It’s easy to confuse ISP proxies with datacenter proxies, especially if you’re using one for the first time. However, the two differ in many ways, and understanding those differences is essential.
Datacenter proxies obtain IP addresses from data centers rather than real home internet connections. Residential proxies, on the other hand, use IPs assigned to actual devices owned by everyday internet users.
But what about ISP proxies? While they are hosted in data centers, they use IP addresses issued by Internet Service Providers (ISPs). This makes them appear more like residential users.
Keep reading, and by the end of this blog, you’ll have a clear answer to the ISP vs datacenter proxies debate.
Similarities Between ISP & Datacenter Proxies
ISP and datacenter proxies are quite similar in some aspects. Here’s how:
- Both ISP and datacenter proxies work in the same way: they replace your original IP address with another one.
- Both types of proxies rely on servers located in datacenters. In other words, their underlying infrastructure is essentially the same.
- When it comes to large-scale tasks and automation, both ISP and datacenter proxies are preferred over residential proxies, as they offer greater stability and higher speeds.
- Both proxies are used for similar purposes, such as web scraping, large-scale data collection, and managing multiple accounts.
ISP vs Datacenter Proxies: The Differences
Let’s discuss how ISP and datacenter proxies differ from each other.
| Factor | ISP Proxies | Datacenter Proxies |
| IP Source | IPs purchased in bulk from Internet Service Providers | IPs from servers in datacenters |
| IP Rotation | Limited rotation | More frequent rotation of IPs |
| IP Pool | Smaller | Can access a very large pool of IP addresses |
| Pricing | Expensive | More budget-friendly |
| Block Risk | Comparatively lower | Higher |
| Session Stability | Ensure longer, stable sessions | Generally, less stable sessions |
| Main Advantage | Less chances of your IP getting blocked | Less expensive. Recommended for users with a low budget |
| Main Disadvantage | Costly | Your IP can be detected and flagged by certain sites |
Note: If you want better anonymity, choose dedicated datacenter proxies. These proxies assign you a dedicated IP address instead of a shared one. This reduces the chances of your IP being flagged.
1. IP Source
This is the main difference between ISP and datacenter proxies. ISP proxies use IP addresses issued by Internet Service Providers (ISPs), but these IPs are hosted on data center servers. On the other hand, datacenter proxies use IP addresses generated directly within data centers and are not linked to any ISP.
In other words, the origin of your IP address depends on the type of proxy you choose. This is what primarily separates ISP proxies from datacenter proxies.
ISP proxies use ISP-issued IPs, while datacenter proxies use data center-generated IPs.
2. IP Rotation
ISP proxies have limited rotation and are often used as static (sticky) IPs. This makes them ideal if you are looking for stable sessions and no changes in IP addresses.
Datacenter proxies, on the other hand, support more frequent rotation. They are better suited for tasks that require sending a large number of requests within a short period.
Datacenter proxies rotate at more regular intervals.
3. Pool of IPs
Datacenter proxies have access to a much larger pool of IP addresses. This reduces the chances of reusing the same address repeatedly.
ISP proxies, however, have a limited pool because such IPs are harder to acquire at a large scale. This means you are allocated an IP address from a small set of IPs.
Datacenter proxies have a larger pool of proxies.
4. Risk Avoidance
While both are considered safe for online privacy, they work differently. ISP proxies use IPs issued by Internet Service Providers. This makes you appear more legitimate to websites and reduces the risk of being flagged by certain websites.
Datacenter proxies rely on data center servers to get IP addresses. Such IPs are more prone to being flagged by online proxy detectors. This means that if you want higher anonymity, it’s a good idea to choose ISP proxies.
ISP proxies offer a lower risk of detection compared to datacenter proxies.
Note: The level of risk associated with proxies also depends on your proxy provider. That’s why you should choose a reliable proxy provider, such as Proxying. You can also get 100 MBs free by joining our Discord or Telegram groups.
