Residential vs Mobile Proxies: Full Comparison Guide
Residential and mobile proxies provide ISP- and carrier-network origins with different published pools, location controls, live availability, and prices. No universal trust score applies; choose from an authorized requirement and measured behavior.
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| Decision input | Residential | Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Network source | Home ISP | 5G/4G carrier |
| Published pool | 34M+ | 800K+ |
| Published reach | 200+ locations | 155+ countries |
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- Residential IPs
- 34M+
- Mobile IPs
- 800K+
- Locations covered
- 200+
- Network uptime
- 99.9%+
Quick Overview
Key differences between residential and mobile proxies at a glance.
Residential Proxies
- Real ISP-assigned home IPs
- City, ZIP & ASN targeting
- Largest IP pool available
- Best all-rounder for scraping
Mobile Proxies
- Real 5G/4G mobile network IPs
- Carrier-network origin
- CGNAT-shared carrier IPs
- Best for social media
Side-by-Side Comparison
How residential and mobile proxies compare across the features that matter most.
| Feature | Residential Proxies | Mobile Proxies |
|---|---|---|
| Price | From $0.90/GB Lower Cost | From $2.50/GB |
| IP Pool Size | 34M+ IPs Larger Pool | 800K+ IPs |
| IP Source | ISP-assigned home broadband IPs | Genuine 5G/4G mobile network IPs |
| Speed | Fast | Moderate, mobile network dependent |
| IP Trust | ISP-assigned address ranges; target-specific treatment | Carrier-network origin; target-specific treatment Mobile Context |
| IP Classification | Consumer ISP space, challenged less often | Carrier CGNAT, IP-only blocks are less precise CGNAT Shared |
| Best For | Web scraping, ad verification, market research, price monitoring | Social media management, app testing, mobile-first platforms |
| Protocols | HTTP, HTTPS & SOCKS5 | HTTP, HTTPS & SOCKS5 |
| Geo-Targeting | Country, city, state, ZIP, ASN Granular | Country and continent |
| Session Types | Rotating & Sticky (up to 120 min) | Rotating & Sticky (up to 120 min) |
| Global Coverage | 200+ locations Widest | 155+ countries |
What Are Residential Proxies?
Residential proxies use addresses from Internet Service Provider ranges. A destination can still evaluate IP history, client, account, request rate, and behavior, so no universal trust score or access outcome follows from the address class.
They offer a different balance of pool size, location coverage, and cost for authorized regional QA and permitted public-data workflows.
What Are Mobile Proxies?
Mobile proxies use addresses from 5G/4G carrier networks. Carrier NAT may share an address among subscribers, but no universal platform trust score or enforcement outcome can be claimed.
Blocking a CGNAT address risks cutting off the real subscribers behind it, so sites are slower to block mobile ranges by IP alone. They can still challenge any request on client, account, or behavior signals. Use mobile for social media management, mobile app testing, and workflows where a carrier-network origin is the requirement.
When Should You Choose Residential Proxies?
Choose residential proxies when you need a massive IP pool and wide geographic coverage at a moderate price point. They are the go-to option for web scraping at scale, ad verification campaigns, SEO research, price comparison across e-commerce sites, and any task that benefits from appearing as a regular home internet user.
- 34M+ IPs with plans from $0.90/GB, the best cost-to-coverage ratio
- Granular targeting down to ZIP code and coordinates
- High success rates on most protected websites
When Should You Choose Mobile Proxies?
Choose mobile proxies when a cellular-carrier network origin is material to the job. Carrier CGNAT shares each IP across many real subscribers, so IP-only blocks are less precise on social platforms and mobile-first apps. They are also the right tool for QA and verification that must reach a service through a genuine carrier network.
- Carrier-network origin for authorized mobile tests
- CGNAT sharing makes IP-only blocks less precise
- Higher success rates on mobile-first targets can offset the $2.50/GB premium
Which Proxy for Your Use Case?
The same six workloads come up in almost every evaluation. Here is the honest call for each: winner, why, and what the choice does to your cost. Each use case links to a full guide.
| Use case | Residential | Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Web scraping | 34M+ pool covers nearly every scraping target Winner A fraction of mobile's per-GB price at scraping volumes | Overkill for ordinary sitesSave the most expensive bandwidth for jobs that need a carrier origin |
| Social media management | Workable for research and light schedulingCheaper per GB for monitoring and research work | Carrier CGNAT makes IP-only blocks imprecise Winner Sticky carrier sessions suit long-lived logins |
| Ad verification | Desktop and web campaigns from real consumer IPs Winner Lower per-GB cost for the bulk of verification traffic | The pick for in-app and carrier-network campaignsPay mobile rates only for the mobile-side slice |
| Price monitoring | City and ZIP-level pricing views Winner Granular geo-targeting at the lower price; mobile targets country-level only | No city/ZIP targeting; rarely needed for storefrontsHighest per-GB price with no targeting advantage here |
| SERP tracking | City-precise local SERPs need granular geo-targeting Winner Cheaper per GB for daily tracking volumes | Useful only to sample mobile-network SERPsPremium rates for a niche slice of rank data |
| Market research | 34M+ pool samples markets down to city and ZIP level Winner Broad, geo-precise collection at the lower per-GB rate | Adds the carrier-network view when a study needs itPay mobile rates only for the mobile-specific slice |
Ready to Get Started?
Choose the proxy type that matches your requirements, or use both for different tasks.
Residential Proxies
34M+ ethically sourced IPs in 200+ locations. Best all-rounder for scraping and research. Plans from $0.90/GB.
Learn moreMobile Proxies
800K+ published 5G/4G carrier-network IPs in 155+ countries for authorized mobile-network tests. From $2.50/GB.
Learn moreCompare All Proxy Types
View a full side-by-side comparison of residential, datacenter, and mobile proxies.
View allResidential vs Mobile Proxies FAQ
What is the difference between residential and mobile proxies?
Can residential or mobile proxies be detected?
Why are mobile proxies more expensive than residential proxies?
When should I choose residential over mobile proxies?
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