AI agents now browse, search and pull data from live websites on their own, and that shift has reshaped the scraping and proxy market. The clearest sign came in October 2026, when Oxylabs, Decodo, Webshare, ScrapingBee and Honeygain formally grouped under a single Lithuanian parent called Source, valued at $3.6 billion.
If you pay for proxies or a scraping API, or plan to build an AI agent that needs web data, this change affects how you compare vendors. This guide explains what happened, why AI agents drive the demand, and how to pick the right tool type without getting misled by brands that now share an owner.
What Is Source? Oxylabs, Decodo, Webshare, ScrapingBee and Honeygain Explained
Source is a Vilnius-based holding group that now oversees five well-known data collection brands.
The group says it sells nothing directly and holds no customers of its own. Instead, it runs shared back-office work such as patents, procurement, hiring and compliance. Each brand keeps its own team, pricing and product roadmap.
Here is how the five brands split the market:
| Brand | Main Audience | What It Sells |
|---|---|---|
| Oxylabs | Enterprises and AI labs | Premium proxies, scraper APIs, web data for AI |
| Decodo (formerly Smartproxy) | Mid-sized businesses | Residential, mobile and datacenter proxies, scraping tools |
| ScrapingBee | Developers | Scraping API with headless browser rendering |
| Webshare | Solo builders and power users | Low-cost datacenter and residential proxies |
| Honeygain | Everyday users | Pays people to share unused internet bandwidth |
Honeygain matters more than it looks. Residential proxy networks need real home IP addresses, and bandwidth-sharing apps supply a large part of that pool.
Who Owns Oxylabs, Decodo and Webshare Now?
The new parent formalizes ties that already existed for years.
Oxylabs acquired Webshare in 2022 and ScrapingBee in 2025. Honeygain has acted as its main residential IP sourcing partner since 2021. Decodo was the loose end, and the Source launch now places it officially beside Oxylabs.
Leadership also overlaps. Vytautas Savickas led Decodo until March 2026, then moved to run the Oxylabs group, and he now serves as Source CEO. Founder Julius Černiauskas took the chairman role.
Why AI Agents Need Web Scraping and Proxies
AI agents need fresh information from the open web every time they act, so they consume far more scraping and proxy traffic than older tools.
Source says demand across its brands grew about four times in one year. Its systems now handle around 1.5 million requests every second. Three types of products push that growth:
- AI agents that book travel, compare prices or research topics by visiting real pages.
- AI search tools that fetch live results instead of relying only on training data.
- Frontier AI products that need current facts to stay accurate.
A static dataset goes stale quickly. An agent checking a flight price or a stock level needs the page as it looks right now, and websites block repeated automated visits. That gap creates steady demand for rotating proxies and managed scraping APIs.
Are Decodo and Oxylabs Still Competitors? What Buyers Should Know
You can no longer treat every big proxy brand as an independent rival.
Many review sites have listed Decodo, Oxylabs and Webshare as competing alternatives for years. They now report to the same parent. Source says each company still runs its own strategy, customer base and pricing, and that may hold in daily practice. Still, shared oversight changes how you should read “Brand A vs Brand B” comparisons.
Keep these points in mind when you shop:
- Check ownership before you pick a “backup” provider, since two brands from one group may share infrastructure or IP sources.
- Watch pricing over the next year to see whether the brands still undercut each other.
- Look for disclosure on vendor sites about the new relationship.
- Spread risk across unrelated vendors if uptime matters to your business.
Types of Web Scraping Tools: Proxies vs Scraping APIs
Picking the right category saves more money than picking the right brand.
Residential Proxies
Residential proxies route your requests through real home IP addresses. Websites trust them more, so they work well on strict targets like ecommerce and search pages. They cost more and usually bill per gigabyte.
Datacenter Proxies
Datacenter proxies come from cloud servers. They run fast and cheap, but many sites detect and block them. Use them for lenient targets and high-volume, low-risk jobs.
Mobile Proxies
Mobile proxies use IP addresses from cellular carriers. They carry the highest trust level and the highest price. Teams use them for social media and app-related data.
Scraping APIs
A scraping API handles proxies, retries, CAPTCHAs and JavaScript rendering for you. You send a URL and get back HTML or structured data. Developers who want results without managing infrastructure prefer this route.
Search and Web APIs for AI Agents
These APIs pair a search endpoint with a page-fetching endpoint, built so an agent can find and read pages in one flow. Oxylabs already offers this kind of Web API, and Source plans to expand it into dedicated AI search products.
Best Web Scraping and Proxy Providers for AI Agents in 2026
Each provider below fits a different budget, team size and level of technical skill.
1. Oxylabs
Oxylabs is the enterprise pick of the Source group, built for companies and AI labs that collect web data at very large scale. It combines residential, mobile, datacenter and ISP proxies with ready-made scraper APIs for search engines, ecommerce sites and general web pages.
