ISP vs residential proxies: what's the difference?
Short answer
An ISP proxy uses an IP address registered to an internet service provider but hosted on servers in a datacenter, while a residential proxy uses an IP address an ISP has assigned to a real home connection. Choose ISP proxies when you want ISP-registered addresses on server infrastructure, often as a fixed IP you rent. Choose residential proxies when a workflow needs home-connection IPs or a wide choice of countries and cities.
ISP vs residential proxies at a glance
| Feature | ISP proxy | Residential proxy |
|---|---|---|
| Where the IP runs | On servers in a datacenter | On a real home connection |
| Who the IP is registered to | An internet service provider | An internet service provider |
| How long one IP lasts | Rotated from a pool, or fixed for a rental period | One request, or a sticky session that holds it for a while |
| Infrastructure | Server infrastructure, not tied to a household device | Depends on the household connection the IP belongs to |
| Location choice at BuyProxy | ISP Rotating: US. Static ISP: the countries listed when you order | Core: 195+ countries. Premium: also state, city and ASN |
| Billing at BuyProxy | Per GB (ISP Rotating), per IP and period (Static ISP) or per month by speed (ISP Unlimited) | Per GB (Core and Premium Residential) |
| Typical uses | Allowlists, long-lived sessions, steady monitoring jobs | Localized checks by country or city, data collection across many locations |
When to use each
Use ISP proxies when
- A service allowlists your IP or ties a session to one address, so you need a fixed IP for weeks
- You want ISP-registered addresses on server infrastructure for long-running jobs
- You move a lot of data and a fixed monthly price suits you better than paying per GB
- Your job can run from the US, where ISP Rotating exits
Use residential proxies when
- A workflow needs IPs on real home connections
- You need many countries, or state, city or ASN targeting
- You check localized prices, ads and content the way a household visitor sees them
- You spread independent requests across many IPs, one per request
What each term means
Every IP address belongs to a network. Datacenter IPs belong to hosting companies, and residential IPs belong to consumer ISPs that assign them to home connections. An ISP proxy sits between the two: the address is registered under an internet service provider's network, but the machine using it is a server in a datacenter.
A residential proxy routes your request through an address on a real home connection. At BuyProxy, Core Residential draws these IPs from a rotating pool in 195+ countries with country targeting, and Premium Residential adds state, city and ASN targeting and sticky sessions with a length you set.
At BuyProxy, ISP is not static residential
Some providers sell ISP proxies under the name "static residential". At BuyProxy these are different things. A static ISP proxy is an ISP-registered IP hosted in a datacenter, and you can rent one today. Static residential means a fixed IP on a real home connection, and it is coming soon.
Until static residential launches, the closest option is a sticky session on Premium Residential, which keeps one residential IP for the length you set, from 3 minutes to 24 hours.
Test both on your own targets
The quickest way to choose is a small side-by-side test. Send the same batch of requests through ISP Rotating and Core Residential, from the same machine on the same day, and compare success rate, response time and GB used. Our guide to testing proxy speed includes a script that records all three.
ISP and residential proxies at BuyProxy
Every product below works over HTTP (which also carries HTTPS) or SOCKS5, with username and password authentication. Live prices are on each product page.
ISP proxies
- ISP RotatingRotating ISP-registered IPs on datacenter infrastructure, billed per GB with no per-IP fee. Currently exits in the US.
- Static ISP ProxiesDedicated ISP IPs that stay the same for the whole rental, by country. Rented per IP for 1 week to 12 months, paid once from your wallet, with no auto-renewal.
- ISP UnlimitedISP proxies with unlimited bandwidth at a fixed monthly price, capped by the speed tier you pick: 10, 25, 50 or 100 Mbps.
Frequently asked questions
Are ISP proxies residential proxies?
They share one trait: the IP is registered to an internet service provider. The difference is where it runs. An ISP proxy is hosted on datacenter servers, and a residential proxy runs on a real home connection.
Are ISP proxies the same as static residential proxies?
Not at BuyProxy. Some providers sell ISP proxies as "static residential". At BuyProxy, a static ISP proxy is an ISP-registered IP hosted in a datacenter, and static residential means a fixed IP on a real home connection, which is coming soon.
Are ISP proxies faster than residential proxies?
ISP proxies run on server infrastructure and residential proxies on home connections, but real speed depends on your target, location and route, and we don't publish a speed figure. Test both on your own targets before you decide.
Which costs less, ISP or residential?
It depends on how you buy them. Per-GB products cost more as you send more data, a static ISP rental is priced per IP and per period, and ISP Unlimited is a fixed monthly price by speed tier. Each product page shows its live price.
