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It's a split decision.
IPRoyal is a fit when you need browser tooling, broad third-party integrations and proxy-term pricing: residential proxies start at $1.75/GB and ISP proxies at $1.80 per proxy. ProxyEmpire suits teams that want detailed metered plans, rollover bandwidth, large residential and mobile pools, and dedicated mobile or ISP options. Its $1.97 trial is paid, not free. Both are hosted services; confirm API quotas and production terms before committing.
01Side by side
| IPRoyal | ProxyEmpire | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Residential from $1.75/GB; ISP from $1.80/proxy | GB, IP, daily, weekly and monthly plans |
| Free tier | No free plan or free trial listed | $1.97 paid trial; no free plan |
| API and SDKs | API examples in seven languages | API management; seven listed language/tool options |
| CLI and docs | Documentation and quick-start guides listed | API management and endpoint configuration listed |
| Integrations | 650+ third-party tools listed | Five named anti-detect browser integrations |
| Deployment model | Hosted proxy service | Hosted proxy service |
| Platforms | Web, Chrome and Firefox | Web, Chrome, Edge, Brave and Android |
| Limits and scaling | Unlimited sessions; non-expiring traffic | 30M+ residential and 4M+ mobile IPs; rollover |
IPRoyal Choose IPRoyal if
- Choose IPRoyal if you want 650+ listed integrations.
- Choose IPRoyal if you need API examples across seven languages.
- Choose IPRoyal if proxy-term pricing suits your workload.
ProxyEmpire Choose ProxyEmpire if
- Choose ProxyEmpire if you need rollover on GB-based plans.
- Choose ProxyEmpire if you need dedicated mobile proxy options.
- Choose ProxyEmpire if you want a paid trial before scaling.
02Pricing at real usage
Neither service has a free plan. IPRoyal lists no free trial; ProxyEmpire offers a $1.97 paid trial with 100 MB residential and 50 MB mobile bandwidth. IPRoyal residential proxies start at $1.75/GB, while ISP proxies start at $1.80 per proxy. Its ISP terms list $1.80 for 24 hours, $2.70 for 30 days, $2.55 for 60 days and $2.40 for 90 days. Costs depend on proxy type and term, rather than a single monthly seat.
ProxyEmpire bills across GB plans, dedicated IPs and fixed-duration access. Residential pay-as-you-go costs $3.50 for 1 GB; monthly residential tiers run from $20 for 7 GB to $1,500 for 1,000 GB, with unused bandwidth rolling over. Dedicated ISP IPs start at $3.50 per month, with a 100 GB fair-use cap per IP. Compare expected traffic and IP count, not entry prices alone.
03API, SDKs and integration
IPRoyal provides API access and documents examples in cURL, PHP, Python, Node.js, Java, C#, and Go. Its resources include documentation and quick-start guides, and its homepage lists 650+ third-party integrations. It also offers Chrome and Firefox proxy extensions. The vendor does not publish SDK package names or versions; confirm the API details and quotas before wiring jobs into production.
ProxyEmpire lists API management and endpoint configuration, and names support for C#, Java, Go, PHP, Node.js, cURL, and Python. Its integrations include MultiLogin, OctoBrowser, Dolphin Anty, Kameleo, and GoLogin, alongside a Chrome extension and Android app. Treat language support as integration guidance, not proof of maintained client libraries. For either service, keep proxy credentials and rotation rules behind an adapter so application code does not depend on one provider's configuration.
04Open source, self-hosting and lock-in
Both products are hosted proxy services, not libraries or self-hosted proxy servers. Neither vendor publishes an open-source licence, self-hosting option, or data-export process. That limits what teams can verify about modifying the service or moving provider-managed data; ask each vendor about export and account termination before making a long-term commitment.
The practical lock-in risk is in application code that assumes one provider's endpoint format, authentication, or rotation behavior. Keep those details in configuration or a small provider adapter, and store your own job results and proxy-use records. The vendors' listed extensions, integrations and API access provide ways to connect clients, but they do not establish that configurations or histories transfer between services.
Questions people ask
Which service is cheaper for residential scraping?
IPRoyal lists residential proxies from $1.75/GB. ProxyEmpire's residential pay-as-you-go plan is $3.50 for 1 GB, while its monthly tiers range from $2.85/GB to $1.50/GB at 1,000 GB. Compare expected volume and rollover terms: the lowest listed rates apply to different purchasing commitments.
Does either provider offer a free trial?
Neither lists a free plan. IPRoyal lists no free trial, while ProxyEmpire offers a $1.97 paid trial that includes 100 MB of residential and 50 MB of mobile bandwidth. Treat it as a small paid evaluation, not ongoing free access.
Which provider is better for stable IPs and account workflows?
Both offer stable-IP options. IPRoyal lists ISP proxies with unlimited sessions; ProxyEmpire sells dedicated ISP IPs, with a 100 GB fair-use cap per IP. Check the location and session requirements for your workflow, and compare the cap with expected traffic before choosing.
Can we self-host IPRoyal or ProxyEmpire?
Neither vendor publishes a self-hosting option; both sell hosted proxy services. If self-hosting is a requirement, ask each vendor directly about deployment options and data export before adopting it. Otherwise, keep provider-specific proxy settings outside the application logic to reduce migration work.