Shifter Review
Shifter sells concurrent ports with unlimited bandwidth instead of gigabytes, which transforms the economics of heavy, steady scraping. The company history warrants a look.
Review last updated 2026-08-20 · How we rate providers
Scorecard
Pros
- Unlimited-bandwidth port pricing is a genuine alternative to metered gigabytes
- One of the oldest residential networks still operating
- Predictable monthly cost for heavy, steady workloads
- Both port-based and per-gigabyte models available
Cons
- Historically operated as Microleaves, a brand with a mixed reputation
- Port plans start at $125 a month, so it is not a small-budget option
- Targeting is limited to country and city
- Rotation timing is less configurable than newer rivals
Privacy, jurisdiction & audits
Who the company answers to legally, what it keeps, and whether anyone independent has checked.
| Legal jurisdiction | United States in the 5 Eyes |
|---|---|
| Logging policy | Not a privacy service; operational logs by design |
| Independent audits | None published |
| Anonymous payment | Crypto accepted |
| How IPs are sourced | Long-running peer network inherited from its Microleaves origins, now with an opt-in consent framework. |
Shifter plans & pricing
Advertised rates as of August 20, 2026. VPN promo rates normally require the prepaid term shown and renew at the higher rate; proxy pricing falls with volume. Confirm on Shifter's own site before buying.
| Plan | Price | Min spend | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rotating residential (ports)Residential Proxies | $12.50/port/momonthly per port, unlimited bandwidth | $125 | Sold by concurrent port rather than per gigabyte |
| Residential (per GB)Residential Proxies | $6/GBmonthly | $60 | |
| DatacenterDatacenter Proxies | $1/IP/momonthly per IP | $20 |
Features
Our Shifter review
Almost every residential network bills per gigabyte, which punishes workloads that move a lot of data. Shifter sells concurrent ports with unlimited bandwidth instead, so a crawler running continuously costs the same whether it pulls fifty gigabytes or five hundred.
For high-volume, low-value-per-request work, that model can cut costs by an order of magnitude. For light or bursty use it is the wrong shape, since ports start at $12.50 each with a ten-port minimum.
Shifter has operated since 2012, originally as Microleaves, a name with a chequered reputation in the proxy community over sourcing and support. The company rebranded, rebuilt its consent framework and now runs a more conventional operation, but buyers who research the history will find it.
The pool is around thirty-one million addresses across 130 countries, with country and city targeting. Rotation defaults to every five minutes on port plans, which suits crawling more than session-based work.
Choose Shifter when bandwidth volume is your dominant cost and you can keep the ports busy. Choose a per-gigabyte network otherwise.
Notable facts
- Formerly operated as Microleaves
- Sells unlimited-bandwidth ports rather than metered gigabytes
- Operating since 2012, one of the oldest residential networks
At a glance
| Founded | 2012 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Wilmington, Delaware, US |
| Service types | Residential Proxies, Datacenter Proxies |
| IP pool | 31M addresses |
| Country coverage | 130 |
| Proxy protocols | HTTP(S), SOCKS5 |
| Rotation | Every 5 minutes by default on port-based plans, or configurable |
| Starting price | $6/GB |
| Money-back guarantee | 3 days |
| Free trial | 3 days |
| Free tier | No |
| Support | chat, tickets, email (24/7) |
Frequently asked questions
What is port-based proxy pricing?
You rent a number of concurrent connections rather than a quantity of data. Bandwidth is unlimited, so cost is fixed regardless of how much you transfer, which suits heavy continuous crawling.
Is Shifter the same as Microleaves?
Yes, it is the rebranded successor. The older brand had a mixed reputation, which is worth knowing when evaluating it.
What is the minimum spend?
Port plans start around $125 a month; per-gigabyte plans start near $60.
Bottom line
Shifter sells concurrent ports with unlimited bandwidth instead of gigabytes, which transforms the economics of heavy, steady scraping. The company history warrants a look.
Check current Shifter pricing →
