Why is Roam not the absolute cheapest?

Because Roam prices one way for everyone: a flat $2/GB with no commitment, no expiry, and no promo clock. Providers that advertise sub-$1 rates typically require large monthly spend, time-limited promotions, or terabyte-scale volume to actually get there. For most buyers, Roam's flat rate is cheaper in practice than a $0.78 promo that reverts to $2.60 or a $0.30 floor you never reach.

Does sourcing matter when choosing a residential proxy?

More than ever. The NetNut seizure showed that how a network gets its residential IPs is a legal and operational risk, not a footnote. A provider whose IPs come from a botnet can disappear overnight and take your workloads with it. Buyers in 2026 weigh network stability and sourcing alongside price.

Residential proxy pricing, compared

Residential proxy pricing,
with the fine print left in

Q: Which residential proxy provider is cheapest in 2026?

On headline price, PacketStream ($1/GB flat) and Infatica (from $0.30/GB at deep volume) are lower than Roam's $2/GB. But those numbers come with catches: promotional rates that snap back, floors you only reach at terabyte volume, or monthly top-up caps. Roam's $2/GB is flat at any volume, with no subscription and a balance that never expires — so the real question is total cost and terms, not the sticker on the pricing page.

Q: What happened to NetNut?

On 3 July 2026 the FBI, DOJ and IRS Criminal Investigation, working with Google, Lumen and the Shadowserver Foundation, seized NetNut (tracked as the Popa botnet) and hundreds of its domains. Its residential network was built on roughly two million consumer devices co-opted through hidden SDKs. NetNut is no longer an available provider.

Most comparison pages cherry-pick a headline number and call it a day. Here is the honest version: the real 2026 rates for the major rotating-residential providers, plus the catches — promo clocks, volume floors, monthly caps — that decide what you actually pay. Roam isn't the lowest sticker price on this page, and we'll show you exactly where it wins and where it doesn't.

Where Roam lands: a flat $2/GB pay-as-you-go rate at any volume, no subscription, and a balance that never expires. Cheaper on paper than Decodo; pricier on paper than PacketStream or a promo — but flat, predictable, and without a plan cycle. Datacenter ($0.80/GB), mobile 4G/5G ($9/GB) and static residential ($4/IP/mo) share the same wallet.

Rotating residential: the 2026 field

Provider	Rotating residential	Model	Commitment for best rate	Balance expiry	Free trial
Roam	$2/GB flat	Pay-as-you-go	None — $2/GB at any volume	Never	300 MB
Decodo (ex-Smartproxy)	$4/GB PAYG	PAYG or monthly	$2.75/GB at $275/mo; ~$2.00 at $2,000+/mo	Monthly cycle	100 MB
PacketStream	$1/GB flat	Pay-as-you-go	$1/GB flat, ~$6 minimum deposit	No expiry	No
Proxy-Cheap	$0.78/GB promo	PAYG top-up	Promo −70% off ~$2.60 base; capped 50 GB/mo	Monthly top-up	7-day $1.99 (ISP)
Rayobyte	$3.50/GB → $0.50	PAYG tiers + monthly	$0.50/GB only at 5 TB+; $3.50 at entry	Tiered	Yes (on signup)
Infatica	from $0.30/GB	PAYG + monthly	$0.30 is the deep-volume floor; ~$7/GB on regular plans	Plan-based	Trial
NetNut	Seized by the FBI / DOJ / IRS-CI on 3 July 2026 — no longer available seized

Competitor pricing verified July 2026 from each provider's official pricing page (rendered directly, promotional rates flagged). Prices change often — always confirm on the provider's site before buying. NetNut status per the DOJ seizure notice and reporting.

Read the fine print

A lower number on the pricing page is not always a lower bill. Here is what the sub-$2 rates on this table actually require:

Proxy-Cheap's $0.78/GB is a promotion. It's marked “−70%” against a ~$2.60/GB base, and residential top-ups are capped at 50 GB per month — fine for small jobs, a wall for real volume, and the rate can revert.

Infatica's $0.30/GB is a floor, not a starting price. Their own FAQ puts a regular gigabyte around $7; $0.30 is what deep-volume contracts reach. Most buyers never see it.

Rayobyte's $0.50/GB needs 5 TB+ per cycle. Entry pricing is $3.50/GB; the cheap rate is an enterprise tier. Credit to them for loud, certified ethical sourcing.

PacketStream's $1/GB flat is genuinely cheap. It's a peer-to-peer network with a small deposit minimum and fewer targeting/enterprise controls — a real option if raw price is all that matters to you.

Decodo's committed rates need $275–$2,000+/mo. The polished $2.00–$2.75/GB tiers exist, but only if you pre-commit monthly spend; PAYG is $4/GB.

Why teams pick Roam anyway

One flat rate, no games

$2/GB at any volume. No promo clock that resets, no floor you have to hit, no monthly minimum. What you see is the bill.

Balance never expires

Roam is a wallet, not a plan. Top up once and spend it over weeks or months — nothing resets at the end of a cycle.

Sourcing you can reason about

After the NetNut seizure, network stability is a purchasing criterion. Roam runs a commercial, pay-as-you-go network — not a consumer-device botnet that can vanish overnight.

When a rival is the better call

If raw price per gigabyte is the only thing that matters and you can live with fewer controls, PacketStream at $1/GB flat is honestly cheaper. If you'll commit thousands per month, Decodo or Rayobyte enterprise tiers can beat $2/GB. Roam is built for everyone in between: no commitment, no expiry, no fine print.

FAQ

Which residential proxy provider is cheapest in 2026?

On the sticker price, PacketStream ($1/GB flat) and Infatica (from $0.30/GB at deep volume) sit below Roam's $2/GB. But those come with catches — promotions that snap back, floors you only reach at terabyte scale, or monthly caps. Roam's $2/GB is flat at any volume with no subscription and a balance that never expires, which is often cheaper in practice than a promo or an unreachable floor.

Why isn't Roam the absolute cheapest?

Because Roam charges everyone the same: a flat $2/GB, no commitment, no expiry, no promo clock. Sub-$1 rates elsewhere usually require large monthly spend, a time-limited promotion, or terabyte-scale volume to unlock.

What happened to NetNut?

On 3 July 2026 the FBI, DOJ and IRS Criminal Investigation — with Google, Lumen and the Shadowserver Foundation — seized NetNut (tracked as the “Popa” botnet) and hundreds of its domains. Its residential pool was built from roughly two million consumer devices co-opted through hidden SDKs. NetNut is no longer an available provider. If you're migrating off it, see our NetNut alternative page.

Does sourcing matter when I choose a provider?

More than it used to. The NetNut takedown showed that how a network gets its IPs is a legal and operational risk, not a footnote. A network built on a botnet can be seized overnight and take your workloads with it. In 2026, stability and sourcing sit next to price in the decision.

Residential proxy pricing,with the fine print left in