Residential vs Mobile vs ISP Proxies

Understanding the differences between residential, mobile, and ISP proxy networks helps you select the right proxy type for your use case. Each proxy type has distinct characteristics, performance profiles, and pricing models.

Overview

Proxy networks can be categorized into three main types based on their IP sources: residential proxies, mobile proxies, and ISP proxies. Each type offers different advantages and trade-offs depending on your specific requirements.

This guide compares these proxy types across key dimensions including IP sources, rotation behavior, use cases, pricing models, and performance characteristics.

Residential Proxies

Residential proxies use IP addresses from home internet connections. They typically rotate frequently, changing IPs per request or session, which provides high IP diversity and reduces the risk of IP-based blocking.

Residential proxies are well-suited for web scraping, ad verification, and use cases requiring high IP diversity. They offer broad geographic coverage and authentic residential IP appearance.

Pricing is typically per-GB, and costs vary based on provider, geographic coverage, and IP pool size. Residential proxies balance authenticity with flexibility for high-volume operations.

Mobile Proxies

Mobile proxies route traffic through mobile carrier networks using IPs assigned to mobile devices. They provide authentic mobile IP addresses that appear as legitimate mobile traffic to target servers.

Mobile proxies are effective for mobile app testing, mobile-specific content access, and use cases requiring mobile IP characteristics. They offer carrier diversity and authentic mobile network appearance.

Mobile proxy pricing is typically per-GB or per-device, and costs may be higher than residential proxies due to the specialized nature of mobile carrier infrastructure.

ISP Proxies

ISP proxies, also known as static residential proxies, use IP addresses from internet service providers. They maintain static IPs for extended periods, combining residential IP authenticity with stability.

ISP proxies are ideal for account management, e-commerce operations, and use cases requiring consistent IP addresses over time. They provide session persistence and stable IP reputation.

ISP proxy pricing may be per-IP per month or per-GB, depending on provider. Static IPs require dedicated resources, which can affect pricing compared to rotating residential proxies.

Comparison Summary

Residential proxies: High IP diversity, frequent rotation, broad coverage, per-GB pricing. Best for web scraping and ad verification.

Mobile proxies: Authentic mobile IPs, carrier diversity, mobile-specific use cases. Best for mobile app testing and mobile content access.

ISP proxies: Static IPs, session persistence, stable reputation. Best for account management and e-commerce operations.