Are you a novice or an experienced proxy user? How do datacenter proxies and ISP proxies differ? You should be aware of their numerous variations, even if they conceal users’ IP addresses and offer anonymity when engaging in online activities like web scraping, shopping, or creating multiple social media accounts.
Before discussing their definitions, comparisons, and which you should choose over the other, let’s establish the following: ISP proxies are sometimes referred to as static residential proxies. Thus, they are all the same kind, regardless of the name you choose. Without any more delay, here are the most critical facts you should know about datacenter and ISP proxies so you can decide which is a better solution for your needs.
Defining the Two Types of Proxies
If you are unfamiliar with the two types of proxies below, let’s define them first. In simple words, a proxy server acts as a user’s intermediary on the internet, masking their IP address and handling requests on their behalf.
What Are Datacenter Proxies?
Datacenter proxies are popular tools whereby remote servers houses hosting thousands, if not millions, of virtually generated IP addresses serve as an intermediary between you and the websites you are trying to access. These proxies don’t use IPs allocated by an Internet Service Provider (ISP).
There are two types: dedicated or shared datacenter proxies. Shared datacenter proxies allow multiple users to use them concurrently, while dedicated ones have one user per time; hence, they offer more speed and reliability.
What Are ISP Proxies?
Also known as static residential proxies, they are often seen as a hybrid of datacenter and residential proxies, where developers have combined the best features of both to produce a new and improved form.
To be more specific, these are datacenter IP addresses connected to Internet Service Providers (ISPs) via an ASN number. Target servers see them as genuine residential proxies even if datacenter servers host them rather than actual people’s devices.
Datacenter Proxies vs. ISP Proxies: A Detailed Comparison
The primary distinction between datacenter and ISP proxies, as you may have already seen in our definition, is the IP source. To properly comprehend the functioning of these proxies, let us examine the remaining distinctions in more detail.
- #1) Source of the IP Address
Cloud servers typically generate large quantities of source IP addresses for data centers. However, ISPs supply the IP addresses utilized by static residential proxies.
- #2) Cost of Purchase
ISP proxies are far more expensive to set up and maintain than their datacenter variant. Since datacenter proxies are relatively simple to set up on cloud servers, this is likely the primary benefit of using them. Because of this, they are far cheaper than ISP proxies.
- #3) Speed and Internet
Cloud servers host datacenter proxies, which typically experience lower latency. They can also support significantly larger bandwidth, which makes them pretty fast. ISP proxies also carry a similar advantage. Since they are primarily hosted in data centers, they can deliver the authenticity of having ASN numbers intended for residential users but with the backing of potent server houses behind their backs. Therefore, this means that speed and, thus, page loading times may be similar on both types.
- #4) Static IPs
Both ISP and datacenter proxies can support using static IP addresses. However, ISP proxies frequently switch IP addresses whenever you visit a website. Datacenter proxies provide dedicated IP addresses more frequently, albeit at a higher cost.
- #5) Anonymity
It is far more difficult for websites to identify ISP proxies thanks to their appearance being similar to that of residential IPs. They are perfectly camouflaged compared to datacenter proxies, which are easily identifiable. Although they may be connected to data center locations, their ASN numbers are intended for home internet users. As a result, websites can’t help but see them as regular users.
Which One Should You Choose? Datacenter or ISP Proxy?
ISP proxies combine the increased speed and stability of their datacenter brethren with the high levels of anonymity of residential proxies to create a unique combination of capabilities. Because of this combination, ISP proxies are the best option for consumers who need the best characteristics of both the residential and datacenter types without sacrificing performance or quality.
Datacenter and ISP proxies are different yet similar at the same time. Both types assist you in hiding your IP address so that you can accomplish activities like data gathering. Nonetheless, every kind of proxy has pros and cons of its own. To determine which one is best for you, research your options. Check out this proxy datacenter option for dedicated IPs, blazing speed, favorable pricing, and unlimited traffic.