For AI teams, its Web API stands out. It pairs a search endpoint with a scraping endpoint, so an agent can find relevant pages and pull their content in one workflow. Large customers also get dedicated account managers and help with compliance reviews.
Key features
- Residential, mobile, datacenter and ISP proxy pools with country and city targeting
- Scraper APIs that return parsed data from search, ecommerce and general sites
- Web API built for AI agents that need search plus page content
- Enterprise support with dedicated account management
Best for: Enterprises, data teams and AI companies that need high success rates on difficult sites.
Pros
- One of the largest IP pools on the market
- Strong success rates on heavily protected websites
- Mature tools built specifically for AI and data pipelines
Cons
- Higher prices than mid-market providers
- Too complex and costly for small hobby projects
- Named as a defendant in Reddit’s 2025 scraping lawsuit
2. Decodo
Decodo, previously known as Smartproxy, targets small and mid-sized businesses that want dependable proxies without enterprise contracts. It covers the same main proxy types as bigger players and adds scraping APIs for common targets like search results and social media.
Its biggest strength is ease of use. The dashboard lets you set up proxy users, pick locations and track usage in a few clicks, and plans scale from small monthly bundles to larger pay-as-you-go volumes.
Key features
- Residential, mobile, datacenter and ISP proxies
- Scraping APIs for search, ecommerce and social platforms
- Browser extensions and integrations with common scraping tools
- Flexible subscription and usage-based plans
Best for: Marketing agencies, growing startups and mid-sized data teams.
Pros
- Beginner-friendly dashboard and fast setup
- Good balance between price and performance
- Wide choice of proxy types and locations
Cons
- Now shares a parent group with Oxylabs, so it no longer works as a truly independent alternative
- Advanced scraping features cost extra
- Per-gigabyte residential pricing adds up on heavy workloads
3. ScrapingBee
ScrapingBee is a scraping API for developers who would rather send one request than build and manage a proxy setup. You pass a URL, and the service handles proxy rotation, headless browser rendering and retries before returning the page.
It works well for JavaScript-heavy websites that break simple scrapers. Extra options let you take screenshots, run custom JavaScript on the page or extract specific data with CSS selectors or AI-based rules.
Key features
- Single API call that handles proxies, rendering and retries
- Headless browser support for JavaScript-heavy pages
- Data extraction rules and screenshot options
- Dedicated endpoints for popular targets such as search results
Best for: Developers and small teams who want results fast without maintaining scraping infrastructure.
Pros
- Very easy to integrate into any codebase
- Handles JavaScript rendering out of the box
- Clear credit-based pricing with a free trial
Cons
- Rendering and premium proxies consume credits quickly
- Less fine-grained control than raw proxies
- Can get expensive at very high request volumes
4. Webshare
Webshare is one of the most affordable proxy providers and a common starting point for solo builders, students and small projects. It mainly sells datacenter proxies but also offers residential and static residential options.
Its free plan with a small batch of proxies lets you test before paying. Paid plans let you choose the exact number of proxies, bandwidth and features you need, which keeps costs low for small workloads.
Key features
- Free plan with a limited number of datacenter proxies
- Customizable plans by proxy count and bandwidth
- Datacenter, static residential and rotating residential options
- Simple dashboard and API access
Best for: Individuals, hobby projects and small-scale scraping on lenient websites.
Pros
- Very low entry price and a usable free tier
- Pay only for the exact resources you choose
- Quick setup with minimal learning curve
Cons
- Fewer advanced scraping features than enterprise tools
- Datacenter IPs get blocked on strict websites
- Limited support compared to premium providers
5. Bright Data
Bright Data is the largest independent competitor to the Source group and one of the oldest names in the proxy industry. It offers a huge proxy network along with scraping APIs, a remote scraping browser and a marketplace of ready-made datasets.
The datasets set it apart. Instead of scraping a site yourself, you can buy pre-collected, structured data on companies, products or social profiles. Bright Data and Oxylabs also share a legal history, since a Texas jury awarded Bright Data nearly $7.5 million against Oxylabs in a 2021 patent case.
Key features
- Residential, mobile, datacenter and ISP proxy networks
- Scraping browser that handles blocks and CAPTCHAs remotely
- Web scraper APIs for popular websites
- Marketplace of ready-made datasets
Best for: Large businesses and AI teams that want both raw proxies and ready-made data from one independent vendor.
Pros
- Massive network and a very broad product range
- Ready-made datasets save collection time
- Independent from the Source group, which helps vendor diversity
Cons
- Pricing structure can feel complex
- Costs climb quickly at scale
- Many features mean a steeper learning curve
6. Zyte
Zyte builds tools for developers and comes from the team behind Scrapy, the popular open-source Python scraping framework. Its main product, Zyte API, handles bans, browser rendering and data extraction through one interface.
