What is the difference between residential proxies and datacenter proxies?

Proxies act as an intermediary, hiding your IP address when connected to the internet. They are particularly useful if you are unable to access a website because it is banned, or if you are trying to access geo-restricted content, such as content on Netflix, YouTube, or air ticket platforms.

Residential and datacenter proxies are the two main types that offer ways to hide your IP and, among other things, help you scrape data from the web anonymously. However, there are significant differences between them – so which proxy type is ideal for you?

What is a Datacenter Proxy? Datacenter proxies are the most common type and are remote computers with unique IP addresses that act as an intermediary between you and your target website. These proxies have nothing to do with your internet connection or your Internet Service Provider (ISP) as they are completely independent of both. Therefore, it is easy to hide your IP and not be linked to one place. You can choose between shared or dedicated datacenter proxies.

Shared Data Center Proxies

Sharing datacenter proxies is like taking a bus to your destination. Multiple users access these proxies simultaneously, making them cost-effective. They are great for market and SEO research, ad verification, entertainment, and browsing. But keep in mind that shared proxies can mean slower speeds and a higher chance of being blocked if other users misbehave.

Dedicated Datacenter Proxy

Think of dedicated datacenter proxies as driving your personal car. Only one person uses them at a time, providing a faster, more reliable connection. These proxies offer stability and security, perfect for web scraping, multiple accounts, network and brand security, or smooth online gaming. They cost more, but are worth every penny for those who need stable performance.

What are residential proxies? Residential proxies provide IPs provided by an Internet Service Provider (ISP) that originate from a regular user's mobile or desktop home device connected to a Wi-Fi network. These proxies are ideal for tasks that require authenticity, maintaining privacy, and data scraping because they are least likely to be blocked.

ISP Proxy

An ISP proxy is a specific type of proxy that is provided directly by an Internet Service Provider (ISP) and hosted on servers in a data center. Unlike residential proxies, ISP proxies do not originate from the user's device. Instead, they are assigned by the ISP itself. This proxy is best suited for tasks that require both the authenticity of a residential IP and the speed and reliability of a data center proxy, such as managing multiple social media accounts or high-speed data scraping.

Mobile Agent

Mobile proxies use IPs assigned by mobile operators that originate from mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets using 3G, 4G or 5G cellular networks. They excel at activities that require a high degree of trust and anonymity, as they are rarely blocked and rotate through a pool of networks and providers. Mobile proxies can also access mobile-specific data and provide faster internet speeds.

Compare proxy types Datacenter vs Residential proxies

When choosing between data center and residential proxies, it’s important to weigh their pros and cons against your specific use case. For example, do you need speed, stability, and cost-effectiveness? Or are anonymity, various geolocation options, and avoiding anti-bot systems and IP bans more important to you?

Datacenter proxies are known for their speed and reliability, but are more susceptible to subnet bans because their IP ranges are less diverse. Additionally, the fast response times of datacenter proxies may cause users to be flagged for non-human behavior. Residential proxies, on the other hand, provide unique IP addresses that mimic real user behavior, making them less susceptible to bans and more suitable for tasks that require a natural online presence.

Residential Proxies vs Dedicated Datacenter Proxies

Residential proxies typically run on a rotating IP system, providing users with IP addresses that can change per session or remain static for up to a few minutes. Dedicated datacenter proxies, on the other hand, assign a unique IP to each user, ensuring exclusivity and a consistent online presence, which is important for tasks that require a stable, trustworthy IP identity. Regarding pricing, dedicated datacenter proxies typically employ a per-IP pricing model, rather than the volume-based pricing typically associated with residential proxies.

ISP and Data Center Proxies

ISP proxies represent a mix of features, blending the high anonymity of residential proxies with the enhanced speed and stability characteristics of datacenter proxies. This mix makes ISP proxies the best choice for users who need the best features of both residential and datacenter proxies without compromising on quality or performance.

Mobile Agents and Data Center Agents

Mobile proxies provide a higher level of authenticity by rotating IPs typically assigned to mobile devices, which can effectively evade detection algorithms. In contrast, datacenter proxies offer stability and speed, but lack the trustworthiness inherent in mobile IPs and are more easily identified as proxies. While datacenter proxies are more cost-effective, mobile proxies offer the distinct advantage of real-world user simulation, making them a more appropriate choice for operations that need to move under the radar of network security measures.

In summary, both residential and datacenter proxies provide essential tools for secure and efficient web navigation for a variety of online needs. Residential proxies have rotating IP addresses and excel at anonymity and mimicking real user behavior, while datacenter proxies provide stable, unique IPs and are known for speed and efficiency in data-intensive tasks.

At kookeey, we have every type of proxy you could need. We are proud of our 10,000+ residential proxies from 180+ countries, with the fastest response time (<0.6 seconds), one of the highest success rates on the market (99.47%), and a great entry point for pay-as-you-go.

We also have 100,000+ shared datacenter proxies around the world and flexible payment options (pay by GB or IP), as well as multiple dedicated datacenter proxies from the US.

Valuable insights from customer feedback and trends pave the way for maximum eCommerce success. We hope that path is now clearer and you can position your brand more strategically. If you need eCommerce data, don’t underestimate the power of an agency. The dynamic world of eCommerce is waiting for you. Now, go out and crush it!