ISP Proxies vs. Residential Proxies
ISP proxies and residential proxies both have their place, but they're built for different use cases. Understanding the trade-offs between speed, cost, and IP diversity helps you choose the right one for your project. In this blog post, we'll compare their strengths and typical use cases to help you decide which works better for your project.
What are ISP proxies
ISP proxies, also called static residential proxies, are a type of proxy provided through Internet Service Providers (ISPs). ISP proxies combine the authenticity of residential IPs with the performance of datacenter proxies.
There are two types of ISP proxies: shared and dedicated. Shared ISP proxies come from an IP pool that’s shared by multiple users simultaneously. They’re a budget-friendly option for simple monitoring and data analysis tasks.
Dedicated ISP proxies are assigned exclusively to a single user. This gives you full control over the IP's reputation, since no other traffic shares the address.
ISP proxies are often paired with mobile proxies for bypassing strict anti-bot measures or accessing mobile-only content.
Pros of ISP proxies
ISP proxies sit between residential and datacenter proxies, offering a balance of speed and credibility. They work well when you need:
- Residential-grade IPs with datacenter speed
- Fast response times (<0.2s average)
- Bulk IP availability without wait times
- Choice between shared or dedicated IPs
- Session control (rotating or sticky)
- Consistent performance for protected sites
Cons of ISP proxies
ISP proxies have some limitations compared to other proxy types:
- Smaller IP pool and fewer locations than residential proxies
- Less IP diversity, making them more vulnerable to bulk blocking on sites with advanced anti-bot systems
- Higher cost per GB than datacenter proxies
Most common business use cases of ISP proxies
ISP proxies handle tasks where speed and session stability matter more than IP diversity. Typical use cases include:
- Social media marketing. ISP proxies provide fast connections and stable sessions for managing multiple accounts and collecting public data from social media. Use dedicated ISP proxies to reduce the risk of cross-account flagging.
- eCommerce account management. Dedicated ISP IPs help maintain account integrity and avoid cross-account detection from shared IP activity.
- SEO monitoring. Shared ISP proxy pools make it cost-effective to monitor hundreds of keywords daily without triggering CAPTCHAs or IP blocks.
- Price tracking. ISP proxies can handle high-volume price checks efficiently, as they have the credibility to bypass basic anti-bot measures on various eCommerce platforms.
- Market research. ISP proxies provide stable sessions for gathering competitor data, tracking product availability, and monitoring market trends.
- Web scraping. ISP proxies balance datacenter speed with residential credibility, making them effective for scraping sites with moderate anti-bot protection.
- Brand monitoring. ISP proxies offer fast, stable connections for tracking trademark usage, unauthorized sellers, and brand mentions across platforms.
- Data for AI. The higher speed makes ISP proxies a great option for training AI models and automating workflows.
Get ISP proxies
Tackle everything from multi-accounting to data monitoring with premium ISP proxies from Decodo.
What are residential proxies
Residential proxies are IPs from real household devices connected to Wi-Fi networks. Since these IPs are assigned to actual residential locations by ISPs, they're trusted by websites and are harder to detect as proxies.
Residential proxies work well for tasks that demand high IP diversity and authenticity. They handle web scraping effectively because websites treat them as legitimate user traffic, resulting in fewer blocks compared to datacenter and ISP proxies.
Residential proxies operate from shared IP pools. You can rotate to a new IP with each request or maintain the same IP for set durations (up to 60 minutes) depending on your use case.
Pros of residential proxies
Residential proxies offer a higher level of anonymity and adaptability, making them the go-to choice for bypassing sophisticated anti-bot systems and collecting geo-specific data at scale.
- Diverse pool of IPs
- Higher level of anonymity
- Global, granular locations available
- Higher data collection success rate
- More effective against advanced anti-bot measures
Cons of residential proxies
While residential proxies excel at bypassing detection, they come with trade-offs in speed and session stability due to their reliance on real user connections.
- Slower response times than ISP or datacenter proxies due to residential internet connections
- Less stable for extended sessions since residential connections can drop or change
- Shared IP pools mean other users' activity can affect IP reputation and potentially trigger blocks
Most common business use cases of residential proxies
Residential proxies work well for tasks requiring large IP pools and precise, down to ZIP-level geo-targeting. Common business use cases include:
- Web scraping. The diverse IP pool and authentic credentials of residential proxies make them harder to block compared to ISP or datacenter proxies, improving success rates.
- Market intelligence. Residential proxies let you collect pricing data, customer reviews, and product trends across global locations. Premium proxy providers like Decodo offer down to city or ZIP code level targeting for accurate regional analysis.
- SEO research. Residential proxies allow SEO specialists to target down to ZIP code level for SERP data that reflects what users actually see in specific regions.
- Ad verification. Residential proxies can be used to verify ad placement and performance, letting you see how ads appear to real users in specific regions.
- Fraud prevention. Residential proxies help monitor for counterfeit products, unauthorized sellers, and trademark violations across marketplaces and platforms.
- Data for AI. Residential proxies offer an IP pool that’s hard to detect, making it perfect for building AI model datasets and even automating workflows.
Get residential proxies
Collect data with zero CAPTCHAs, geo-restrictions, and IP blocks with Decodo’s 115M+ residential proxies.
Comparing ISP proxies vs. residential proxies
Both ISP and residential proxies handle similar tasks, but they're optimized for different scenarios based on speed, IP diversity, and use case requirements.
