Quick answer
What is the difference between ISP and datacenter proxies?
Both run on servers in data centers. A datacenter proxy’s IP is registered to a hosting or cloud company, so lookups label it hosting; an ISP proxy’s IP is registered to a consumer provider such as AT&T or Comcast. PinnedIP rents US ISP IPs from $2.03 per IP for 30 days (October 2026); no KYC, crypto only.
ISP vs datacenter proxies at a glance
| ISP proxy | Datacenter proxy | |
|---|---|---|
| Where the server is | A data center | A data center |
| Who registered the IP | A consumer internet provider | A hosting, cloud or server company |
| What an IP-type lookup usually returns | ISP / residential | Hosting / data center |
| Speed and uptime | Data-center speed | Data-center speed |
| Typical price per IP (US, October 2026) | $1.79 to $5.00 per month dedicated | Usually lower than ISP; not measured in our index |
| Sites that block hosting ranges | Usually not affected by that rule | Often affected |
| Supply | Leased ranges of consumer providers, limited | Plentiful, easy to add |
ISP prices from our price index, checked October 19, 2026.
Why would a site treat them differently?
Many sites score an IP by its owner before anything else. A hosting company’s range says "server", and some sites limit or block those ranges, because real visitors rarely come from them. A consumer provider’s range says "home or office connection", which most sites let through by default.
That is why ISP proxies cost more than datacenter proxies: the supply of consumer-registered ranges that providers lease for hosting is limited, while hosting ranges are plentiful. Check what a lookup returns for any IP with our ISP and ASN guide.
When is a datacenter proxy enough?
When the target does not care who owns the IP: your own servers and APIs, monitoring of sites that do not filter hosting ranges, internal QA, or bulk downloads where cost per gigabyte matters most. Pay for an ISP IP only when the owner on the address changes the result of your check, for example a public page that shows hosting visitors a different version.
Can an ISP proxy be identified as a server anyway?
Yes, by signals beyond the owner: a latency profile typical of a data center, an open port pattern, or the same IP making many requests. ISP proxies are not invisible and should not be used to evade a site’s rules. Use them for the tasks in our acceptable use policy, at a polite rate.
ISP vs datacenter: FAQ
Are ISP proxies just datacenter proxies with another label?
They share the hardware, not the registration. The IP of an ISP proxy really is registered to a consumer provider and announced by its network, which lookups can verify.
Which is faster?
Neither, by design: both run on data-center servers with similar links. Speed depends on the server, its upstream and the distance to the target site.
Do you sell datacenter proxies?
No. PinnedIP rents US static ISP IPs only, from $2.03 per IP for 30 days.
How do I see whether an IP is ISP or hosting?
Look up its AS number and holder (RIPEstat, whois) and an IP-type database. Our guide find an IP’s ISP and ASN shows the steps.