Alternative financial data (alt-data) has become the mainstream for companies making strategic financial decisions nowadays.
It goes beyond traditional data sources like company filings, broker insights, etc., to help financial institutions, investors, and hedge fund managers:
- Conduct near real-time monitoring of consumer sentiment, industry shifts, and competitor activities
- Access web data combined with financial metrics to improve portfolio allocation
- Spot early risks or anomalies within the portfolio company or the market to help you adjust investment strategies
And much more.
Get access to public data at scale without complicated workarounds or setups.
However, manually collecting financial data from millions of sources is time-consuming and tedious. To collect this data at scale, you need a reliable proxy infrastructure. Now, the question is how to find the right tool that offers safe proxies for financial data aggregation.
To simplify that, we have enlisted five useful tools that will perform the job efficiently, along with their key aspects, pros, cons, and pricing models — scroll down!
TL;DR: Safe Proxies for Financial Data Aggregation [Compared]
Proxy Provider | Rating | Ranking | Free Trial Availability | Pricing From |
ScraperAPI | 4.7 | #1 | ✅ | $49/month |
Webshare | 4.1 | #2 | ✅ | $0.0897/proxy |
IPRoyal | 4.6 | #3 | ❌ | $7/GB |
Smartproxy | 4.6 | #4 | ✅ | $7/GB |
Nimbleway | 4.1 | #5 | ✅ | $7.5/GB |
5 Safe Proxies for Financial Data Aggregation
1. ScraperAPI [Best proxies and bypassing for the finance industry]
ScraperAPI is a versatile scraping tool that lets you aggregate data from millions of online sources without getting blocked, giving you the data you need to make strategic investment decisions based on accurate and consistent alternative data.
With its vast proxy pool of over 90 million IPs (residential, datacenter, and mobile) in 200+ locations, ScraperAPI lets you scrape vital public data from any website through hassle-free proxy setups. Scrape N amounts of financial-related data from SEC filings, PR and news, social media and forums, and even sites like Yahoo Finance.
ScraperAPI’s proprietary proxy management system is what sets it apart.
Instead of needing to manually configure proxies and create a complex infrastructure for bypassing restrictions (like CAPTCHAs, rate limits, and IP rotation), ScraperAPI uses machine learning and years of data analysis to automatically select the ideal proxy, generate suitable headers and cookies, and handle challenges on the spot. Also, ScraperAPI provides unlimited bandwidth at high speed, and it automatically prunes slow proxies from its rotating pools.
With this approach, ScraperAPI can bypass anti-bot systems across major sites by using a combination of proxy types—helping you avoid excessive charges for successful requests.
For large web scraping projects, ScraperAPI helps VCs and hedge funds with two powerful tools:
- Async Scraper – This tool supports millions of simultaneous requests, handles timeouts and CAPTCHAs, and delivers data directly to your application via webhooks for easy tracking, allowing you to scale your scrapers easily.
- DataPipeline – It’s a hosted web scraping scheduler capable of managing up to 10,000 URLs per project, adding an extra layer of automation necessary to improve scalability and consistency, especially for projects involving any kind of monitoring.
ScraperAPI is fully GDPR and CCPA compliant and is committed to protecting personal data in line with these legal standards.
How VCs and hedge funds use ScraperAPI
ScraperAPI helps VCs, hedge funds, and financial analysts access the real-time data needed for financial decision-making by bypassing anti-bot systems across major sites. Here’s how financial experts leverage ScraperAPI for financial data aggregation:
- Access data from social media, news, and forum data to improve timely investment decisions
- Collect competitor and market data to spot early opportunities and risks
- Use historical and real-time market data to develop trading models based on price and volume shifts
- Track alternative data on competitors and trends to manage portfolio risks better
Key features
- 90M+ rotating residential, mobile, and datacenter IPs globally to extract location-specific insights
- Specialized Google scraper for news and search results
- Dedicated account manager for seamless project operations
- Browser fingerprint randomization for enhanced anonymity
- Access to ethically obtained data compliant with applicable laws
- Smart IP and headers rotation for consistent 99.99% success rates
- Automatic removal of slow proxies off pools for unlimited bandwidth with speeds up to 100Mb/s
- Built-in scheduler and scraping templates
- Dedicated Slack channels to directly communicate with engineers and access support
Pros and Cons
Pros | Cons |
Smart and automatic IP rotation and JavaScript rendering | Potential learning curve for non-technical users |
Advanced anti-bot bypassing | |
Easy-to-use endpoints for fast development | |
100+ concurrent threads | |
Desktop and mobile user agents |
Pricing
ScraperAPI offers a seven-day free trial with 5,000 API credits. This allows you to test the tool’s features and usability. According to the complexity of data your business requires you can upgrade to different pricing models.
