PacketStream vs Surge
PacketStream
packetstream.ioSurge
nssurge.comSide by side
| Figure | PacketStream | Surge |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $1/mo | — |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 4 | 4 |
| Spec score · Proxy Software | 8.4 (#11) | 7.2 (#29) |
| Integrations | The maker provides setup guides for cURL, Wget, Python Requests, Node.js, PHP Guzzle, Go, Scrapy, Playwright, Puppeteer, Selenium, Firefox, and Chrome. | The Tailscale policy joins a tailnet and can route selected Surge traffic through it; it supports TCP and UDP relay. |
| Support | PacketStream says its team monitors support email around the clock, though response times can vary. | The purchase page says the products are designed for professional users and do not include technical support; customer service handles billing issues. |
Plans
PacketStream
- Residential Proxies$1 a month
- Reseller API$1 a month
- Reseller APIFree
- Residential ProxiesFree
Surge
- Surge iOS Pro Personal License$49.99, paid once
- Surge Mac License — 1 Device$49.99, paid once
- Surge Mac License — 3 Devices$69.99, paid once
- Surge Mac License — 5 Devices$99.99, paid once
In their own words
PacketStream
PacketStream provides a peer-to-peer residential proxy network that routes customer traffic through household connections and supports country targeting. For each new proxy connection, its gateway selects a residential exit, so applications can distribute requests without maintaining proxy lists. A session ID can retain the same exit for up to 60 minutes; if the Packeter disconnects, the session fails rather than changing exits. Country targeting uses ISO two-letter codes, and a request fails if no exit is available in the selected country. The gateway supports HTTPS, SOCKS5 and HTTP, with HTTPS recommended. Setup guides cover tools and languages including cURL, Wget, Python Requests, Node.js, PHP Guzzle, Go, Scrapy, Playwright, Puppeteer, Selenium, Firefox and Chrome. Listed uses include public web data collection, market research, price monitoring, ad verification and localized search tracking. Test credits can be requested, but support decides whether to approve them and how much credit to grant. Residential Proxies is $1 a month, metered at the gateway, with a $50 minimum purchase. PacketStream does not guarantee a particular exit, response time, success rate, availability or uninterrupted session.