Residential vs Datacenter vs ISP vs Mobile Proxies: Which Do You Need?
Last updated: November 8, 2026. Product and pricing details were checked on brightdata.com and docs.brightdata.com on this date. Some links are affiliate links — see our Affiliate Disclosure. This article is not legal advice.
Proxies route your requests through another IP address. Which type you choose determines cost, speed, success rate and what you can legitimately do. Here is a plain-English comparison of the four main types, using Bright Data — one of the largest proxy networks — as the reference for current pricing.
The Four Proxy Types
| Type | What it is | Pros | Cons | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Datacenter | IPs hosted in data centers | Fast, cheap | Easier for sites to detect | High-volume collection from tolerant sites |
| ISP | Static IPs registered to ISPs | Fast and more trusted | Costs more than datacenter | Account-based tasks, stable sessions |
| Residential | IPs from opted-in user devices | Most realistic, city-level targeting | Billed per GB; KYC needed | Local price checks, ad verification |
| Mobile | IPs on mobile carrier networks | Highest trust for mobile content | Most expensive | Mobile ad and app verification |
Current Bright Data Pricing
- Datacenter: from $1.40 per IP (10 IPs, pay-as-you-go)
- ISP: from $1.80 per IP (10 IPs, pay-as-you-go)
- Residential: $4/GB pay-as-you-go; monthly plans from $499
- Mobile: available on pay-as-you-go; price not published on the page we checked
Which Proxy Should You Choose?
- Start with datacenter proxies for public pages that rarely block.
- Use ISP proxies when you need stable, trusted IPs for longer sessions.
- Use residential proxies when results differ by city or country and accuracy matters.
- Use mobile proxies only for mobile-specific verification.
Tip: if you would rather not manage proxies at all, Bright Data’s Web Unlocker handles blocks and CAPTCHAs and bills only successful requests — see our Web Unlocker guide.
Access Requirements
For residential zones created after July 7, 2026, Bright Data requires KYC verification and access is limited to registered businesses with a corporate email. Datacenter and ISP proxies remain available without KYC.
Explore Brightdata.com ProxiesRead the full Bright Data review.