Model | Price | API Credits |
Hobby | $49 | 100,000 |
Startup | $149 | 1,000,000 |
Business | $299 | 3,000,000 |
Enterprise | Custom | >3,000,000 |
2. Webshare [Highly secure proxies]
Webshare is a leading proxy service provider with global coverage, offering 30 million residential proxies across 195 locations. The company combines advanced web scraping capabilities with enterprise-grade security infrastructure for financial institutions and researchers to access geographically diverse data sources.
Webshare’s infrastructure is distinguished by its proprietary security measures. It processes over 250B unique data points monthly through AI/ML-driven anti-fraud systems for real-time threat detection. The platform is also in compliance with major data protection regulations like GDPR and CCPA. For data aggregation purposes, Webshare’s infrastructure facilitates multi-source collection capabilities for comprehensive market analysis and research operations.
Key features
- Real-time analytics dashboard for tracking proxy performance, success rates, and bandwidth metrics
- Direct proxy list access through downloadable links and API integration options
- Advanced leak prevention system protecting against DNS, header, and open port vulnerabilities
- SOCKS5 protocol optimization for high-speed, intensive data collection operations
- Unified proxy list management with dual HTTP/SOCKS5 endpoint accessibility
Pros and cons
Pros | Cons |
HTTP/SOCKS web proxy list for free | Limited locations |
Emphasis on anonymity | Limited options for direct support |
99.97% uptime |
Pricing
Webshare’s pricing model charges you by the number of proxies, meaning you build and manage your own “proxy pool.” This setup gives control but requires hands-on management, which can be time-consuming when targeting secure sites.
In contrast, ScraperAPI provides access to an entire proxy pool, rotating and managing proxies automatically based on site requirements. It adjusts headers and cookies and bypasses anti-bot mechanisms for you, making it an efficient choice if you value simplicity and higher success rates without manual setup.
Plan | Number of Proxies | Price per Proxy | Total Price (monthly) |
Basic | 100 | $0.0897 | $2.99 |
Standard | 1,000 | $0.0807 | $26.91 |
Popular | 5,000 | $0.0718 | $119.60 |
Premium | 60,000 | $0.0538 | $1,076.40 |
3. IPRoyal [Per GB proxy usage]
IPRoyal specializes in high-performance proxy solutions that facilitate reliable data collection across various sectors, including financial markets. The comprehensive proxy infrastructure supports the intensive data-gathering needs of financial institutions and traders.
IPRoyal offers four main proxy types: residential, data center, mobile, and static residential across 195+ locations. It emphasizes ethical data collection practices. Its SOCKS5 protocol support and dual authentication methods (username/password and IP whitelisting) ensure secure and reliable data collection, guaranteeing compliance with appropriate data protection laws.
Key Features
- 34M+ IPs with global coverage
- Automated IP refresh cycles with customizable intervals (6-minute minimum)
- Geotargeting down to the city level for precise regional market data collection
- Browser extension support for quick proxy switching and testing
- IP pool monitoring system that automatically removes underperforming proxies
- Never expiring traffic on residential plans for flexible usage patterns based on market activity
Pros and Cons
Pros | Cons |
Unlimited concurrent sessions | High pricing per-gigabyte |
Multiple proxy services for different use cases | No free trial |
High uptime guarantee from every proxy service |
Pricing
IPRoyal pricing is a bit complicated and reflects a distinct purpose, with different pricing types, such as residential per GB, datacenter per proxy, and mobile per month.
This means you choose proxy types based on project needs: say, for minimal detection, residential or mobile proxies are ideal; for high-volume, non-sensitive scraping, datacenter IPs might be more economical.
To avoid this fuss, ScraperAPI offers a combined pool of proxies in every package. ScraperAPI’s smart proxy rotation system starts with datacenter proxies and switches to residential or mobile proxies as needed. This reduces management labor from your side, while also providing a better deal, as you don’t need to subscribe and juggle different plans.
Proxy types | Price |
Residential | $7/GB |
Datacenter | $1.39/proxy |
Mobile | $117/month |
4. Smartproxy [Mobile carrier-specific proxies]
Smartproxy is a premium proxy service provider with 65M+ ethically sourced IPs across 195+ locations globally. Like IPRoyal, its infrastructure is optimized for intensive financial data extraction.
It offers multiple proxy types like residential, static residential (ISP), mobile, and datacenter options. The residential proxy ecosystem enables flexible IP rotation strategies, with customizable intervals from 1-minute to 24-hour sessions.
Smartproxy’s Site Unblocker technology combines dynamic JavaScript rendering with advanced browser fingerprinting to scrape challenging and complex financial websites.
The platform is built for large-scale projects with unlimited concurrent sessions and maintains strict ethical data collection standards.
