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. Bright Data is the broader platform, with city, ZIP code, and ASN targeting, ISP, datacenter, and mobile networks, and scraping APIs, at higher published per-GB rates.
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). Custom pricing above 1 TB. |
| 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 |
| Getting started | $50 minimum purchase. Trial credits on request. | Free trial |
| Geo-targeting | Country, using an ISO code in the auth key, at no extra cost | Country, state, city, ZIP code, and ASN, listed as free |
| Sessions | New exit for each new connection, or a sticky exit until 60 minutes pass without a new connection | Rotating IPs with session control |
| Other proxy types | Residential only | ISP, datacenter, and mobile |
| Tools for AI agents | Search API, Fetch API, and a remote MCP server at $0.0025 per successful call, from the same balance (early beta) | SERP API, Unlocker API, Browser API, and an MCP server with 5,000 free requests a month |
| Where the IPs come from | People running the PacketStream desktop app who choose to share bandwidth and are paid $0.10/GB | Advertises 400M+ residential IPs from real-peer devices in 195 countries |
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. Bright Data offers pay-as-you-go and monthly plans.
Targeting and control. PacketStream targets by country and offers two session behaviours: a new exit for each new connection, or a sticky exit that lasts until 60 minutes pass without a new connection. Bright Data lists finer geo-targeting, down to ZIP code and ASN, and a proxy manager for more advanced setups.
Beyond proxies. Bright Data sells a wide data platform, including unblocking, browser, and scraper APIs, and datasets. PacketStream focuses on residential traffic, plus a small set of web search, page reading, and MCP tools for AI agents that draw on the same balance.
Which should you choose?
Choose PacketStream if
- 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.
- Country-level targeting covers your workload, such as localized prices, search results, or content checks.
- You want one account and balance for residential proxies and for your AI agent’s web search and page reading.
Choose Bright Data if
- You need city, ZIP code, or ASN targeting.
- You need ISP, datacenter, or mobile IPs as well as residential ones.
- You want managed scraping products such as an unblocking API, remote browsers, scraper APIs, or datasets.
- You need enterprise terms such as an uptime SLA.
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. Bright Data offers custom pricing above 1 TB, so compare quotes at very high volume.
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.
Can PacketStream target a city or ASN?
No. PacketStream targets by country: add a two-letter ISO country code to your auth key. If a recognized country has no available exits, the request fails rather than using another country. PacketStream ignores a code it does not recognize, so pick the country from the Location list on the dashboard. Bright Data lists country, state, city, ZIP code, and ASN targeting.
Where do PacketStream's residential IPs come from?
From Packeters: people who run the PacketStream desktop app on Windows, macOS, or Linux 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. The MCP server is in early beta.
Sources, checked 2026-10-10
- Bright Data: Residential proxies pricing
- Bright Data: MCP server
- PacketStream: Pricing
- PacketStream: Country targeting
- PacketStream: MCP server
Prices and plans change. Check Bright Data’s own site before you buy. Bright Data is a trademark of its owner, used here only to identify its products. PacketStream facts come from our pricing and documentation.