Shifter

Shifter is a provider of proxies, web scraping APIs, and cloud hosting services targeting larger customers. Before a rebrand in 2020, Shifter was known as Microleaves, starting back in 2012 and making one of the first peer-to-peer networks by commercializing a botnet. The provider offers residential proxies as its main service, advertising around 30 million IPs from all around the world. Shifter's residential proxies come in three varieties: Basic providing no control over IP geolocation and blocking popular websites, Special plans removing limitations but requiring specification of up to five major targets, and Fast Rotation plans identical to Special but with increased rotation frequency. The provider offers basic features including country targeting, controllable rotation settings, and SOCKS5 support, though it has fallen behind premium alternatives in city/ASN selection and authentication methods. Shifter uses a subscription-based pricing model charging by ports, with each port coming with 40 GB of traffic at $0.6/GB. The provider offers 5 to 1,000 ports with pricing starting from ~$100/month, though Special plans charge double. Shifter provides a comfortable dashboard with a big focus on resellers and long-term usage statistics, though it lacks dynamic code samples for integration. The provider offers comprehensive documentation through a searchable knowledge base and 24/7 support via email or live chat. Shifter's residential proxy network is large and works well with competitive performance, though the provider has fallen behind in features compared to modern alternatives.