.
Provider 1Cataloged
PacketStream
Residential
Peer-to-peer residential proxy network powered by bandwidth-sharing Packeters, offering flat $1.00/GB rotating and sticky sessions with non-expiring traffic credits.
Residential / GB$1.00 / GB
Starting Price / IPNot available
Geographic Coverage100+ Countries
ProtocolsHTTP, HTTPS, SOCKS5
VS
⇄ SwapProvider 2Rank #4
Decodo
ResidentialDatacenterISPMobile
Formerly Smartproxy, Decodo provides self-service residential, ISP, datacenter, and mobile proxy endpoints with browser extensions and flexible bandwidth tiers.
Residential / GB$4.00 / GB
Starting Price / IPFrom $0.60 / IP
Geographic Coverage195+ Countries
ProtocolsHTTP, HTTPS, SOCKS5
Network Coverage
Supported Proxy Network Types
Side-by-side availability across Residential, Datacenter, Static ISP, and Mobile proxy pools.
| Proxy Network Type | PacketStream | Decodo |
|---|---|---|
Residential Proxies (Rotating & Sticky) Household ISP-assigned IPs supporting automatic rotation and sticky sessions | ✓ Supported | ✓ Supported |
Datacenter Proxies (Dedicated & Shared) High-speed IPv4/IPv6 cloud server subnets for bulk concurrency | Not available | ✓ Supported |
ISP / Static Residential Proxies Static consumer ASN-registered IPs hosted on server backbones | Not available | ✓ Supported |
Mobile Carrier Proxies (3G / 4G / 5G / LTE) Cellular gateway IPs routed through carrier CGNAT pools | Not available | ✓ Supported |
Pricing Comparison
Calculate Monthly Costs →Residential Pricing per GB, Datacenter & ISP Rates
Verified pricing across residential bandwidth per GB, datacenter and static ISP per-IP/bandwidth plans, and minimum account outlays.
| Pricing Category | PacketStream | Decodo |
|---|---|---|
| Residential Starting Rate (per GB) | $1.00 / GB | $4.00 / GB |
| Published Pricing Summary | $1.00 / GB flat rate • $50 minimum deposit • Non-expiring bandwidth credits • No recurring subscriptions • Reseller API at $1.00/GB ($500 min) | $4.00 / GB (Residential PAYG) • Plans down to $2.00 / GB • Datacenter from $0.60 / GB |
| Datacenter Proxy Pricing | Not available | Datacenter Proxies: From $0.60 / GB or per-IP tiers |
| ISP (Static Residential) Pricing | Not available | ISP Proxies: From $4.50 / GB or per-IP tiers |
| Mobile Proxy Pricing | Not available | Mobile Proxies: From $8.00 / GB |
| Starting Rate per IP | Not available | $0.60 / IP |
| Billing Structure | Pay-As-You-Go | Pay-As-You-Go & Subscriptions |
| Minimum Outlay / Deposit | $50.00 | $4.00 |
| Accepted Payment Methods | Credit CardPayPalCrypto | Credit CardPayPalCryptoAlipay |
Technical Capabilities
Locations, Protocols, Session Rotation & Authentication
Side-by-side comparison of geo-targeting granularity, supported connection protocols, sticky session durations, authentication methods, and platform tooling.
| Technical Dimension | PacketStream | Decodo |
|---|---|---|
| Geographic Coverage & Targeting | 100+ Countries (Country-level targeting via password suffix _country-XX) | 195+ Locations (Country, State, City & ASN targeting) |
| Documented Country Count | 100+ Countries | 195+ Countries |
| Supported Protocols | HTTPHTTPSSOCKS5 | HTTPHTTPSSOCKS5 |
| Rotation & Sticky Sessions | Rotating on every request or sticky sessions maintained up to 60 minutes via _session-ID password suffix | Per-request rotation or sticky sessions (1, 10, 30 minutes up to 24 hours) |
| Authentication Methods | Username / Password | Username / PasswordIP Whitelisting |
| Documented Platform Features | Flat $1.00 / GB residential bandwidth pricing with no monthly subscription$50 minimum account deposit with non-expiring bandwidth balanceRotating Residential Proxies (per-request rotation for stateless crawling)Sticky Residential Sessions (persisting up to 60 minutes via _session-ID)Single Gateway Host: proxy.packetstream.io with port-specific protocolsProtocol Support: HTTPS (31111), SOCKS5 (31113), and HTTP (31112)Country-Level Geo-Targeting: 100+ countries via password suffix (_country-XX)White-label Reseller API ($1.00/GB with $500 minimum purchase)Strict Username/Password authentication (no IP whitelisting supported)Strictly Excluded: Datacenter, Static ISP, and Mobile standalone proxy networks | Self-Serve DashboardBrowser Extensions (Chrome & Firefox)X Browser Anti-Detect ToolSticky Sessions up to 24hPay-As-You-Go & Subscriptions |
| Integration Tools & Clients | PythonNode.jsGocURLPlaywrightPuppeteer | PythonNode.jsGocURLPlaywrightPuppeteer |
| Ranking Placement | Not available | Rank #4 (Editorial Ranking) |
| Official Documentation Source | https://packetstream.io/pricing/ ↗ | https://decodo.com ↗ |
Trade-Offs Breakdown
Verified Pros & Cons: PacketStream vs Decodo
PacketStream
Rank #null✓ Verified Strengths (Pros)
- Extremely cost-effective flat $1.00/GB residential pricing with zero recurring monthly subscription obligations
- Non-expiring bandwidth balance ensures purchased traffic never lapses, ideal for intermittent or low-frequency scraping
- Both rotating and sticky sessions (up to 60 minutes) share the exact same $1.00/GB rate without hidden premium surcharges
- Supports HTTP, HTTPS, and SOCKS5 protocol endpoints through a clean gateway architecture (proxy.packetstream.io)
✕ Documented Limitations (Cons)
- High entry barrier for casual testing: enforces a mandatory $50 minimum purchase threshold ($500 for Reseller API)
- No IP whitelist authentication; connections must strictly authenticate using username and password parameters
- Targeting is limited strictly to country level; does not support state, city, ASN, or carrier filtering
- Does not offer Datacenter, Static ISP, or Mobile cellular proxy networks
Decodo
Rank #4✓ Verified Strengths (Pros)
- Accessible self-serve dashboard with Pay-As-You-Go residential bandwidth from $4.00/GB
- Configurable sticky sessions ranging from 1 minute up to 24 hours
- Includes free Chrome/Firefox proxy extensions and X Browser multi-profile tool
✕ Documented Limitations (Cons)
- Recent rebrand from Smartproxy to Decodo may require updating legacy integration references
- Dedicated static ISP per-IP plans are more expensive than pure datacenter IP pools
Selection Verdict
How to Choose Between PacketStream and Decodo
Selecting between PacketStream and Decodo depends on the proxy network types, billing model, and session duration required by your workflow:
When to Choose PacketStream
Developers and scraping teams seeking flat-rate, low-cost residential bandwidth ($1.00/GB) with non-expiring balances and 60-minute sticky sessions without recurring monthly fees.
Look elsewhere if: You need granular city/ASN targeting, require IP whitelisting instead of username/password, want a micro-purchase under $50, or need dedicated Datacenter/ISP/Mobile IP pools.
When to Choose Decodo
Mid-sized scraping teams and multi-account operators who want self-serve access to Residential, ISP, Datacenter, and Mobile proxies alongside browser tooling.
Look elsewhere if: You only need ultra-low-cost static datacenter IPs at $0.05/IP scale.
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