When you’re browsing the web your real IP address is like your ID. The websites you access can easily track your location and block your IP if your http requests are deemed suspicious. Residential and datacenter proxies ensure that this doesn’t happen. Both of them can help you make your IP invisible to various in-built anti-scraping mechanisms and collect data anonymously. But which of these two types of proxies is best for your needs?
In this article, you will learn about the key differences between datacenter and residential proxies, and find out why you should choose one over the other depending on your goals and environment.
What are datacenter proxies?
Datacenter proxies are one of the most common types of proxies used by both businesses and individuals. Rather than being linked to a specific internet service provider, datacenter proxies are owned by third-party companies and are associated with their data centers.
Typically, datacenter proxies allow you to easily mask your real IP under multiple IP addresses belonging to that company. The problem is, however, that datacenter proxies can be traced back to the intermediary traffic source, and the IPs you’re using to hide your identity can get blocked.
What are residential proxies?
Residential proxies offer authentic IP addresses connected to genuine residential internet service providers (ISPs). The strongest advantage of residential proxies is their unprecedented reliability. Unlike datacenter proxies, residential IPs are almost impossible to be banned, as they are linked to real consumer devices.
SOAX provides you with the access to a large pool of more than 190+ million unique residential IPs. All the IP addresses you’re using to mask your identity are carefully selected to ensure you will never get blocked by any web service.
On top of that, SOAX offers unlimited concurrent connections and flexible geo-targeting settings that allow you to hide behind IPs based in a location of your choice. You can easily target any country, region, city, or even a specific internet service provider.
Why choose residential proxies over datacenter proxies?
If your needs are limited to spontaneous use of proxies, or in case you want to visit a few websites that are restricted in your home country, then datacenter proxies will probably suffice. However, if you’re looking for greater security, reliability, and anonymity, then you should opt for residential proxies.
Here are some of the key advantages of residential proxies over datacenter proxies:
Worldwide coverage
Residential proxies allow you to access websites from a variety of locations. Paired with automatic IP rotation, residential proxies make for an ideal solution to bypass geographic restrictions.
100% reliability
Residential proxies are extremely trustworthy. When you’re browsing the web under your real IP, think of it as leaving online fingerprints that can be traced back to you. Residential proxies ensure that this doesn’t happen. Unlike datacenter proxies, the outgoing traffic from residential IPs looks way more natural to any website. With residential proxies, you can browse the web and collect data safely and anonymously.
