Difference Between Datacenter and Residential Proxies: A Comparison

 Difference Between Datacenter and Residential Proxies

 

In this article, we are going to share some of the main differences between the two kinds of proxy servers- Datacenter proxy servers and Residential proxy servers. But first, let’s learn what exactly a proxy server does.

Proxy servers were made with the intention of keeping the users’ identities anonymous. The users can hide their real IP addresses under a proxy IP address that points to a certain location other than the user’s real location. Proxy servers come in handy when you want to access geo-blocked content including specific social media apps like TikTok and Netflix, or visit pages you’re blocked.

Now comes the main point- What are the differences between Datacenter and Residential proxies, and which one serves better?

 

Datacenter Proxy

A Datacenter proxy does its work by hiding your real IP address, but these are not affiliated with an Internet Service Provider (ISP). Therefore, they can be easily detected and blocked.

Moreover, some cheap Datacenter IPs come from a shared pool of proxies which have already been used before by someone else and can have a negative impact on your data collection speed and provoke websites to block the IP address. But don’t worry, there are a few pricey options to go for when buying datacenter proxies that are completely dedicated and hard to detect.

One of the reasons one should go for a datacenter proxy is that it gives you more speed than its residential counterpart. But with more than two accounts in the picture, they become prone to subnet bans.

 

Residential Proxy

When legitimacy is your priority, then residential proxy is the option to go for. Residential IPs come from ISPs and are linked to real, physical addresses that are already in use worldwide. This gives you a deep pool of locations to choose from.

It is nearly impossible for residential IP addresses to get blocked. Though they fall short on speed as compared to datacenter IPs, they keep rotating and give you the advantage of masking behind numerous IP addresses on the same device. Also, residential proxy servers are more expensive and hard to get than the datacenter ones.

 

Datacenter Proxies Vs. Residential Proxies

 

 

Datacenter Proxy	Residential Proxy
Gives you more speed	Are mostly slower than datacenter proxies
Cheaper, as they are made in bulk	More on the expensive side
Easier to find	Difficult to find
Static, they don’t rotate	Rotational, gives you the advantage of masking behind numerous IPs
More prone to getting detected and eventually getting blocked	Almost impossible to get blocked (are legitimate)
Not affiliated with Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	Affiliated with ISPs
Mostly shared	Fully dedicated

 

Wrapping Up

Both Datacenter and Residential proxies are great. Choosing any one of them depends on what is your topmost priority. If your priority is speed, then definitely go for Datacenter proxies and if it’s legitimacy, go for the residential one.

Having stated that, if you can afford to buy a residential proxy server, then definitely go for it, as the chances of you getting blocked would be far, far less.