On this page
- Verdict
- Side-by-side comparison
- About SOAX
- About Shifter
- Pricing compared
- Performance compared
- Pool & coverage
- Features face-off
- Trials & support
- Where SOAX wins
- Where Shifter wins
- SOAX pros & cons
- Shifter pros & cons
- Consider the alternative
- Switching between them
- Comparison FAQ
- Related comparisons
- Full reviews
- Related searches
- Make the call
Verdict
Overall: SOAX. Our scoring (value 30%, speed 25%, pool 20%, features 15%, support 10%) puts it ahead at #6 versus #14. Choose Shifter instead when rotation-heavy tasks priced by port rather than data describes you precisely.
Side-by-side comparison
| Criterion | SOAX | Shifter |
|---|---|---|
| Our rank | #6 of 15 | #14 of 15 |
| Rating | 4.3/5 | 3.8/5 |
| Entry price | $3.30/GB | ~$1.25/GB eq. |
| IP pool | 8.5M+ | 31M+ |
| Success rate | 97.5% | 93.8% |
| Proxy types | 3 | 2 |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| City targeting | Yes | Country-level |
| Support | 24/7 chat | Tickets |
About SOAX
SOAX is a quality-over-quantity network that vets its pool aggressively, making it a favourite for social platforms where IP reputation is everything.
Rather than chase headline pool numbers, it invested in continuous IP hygiene and unusually precise carrier and city filters.
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: $3.30/GB (SOAX) versus ~$1.25/GB eq. (Shifter). Factor retries at 97.5% 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 SOAX (88 vs 70 speed index), while pool depth favours Shifter. Match the strength to your workload’s bottleneck.
Pool & coverage
SOAX declares 8.5M+ IPs against Shifter’s 31M+; SOAX offers city-level targeting while the other stops at country filters. Depth matters less than cleanliness — weigh both against your pilot results.
Features face-off
SOAX: Precise city and carrier targeting; Strong on mobile and social use cases.
Shifter: Large legacy IP network; Built for heavy rotation.
Trials & support
SOAX support: 24/7 chat; 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 SOAX wins
- Precise city and carrier targeting.
- Strong on mobile and social use cases.
- You are social media managers and mobile-first data work.
Where Shifter wins
- Built for heavy rotation.
- Large legacy IP network.
- Unlimited bandwidth on port plans.
SOAX pros & cons
- ✅ Frequently refreshed, clean IP pool
- ✅ Precise city and carrier targeting
- ✅ Strong on mobile and social use cases
- ⚠️ Smaller pool than the big names
- ⚠️ Premium-leaning pricing
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 is better, SOAX or Shifter?
SOAX wins our weighted benchmark (#6 vs #14), combining frequently refreshed, clean ip pool with stronger value scores. Shifter remains the right call when rotation-heavy tasks priced by port rather than data matches your situation.
Is SOAX cheaper than Shifter?
Entry pricing: $3.30/GB vs ~$1.25/GB eq.. No on stickers — but compare cost per successful request after a pilot on your own targets.
Which has the bigger pool, SOAX or Shifter?
Shifter — 31M+ versus 8.5M+. Pool size matters most for high-concurrency rotation.
Do SOAX and Shifter offer free trials?
SOAX: yes. Shifter: no. Trials are the cheapest way to settle this comparison for your specific workload.
Can I use both SOAX 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.
Full reviews
Deep-dive both sides: SOAX review · Shifter review — or browse all 15 provider reviews.
Related searches
Make the call
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