On this page
- Verdict
- Side-by-side comparison
- About Infatica
- About Shifter
- Pricing compared
- Performance compared
- Pool & coverage
- Features face-off
- Trials & support
- Where Infatica wins
- Where Shifter wins
- Infatica pros & cons
- Shifter pros & cons
- Consider the alternative
- Switching between them
- Comparison FAQ
- Related comparisons
- Full reviews
- Related searches
- Make the call
Verdict
Infatica wins this matchup. It ranks #11 to Shifter’s #14 in our weighted benchmark, pairing every proxy type under one roof with stronger overall scores. Shifter still makes sense where unlimited bandwidth on port plans is the deciding factor.
Side-by-side comparison
| Criterion | Infatica | Shifter |
|---|---|---|
| Our rank | #11 of 15 | #14 of 15 |
| Rating | 4.0/5 | 3.8/5 |
| Entry price | $3.60/GB | ~$1.25/GB eq. |
| IP pool | 15M+ | 31M+ |
| Success rate | 96.2% | 93.8% |
| Proxy types | 4 | 2 |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| City targeting | Yes | Country-level |
| Support | Chat & tickets | Tickets |
About Infatica
Infatica is the steady all-rounder that rarely tops any single category but rarely disappoints in one either, with SLA options unusual at its price point.
It assembled a balanced catalogue spanning every proxy type plus a managed scraper API, aiming squarely at the pragmatic middle of the market.
About Shifter
Shifter is the veteran of backconnect rotation, selling unlimited-bandwidth ports that reward heavy rotators willing to manage their own quality control.
One of the oldest names in rotating residential proxies, it kept its per-port pricing model long after most rivals moved to per-GB billing.
Pricing compared
On paper: $3.60/GB (Infatica) versus ~$1.25/GB eq. (Shifter). Factor retries at 96.2% and 93.8% success and the premium buys back some ground — always run both through a pilot before committing volume.
Performance compared
Our latency and throughput testing favoured Infatica (82 vs 70 speed index), while pool depth favours Shifter. Match the strength to your workload’s bottleneck.
Pool & coverage
Coverage: 15M+ (Infatica) vs 31M+ (Shifter). For geo-sensitive work note that city targeting is only on Infatica.
Features face-off
Infatica: SLA options for business plans; Managed scraper API add-on.
Shifter: Large legacy IP network; Built for heavy rotation.
Trials & support
Infatica support: Chat & tickets; trial: yes. Shifter support: Tickets; trial: no. For mission-critical workloads, the support row of the table above deserves more attention than it usually gets.
Where Infatica wins
- You are teams wanting one balanced vendor on a moderate budget.
- Managed scraper API add-on.
- Every proxy type under one roof.
Where Shifter wins
- Large legacy IP network.
- You are rotation-heavy tasks priced by port rather than data.
- Unlimited bandwidth on port plans.
Infatica pros & cons
- ✅ Every proxy type under one roof
- ✅ SLA options for business plans
- ✅ Managed scraper API add-on
- ⚠️ Mid-pack speed and success scores
- ⚠️ Pool smaller than the leaders
Shifter pros & cons
- ✅ Unlimited bandwidth on port plans
- ✅ Large legacy IP network
- ✅ Built for heavy rotation
- ⚠️ Per-port costs add up quickly
- ⚠️ Performance can be inconsistent
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 has the bigger pool, Infatica or Shifter?
Shifter — 31M+ versus 15M+. Pool size matters most for high-concurrency rotation.
Is Infatica cheaper than Shifter?
Entry pricing: $3.60/GB vs ~$1.25/GB eq.. No on stickers — but compare cost per successful request after a pilot on your own targets.
Do Infatica and Shifter offer free trials?
Infatica: yes. Shifter: no. Trials are the cheapest way to settle this comparison for your specific workload.
Can I use both Infatica and Shifter 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.
Which is better, Infatica or Shifter?
Infatica wins our weighted benchmark (#11 vs #14), combining every proxy type under one roof with stronger value scores. Shifter remains the right call when rotation-heavy tasks priced by port rather than data matches your situation.
Full reviews
Deep-dive both sides: Infatica review · Shifter review — or browse all 15 provider reviews.
Related searches
Make the call
Your next data project deserves better proxies
Cheapest Proxies pairs a 99.4% measured success rate with the lowest blended per-GB cost in our benchmarks — with a free trial to prove it on your own targets.