Zyte also uses AI-powered extraction to turn pages such as product listings and articles into structured data without writing custom parsers. That makes it a strong fit for teams already working in Python and Scrapy.
Key features
- Zyte API for unblocking, rendering and extraction
- AI-based automatic extraction for common page types
- Scrapy Cloud for hosting and running spiders
- Pay-per-success pricing on many requests
Best for: Python developers and data teams already using Scrapy.
Pros
- Deep integration with the Scrapy ecosystem
- Automatic extraction reduces parser maintenance
- Independent of the Source group
Cons
- Less beginner-friendly for non-developers
- Pricing varies by website difficulty, which makes costs harder to predict
7. Apify
Apify is a full scraping and automation platform built around a marketplace of ready-made scrapers called Actors. You can run an existing Actor for sites like Google Maps, Instagram or Amazon, or build your own in JavaScript or Python.
It also integrates with AI frameworks and agent tools, which lets developers feed scraped web content directly into language models and automation workflows. Built-in proxies, scheduling and storage cover most of a scraping pipeline in one place.
Key features
- Store with thousands of ready-made scrapers and automation tools
- Build and host your own scrapers in JavaScript or Python
- Built-in proxies, scheduling and data storage
- Integrations with AI and workflow tools
Best for: Users who want ready-made scrapers and developers building full automation pipelines.
Pros
- Huge library of ready-to-run scrapers
- Usable by non-coders through prebuilt Actors
- Independent of the Source group with strong AI integrations
Cons
- Usage-based billing needs close monitoring
- Third-party Actors vary in quality and upkeep
How to Choose the Right Web Scraping Tool
Match the tool to your target sites and your budget, not to brand popularity.
- List your target sites and test how strictly they block bots.
- Pick the proxy type that fits those sites: datacenter for easy targets, residential or mobile for strict ones.
- Decide build vs buy. Choose a scraping API if you do not want to manage retries and rendering.
- Run a trial and measure success rate, speed and cost per thousand successful requests.
- Check compliance terms and how the vendor sources its IP addresses.
- Keep one unrelated backup vendor in case your main provider changes pricing or suffers an outage.
Is Web Scraping Legal? Lawsuits and Risks in 2026
Scraping public data remains legal in many cases, but lawsuits now target both scrapers and the companies that supply their tools.
In October 2025, Reddit sued Oxylabs, Perplexity, SerpApi and AWMProxy. It claimed they bypassed its anti-scraping protections by collecting Reddit content through Google search results. Oxylabs said it would fight the case. In July 2026, a federal judge let Reddit’s core claims against SerpApi and Perplexity move forward.
Large platforms also keep changing their own rules. Meta drew criticism in October 2026 over new commercial terms that appeared to let it crawl sites linked to business accounts. After the backlash, Meta narrowed the wording to cover ads and business products and said it still respects robots.txt.
Source argues that if every site licenses access through separate deals, only the largest AI firms can afford web data. That argument suits a big scraping group, but the concern about gatekeeping is real for smaller developers.
To lower your own risk:
- Collect only public data and avoid content behind logins.
- Respect robots.txt and rate limits where possible.
- Avoid collecting personal data unless you have a lawful basis.
- Review each target site’s terms of service.
What Happens Next for Source and the Proxy Market
The next year will show whether the Source brands keep competing or slowly merge in practice.
Track three things: price changes across Decodo, Oxylabs and Webshare, how clearly each brand discloses its new parent, and how the Reddit lawsuit ends. Also watch for Source’s dedicated AI search APIs, which will compete directly with search tools built for agents.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Source in web scraping?
Source is a Lithuanian holding group valued at $3.6 billion that oversees Oxylabs, Decodo, Webshare, ScrapingBee and Honeygain. It handles shared functions such as compliance and hiring while each brand runs its own business.
Are Oxylabs and Decodo the same company now?
No. They remain separate brands with their own teams and pricing, but both now sit under the same parent group.
Why do AI agents need proxies?
AI agents visit many pages quickly, and websites block repeated automated traffic. Proxies spread requests across many IP addresses so the agent can keep collecting live data.
Is web scraping legal?
Scraping publicly available data is often legal, but laws vary by country and site terms. Lawsuits like Reddit’s case against several scraping firms show the risks, so stick to public data and avoid personal information.
Which is better, a proxy or a scraping API?
Choose a proxy if you want full control and already run your own scraper. Choose a scraping API if you want the provider to handle blocks, CAPTCHAs and JavaScript rendering for you.
What is the best independent alternative to Source brands?
Bright Data is the largest independent option. Zyte and Apify also work well for developers who want vendors outside the Source group.
