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How we test

The rubric, the data statuses, and what our numbers can and cannot tell you.

Every figure labelled measured on this site links back to this page. If a claim cannot be traced to a method described here, it is not a measurement and we do not present it as one.

#The three data statuses

Status What it means What may appear
Measured We ran the test ourselves Performance figures, plus the date, the sample size and a link to the method. All three are required together.
Vendor-reported The provider published it Vendor figures, each labelled as a claim, each linking to the page that makes it.
Not yet tested We have not run this provider No performance figures at all. The page says so in a visible box rather than quietly omitting the section.

#The scoring rubric

Reviews carry an overall score out of 10 and up to five sub-scores. A sub-score we have not assessed is omitted, not defaulted to zero or to the average.

Dimension What it covers
Performance Success rate and response time against real targets, where we have measured them.
Pool Breadth of geography and targeting granularity — country, city, ASN.
Features Protocols, rotation control, session stickiness, concurrency limits, API and dashboard.
Value Entry price against what you actually get, including minimum spend and billing model.
Support Responsiveness and usefulness of support during our own account setup.

#What a benchmark can and cannot tell you

This section matters more than the numbers themselves.

  • One request is one sample. Our proxy checker shows a single exit node at a single moment. It is a diagnostic, not a benchmark, and we label it that way on the tool itself.
  • A rate needs a denominator. “98% success” is meaningless without knowing whether that is 100 requests or 100,000, and against what. We publish the sample size beside every rate or we publish neither.
  • Results are target-specific. A pool that sails through one site may fail completely against another with different anti-bot tooling. We name the targets we tested.
  • Results decay. Pools change, routes change, prices change. Every figure carries the date we recorded it, and reviews untouched for six months are flagged internally for re-checking.
  • We do not count IPs. Nobody outside a provider can verify a pool size. We report the claim, link to it, and label it as a claim.

#Conflicts of interest

Where a commercial relationship exists with a provider, the disclosure block appears on that page. Commission has no effect on a score or a ranking. See how we make money and our editorial policy.

#Tell us we are wrong

If you can show a figure here is inaccurate, we want the correction. Send the evidence and we will re-check, update the page, and record what changed.