ISP vs. Residential Proxies: 7 Key Differences

Are You Comparing ISP and Residential Proxies?

Among the various types of proxies available, ISP and residential proxies are two of the most prevalent.

ISP proxies are a blend of data center and residential proxies. They provide data center speed and stability, plus residential authenticity. Residential proxies are IP addresses that ISPs give to homeowners. They offer great anonymity and make you (almost) undetectable.

Both fulfill a similar purpose - but for most use cases, one will perform better than the other. And in this anyIP article, we explore the differences between ISP and residential proxies to help you figure out which one is the right fit for your needs.

What Are ISP Proxies?

ISP  proxies (or static residential proxies) are a combination of data centers and residential proxies.

What does that mean? Well, they’re like residential proxies in the sense that the IP addresses are sourced from Internet Service Providers (ISPs). However, unlike traditional residential proxies, they’re tied to a data center rather than a residential location, device, and user.

This setup allows ISP proxies to offer the speed and reliability of data center infrastructure while maintaining the appearance of residential IPs, making them less likely to be detected and blocked by target websites. Proxy providers usually establish agreements with ISPs to utilize their IP addresses for ISP proxies.

Advantages of ISP Proxies

• High Speed and Stability: ISP proxies offer high-speed data transmission and stability because they are hosted by a data center.
• Long-lasting Sessions: ISP proxies are static, maintaining the same IP address over a period of time.
• Bandwidth: When IP quality is less important, ISP proxies typically offer almost unlimited bandwidth, ideal for handling large transfers.
• Anonymity: ISP proxies are assigned by ISPs, so they appear as residential IPs to target websites, which helps users bypass anti-scraping and security measures that rely on IP identification.
• Rotation Options: ISP proxies provide novel IP rotation options, allowing for multiple online tasks like managing social media.
• Enhanced Security Features: ISP proxies come with additional security features to protect against cyber threats.

Disadvantages of ISP Proxies

• Low Subnet Diversity: ISP proxies are grouped in ranges or subnets, which means others are more likely to be blocked if one is blocked.
• Less Anonymity: While most websites allow ISP proxies, they are more likely to recognize the traffic as originating from a proxy than other types of proxies.
• Limited Location Coverage: ISP proxy network coverage is usually limited to a few major cities around the world, making it difficult to access geo-restricted content from other locations.
• Prone to Blocking: ISP proxies are more likely to be blocked due to previous misuse. If one IP is flagged for abuse, other IPs within the same range may be blocked.

What Are Residential Proxies?

Residential proxies are IP addresses assigned to real devices owned by individuals, typically provided by the ISPs for home internet use. These proxies mimic a regular user’s behavior, offering high legitimacy and resulting in fewer blocks and bans from suspicious websites.

The process works like this.

A provider like anyIP builds a network of (in our case) millions of residential proxies by essentially renting them from regular people. They are then put into a pool and shared between customers, who can easily switch between them.

When you access a website via a residential proxy, your request goes through the assigned device and appears to be coming from a real user. This makes it more difficult for websites to detect that you are using a proxy.

Advantages of Residential Proxies

• Anonymity and Privacy: Residential proxies help you appear to be a genuine user and are essentially undetectable (meaning you won't get blocked or banned).
• Precise Geotargeting: Residential proxies offer precise geotargeting since the devices are located in different locations around the world.
• Massive Networks: Residential proxy networks are usually much larger than ISP proxy networks are. For example, anyIP offers more than 100 million residential and mobile IPs, while the average ISP proxy service might have around 700,000 IPs.
• High IP Diversity: Residential proxies rarely come in subnets, reducing the risk of multiple IPs being blocked if one is flagged.
• Better Security: Residential proxies can enhance online security, making it more difficult for malicious threats to access a user’s device and network.

Disadvantages of Residential Proxies

• Slower Speed and Potential Instability: Residential proxies rely on user connections, which means you depend on their networks’ stability and performance, and any downtime or issues can disrupt your online activities.
• Cost: Residential proxies usually cost more than ISP proxies because of the anonymity, reliability, and geotargeting precision they offer.
• Rotating IP Addresses: Continuously changing IPs may disrupt online tasks requiring a steady login or session maintenance IP.

ISP vs. Residential Proxies: 7 Key Differences

1. Source of IP Addresses

We’ve already touched on this difference, but it’s worth mentioning again.

ISP proxies use IP addresses from ISPs. They purchase bundles of IP addresses from ISPs and then rent them to customers. On the other hand, residential proxies use IP addresses from real residential devices, like computers and smartphones.

Both are assigned by ISPs - the difference is that with ISP proxies, the IPs were intended to be leased out, while with residential proxies, the IP addresses are assigned to actual devices with the intention that they would be used by individuals.

2. Anonymity and Detection Risk

ISP proxies provide high anonymity and moderate detection risk.

