Picking between residential and datacenter proxies can be challenging. If you are unsure which one is ideal for your business, continue reading to learn more about them, what their uses are, and how they differ.
You use default or residential IP address provided to you by your ISP provider when you opt for a residential proxy. All locations can be monitored even with numerous devices online because of their corresponding IP addresses.
It goes without saying that without a proxy, you are exposing your chosen browser, IP address, cookies, and preferences.
How are Residential Proxies Used
There are several reasons why web scrapers prefer using residential proxies. Some of them are as follows:
1. Staying Anonymous
When you use your true IP, there is a chance you can be banned from scraping information. However, a residential proxy can hide your IP by preventing online activity detection.
2. Geo-Location
If you have a website, you can see how well it performs in search engines in other parts of the world. You can use proxies, such as a Russia proxy, to track your target audience so that you can see what they are looking for. If you’re thinking about expanding the scope of your business, read more about Russia proxy.
3. Keyword Generation
You need to have effective strategies in place to improve your SEO in different countries around the world. With the help of residential proxies, you can research keywords that are often searched and check how they work with your competition.
4. IP Rotation
You can create multiple connection requests simultaneously because residential proxies designate a new IP every time you connect. This is possible through IP rotation which is performed by your ISP.
5. No CAPTCHA
Since there is a rotation for these proxies, CAPTCHA tests are prevented. Residential proxies can also mimic human movements naturally.
What are Datacenter Proxies
Unlike residential proxies, datacenter proxies are not connected to an ISP provider. Instead, this type of proxy comes from another company that gives you a completely anonymous IP address. Datacenter proxies are often from providers of cloud servers, so many users utilize them at the same time.
Since they are not affiliated with any ISP provider, their IP addresses can signal other targets. This means you need to be careful when using this proxy.
How Datacenter Proxies Are Used
Data Centers are used in several ways, including the following:
1. Staying Anonymous
Datacenter proxies do not have residential locations, so you do not need to worry that your true location will be exposed.
2. Geo-Location
Because these proxies have a wide range of locations, you can connect to servers in many countries and access restricted content in your country.
3. Protection from IP Bans
If you have IP bans, these proxies can help you resolve that. When you use a datacenter proxy to browse, your true IP is hidden and you are given a new IP.
4. Social Media
Social media platforms work hard to identify and remove fake accounts or multiple accounts from a single user. These proxies can help if a user has various accounts under one IP address.
5. Checking the Delivery of Ads
You need to make sure that your ads send the right message to your target market or countries before you release them. Using a datacenter proxy can help you connect to the country you want.
6. Research
It is important to check different countries to better understand your market and industry. Conducting extensive research is easier with data center proxies so you can create sustainable and achievable marketing methods.
What Proxy Is Right for Your Business
Now, the question is, which is better: residential or data proxies?
The answer depends on what your business needs. You’ll first have to consider whether you need tighter security or a fast proxy that can mask your IP. Security, speed, availability, and price are some of the differences between residential and datacenter proxies.
Residential proxies do not leave a trail most of the time, so it will be more difficult to detect them. This is useful if you collect a massive amount of data. Sensitive and personal information are better with residential proxies.
They are also more reliable because it is harder for websites to flag residential proxies as fake or unsuitable. The reason for this is they can be tracked to a true location.
For speed, datacenter proxies are faster. Nevertheless, you can avail of static residential proxies to bypass the speed limit. This feature is the same as a residential proxy but much faster.
Since data is created in large amounts by data centers, datacenter proxies are easily available. Residential proxies have real owners, so they are not as available as datacenter proxies.
Datacenter proxies are more affordable because the proxies are made and operated by data centers, unlike residential proxies that have owners.
Conclusion
Both proxies can keep you anonymous. However, residential proxies provide more security because websites have a hard time detecting your location.
This does not mean that data center proxies are a bad choice. It still depends on your needs. If you have the right provider, there are cheaper options that offer security.
Shop around and check out an exhaustive list of rotating proxy providers that you can choose from for web scraping and crawling without Captcha tests and IP bans. Find proxies that are affordable and dependable with nothing less than a 99 percent uptime.
