Choosing the right proxy is an important step towards ensuring better internet security as well as data safety. Not only does it protect a user from the risks of hacking and data theft, it is also an effective tool against unnecessary, invasive government restrictions and monitoring of people’s internet usage and also helps in bypassing geo-blocking of content. Choosing Between Datacenter and Residential Proxies is pretty confusing since both do the same thing and hide your IP address. But there are several differences in how they work.
Residential Proxy
A residential proxy offers a user, most often a homeowner, with a dedicated IP address, provided by an authorized Internet Service Provider. It is extremely secure, provides excellent data protection, highly anonymous and stable.
Pros:
Legitimate
Residential proxy IPs are provided to a user by an actual ISP, and hence it appears more authentic and legitimate. Therefore, they are much safer in practice. The same IP can be retained as well if needed by the client.
Wider locations to connect
Rotating residential proxies offer their users a wide number of locations to connect to, which is excellent for bypassing geo-blocks and opens up a better range of content for the user to enjoy and utilize.
Harder to get blacklisted
Residential proxies are distributed and maintained by authorized ISPs and thus, they appear more legitimate, making them much harder to find and block or blacklist. It is a more secure and stable choice.
Cons:
Expensive
Owing to top notch anonymity, stability, and security, as well as the fact that they are provided by authorized ISPs only, residential proxies are a little on the expensive end.
Datacenter proxy
A datacenter proxy is not affiliated with an Internet Service Provider, but are instead provided by secondary corporations. The come with completely private IP authentication and offer security and anonymity.
Pros:
Faster
Datacenter proxies usually offer faster internet speeds, which makes it a popular choice for companies as it helps hasten up the speed of business.
Better for harvesting data
A datacenter proxy is a much better option for a business that requires data harvesting for it processes. This proxy offers an strong and extremely well performing servers, which can handle the hectic nature of this particular work. Moreover, high speed is another plus point.
Cheaper
Since datacenter proxies are not provided by an authorized ISP, even a good quality proxy would usually cost much less than a residential proxy. It is excellent for low budget or for those who need proxies in bulk, as it is so much easier on the pocket. However, it is commended to purchase from a reputed source for authenticity and security.
Cons:
Less legitimate
Datacenter proxies are not created by a real ISP, which can, at times, make it appear a little less legitimate or authentic. It stills offer adequate security and anonymity.
Easier to block
Datacenter proxies do hide the user’s IP address but it is often possible to know if a device is using a datacenter proxy. It is still hard to find and ban or blacklist.
Residential and datacenter proxies have their own pros and cons. A customer has to weigh these carefully and understand their specific requirements in order to make the best choice between these proxies.