ISP proxies balance speed with residential credibility. They're fast and stable, which makes them good for tasks that need consistent connections like price monitoring, account management, or high-volume scraping of targets with medium anti-bot measures. The downside is smaller IP pools and less geographic diversity than residential proxies.
Residential proxies give you access to a significantly bigger IP pool with targeting down to ZIP code level. IP diversity helps you stay under the radar and handle sites with advanced anti-bot systems. While they're slower than ISP proxies and don't offer dedicated IPs, residential proxies deliver better anonymity and success rates on large-scale projects.
Ethical and legal considerations
Both ISP and residential proxies need to follow ethical sourcing and legal standards. Decodo sources residential IPs from users who consent to sharing their bandwidth, and ISP proxies come from registered providers with transparent practices.
That said, how you use proxies matters just as much as how they're sourced. Every proxy user should follow the proxy provider's terms of service, respect website terms of use, and stay compliant with applicable laws in your jurisdiction.
Key differences between ISP and residential proxies
Feature
ISP proxies
Residential proxies
Average speed
Excellent
Solid
Sourcing
Data centers
Real household devices
Stability
Reliable
Connection-dependent
Use cases
Data monitoring, multi-accounting, and AI training
Advanced web scraping, SEO, ad and brand protection, and AI training
Locations
Limited locations
195+ global locations
Price
From $1.3/GB or $0.27/IP
From $1.5/GB
Select the proxy type based on your project's technical demands. Use ISP proxies when speed and stability are the primary requirements. For data projects where authenticity and zero interruptions are critical, go with residential proxies.
ISP proxies vs. residential proxies: Which one to use?
Check out our video on how to best utilize each proxy type.
Why Decodo is the best choice
When shopping for proxies, we recommend comparing IP pools, pricing models, and support quality across providers. Or skip the research and try Decodo for free.
Extensive proxy network
Decodo's total pool of 125M+ IPs spans 195+ locations, giving you access to geographically diverse IPs for high-volume data collection, localized content testing, or multi-account operations across different regions. You can also target down to the ZIP level, so you get precise location control when your projects demand city-specific or neighborhood-level accuracy.
Flexible pricing and trial options
With Decodo, both ISP and residential proxies offer pay-per-GB and pay-as-you-go payment models. For ISP proxies, there's also a pay-per-IP option that applies to both dedicated and shared IP setups, giving you more control over cost allocation.
Pricing starts at $1.3/GB or $0.27/IP for ISP proxies and $1.5/GB for residential ones. First-time users can claim a 3-day free trial with 100MB included, which provides enough bandwidth to test performance and integration with existing infrastructure.
24/7 tech support
Decodo's tech support team is available around the clock via LiveChat. Response times are typically within a few minutes, and the team works through issues until they're resolved.
There’s also our Knowledge Hub, where you'll find quick start guides, API documentation, and troubleshooting FAQs, and our Discord community where you can ask questions, share experiences, and get hands-on help from other proxy users.
Bottom line
Your choice between ISP and residential proxies comes down to the task. ISP proxies deliver datacenter-level speed with residential credibility, good for high-throughput projects like data monitoring or managing multiple accounts. Residential proxies offer deeper IP diversity and better performance against advanced anti-bot systems, which you'll need for scraping protected sites or collecting geo-specific data.
Decodo's 125M+ ethically-sourced IPs cover both types across 195+ locations. The platform scales as your needs grow with pay-per-GB, pay-per-IP, and pay-as-you-go options. Tech support is available 24/7 via LiveChat, with typical response times under a few minutes.
For more insights, explore resources on the best ISP proxy services, comparisons of ISP proxies to other types, and reviews of top anti-detect browsers.
The information you read here is valid from November, 2025, and the facts provided in this page may change over time. Performance data is taken from the Proxyway Market Research 2025.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a residential proxy and an ISP proxy?
Residential proxies use IPs from real user devices connected through ISPs, which gives you high anonymity and broad IP diversity. ISP proxies are hosted in datacenters but registered under ISP ASNs. This means you get residential credibility with datacenter-level speed and stability for faster, more consistent performance.
Why do residential proxies cost more than ISP proxies?
Residential proxies generally cost more because they are harder to source in ethical and legitimate ways. They also provide extensive global coverage, anonymity, and are more effective against anti-bot systems.
How do proxies hide your identity?
Proxies act as intermediaries that route your requests through their IPs instead of yours. The target website sees the proxy's IP, location, and connection details and your real IP, geographic location, and device fingerprint stay hidden from the server.
Can proxies be detected?
Yes, proxies can be detected. Datacenter proxies are the easiest to spot, since their registrations expose datacenter hosting. More advanced anti-bot systems also look at browser fingerprints, timing patterns, and how requests are structured. If your traffic looks automated or matches known bot signatures, you'll hit blocks even with residential IPs.
When should I choose ISP proxies over residential proxies?
Go with ISP proxies for tasks that need both speed and a stable identity. They work well for account management, traffic-intensive monitoring, and sites that require consistent IP sessions.
What is a residential ISP?
A residential ISP delivers internet service to homes and assigns IPs linked to real consumer devices like computers, phones, and smart TVs. These IPs are tied to specific locations and registered as residential connections, which makes them harder for websites to detect as proxies.