Types
Intermediate
10 min
Residential vs Datacenter Proxies: Complete Comparison
Understand the key differences between residential and datacenter proxies to choose the right type for your needs.
What Are Datacenter Proxies?
Datacenter proxies are IP addresses hosted in data centers, not associated with ISPs. They're fast, affordable, and available in large quantities. However, they're easier to detect because their IP ranges are known to belong to hosting companies.
What Are Residential Proxies?
Residential proxies use IP addresses assigned by Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to homeowners. They appear as regular home users, making them harder to detect and block. They're more expensive but essential for accessing protected websites.
Speed and Performance
Datacenter proxies are generally faster (1-10ms latency) because they run on high-performance servers. Residential proxies have higher latency (50-500ms) as traffic routes through real residential connections.
Detection and Blocking
Datacenter IPs are easily identified and often blocked by sophisticated websites. Residential IPs are much harder to detect since they look like regular users. For scraping protected sites, residential proxies are usually required.
Cost Comparison
Datacenter proxies: $0.10-$3 per IP or $0.50-$1 per GB. Residential proxies: $5-$15 per GB. While datacenter proxies are cheaper, residential proxies offer better success rates that can offset the cost.
When to Use Each Type
Use datacenter proxies for: bulk SEO checks, accessing non-protected APIs, high-speed operations. Use residential proxies for: scraping protected websites, social media management, ad verification, sneaker bots.