On this page
- Verdict
- Side-by-side comparison
- About Decodo
- About ProxyEmpire
- Pricing compared
- Performance compared
- Pool & coverage
- Features face-off
- Trials & support
- Where Decodo wins
- Where ProxyEmpire wins
- Decodo pros & cons
- ProxyEmpire pros & cons
- Consider the alternative
- Switching between them
- Comparison FAQ
- Related comparisons
- Full reviews
- Related searches
- Make the call
Verdict
Decodo wins this matchup. It ranks #4 to ProxyEmpire’s #9 in our weighted benchmark, pairing easiest onboarding of any network we tested with a lower entry price. ProxyEmpire still makes sense where unused data rolls over month to month is the deciding factor.
Side-by-side comparison
| Criterion | Decodo | ProxyEmpire |
|---|---|---|
| Our rank | #4 of 15 | #9 of 15 |
| Rating | 4.5/5 | 4.1/5 |
| Entry price | $2.20/GB | $3.00/GB |
| IP pool | 55M+ | 9M+ |
| Success rate | 98.5% | 96.5% |
| Proxy types | 4 | 3 |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| City targeting | Yes | Yes |
| Support | 24/7 live chat | Chat & email |
About Decodo
Decodo is the network most often recommended to first-time buyers, thanks to an interface that makes proxies feel as simple as any consumer SaaS product.
Formerly known as Smartproxy, it rebranded while keeping the same mid-market positioning: serious capability without enterprise friction.
About ProxyEmpire
ProxyEmpire is the geo-coverage hunter, reaching markets in Africa, South Asia and Latin America that bigger networks treat as afterthoughts.
It positioned itself early around rollover data and deep emerging-market coverage instead of competing head-on in the US/EU price war.
Pricing compared
Decodo starts at $2.20/GB against ProxyEmpire’s $3.00/GB. Raw stickers favour Decodo, but success rates adjust the picture: at 98.5% vs 96.5%, effective cost per successful request widens the gap further.
Performance compared
Our latency and throughput testing favoured Decodo (92 vs 80 speed index), while pool depth favours Decodo. Match the strength to your workload’s bottleneck.
Pool & coverage
Coverage: 55M+ (Decodo) vs 9M+ (ProxyEmpire). For geo-sensitive work note that city targeting is available on both.
Features face-off
Decodo: Solid 55M+ pool with good uptime; 14-day money-back window.
ProxyEmpire: Coverage in hard-to-find regions; Granular country and region filters.
Trials & support
Decodo support: 24/7 live chat; trial: yes. ProxyEmpire support: Chat & email; trial: no. Responsiveness becomes decisive the night a pipeline breaks — weight it accordingly.
Where Decodo wins
- Easiest onboarding of any network we tested.
- 14-day money-back window.
- You are beginners and SMBs who want a smooth first proxy experience.
Where ProxyEmpire wins
- Unused data rolls over month to month.
- Coverage in hard-to-find regions.
- Granular country and region filters.
Decodo pros & cons
- ✅ Easiest onboarding of any network we tested
- ✅ Solid 55M+ pool with good uptime
- ✅ 14-day money-back window
- ⚠️ Mid-tier pricing, not the cheapest
- ⚠️ Mobile pool smaller than specialists
ProxyEmpire pros & cons
- ✅ Unused data rolls over month to month
- ✅ Coverage in hard-to-find regions
- ✅ Granular country and region filters
- ⚠️ Pool smaller than category leaders
- ⚠️ Speeds vary by region
Consider the alternative
Worth knowing: neither side of this duel tops our table. Cheapest Proxies does, at $0.80/GB with all four proxy types and a free trial — often the smarter third option.
Check Cheapest Proxies → Read the reviewSwitching between them
Switching between these vendors is low-friction: both expose gateway-plus-credential access, so migration is usually a config change. Run both in parallel for a week, splitting traffic 90/10, before cutting over fully.
Comparison FAQ
Which is better, Decodo or ProxyEmpire?
Decodo wins our weighted benchmark (#4 vs #9), combining easiest onboarding of any network we tested with stronger value scores. ProxyEmpire remains the right call when projects targeting emerging markets and niche geographies matches your situation.
Do Decodo and ProxyEmpire offer free trials?
Decodo: yes. ProxyEmpire: no. Trials are the cheapest way to settle this comparison for your specific workload.
Which has the bigger pool, Decodo or ProxyEmpire?
Decodo — 55M+ versus 9M+. Pool size matters most for high-concurrency rotation.
Can I use both Decodo and ProxyEmpire together?
Yes — multi-vendor setups are common: route easy targets through the cheaper network and reserve the other for its specialty, with automatic failover between them.
Is Decodo cheaper than ProxyEmpire?
Entry pricing: $2.20/GB vs $3.00/GB. Yes on stickers — but compare cost per successful request after a pilot on your own targets.
Full reviews
Deep-dive both sides: Decodo review · ProxyEmpire review — or browse all 15 provider reviews.
Related searches
Make the call
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