Quick answer
- Datacenter proxies come from servers in data centers. They’re fast and cheap, but websites can detect and block them more easily.
- Residential proxies use IP addresses from real home internet connections. They look like normal visitors and are harder to block, but cost more.
- As an example, Decodo charges from $0.60/GB for shared datacenter proxies and from $2 to $4/GB for residential proxies.
- Choose datacenter proxies for speed-sensitive tasks on sites that don’t block them, and residential proxies for sites with strong anti-bot protection or location-specific results.
Datacenter and residential proxies both hide your real IP address, but they come from very different places, and that affects their speed, price and how easily websites spot them.
Here’s a clear comparison, with example prices from Decodo’s official pricing pages, checked on November 7, 2026.
Datacenter vs residential proxies at a glance
| Datacenter proxies | Residential proxies | |
|---|---|---|
| Where IPs come from | Servers in data centers | Real home internet connections |
| Speed | Usually very fast | Varies by connection |
| Chance of being blocked | Higher | Lower |
| Pricing | Per IP or per GB, cheaper | Usually per GB, more expensive |
| Example price (Decodo) | From $0.60/GB or $0.10/IP shared; dedicated from $2.50/IP | From $2 to $4/GB |
| Best for | Bulk tasks on tolerant sites, testing | Protected sites, local results, ad verification |
What are datacenter proxies?
Datacenter proxies use IP addresses owned by hosting and cloud companies. Because the IP ranges are known, websites can tell they aren’t home users. They’re cheap and fast, which makes them good for large jobs on sites that don’t mind automated traffic, or for testing your own sites. Decodo itself recommends residential proxies for most scraping, because datacenter IPs are easier to block.
What are residential proxies?
Residential proxies route traffic through real household connections, so your requests look like ordinary visitors from that location. They’re harder to block and good for location-specific results, but you pay per GB of traffic. Many providers offer rotating residential proxies that change IP automatically. See our guide to rotating residential proxies for prices from several providers.
Which should you choose?
- Choose datacenter proxies if you need speed and low cost, and the sites you work with don’t block them.
- Choose residential proxies if sites block datacenter IPs, or you need results as real users in specific cities see them, such as for SEO rank tracking or ad checks.
- Mix both: many teams use datacenter proxies by default and switch to residential for the harder targets.
Use proxies responsibly
- Follow websites’ terms of service and robots.txt rules.
- Collect only public data, and be careful with personal information.
- Keep request rates reasonable.
- Choose providers that explain how they source residential IPs with consent.
Datacenter vs residential proxies FAQs
Datacenter proxies come from servers in data centers. Residential proxies come from real home internet connections.
Datacenter proxies. For example, Decodo starts at $0.60/GB for shared datacenter proxies, compared with $2 to $4/GB for residential.
Residential proxies, because they look like ordinary home users.
Datacenter proxies are usually faster, since they run on data center connections.
They give you private IPs that no one else uses, which can help, but they cost more, from $2.50/IP on Decodo.
Using proxies is legal in most countries, but you must use them lawfully and follow websites’ terms.
Example prices from Decodo’s official datacenter and residential proxy pricing pages, checked on November 7, 2026.
