Residential vs Mobile proxies
Both residential and mobile proxies run on the same gateway and bill by the gigabyte — the difference is the exit IP and what it's good at. Real home ISP IPs versus real 4g/5g carrier ips: here's how they stack up, and how to choose.
from $1.25/GB| Residential | Mobile | |
|---|---|---|
| IP source | Real home ISP IPs | Real 4G/5G carrier IPs |
| Trust / stealth | High | Highest |
| Speed | Fast | Moderate |
| Geo targeting | Country (city/ASN at 2×) | Country |
| Relative cost | $$ | $$$$ |
| From price | $1.25/GB | $2.75/GB |
| Best for | Web scraping, SEO & SERP tracking, Ad verification | Social platforms, App QA & testing, Ad/Sensitive verification |
Which should you pick?
Choose Residential if…
- You need real-user trust on most targets without paying a premium.
- Country-level targeting is enough for your job.
- You're running high volume — SERP, scraping, ad verification, research.
Choose Mobile if…
- The target blocks everything else — social platforms, strict anti-bot.
- You need the highest-trust IPs available.
- App QA, account management, mobile-only content and ads.
Residential vs Mobile Proxies, answered
Is residential or mobile cheaper?
Residential starts lower at $1.25/GB versus $2.75/GB for mobile. Both bill pay-as-you-go by the gigabyte, and bigger packs cost less per GB — the balance never expires.
When should I choose residential over mobile?
You need real-user trust on most targets without paying a premium. If that doesn't describe your job, mobile is likely the better fit.
Can I use both residential and mobile?
Yes — many teams run both, routing hard targets through the higher-trust pool and everything else through the cheaper one. Each pool is its own credential on the same gateway.
Keep comparing
Still unsure? Start small.
Bandwidth never expires, so you can buy a small pack, test both pools on your target, and scale whichever wins.