Residential Proxies
What is a Residential Proxy? A residential proxy routes traffic through ISP-assigned consumer IPs, which helps with trust-sensitive targets, geo checks, and long-session workflows. Step Stage Role 01 Your App The scraper, browser, QA tool, or workflow sends the request. 02 Proxy Network The provider routes traffic through its residential proxy pool. 03 Residential IP […]
Quick Comparison
16 residential providers, sorted by overall score.
| Provider | Type | Pool Size | Price / GB | Speed | Best For | Rating | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Bright Data Editor |
Residential | 72M+ IPs | $15/GB | 9.2 | Enterprise scraping | Visit → Full Review | |
 Oxylabs |
Datacenter / Mobile | 100M+ IPs | $8/GB | 9.0 | SEO, SERP tracking, and enterprise data collection | Visit → Full Review | |
 Smartproxy |
Datacenter / Residential | 55M+ IPs | $7/GB | 8.8 | Small teams, startups, and value-focused scraping projects | Visit → Full Review | |
 SOAX |
Mobile / Residential | 155M+ IPs | $6.60/GB | 8.4 | Mobile proxy testing and granular geo targeting | Visit → Full Review | |
 NetNut |
Isp / Residential | 85M+ IPs | $10/GB | 8.2 | ISP-style stability and sticky sessions | Visit → Full Review | |
 Nimble |
Datacenter / Residential | Managed proxy and scraping infrastructure | $8/GB | 8.1 | Managed scraping and enterprise data pipelines | Visit → Full Review | |
 IPRoyal |
Residential / Socks5 | 32M+ IPs | $2.80/GB | 7.7 | Budget residential proxy projects and small recurring workloads | Visit → Full Review | |
 DataImpulse |
Residential / Rotating Residential | Residential pools | $1/GB | 7.8 | Low-cost residential scraping tests | Visit → Full Review | |
 Infatica |
Datacenter / Mobile | Residential, mobile, and datacenter pools | $4/GB | 7.5 | Mixed proxy type testing | Visit → Full Review | |
 Shifter |
Residential / Rotating Residential | Residential backconnect network | $5/GB | 7.3 | Rotating backconnect residential proxies | Visit → Full Review | |
 PacketStream |
Residential | P2P residential | $1/GB | 7.2 | Very low-cost residential experiments | Visit → Full Review | |
 Proxy-Cheap |
Mobile / Residential | Residential and mobile pools | $3.49/GB | 7.0 | Budget residential and mobile tests | Visit → Full Review |
Comparison Chart Visual
A visual snapshot of the highest-rated providers in this residential proxy shortlist.
Matched to this proxy type and ranked by available provider data.
Weighted with speed, pool diversity, targeting, price, and support quality.
Reviewed below with verdicts, pros, cons, and buying CTAs.
Individual Provider Reviews
Pros
- Largest residential pool
- Precise geo targeting
- Strong enterprise controls
Cons
- Premium pricing
- Dashboard can feel complex for beginners
Key Features
- City + ZIP targeting
- HTTP / HTTPS / SOCKS5
- Large residential pool
- Sticky sessions where available
- API access and proxy manager workflow
- Live support and account support
Pricing Summary
- Price / GB
- $15/GB
- Minimum
- $500
- Trial
- Available
Speed / Reliability
9.2 response-time score from provider performance fields.
Our Verdict
Bright Data is the safest default for serious data teams with budget. Smaller teams should compare against Smartproxy first.
Pros
- Excellent stability
- Strong support
- Large global pool
Cons
- Higher entry cost
- Best fit for established teams
Key Features
Residential IP pool, session controls, and provider dashboard.
Pricing Summary
- Price / GB
- $8/GB
- Minimum
- $30
- Trial
- Check
Speed / Reliability
9.0 response-time score from provider performance fields.
Our Verdict
Oxylabs is a strong Bright Data alternative for teams that care about stability and support.
Pros
- Good price-performance
- Beginner-friendly dashboard
- Solid residential coverage
Cons
- Less enterprise depth than Bright Data
- Advanced targeting is more limited
Key Features
Residential IP pool, session controls, and provider dashboard.
Pricing Summary
- Price / GB
- $7/GB
- Minimum
- $4
- Trial
- 3-day trial
Speed / Reliability
8.8 response-time score from provider performance fields.
Our Verdict
Smartproxy is the easiest recommendation for most teams under enterprise scale.
Pros
- Useful starting coverage
- Flexible enough for testing
- Ready for final data import
Cons
- Seeded values need verification
- Benchmarks are placeholders
Key Features
Residential IP pool, session controls, and provider dashboard.
Pricing Summary
- Price / GB
- $6.60/GB
- Minimum
- $90
- Trial
- 3-day 400MB trial for $1.99
Speed / Reliability
8.4 response-time score from provider performance fields.
Our Verdict
SOAX has a scaffolded review profile. Replace seeded values before production publication.
Pros
- Useful starting coverage
- Flexible enough for testing
- Ready for final data import
Cons
- Seeded values need verification
- Benchmarks are placeholders
Key Features
Residential IP pool, session controls, and provider dashboard.
