PacketStreamCompare · Residential proxies
PacketStream vs. Bright Data
PacketStream and Bright Data both sell residential proxy traffic from real-user devices. PacketStream is the simpler, lower-cost option: one published rate of $1.00/GB, no subscription, a $50 minimum purchase, and a balance that does not expire. On October 10, 2026, Bright Data listed pay-as-you-go residential traffic at $8/GB, and its monthly plans started at $499.
Checked against each provider’s public pages on .
At a glance
| Feature | PacketStream | Bright Data |
|---|---|---|
| Residential price | $1.00/GB, one published rate | Pay-as-you-go listed at $8/GB on October 10, 2026. Monthly plans from $499 (141 GB included). |
| Billing model | Prepaid balance. No subscription. | Pay-as-you-go with no monthly commitment, or a monthly plan |
| Unused balance | Purchased balance does not expire | Not stated on the residential pricing page |
| Sessions | New exit for each new connection, or a sticky exit until 60 minutes pass without a successful new connection | Rotating IPs with session control |
| Where the IPs come from | People running the PacketStream app who choose to share bandwidth and are paid $0.10/GB | Advertises residential IPs from real-peer devices |
How they differ
Pricing model. PacketStream publishes one residential rate, $1.00/GB, metered at the gateway and paid from a prepaid balance. Rotating and sticky sessions cost the same. On October 10, 2026, Bright Data listed pay-as-you-go traffic at $8/GB and monthly plans from $499.
Targeting and sessions. PacketStream targets by country at no extra cost and offers two session behaviours: a new exit for each new connection, or a sticky exit that lasts until 60 minutes pass without a successful new connection.
Beyond proxies. PacketStream’s web search, page reading, and MCP tools for AI agents draw on the same balance as proxy traffic, at $0.0025 per successful call.
Why choose PacketStream
- You want one per-GB price you can budget for: $1.00/GB, with no plan to choose and nothing that renews.
- Your usage comes in bursts. Purchased balance does not expire, so a top-up lasts as long as you need it to.
- You want localized prices, search results, or content checks at the same $1.00/GB in every country.
- You want one account and balance for residential proxies and for your AI agent’s web search and page reading.
Frequently asked questions
Is PacketStream cheaper than Bright Data for residential proxies?
At the prices both companies published on October 10, 2026, yes. PacketStream charges $1.00/GB. Bright Data listed pay-as-you-go residential traffic at $8/GB, and its monthly plans started at $499 for 141 GB.
Does PacketStream require a subscription?
No. You add funds to a prepaid balance, with a $50 minimum purchase, and traffic is metered at $1.00/GB. Nothing renews, and purchased balance does not expire.
Where do PacketStream's residential IPs come from?
From Packeters: people who run the PacketStream app and choose to share bandwidth. They are paid $0.10 per GB routed through their connection and can stop at any time.
Can I use PacketStream with an AI agent?
Yes. PacketStream’s remote MCP server gives agents two tools, Google search and page reading as Markdown, in Claude Code, Codex CLI, Cursor, VS Code, and Claude Desktop. Each successful call costs $0.0025 from the same balance as proxy traffic.
Sources, checked 2026-10-10
- Bright Data: Residential proxies pricing
- PacketStream: Pricing
- PacketStream: Country targeting
- PacketStream: MCP server
Prices are as listed on the date shown and may have changed since. Bright Data is a trademark of its owner, used here only to identify its products. PacketStream facts come from our pricing and documentation.