Quick answer
Pick ISP when you need the same IP every time. Pick residential when you need lots of different IPs.
| Compared | ISP proxies | Residential proxies |
|---|---|---|
| IP type | Static IPs registered to a consumer internet provider | Real household IPs |
| Rotation | Static: the IP stays the same | Rotate per request, or hold a sticky session |
| Billing | Per IP, per month | Per GB |
| Speed | Consistent from one request to the next | Varies with each home connection |
| Best for | Same-IP sessions, release days, repeat monitoring | Large-scale scraping and wide geo coverage |
What is an ISP proxy?
An ISP proxy is a static IP address registered to a consumer internet provider (an ISP). Because it doesn't change, ISP proxies are also called static residential proxies.
So what are ISP proxies on Quantum? Static IPs registered to real ISPs in the US (Ashburn, Virginia and New York), the United Kingdom, Germany and France. Locations, pricing and setup are on Static ISP Proxies.
What is a residential proxy?
Residential proxies route your traffic through real household IPs. Rotate to a new IP on every request, or hold a sticky session for up to 1,440 minutes, on every residential plan.
- Quantum Premium: rotating or sticky, with state and city targeting.
- Schro Residential: rotating or sticky, from $1/GB.
- Private Residential: from $3/GB.
Need a residential proxy with a static IP? A sticky session holds one IP for its length. For an IP that never changes, that's an ISP proxy. More on residential proxies.
Static vs rotating proxies
- Static wins anywhere a site remembers you: logins, carts, account management and saved sessions. One fixed identity, every time.
- Rotating wins when you spread lots of requests across many IPs, like large-scale scraping.
Static residential proxies vs residential proxies? Same split: static residential (ISP) keeps one IP, regular residential rotates.
Speed and stability
ISP IPs are static, so you're on the same IP from one request to the next and performance stays consistent. Residential IPs sit on real home connections, so speed varies with each household's line. If your job is speed-sensitive and session-heavy, ISP is usually the smoother ride.
Cost: per IP vs per GB
- ISP: Starting at $1.75/IP, billed monthly. Unlimited bandwidth.
- Residential: billed per GB, from $3/GB on Quantum Premium.
Heavy traffic on a few fixed identities favors ISP: the bill doesn't move with your traffic. Light traffic spread across many IPs favors residential: you only pay for the data you use.
ISP vs datacenter proxies
Every IP is registered to a network, and websites can see which one. Datacenter proxies sit on IPs registered to hosting companies. ISP proxies use IPs registered to consumer internet providers. That registration is the big difference between the two.
ISP vs residential vs mobile proxies
Mobile proxies send your traffic through mobile carrier networks and rotate IPs. They suit mobile-first account work where a mobile IP matters. For anything that needs the same IP every day, static ISP is the simpler choice; for wide country coverage, residential. Quantum sells all three: see mobile proxies.
| Type | IPs | Billing |
|---|---|---|
| ISP | Static IPs registered to real ISPs in the US, the UK, Germany and France | Per IP, per month |
| Residential | Real household IPs, rotating or sticky | From $1/GB (Schro); Quantum Premium and Private from $3/GB |
| Mobile | Rotating mobile-network IPs. Locations: Worldwide | $3.50/GB, no subscription |
Which to choose by use case
| Use case | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Accounts and social | ISP | One fixed IP per account keeps sessions consistent |
| Retail releases | ISP | One static IP per task that stays the same all release day |
| Price monitoring | ISP | The same pages on a schedule, from IPs that don't change between runs |
| Large-scale web scraping | Residential | Rotation and wide geo coverage at scale |
You're responsible for following the laws that apply to you and each website's terms. See our Terms of Service.
Shopping for the best static ISP proxies in the US? See US ISP proxies in Ashburn and New York.
Pricing and next step
ISP Proxies
Static IPs, billed monthly per IP
- Same IP every time
- US (Ashburn, New York), UK, Germany and France
- Unlimited bandwidth
Residential Proxies
Quantum Premium, rotating or sticky, billed per GB
- Rotate per request or hold a sticky session
- State and city targeting on Quantum Premium
- Private Residential from $3/GB, Schro Residential from $1/GB
Frequently asked questions
Are ISP proxies the same as static residential proxies?
Yes, they're two names for the same product: the IP is registered to a consumer internet provider and stays fixed.
Which is faster, ISP or residential?
Usually ISP. You keep the same static IP for every request, so performance is more consistent than on rotating household IPs.
Which is cheaper?
It depends on your traffic. ISP proxies are priced per IP. Starting at $1.75/IP, billed monthly. Residential is priced per GB: from $3/GB on Quantum Premium. Heavy traffic on a few fixed identities favors ISP. Light traffic spread across many IPs favors residential.
Do residential proxies keep the same IP?
Only for the length of a sticky session. For an IP that never changes, use ISP proxies.
Which is better for web scraping?
Rotating residential proxies for scraping at scale. ISP proxies for logged-in or session-heavy tasks.
Are rotating residential proxies better than static ISP proxies?
They're built for different jobs. Rotating residential proxies give you a new IP per request or per session across many countries, which suits wide crawling. Static ISP proxies keep the same IP every day, which suits logins, carts and scheduled monitoring. Many teams run both.
What's the difference between datacenter and residential proxies?
Datacenter proxies use IPs registered to hosting companies: fast, but easy for sites to recognize as servers. Residential proxies use IPs that internet providers assign to home connections and rotate across many locations. ISP proxies sit in between: static IPs registered to an internet provider, so they stay the same from one session to the next.
Can I use both?
Yes. Both are managed in the same Quantum dashboard.
Still not sure which one?
Tell us what you're running in a Discord ticket and we'll point you at the right plan. Or log in and look around.