Pricing Summary
- Price / GB
- $10/GB
- Minimum
- Check
- Trial
- Check
Speed / Reliability
8.2 response-time score from provider performance fields.
Our Verdict
NetNut has a scaffolded review profile. Replace seeded values before production publication.
Pros
- Useful starting coverage
- Flexible enough for testing
- Ready for final data import
Cons
- Seeded values need verification
- Benchmarks are placeholders
Key Features
Residential IP pool, session controls, and provider dashboard.
Pricing Summary
- Price / GB
- $8/GB
- Minimum
- Check
- Trial
- Check
Speed / Reliability
8.1 response-time score from provider performance fields.
Our Verdict
Nimble has a scaffolded review profile. Replace seeded values before production publication.
Pros
- Low entry pricing
- Flexible residential plans
- Useful for budget tests
Cons
- Less polished than premium providers
- Performance varies by target
Key Features
Residential IP pool, session controls, and provider dashboard.
Pricing Summary
- Price / GB
- $2.80/GB
- Minimum
- $7
- Trial
- Check
Speed / Reliability
7.7 response-time score from provider performance fields.
Our Verdict
IPRoyal is worth testing when price matters more than enterprise features.
Pros
- Useful starting coverage
- Flexible enough for testing
- Ready for final data import
Cons
- Seeded values need verification
- Benchmarks are placeholders
Key Features
Residential IP pool, session controls, and provider dashboard.
Pricing Summary
- Price / GB
- $1/GB
- Minimum
- Check
- Trial
- Check
Speed / Reliability
7.8 response-time score from provider performance fields.
Our Verdict
DataImpulse has a scaffolded review profile. Replace seeded values before production publication.
Pros
- Useful starting coverage
- Flexible enough for testing
- Ready for final data import
Cons
- Seeded values need verification
- Benchmarks are placeholders
Key Features
Residential IP pool, session controls, and provider dashboard.
Pricing Summary
- Price / GB
- $4/GB
- Minimum
- Check
- Trial
- Check
Speed / Reliability
7.5 response-time score from provider performance fields.
Our Verdict
Infatica has a scaffolded review profile. Replace seeded values before production publication.
Pros
- Useful starting coverage
- Flexible enough for testing
- Ready for final data import
Cons
- Seeded values need verification
- Benchmarks are placeholders
Key Features
Residential IP pool, session controls, and provider dashboard.
Pricing Summary
- Price / GB
- $5/GB
- Minimum
- Check
- Trial
- Check
Speed / Reliability
7.3 response-time score from provider performance fields.
Our Verdict
Shifter has a scaffolded review profile. Replace seeded values before production publication.
What is a Residential Proxy?
A residential proxy routes traffic through ISP-assigned consumer IPs, which helps with trust-sensitive targets, geo checks, and long-session workflows.
| Step | Stage | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | Your App | The scraper, browser, QA tool, or workflow sends the request. |
| 02 | Proxy Network | The provider routes traffic through its residential proxy pool. |
| 03 | Residential IP | The request exits from an ISP-assigned consumer IP. |
| 04 | Target Site | The destination sees the residential exit IP instead of your origin. |
// How a residential proxy request flows
When residential beats datacenter
Strict anti-bot targets and marketplaces.
Geo-sensitive ads, SERPs, and localized QA.
Long-session account and browsing workflows.
Best Use Cases
Jump from proxy type to workload pages where this proxy category is most useful.
How We Tested
The shortlist is scored with the same provider fields used across reviews and comparison pages. Provider-claimed benchmarks remain flagged until internal benchmark runs are imported.
| Provider set | Providers matched by taxonomy |
|---|---|
| Locations reviewed | US, UK, EU, and global coverage |
| Metrics measured | Success rate, latency, pool, price, and support |
+ Success rate and ban behavior
+ Median latency and uptime
+ Pool size and geo coverage
+ Pricing, minimum spend, and trials
Pricing Signals
Check plan minimums and per-GB pricing before choosing a provider tier.
Use the comparison table to scan the lowest public traffic cost.
Prefer lower minimums for tests; negotiate volume after success rate is proven.
FAQ
Using residential proxies is legal in most jurisdictions when the underlying activity is legal. The provider should source IPs ethically through opt-in SDKs or paid panels. We only review providers with verified ethical sourcing.
Entry-tier residential proxies start around $2.80/GB and go up to $15+/GB for premium tiers. Most teams land in the $5-9/GB range, with volume discounts applying above 100GB per month.
If your target site uses Cloudflare, DataDome, or PerimeterX, you usually need residential proxies. If you are scraping a less-defended site, datacenter proxies can be 10-20x cheaper.
Technically yes, but we strongly recommend against it. Free residential proxy networks have a documented history of malware injection, traffic interception, and unauthorized IP harvesting. Use reputable paid trials instead.
Residential proxies are usually slower than datacenter proxies. Typical response times are 150-300ms versus 50-80ms for datacenter, but the trust gain is worth it for protected sites.
Based on the current seeded ProxyAudit dataset, enterprise providers such as Bright Data and Oxylabs usually advertise the deepest US residential pools. Replace this placeholder with verified IP-pool audit data before production.