What we mean by this is that they’re very effective at masking your IP address, but they may still be detected as proxies by some websites or servers. They’re less detectable than data center proxies since they use residential IPs but are still tied to data center servers.

On the other hand, residential proxies offer both high anonymity and low detection risk. Because they use real residential IPs, they are much less likely to be detected as proxies by websites or servers.

3. Speed and Reliability

ISP proxies tend to be very fast and reliable. The data centers where they’re hosted usually have great infrastructures and high bandwidth speeds. Plus, there are teams of people who’s job it is to maintain and optimize these servers.

Residential proxies are a bit more variable. The speed and reliability depend entirely on the home network through which your traffic is routed. If you’re using a provider like anyIP that has prioritized fast, reliable home networks, then the residential proxies will also be fast and reliable - but this isn’t always the case.

4. Rotation Options

ISP proxies are typically static - you’re assigned an IP address and that’s what you use until it expires or you request a new one. However, some providers do offer rotation options for ISP proxies where you can request a new IP address on demand.

Residential proxies are usually rotated automatically - either every few minutes or with each new request.

5. Scalability

Scaling with both ISP and residential proxies is usually fairly simple. That said, residential proxies do offer much more scalability for larger operations that need access to massive pools of IP addresses.

Earlier, we mentioned that the average ISP proxy provider has a pool of 700,000 proxies. That might seem like a lot, but when you consider the number of users and businesses using those proxies, it can quickly become limited.

At anyIP, our network of over 100 million residential IPs gives you essentially unlimited room to scale.

6. Localization & Geo-Targeting

ISP proxies can only offer very limited geotargeting. A major provider might have data centers in 10-20 major cities around the world, but that's still only a fraction of the entire globe.

With residential proxies, your traffic appears to originate from whatever location the IP address is registered to. If you route your traffic through a home in the suburbs of Kyoto, for example, your results will be localized to that exact location.

To give you an example of just how much flexibility you have, anyIP currently offers 108,000 locations in the USA (and thousands more around the world).

7. Cost

Finally, let’s talk about cost.

There’s quite a bit of variation among providers, but ISP proxies generally cost less than residential proxies. This is because residential proxies can be used for a much wider range of tasks (more on that in a moment) due to the features we discussed earlier - undetectability, anonymity, etc.

That said, at anyIP, we help make residential proxies affordable with plans dropping as low as $2/GB and discounts for high-volume users.

When to Choose ISP Proxies

• High-Volume Scraping: ISP proxies are perfect for high-volume scraping tasks, thanks to their higher bandwidth and lower cost.
• Stable Connections: ISP proxies also work well for tasks that require stability, as they are less prone to connection drops.
• Basic SEO Monitoring: They also work well for basic SEO monitoring IF the provider has data centers in the countries of interest.
• Social Media Automation: When managing multiple accounts on social media platforms, ISP proxies can be a cost-effective option for maintaining anonymity and avoiding bans or blocks.
• E-commerce Operations: ISP pixies can also be helpful for pricing intelligence and inventory management in the e-commerce sector.

When to Choose Residential Proxies

• Anonymous Web Scraping: Residential proxies are widely used for web scraping tasks, as they provide a higher level of anonymity and make it harder for websites to detect and block automated scraping activity.
• Avoiding IP Bans and Captchas: If you frequently encounter IP bans or captchas when accessing websites, residential proxies can help reduce these interruptions by providing IPs that are less likely to be flagged.
• Accessing Geo-Restricted Content: When you need to bypass geo-restrictions to access content or services available only in specific regions, residential proxies allow you to appear to be from those locations.
• Complex Anti-Bot Circumvention: The rotating nature of residential IPs helps bypass advanced blocks by often changing the user’s IP address. This makes it hard for websites to track and block users. The varied IPs act like many real users, lowering the chance of setting off security alarms against automated access.
• Managing Multiple Social Media Accounts: For businesses or individuals that manage multiple social media accounts, residential proxies can be the solution to avoiding bans or suspensions. By rotating IP addresses, residential proxies allow for continuous access to various social media platforms without raising suspicion.
• Improved Ad Verification: Advertisers use residential proxies to verify their ads are being displayed correctly in different locations. This helps ensure they are not wasting money on advertisements that are not reaching their target audience.
• Conducting Market Research: When gathering sensitive competitive intelligence, residential proxies can help you avoid detection and ensure access to publicly available data without restrictions.

Conclusion

ISP proxies combine data center speed with the authenticity of residential IPs. They’re great for fast, stable tasks like streaming, downloading, and long-term social media campaigns. On the other hand, residential proxies offer authentic, non-suspicious online activity for tasks that require high anonymity and reliability.

Looking for a residential proxy provider that offers the benefits of high-quality residential proxies at affordable prices? anyIP is the perfect choice for you. With a vast pool of residential IPs from all over the world, we help you access geo-restricted content, browse the web anonymously, and protect your online identity.

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