Proxy detection alternatives, by evidence layer

Select IP enrichment, live session context or visitor/device/account risk according to the decision you need to make.

By Gregory Hulse · Updated October 23, 2026

IP lookup and databases

Use these when the address itself is the input. Compare observation, recency, provider attribution, local delivery and billing units.

Live visitor and device context

Use supported browser/session collection when the current visit, device continuity and live mismatches matter.

Account-level abuse context

Choose account and device evidence when rotating exits are part of multi-accounting, sharing or takeover rather than the whole decision.

All ten scores and current access

Ten proxy detection tools: editorial scores, detection approach, result and current starting access. Product facts checked October 23, 2026.
Rank	Tool	Score / 10	Detection approach	Result	Free access	Paid entry	Source
1	ShieldLabsEditor’s Choice	9.6out of 10	Cross-checks device/network signals and linked account activity	Risk score, verdicts, masking signals and account-abuse findings	5,000 free identifications	99 US dollars/month for 25,000 identifications	Vendor page
2	IPQualityScore	9.1out of 10	IP reputation, anonymity checks and abuse intelligence	Proxy/VPN/Tor indicators, fraud score and abuse context	1,000 free lookups advertised; confirm API scope	Confirm the current API plan and included lookups	Vendor page
3	Fingerprint	8.8out of 10	Visitor identity with device/network risk signals	Visitor ID and signals including Residential Proxy Detection	1,000 monthly API calls; check signal entitlement	Pro Plus: 99 US dollars/month for 20,000 calls	Vendor page
4	IPinfo	8.6out of 10	Directly observed residential-proxy activity and recency	Proxy provider, last observation and activity frequency	IPinfo Lite: country and ASN; separate from residential data	Core: 26 US dollars/month billed annually for basic anonymity flags; Max: 163 US dollars/month billed annually adds detailed residential data	Vendor page
5	Spur	8.4out of 10	Observed anonymity infrastructure plus live session assessment	IP context, tunnels/operators or a Monocle session assessment	Community: 10 million Monocle monitor-mode assessments; 250 manual IP lookups	Teams: 200 US dollars/month; 50,000 Context API calls	Vendor page
6	MaxMind	8.3out of 10	Licensed anonymous-IP and dedicated residential-proxy data	Residential-proxy observation, confidence and last-seen data	GeoLite/sample data; residential license separate	Request Anonymous Plus/residential database terms	Vendor page
7	proxycheck.io	8.0out of 10	IP lookup with proxy/VPN classification, risk context and account rules	Proxy status, type, provider and risk fields	1,000 daily queries on the free plan	4.99 US dollars/month for 10,000 daily queries; 54.89 US dollars billed annually	Vendor page
8	ipregistry	7.9out of 10	IP lookup enriched with proxy, Tor, threat and network metadata	Structured security booleans and IP context	20,000 free credits; all response fields	Packs from 10 US dollars for 15,000 credits; Starter 29 US dollars/month for 100,000 credits	Vendor page
9	ipgeolocation.io	7.6out of 10	IP reputation fields and an optional browser session-analysis module	Threat score, proxy/VPN/Tor/relay fields and optional live confidence	Free core geolocation; security and real-time detection require paid access or an arranged trial	Starter begins at 19 US dollars/month; security uses 2 credits and live detection 3 credits per successful call	Vendor page
10	IP2Location	7.4out of 10	Edition-specific proxy categories and network enrichment	RES category and additional edition-specific fields	Samples/trial route; check residential coverage	PX10–PX12 residential editions: request current quote	Vendor page

Scores are editorial assessments under the 39-criterion rubric. Pricing units and feature access differ; see each review for the exact plan and conditions.

Need device and account context?

ShieldLabs combines current device/network intelligence, a 0–100 risk score and Trusted, Suspicious or Dangerous outcomes for visitors, users, devices and IP with ready-made account-level findings. That addresses rotating exits without depending only on a blocklist.

Need a low-cost IP lookup?

proxycheck.io publishes a low annual entry price and daily query quotas. IP-only enrichment and visitor identification are different products, so compare the fields and billing units you need.