Data center proxy ip and residential proxy ip have many similarities, but also have big differences. They both act as proxy ip, replacing your own IP address with a different IP address.
They both improve your internet privacy, but one does more than the other, and they also differ in price, features, functionality, and performance.
In this article, we’ll discuss how to tell the difference between the two, their pros and cons, and which method is right for you.
Data center proxy ip
A data center proxy IP is a proxy IP that is saved in a server from a different data center. This is where the millions of IP addresses you can use come from. When you connect to a website, you simply go through the proxy IP server. The biggest advantage of a data center proxy is that it provides:
Fast and stable connection. You will have a fast and strong internet connection because you are connected to a powerful data center server. It will work properly most of the time and most likely will not slow you down.
Affordable prices. Since datacenter proxies are relatively easy to make, they are cheaper compared to other proxy types, and you can purchase a range of IP addresses.
Unlimited data. You can use as much data as you want, as you will not limit its usage.
Data center proxy ip also has its own disadvantages. Most of them are:
Easily detected by websites. Websites that wish to block proxies or VPNs and have multiple systems in place to do this will have an easier time detecting datacenter proxies because these types of proxies are not assigned to residential ISPs.
Limited locations. Since you need to place the server in a specific physical location, you are limited in the locations you can connect to when using a data center proxy.
There is little subnet diversity. When using a proxy server, you only get one or a few subnets, depending on the number of IP addresses you want to use. This means that if one subnet is banned by a website, all IP addresses within that subnet range (there are 256 of them) will also be banned.
When should I use a data center proxy IP?
Datacenter proxies are best used for websites that have less strict policies. There are many such websites and you can easily find them on the Internet.
An e-commerce website is a good example. If you consider speed more important than reliability for a certain task, then you can use a data center proxy on it as well.
Residential proxy ip
Residential proxies are proxies that use real IP addresses from actual devices provided by your ISP (Internet Service Provider). When you visit a website, your connection goes not only through the proxy server, but also through a real person’s device. The strongest residential proxy offers are:
Complete anonymity. Since you are connecting to your actual device, websites are tricked into thinking you are a real user and not just someone using a proxy.
Plenty of locations. Residential proxies are found all over the world, as the users who provide IP addresses come from different places, but some countries do have a higher concentration than others.
Large proxy pools. A good proxy provider will have a proxy pool of millions of IP addresses for you to use.
Large subnet diversity. Due to the large number of IP addresses in the proxy pool, residential IP addresses rarely share a subnet.
Like data center proxy IPs, residential proxy IPs also have their fair share of disadvantages. Some of them are:
Slow speeds. When using a residential proxy IP, your connection still has to go through a person’s device, which takes longer than a data center proxy that doesn’t have to do this.
Expensive. Residential proxies are harder to set up and maintain than datacenter proxies, and therefore cost more.
The subscription plans are also based on the data you consume, so your data will be limited based on the plan you use. Although there are plans that give you unlimited data.
Unstable connections. When you are connected to another person's device, that person may suddenly disconnect from the network, which means your connection will be lost as well.
When should you use a residential proxy?
Residential proxies are best used on sites that have strict restrictions on the use of any automated tools or bots and help you avoid running into any bans. Most social media platforms and sneaker stores qualify.
For any advanced tasks like web scraping or ad verification, it is better to use a residential proxy. It can also be used when you need a specific location to perform a task, as it provides the most locations you can find.
Which is better?
Comparing datacenter proxies and residential proxies, datacenter IPs are faster, more stable, and cheaper than residential IPs, but residential IPs give you more anonymity and more different locations. The better one of the two depends on what you want to use the proxy for and the budget you have.
For example, you want to scrape a website but don’t have such a big budget. Although residential proxies are the best choice for such tasks, they are expensive. Therefore, you can use datacenter proxies because they are faster and less expensive, you just need to know that they are riskier and easier to get banned.
If you are scraping social media sites, it is better to use a residential proxy because using a data center proxy will definitely get you banned.
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