PacketStream vs. Oxylabs

At a glance

How they differ

Pricing model. PacketStream has no plans. You add funds, with a $50 minimum purchase, and traffic is metered at $1.00/GB until the balance runs out. Oxylabs prices residential traffic by subscription tier, and the per-GB rate falls as your plan grows.

Targeting and sessions. PacketStream targets by country and keeps a sticky session on one exit until 60 minutes pass without a new connection. Oxylabs lists much finer targeting, down to ZIP code, coordinates, and ASN, and sticky sessions of up to 24 hours.

Scope. One Oxylabs subscription covers its proxies, Web API, and other products. PacketStream focuses on residential traffic. Its Search API, Fetch API, and MCP server for AI agents bill per successful call from the same balance.

Which should you choose?

Choose PacketStream if

• You want to pay for traffic only when you use it, with no monthly plan to keep or cancel.
• Price per GB matters most: $1.00/GB was below Oxylabs’ lowest listed residential rate on October 10, 2026.
• Country-level targeting covers your workload, and your sticky sessions open new connections at least once an hour.
• You may want a refund soon after buying. PacketStream accepts refund requests within 24 hours of purchase.

Choose Oxylabs if

• You need state, city, ZIP code, coordinate, or ASN targeting.
• You need a session with a fixed duration, or one that keeps its IP through more than an hour without new connections. Oxylabs lists sticky sessions of up to 24 hours.
• You spend steadily each month and want one subscription to cover proxies, scraping, search, and other Oxylabs products.
• You need HTTP/3, or mobile, ISP, or datacenter proxies.

Frequently asked questions

Is PacketStream cheaper than Oxylabs?

Per GB at published rates, yes. On October 10, 2026, Oxylabs listed residential traffic from $6/GB on small plans down to $2.5/GB at 1,000+ GB, on a monthly subscription. PacketStream charges $1.00/GB with no subscription. Oxylabs Enterprise pricing is negotiated, so compare quotes at very high volume.

Does Oxylabs require a subscription?

Its residential pricing page lists monthly plans from $30, plus a one-time $5 welcome credit for new accounts. PacketStream has no subscription: you add funds, with a $50 minimum purchase, and the balance does not expire.

How long can I keep the same IP?

With PacketStream, add a session ID to your auth key to keep the same 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. After 60 minutes without a new connection, the next one may get a different exit. If that Packeter disconnects, the session fails rather than switching to another exit. Oxylabs lists sticky sessions of up to 24 hours.

Can I get a refund?

PacketStream accepts refund requests for the remaining balance within 24 hours of purchase. Oxylabs states that self-service purchases are non-refundable and offers a welcome credit for testing instead.

Sources, checked 2026-10-10

• Oxylabs: Residential proxies pricing
• Oxylabs: Residential proxies
• PacketStream: Pricing
• PacketStream: Rotation and sticky sessions
• PacketStream: FAQ

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