ISP vs residential and mobile proxies: which to choose

Choosing between ISP, residential and mobile proxies comes down mainly to how long the IP address needs to stay the same and what you would rather pay for: the address or the traffic. Below are the definitions, a comparison table, how each option works at Proxeta and a short decision guide by task.

What are ISP, residential and mobile proxies

All three types give you IP addresses that belong to network operators: internet service providers or mobile carriers. They differ in where the address comes from, how long it stays the same and what you pay for.

An ISP proxy is a dedicated static IP address registered to an internet service provider. It is assigned to your order and does not change for the entire paid term. There is no rotation: every IP you buy stays with the order until the term ends.

Residential proxies are IP addresses of home internet providers. The address comes from a pool: you can keep it for the length of a session or get a new one through rotation.

Mobile proxies are IP addresses from 4G / 5G / LTE cellular carrier networks. They work on the same model as residential proxies: a pool of addresses, rotation or a sticky session, and payment for traffic. The difference is the network: traffic exits through a mobile carrier.

Do not confuse ISP proxies with the “ISP” targeting mode in the residential and mobile proxy generator. That mode only narrows the location down to a specific provider (a carrier, for mobile proxies) and does not make the address static.

How ISP proxies differ from residential and mobile proxies

The main difference is the operating model: ISP proxies give you a permanent address paid per IP, while residential and mobile proxies give you a pool of addresses paid per gigabyte. The other differences follow from that.

The types do not compete; they solve different tasks, and you can combine them: ISP proxies for permanent work profiles, residential or mobile proxies for data collection and checks in different locations.

When to choose ISP proxies

Choose ISP proxies if an unexpected IP change could break a session or interrupt a profile's work. A static address does not change for the whole order term, so websites always see the profile on the same IP.

ISP proxies are a good fit if:

• each profile in your antidetect browser needs its own permanent address;
• you run an agency's or a team's work accounts and sign in to them from the same IP day after day;
• a script or browser workflow runs around the clock and must not lose its session;
• you need a stable address for marketplace and e-commerce seller accounts;
• a lot of data goes through the address and you would rather not count gigabytes.

ISP proxies are not a good fit if the task needs frequent IP changes, city-level targeting or a large rotating pool of addresses. In those cases, use residential or mobile proxies.

Managing multiple accounts is routine work for agencies, SMM and advertising teams. Follow the rules of the platforms you work with and the Acceptable Use Policy.

When to choose residential or mobile proxies

Choose residential or mobile proxies if you need different IPs, location targeting more precise than a country, or a choice between a sticky session and rotation. You pay for traffic, so one balance can be split across tasks and locations.

Residential proxies

Residential proxies are a good fit if:

• you collect data or monitor prices, and requests need to come from different addresses;
• you need to check local search results or ad delivery in a specific city;
• you need an address from a specific internet service provider or ZIP code;
• your workflow needs one IP for the length of a session, not for weeks ahead.

Mobile proxies

Mobile proxies are a good fit if:

• the platform is built primarily for smartphone users;
• you work with social networks where a mobile connection type matters;
• you need to check a website or app the way a cellular network user in the chosen location sees it.

If the mobile network does not matter for the task, residential proxies will do. Switching to mobile is easy: both types share one balance, and you choose the connection type each time you create proxies.

How ISP, residential and mobile proxies work at Proxeta

At Proxeta, these options are ordered in different sections of the Dashboard and paid for differently: ISP proxies in the “ISP proxies” section, traffic-based proxies in the “Generate proxies” section. Current prices for both are listed under plans and pricing.

ISP proxies

• In the “Buy” tab of the “ISP proxies” section, you choose a country and the number of IPs, and the order is placed for 30 days. Available countries and the number of free addresses are shown in the Dashboard.
• Traffic is unlimited; you pay for each IP.
• You connect over HTTP or SOCKS5 with a username and password. After activation, the connection details appear in the “My proxies” tab.
• There is no automatic renewal. You renew an active order manually with the “Renew” button for another 30 days. If you renew less than a day before the term ends, keeping the same IPs is not guaranteed.
• If the addresses do not suit you, you can replace them for free with the “Swap IP” button (“Swap IPs” in an order with several addresses). The free swap is available once for the entire order term, and renewal does not restore it. All addresses in the order are replaced at once, the old connection details stop working, and the order term stays the same.

The purchase and renewal steps are described in the ISP proxies help center article.

Residential and mobile proxies

• Both types draw on a shared GB traffic balance. You can top it up with the number of gigabytes you need, from 1 GB, or with a ready-made package.
• In the “Generate proxies” section, you choose the connection type, the country, a region and city if needed, and the protocol: HTTP or SOCKS5.
• You can narrow down the location in one of two targeting modes: “ISP” or “ZIP code”. They cannot be combined, and ZIP codes are not available for every location.
• The session type is either “Sticky session” (one IP for as long as possible) or “Rotation” (a new IP for new connections).
• You can get from 1 to 100 lines at a time in the host:port:login:password format.

How to choose a location, targeting mode and session type is shown in the article on choosing locations and session type. Traffic usage by hour, day and month is shown in the “Statistics” section; for details, see the article on tracking traffic usage.

How to choose a proxy type for your task

Three things determine the proxy type: how long the IP must stay the same, how precise the location needs to be and whether the mobile network matters. Answer the questions in order.

1. Do you need the same IP for longer than one work session? If so, choose ISP proxies: the address stays the same for the whole order term, which is 30 days with the option to renew.
2. Do you need location targeting more precise than a country? If you need a region, city, provider or ZIP code, choose residential or mobile proxies. To keep the address from changing, turn on a sticky session: the IP is kept until the connection drops.
3. Do you need frequent address changes? For scraping and high-volume requests, turn on rotation on residential or mobile proxies.
4. Does the mobile network matter? If the platform is built for smartphones, choose mobile proxies; otherwise, choose residential.
5. Will a lot of traffic go through the address with no need to change the IP? Then ISP proxies with unlimited traffic are easier to budget for than paying per gigabyte.

Before moving all your work to a new type, test it on a small scale: top up your balance with a few gigabytes or order the minimum available number of ISP addresses.

If your answers point to different types, split the tasks: move permanent profiles to ISP proxies, and data collection and local checks to residential or mobile proxies.