How to check a proxy price is current
A retrieval date is necessary but not sufficient. The current 710-row dataset contains 2,962 field-level evidence records retrieved from 2026-07-25T15:31:32Z through 2026-07-26T02:15:19Z, yet 99 rows are still marked conflicting.
decodo-residential-pay-as-you-goproves why: the same vendor page showed both $4 per GB and $8.50 for one GB when retrieved at 2026-07-26T02:15:19Z. A timestamp can prove when both claims were seen; it cannot choose between them. Full observed plan data · Decodo source, retrieved 2026-07-26T02:15:19Z
A current proxy price needs four things beside the number: the exact plan configuration, the checkout unit and minimum, the source URL, and the time that specific field was retrieved. It also needs an unresolved-conflict check.
Read the field evidence, not only the file date
Only 173 of the 710 rows have a non-null row-level fetched_at value. All 2,962 collected evidence records have a retrieved_at timestamp. The field-level timestamp is therefore the reliable freshness receipt for this snapshot. A null row-level fetch time does not erase dated evidence, and a recently modified JSON file does not prove every price was re-observed at that modification time. Full observed plan data, evidence retrieved from 2026-07-25T15:31:32Z through 2026-07-26T02:15:19Z
For example, proxyscrape-unlimited-residential-1d-100mbps records a $190 checkout from the vendor pricing API at 2026-07-25T16:33:08.221Z. Its evidence also attaches the one-day period and 100 Mbps tier to that row. Reporting “ProxyScrape costs $190” without those two dimensions would be incomplete even if the timestamp were copied correctly. ProxyScrape pricing API, retrieved 2026-07-25T16:33:08.221Z
Source state tells you what “current” can mean
The 710 rows currently break down as follows:
| Source state | Rows | What can be claimed |
|---|---|---|
| Vendor page parsed | 349 | A vendor page exposed the recorded fields |
| Vendor page manual | 73 | A manual observation recorded the vendor fields |
| Vendor API | 55 | A vendor endpoint exposed the recorded fields |
| Vendor docs | 2 | Vendor documentation exposed the recorded fields |
| Conflicting | 99 | Current vendor evidence disagrees |
| Not published | 103 | No public price was available |
| Configurator only | 16 | A fixed public checkout was not exposed |
| Blocked | 13 | The source could not be retrieved |
These counts are computed from source_state in plans.json. They sum to all 710 rows and use field evidence retrieved from 2026-07-25T15:31:32Z through 2026-07-26T02:15:19Z. Full observed plan data
“Not published,” “configurator only” and “blocked” are not stale prices. They are states where the current public checkout cannot be reproduced from the collected source. A comparison should preserve those states instead of converting them to zero or carrying forward an old amount without a receipt.
Check the exact purchasable configuration
Match the buyer’s quantity to a published total, not to the lowest unit rate elsewhere in a ladder. bright-data-datacenter-shared-10-ips publishes 10 IPs for $14, while bright-data-datacenter-shared-1000-ips publishes 1,000 IPs for $900. The second row’s $0.90 per-IP rate does not make the 10-IP checkout $9. Bright Data source, retrieved 2026-07-25T15:31:32Z
Keep the billing period in the identity too. ping-proxies-datacenter-monthly publishes $2.50 for one IP over 30 days, while ping-proxies-datacenter-annual publishes $24 for one IP over a year. Both can be current at once because they are different commitments. Vendor pricing, retrieved 2026-07-25T17:42:41.156Z
Treat same-day disagreement as unresolved
decodo-residential-pay-as-you-go contains two statements from the same pricing URL at the same retrieval time: $4 per GB with a $4 total plus VAT, and $8.50 for a one-GB wallet purchase. The row remains conflicting; neither number is allowed to set a cheapest-price claim. Decodo source, retrieved 2026-07-26T02:15:19Z
rayobyte-dedicated-datacenter has a different kind of current conflict. One vendor page says $2.50 per IP, while another says dedicated proxies start at $2 per IP. Both were retrieved at 2026-07-25T15:53:44Z. The correct action is to show both sources or verify the exact checkout, not average them to $2.25. Rayobyte pricing · Rayobyte product page, both retrieved 2026-07-25T15:53:44Z
A reproducible current-price check
- Identify the exact plan row, proxy type, quantity, billing period and any geography or throughput selection.
- Open the vendor URL attached to the price field.
- Record the published checkout total, not only the advertised unit rate.
- Record the retrieval time on that field.
- Check other vendor pricing, checkout, terms and documentation for a contradictory value.
- Mark the result conflicting, not published, configurator-only or blocked when the evidence requires it.
- Recheck the actual checkout immediately before payment because the dataset proves only what was visible at its recorded time.
The result should read like a receipt: “$190 for proxyscrape-unlimited-residential-1d-100mbps, one day at 100 Mbps, vendor API retrieved 2026-07-25T16:33:08.221Z.” ProxyScrape pricing API, retrieved 2026-07-25T16:33:08.221Z
No stored page can guarantee a price after its retrieval time. It can make the observation auditable, preserve disagreement and tell the buyer exactly what must be rechecked.