PacketStream vs. IPRoyal

At a glance

How they differ

Price curve. Both providers sell traffic that does not expire, without requiring a subscription. PacketStream uses one flat rate, $1.00/GB, with a $50 minimum purchase. IPRoyal uses volume tiers: small purchases cost more per GB, and the rate falls as the purchase grows.

Control. IPRoyal lists city targeting, timed rotation, and sticky sessions of up to 7 days. PacketStream offers country targeting, a new exit for each new connection, or a sticky exit that lasts until 60 minutes pass without a new connection.

Scope. IPRoyal also sells ISP, datacenter, and mobile proxies. PacketStream focuses on residential traffic, plus web search, page reading, and MCP tools for AI agents.

Which should you choose?

Choose PacketStream if

• You will use 50 GB or more over time. $50 buys 50 GB at PacketStream; at IPRoyal’s listed pay-as-you-go rates, 10 GB cost $55.10 on October 10, 2026.
• You want the same price per GB whether you buy $50 or much more, with no volume tiers to plan around.
• Country-level targeting covers your workload, and your sticky sessions open new connections at least once an hour.
• You also want web search and page reading for AI agents, paid from the same balance.

Choose IPRoyal if

• You need only a few GB and do not want to spend $50.
• You need city-level targeting.
• You need a session with a fixed duration of up to 7 days, or rotation on a timer rather than per connection.
• You need ISP, datacenter, or mobile proxies from the same provider.

Frequently asked questions

Is PacketStream cheaper than IPRoyal?

From 50 GB up, at the prices listed on October 10, 2026, yes. PacketStream charges $1.00/GB at any volume, with a $50 minimum purchase. IPRoyal’s pay-as-you-go rate fell from $7.35/GB for 1 GB to $1.84/GB at 10 TB. For a purchase of only a few GB, IPRoyal costs less in total because it has no $50 minimum.

Does traffic expire with either provider?

No. PacketStream’s purchased balance does not expire, and IPRoyal states that its residential traffic never expires.

Does PacketStream offer city targeting?

No. PacketStream targets by country with a two-letter ISO code in the 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. IPRoyal lists city-level targeting.

How do PacketStream sticky sessions work?

Add a session ID to your auth key to keep the same residential exit. The 60-minute timeout is rolling: each new connection in the session restarts it, so an active session can keep its exit for longer than an hour. The session stays tied to that one household, so if it disconnects the session fails rather than moving to a different exit.

Sources, checked 2026-10-10

• IPRoyal: Residential proxies pricing
• PacketStream: Pricing
• PacketStream: Rotation and sticky sessions
• PacketStream: Country targeting

Prices and plans change. Check IPRoyal’s own site before you buy. IPRoyal is a trademark of its owner, used here only to identify its products. PacketStream facts come from our pricing and documentation.