A proxy server is an intermediary that routes all traffic from your browser on computer or smartphone through itself. In the process, it hides your real IP and instead assigns a different address to all your outgoing requests. This way, the proxy server conceals your online identity.
The result? Enhanced privacy, access to geo-blocked or restricted content, unrestricted web scraping thanks to enhanced online anonymity, and more. The exact benefits depend on the type of proxies you have selected, as they each have individual characteristics and, as a result, vary in capabilities. But the choice of the provider also matters. A reputable proxy provider ensures performance, security, and data privacy and engages in ethical practices. This article looks at residential and static proxies and answers which one is better.
What is a Residential Proxy?
A residential proxy routes traffic through real users’ mobile devices or personal computers and assigns IP addresses registered with internet service providers (ISPs). Essentially, an ethical residential proxy provider enters into agreements with internet service providers (ISPs) that provide IP addresses registered in their names. Traffic is then routed through the ISPs’ infrastructure.
Essentially, the provider obtains consent from users, i.e., the ISPs’ customers, and has them install software on their computers. It is this software that automatically converts their computers into residential proxies. As a result, all traffic routed through these computers (intermediaries) appears to originate from real users, which helps prevent IP blocking. This is the more common approach to creating residential proxies.
By working with ISPs or real customers, residential proxy providers can source IP addresses from different countries and various ISPs within a given country. For example, leading providers like Oxylabs have sourced residential proxies from over 195 countries, creating a vast network of over 175 million proxies.
Uses of Residential Proxies
Residential proxies offer high-level anonymity. They are used in the following ways:
- Ad verification
- Travel fare aggregation
- Social media management
- SEO monitoring
- E-commerce scraping
- Price monitoring
What is a Static Proxy?
A static proxy is a web intermediary hosted on a data center server that assigns IP addresses registered with reputable ISPs or autonomous system number (ASN) providers. Therefore, unlike residential proxies, static proxies are not associated with an end user. These inherent characteristics make static proxies a hybrid of residential and datacenter proxies. They are artificially generated but owned by ISPs. Unfortunately, this often means that the IP databases can identify them as data center proxies.
Uses of Static Proxies
Static proxies are ideal for tasks that generate heavy traffic and therefore require unlimited bandwidth. The use cases of ISP proxies include:
- Web scraping for market research
- E-commerce scraping
- Threat monitoring
- App testing
- Brand monitoring
- Email monitoring
- Ad verification
Residential Proxies vs. Static Proxies
Similarities
Residential proxies and static proxies are similar in the following ways:
- Both residential and static proxies are registered with ISPs
- You are less likely to get blocked when using either residential or static proxies because they are both associated with ISPs
Differences
The table below compares residential and static proxies based on parameters such as speed, reliability, bandwidth, locations, scalability, and IP rotation.
| Residential Proxies | Static Proxies | |
| Speed | Residential proxies’ speeds are unpredictable, given that the traffic may be routed through devices of people whose home internet connections are not fast, while in some cases, the connections may be fast | ISP proxies are fast because they are hosted on data center servers |
| Reliability and stability | The stability of residential proxies is not guaranteed, with this unpredictability resulting from the varying nature of people’s internet connections | Static proxies are stable and reliable, because they are hosted on reliable data center servers |
| Scalability | Residential proxies are highly scalable because leading proxy providers offer large proxy networks comprising over 150 million residential proxies | Static proxies have limited scalability because of limitations associated with the subnets, which help organize IP addresses, and the limited number of locations |
| Bandwidth | The proxy provider caps the bandwidth based on the residential proxy package purchased | ISP proxies have unlimited bandwidth |
| IP Rotation | Residential proxies rotate the assigned IP address (unless configured to be sticky proxies) | Static proxies often retain the same assigned IP address |
| Location | Leading proxy providers like Oxylabs source residential proxies from over 190 countries, giving you location flexibility | You can only target a limited number of locations with static proxies |
Conclusion
Residential proxies and static proxies are different in many ways. Static proxies support unlimited bandwidth and are faster, more reliable, and more stable. Residential proxies enable you to target more locations and offer unmatched anonymity. Against this backdrop, the answer to which between residential proxies and static proxies is better depends on the characteristics you’re seeking. If you want reliability, stability, speed, and the ability to route unlimited traffic, then the static proxies are better. But if you want a product that lets you target multiple locations and choose from a vast IP network, then residential proxies are better. That said, it is crucial to purchase a proxy from a reputable provider, as they ensure performance and security, regardless of the type of proxy you choose.