Key features
- Premium ASN filtering capabilities across 700+ mobile carriers for targeting specific data sources
- Free X Browser integration for enhanced proxy performance and CAPTCHA handling
- Backconnect endpoint generation for connection management
- Traffic limit controls and usage reporting through Public API
- Custom whitelisting IPs feature for additional security layer
Pros and Cons
Pros | Cons |
24/7 dedicated tech support | Possible learning curve with city-specific proxies |
Easy integration with third-party tools | Complex implementation for beginners |
Unlimited traffic and bandwidth | |
Multiple free tools availability |
Pricing
Smartproxy’s GB-based pricing model can be unpredictable, as the cost depends on the volume of data you scrape. If you’re dealing with failed requests or fluctuating data needs, you may end up paying more for less.
Still, with discounts as you scale up, it may provide a better value than alternatives further in the list.
Plan | Price per GB | Total Cost (monthly) |
2 GB | $6/GB | $12 |
8 GB | $5.5/GB | $44 |
25 GB | $5.2/GB | $130 (Most Popular) |
50 GB | $4.9/GB | $245 |
100 GB | $4.5/GB | $450 |
5. Nimbleway
Nimbleway is a next-generation data infrastructure provider combining AI-powered browsing technology that can be optimized for financial data aggregation. The platform’s AI Browser technology ensures superior bypass capabilities through advanced fingerprinting and dynamic JavaScript execution. These are important for accessing complex financial websites with anti-bot measures.
The platform provides auto-scaling infrastructure to support unlimited concurrent requests and batch processing of up to 1,000 URLs simultaneously, adapting automatically to workload changes for uninterrupted data flow for mission-critical financial operations.
The company emphasizes ethical data collection practices with a robust Know Your Customer process and a clear Acceptable Use Policy, implementing comprehensive compliance measures, including GDPR and CCPA adherence and AES-256 encryption.
Key features
- Direct data delivery pipeline to S3/GCS buckets for streamlined storage integration
- Built-in REST API templates for common use cases
- Optional IPv6 IP support for expanded access capabilities
- Customizable webhook system for real-time alerts and monitoring
- Built-in API debugging platform for troubleshooting data collection issues
- Ability to customize parameters for each URL within batch requests for precise control
Pros and Cons
Pros | Cons |
Multi-layered data validation system | Expensive |
22 GB free trial | Inconsistent speed on certain networks |
24/7 customer support through email, live chat, and phone | |
Extensive documentation |
Pricing
Nimbleway’s pricing model combines both GB-based and CPM-based charges, which can lead to variable costs depending on data usage and traffic volume. If you’re scraping large amounts of data or working with sites that have high traffic, the costs could quickly escalate, especially with the additional CPM charges.
In comparison, ScraperAPI simplifies pricing with a flat rate for its proxy management, ensuring more predictable costs without surprise bills.
Plan | Price per GB | Price per CPM | Total Cost (monthly) |
Beginner | $7.5/GB | $2.6/CPM | $150 |
Essential | $6.5/GB | $2.1/CPM | $600 |
Advanced | $6/GB | $1.6/CPM | $1500 |
Professional | $5.3/GB | $1.4/CPM | $3000 |
ScraperAPI – The Most Reliable Proxy for Financial Data Aggregation
We hope that our detailed review of the five safe proxies for financial data aggregation will help you make the right decision. As an automated data scraping solution, ScraperAPI remains a top choice for its unmatched technical capabilities through its 90M+ rotating IPs and advanced AI/ML-powered bot bypassing systems.
ScraperAPI’s infrastructure delivers enterprise-grade capabilities without the enterprise price tag for financial institutions requiring reliable, high-volume data extraction. Check the platform for yourself with a 7-day free trial with 5,000 API credits, or connect with our sales team for a custom plan.
FAQs - Safe Proxies for Financial Data Aggregation
Is web scraping legal for financial data?
Web scraping is legal. However, while scraping financial data, it’s important to select reliable sources to ensure the data collected is accurate and up-to-date. Scraping should be fine as long as the data is collected ethically, the target website isn’t overloaded, and logins are not required.
What is the best tool for scraping financial data?
ScraperAPI’s DataPipeline is an excellent choice for those searching for an automated data extraction solution. It eliminates the need to account for multiple time zones when planning stock market data scraping efforts. After choosing a time frame for ScraperAPI’s online scraping technology, you’ll receive the most up-to-date financial data in a structured JSON format.
How can web scraping be used for financial analysis?
Web scraping helps improve financial analysis by providing the financial market’s current status, discovering market trends and patterns, following national and international news that affects stocks and economics, and analyzing consumer sentiment and behavior. It is by far the most reliable strategy to collect alternative data at scale for asset managers to gauge market trends and potential investment opportunities.