Residential vs Mobile Proxies: Full Comparison Guide
Residential proxies exit through real home internet connections with the most precise targeting we offer, from $2.75/GB. Mobile proxies exit through carrier networks in 35 countries for the jobs that only make sense on a phone connection, from $3.55/GB. Both run on one gateway, so switching is one word in your username.
Last updated:
| Decision input | Residential | Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Network source | Home internet connections | Mobile carrier networks |
| Cumulative historical catalogue total; not live availability | 34M+ | 800K+ |
| Targeting | State, city, ZIP, coordinates or ASN | Country or continent |
| Entry order | 5 GB for $13.75 | 5 GB for $17.75 |
No contract · Card or crypto · Credentials in minutes
- Historical residential catalogue total; not live availability
- 34M+
- Historical mobile catalogue total; not live availability
- 800K+
- Countries on the mobile network
- 35
- Requested residential sticky window where available
- Up to 1440 min
The verdict: choose the origin your job needs
Start with Residential for precise local targeting. Choose Mobile when the result depends on a carrier-network connection.
Residential Proxies: 5 GB for $13.75. Mobile Proxies: 5 GB for $17.75. The entry-order total differs by $4.00; the allowances above show what each order includes.
The short answer, side by side
Where shown, latency values are published network comparison figures, not destination-specific guarantees; benchmark the exact route and workload. Read the IP reputation study.
Quick Overview
The two networks in one look, with the smallest order for each.
Residential Proxies
- Real home-connection exits, rotating on every new connection
- One country, state, city, ZIP, coordinate or ASN per request
- Sticky sessions up to 1440 minutes
- Pay-as-you-go traffic valid 186 days
Mobile Proxies
- Carrier-network exits in 35 countries
- Country or continent targeting, one per request
- Sticky sessions up to 120 minutes
- Traffic valid 31 days
Side-by-Side Comparison
Every difference that changes what you buy, with the prices from the current catalogue.
| Feature | Residential Proxies | Mobile Proxies |
|---|---|---|
| Entry order | 5 GB for $13.75 ($2.75/GB) | 5 GB for $17.75 ($3.55/GB) |
| Price at volume | $0.90/GB at 1,024 GB | $2.50/GB at 512 GB |
| Traffic validity | 186 days on pay as you go, 31 days on packages | 31 days |
| IP pool | 34M+ IPs; cumulative historical catalogue, not current live availability | 800K+ IPs; cumulative historical catalogue, not current live availability |
| Network origin | Home internet connections assigned by consumer ISPs | Mobile carrier networks in 35 countries |
| Geo-Targeting | Country, state, city, ZIP, coordinates or ASN, one per request Granular | Country or continent, one per request |
| Session Types | Rotating, or request up to 1440 sticky minutes where available | Rotating, or sticky up to 120 minutes |
| Protocols | HTTP proxying, HTTPS CONNECT, and SOCKS5 | HTTP proxying, HTTPS CONNECT, and SOCKS5 |
| Built for | Local price, ad and QA checks with city or ZIP precision | Mobile-only pages, app QA and carrier-specific content |
What Are Residential Proxies?
Residential proxies route your request through real home internet connections, so the website sees an ordinary ISP address in the place you choose.
They carry the deepest targeting on the network, one country, state, city, ZIP, coordinate or ASN per request, for regional QA, local price checks and public-data collection.
What Are Mobile Proxies?
Mobile proxies use addresses announced by cellular carriers. Radio generation is separate from the product category and is not a Databay inventory promise or selector.
A mobile exit carries the network context of a phone connection. Use it for mobile-only prices, app QA and carrier-specific content in 35 countries.
When Should You Choose Residential Proxies?
Choose residential for the jobs that must look local: price and stock checks, ad placement by city, regional QA and public-data collection. You get the deepest targeting we offer, and pay-as-you-go traffic stays valid 186 days.
- Targeting down to ZIP code, coordinates and ASN
- Sticky sessions up to 1440 minutes
- From $2.75/GB at the entry size, down to $0.90/GB at 1,024 GB
When Should You Choose Mobile Proxies?
Choose mobile when the page, the price or the app behaves differently on a phone network. You get carrier-network exits in 35 countries with country or continent targeting.
- Mobile-only prices, app QA and carrier-specific pages
- Carrier-network exits in 35 countries
- Sticky sessions up to 120 minutes
Which Proxy for Your Use Case?
Start with the network marked for each job. Every use case links to a full guide with a worked example.
| Use case | Residential | Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Web scraping | Public pages that change by location Start here Pick a country, state or city per request | Pages that only render on a phone networkCarrier exits in 35 countries |
| Social media management | Research and scheduling for accounts you manage Start here Sticky sessions up to 1440 minutes | Account workflows the platform expects from a phoneSticky sessions up to 120 minutes |
| Ad verification | Desktop and web placements, city by city Start here Record the exit, time and placement | In-app and mobile-web placements on a carrier networkBuy mobile traffic for the mobile share of the check |
| Price monitoring | City and ZIP pricing views Start here Pick the ZIP the shopper would use | Mobile-only prices and app storefrontsCountry or continent targeting |
| SERP tracking | City- and ZIP-precise local results Start here Pick the city the client cares about | Results as phone users on a carrier network see themCountry or continent targeting |
| Market research | Samples down to city and ZIP level Start here Record locale, timestamp and route | The carrier-network view of the same marketBuy mobile traffic for the mobile share of the study |
Residential for Reach, Mobile for Carrier-Network Jobs
Each network page has the full plan list and setup snippets.
Residential Proxies
Real home-connection exits with the most precise targeting we offer. 5 GB for $13.75, valid 186 days.
See residential proxiesMobile Proxies
Carrier-network exits in 35 countries, with country or continent targeting. 5 GB for $17.75.
See mobile proxiesCompare All Proxy Types
All four networks on one page, each with its entry order.
View allResidential vs Mobile Proxies FAQ
What is the difference between residential and mobile proxies?
Can residential or mobile proxies be detected?
How should I compare mobile and residential proxy cost?
When should I choose residential over mobile proxies?
Run Both From One Account
Residential, mobile and datacenter proxies share one gateway and one dashboard. Start with the network the job needs and switch with one word in the username.
No contract · Card or crypto · Credentials in minutes