ISP (Static Residential) Proxies: What Are They?

What is an ISP proxy?

An ISP (also known as static residential) proxy is a type of proxy that is hosted in datacenters but has residential ASN. It's usually as fast as datacenter proxy, has unlimited bandwidth, but websites treat it better because a regular internet provider is behind its IP.

What are ISP proxies used for?

ISP proxies should be used when you need a static IP and your target has problems with datacenter proxies. Here are some examples:

• Account management - social media and ad accounts should always be run from one IP.
• Buying sneakers and tickets - speed matters here and datacenter IPs are often blocked.
• Web scraping of sites with a medium level of protection - fast and not as expensive as residential.

ISP vs datacenter proxies

Both are hosted on servers, often in the same locations, and the difference is only in the IP owner. Websites regularly block datacenter IP subnets to avoid scraping, bots and whatnot. ISP proxies come with the same kind of ASN a regular internet user has, which is why they cost a bit more. If your target doesn't block datacenter proxies, you can save money and buy datacenter proxies.

How do I choose an ISP proxy provider?

Unlike residential proxies ISP proxies can differ a lot from one provider to another. Here's what to look for when choosing a provider:

• Locations - country and city coverage. It's not unusual for a provider to have only 1 location per Tier-2 country.
• ASN - some providers sell datacenter ASNs at ISP prices, so check the review on our website before buying.
• Dedicated or shared - while it can't be verified, you should aim for dedicated access.
• Rotation - in some cases the IP can be extended or changed after a certain period.
• Features availability - protocols, UDP, IPv6 support etc.
• Free Trial - a good way to test a proxy against your target. You can find such providers on the providers with a free trial page.

You can filter all of these on the ISP proxies list. For example, take a look at our top-rated providers: Proxyon, Proxy-Seller, Fleet Proxy.

How much do ISP proxies cost?

ISP proxies are usually priced per IP for a period of time (e.g. 1 IP for a month) and have unlimited bandwidth. Based on our data, the median is around $3.00 per month for an IP. The common payment models:

• IP per month - the most common model with discounts when you order either more IPs or for a longer period.
• Shorter rentals - some providers rent for periods as short as 1 day.
• Pay per GB - a minority of plans, rotating endpoint with a median price of about $2.90/GB.

ISP vs residential proxies

Residential proxies are hosted on real home devices whether it's a PC or a router, while ISP proxies sit on a server in a datacenter. They both have a residential ASN, but because an ISP proxy sits in a server room it is much faster and more stable. When testing a 1 Mb file download we got a median speed of 18.7 Mb/s for ISP proxies and only 5.0 Mb/s for residential with more than twice the latency. But while speed and availability are good it's still a server, which is why you get a limited number of locations and usually no rotation. Keep in mind that because of this, the risk of getting an IP with a high risk score is higher than with residential proxies. Choose ISP if you need a stable, fast and long-term connection. Choose residential if you need a lot of different IPs and locations. See our residential proxy article for more information.

Are ISP proxies static or rotating?

By default ISP proxies are static and when people ask for static residential proxies, static ISP proxies are usually what they mean. However, there are plans that give you access to a pool of rotating ISP proxies. You can find them by selecting the automatic rotation feature and the ISP proxy type, or on the rotating proxies page. There are also providers that allow you to change the IP of your proxy when your monthly plan expires and sometimes once right after buying, if that particular IP doesn't fit your needs. But that's not what people usually have in mind when asking about rotation of ISP proxies, it just needed to be said.

Are ISP proxies dedicated or shared?

Both options exist, but dedicated (private) is much more common - about 80% of plans at least claim to be private. It's pretty important because sharing the same IP between multiple users can lower its quality over time. However, as said in the section above, it can't be verified, so you should pick a provider with a high rating and forget about it. Check the private proxies list if you need a dedicated one.

Is there a free ISP proxy?

Not to my knowledge. You can probably find some that people don't need anymore and have thrown away, but since they are limited by time, I doubt they will work. A good alternative is providers with a free trial, many of them allow you to test their ISP IPs before you pay.

Is an ISP (static residential) proxy good?

ISP proxy is a good solution if you need the same IP for the long period of time, but doesn't fit at all if you need to change IP frequently. Also they are priced a bit higher than datacenter which may be enough for your task. You can search for cheaper datacenter proxies if that's the case.

Are ISP proxies legal?

Yes, unlike rotating residential proxies where sourcing can be a problem - ISP proxies are being hosted in datacenters following their requirements. You still have to follow your country laws and provider Terms of Service though.

Can ISP proxies be detected?

Yes, while they pass "is it datacenter IP" check - they still can have known IP subnet and the fact that they can be active for years doesn't help. This means that on harder targets you can have more problems simply due to inability to change IP.