Head-to-Head Proxy ComparisonVerified Public Specifications (Oct 2026)
PacketStream vs SOAX
Side-by-side comparison of PacketStream and SOAX 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 #5
SOAX
ResidentialDatacenterISPMobile
Compliance-focused proxy network offering residential, mobile, US ISP, and datacenter pools with ISP/mobile carrier filtering and HTTP/HTTPS/SOCKS5 endpoint support.
Residential / GB$3.60 / GB
Starting Price / IPNot available
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 | SOAX |
|---|---|---|
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 | SOAX |
|---|---|---|
| Residential Starting Rate (per GB) | $1.00 / GB | $3.60 / 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) | $3.60 / GB ($90 / mo Starter for 25 GB) • Volume plans scale down to $2.00 / GB |
| Datacenter Proxy Pricing | Not available | Included in unified bandwidth plans |
| ISP (Static Residential) Pricing | Not available | Included in unified bandwidth plans |
| Mobile Proxy Pricing | Not available | Included in unified bandwidth plans |
| Starting Rate per IP | Not available | Not available |
| Billing Structure | Pay-As-You-Go | Monthly Subscriptions |
| Minimum Outlay / Deposit | $50.00 | $90.00 |
| Accepted Payment Methods | Credit CardPayPalCrypto | Credit CardPayPalCryptoWire Transfer |
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 | SOAX |
|---|---|---|
| Geographic Coverage & Targeting | 100+ Countries (Country-level targeting via password suffix _country-XX) | 195+ Countries (Country, Region, City & ISP/Carrier 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 configurable sticky sessions (90s up to active peer lifetime) |
| 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 | ISP & Mobile Carrier FilteringNode/City/Region Geo-TargetingHTTP, HTTPS & SOCKS5 SupportAuto-Reconnect on Sticky Node Drop |
| Integration Tools & Clients | PythonNode.jsGocURLPlaywrightPuppeteer | PythonNode.jsGocURLPlaywrightPuppeteer |
| Ranking Placement | Not available | Rank #5 (Editorial Ranking) |
| Official Documentation Source | https://packetstream.io/pricing/ ↗ | https://soax.com/pricing ↗ |
Trade-Offs Breakdown
Verified Pros & Cons: PacketStream vs SOAX
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
SOAX
Rank #5✓ Verified Strengths (Pros)
- Strong ISP and mobile carrier filtering across 195+ countries
- Unified subscription plans include access to Residential, Mobile, ISP, and Datacenter pools
- Supports HTTP, HTTPS, and SOCKS5 with custom sticky session lifetimes
✕ Documented Limitations (Cons)
- Standard self-serve entry plan starts at $90/month (25 GB) rather than single-GB pay-as-you-go
- ISP proxy pool geo-coverage is primarily focused on the United States
Selection Verdict
How to Choose Between PacketStream and SOAX
Selecting between PacketStream and SOAX 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 SOAX
Teams with steady monthly traffic volume (25 GB+) that require carrier-level or ISP-level filtering across Residential and Mobile pools.
Look elsewhere if: You want a small $3–$5 single-gigabyte pay-as-you-go deposit without a monthly subscription.
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