ProxyPool vs Spider-Flow
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
Python tool that collects free proxy IPs from public sites, checks them, and serves working ones via an API.
Open source · MIT
A Java-based crawler platform where you build scraping flows as diagrams instead of code.
The short answer
Choose ProxyPool if you need…
- Developers building web scrapers who want to experiment with rotating proxies
- Hobbyists learning how proxy pools and scheduled crawling work
- Teams who want a self-hosted proxy pool they can extend with their own sources
Choose Spider-Flow if you need…
- Non-programmers who need to collect data from websites and prefer visual flow definitions
- Java developers who want an existing crawler platform to extend with plugins
- Teams that need scraped data written directly to a database or file
- Users who need scheduled task monitoring and per-task logs for crawlers
Side-by-side
| ProxyPool | Spider-Flow | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | App | App |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 23.8k | 11.4k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Clone and build from source | Clone and build from source |
| Main language | Python | Java |
| Last code update | 5 months ago | 3 years ago |
What each one is
ProxyPool
ProxyPool is a Python service that regularly gathers free proxy addresses published on public websites, tests whether they still work, and stores the working ones in a Redis database. Other programs can then ask its HTTP API for a random proxy, which is useful for web scrapers that need to rotate IP addresses. It also offers a command-line mode and lets you add your own proxy sources.
Spider-Flow
spider-flow is a web scraping platform that lets you define a crawler as a flowchart in a graphical editor rather than writing code. The README describes it as highly flexible and configurable, with support for extracting data via XPath, JsonPath, CSS selectors, and regex, saving results to databases or files, and handling JavaScript-rendered pages. It is written in Java and released under the MIT license.
Best for
ProxyPool
- Developers building web scrapers who want to experiment with rotating proxies
- Hobbyists learning how proxy pools and scheduled crawling work
- Teams who want a self-hosted proxy pool they can extend with their own sources
Spider-Flow
- Non-programmers who need to collect data from websites and prefer visual flow definitions
- Java developers who want an existing crawler platform to extend with plugins
- Teams that need scraped data written directly to a database or file
- Users who need scheduled task monitoring and per-task logs for crawlers
Strengths
ProxyPool
- Covers both scheduled collection and validation, so the pool refreshes automatically
- Simple HTTP API (/get, /pop, /all, /count, /delete) that any language can call
- Extensible: new proxy sources are added as Python files without changing core config
Spider-Flow
- Visual flow editor lets users build crawlers without writing code, according to the README
- Supports many extraction methods (XPath, JsonPath, CSS selectors, regex) and several data formats
- Includes task monitoring, logs, cookie management, and proxy support
Not ideal for
ProxyPool
- Production scraping that needs reliable proxies, because the README notes free proxies have limited quality and recommends paid providers
- Anyone needing anonymity or security guarantees, since the README does not discuss them and free proxies may be untrustworthy
- Non-developers, since setup requires Python, Redis and configuration editing
Spider-Flow
- Projects that need a lightweight script rather than a full platform, since it runs as a server-side application with a UI, database, and plugins
- Anyone scraping sites in ways that break the law or the site's terms; the README's disclaimer explicitly prohibits illegal use
- Users who need a fully maintained project: the last push shown is from June 2023 and the latest release is v0.5.0 with no binaries attached
Trade-offs
ProxyPool
- Free proxy sources vary in quality and availability, as the README itself warns
- Requires Redis and a Python environment, so setup has some moving parts
- The README is partly in Chinese and includes promotional content for a paid proxy vendor
Spider-Flow
- The latest release has no binaries, so you will likely need to build from source; the README does not give full build steps in the excerpt provided
- Last code push is dated June 2023, so maintenance status is unclear
- The README is partly in Chinese and the excerpt does not include complete English setup documentation
Getting started
ProxyPool
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/jhao104/proxy_pool.gitInstall dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txtSpider-Flow
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/ssssssss-team/spider-flow.gitFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between ProxyPool and Spider-Flow?
ProxyPool: Python tool that collects free proxy IPs from public sites, checks them, and serves working ones via an API. Spider-Flow: A Java-based crawler platform where you build scraping flows as diagrams instead of code. ProxyPool suits developers building web scrapers who want to experiment with rotating proxies, while Spider-Flow suits non-programmers who need to collect data from websites and prefer visual flow definitions.
Are ProxyPool and Spider-Flow free?
ProxyPool: Free and open source. Spider-Flow: Free and open source.
Is ProxyPool or Spider-Flow more popular?
ProxyPool has more GitHub stars (23.8k) than Spider-Flow (11.4k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to ProxyPool and Spider-Flow?
Other options people compare them with include Hetty, DouyinLiveRecorder.
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.