TL;DR: ISP proxies are a subset of residential proxies. They use IPs registered to an Internet Service Provider but are hosted on datacenter infrastructure, giving you residential-level trust with datacenter-level speed. Traditional residential proxies route through real consumer devices and are slower but offer the widest IP diversity.
Why the Confusion?
ISP proxies are technically residential IPs — they are registered to consumer ISPs. The critical difference is where those IPs are hosted. Understanding this distinction will save you money and help you pick the right proxy on Botosaur.
Key Differences at a Glance
| Feature | Traditional Residential | ISP Proxy |
|---|---|---|
| IP Registration | Consumer ISP | Consumer ISP |
| Hosting | Real end-user devices | Datacenter servers |
| Speed | Variable | Very fast |
| Stability | Lower — devices go offline | Near 100% uptime |
| IP Diversity | Millions of IPs | Smaller pool |
| Pricing | Per GB | Per IP / month |
| Session Length | Usually rotating | Static |
Which Should You Pick?
Go with ISP proxies if you need:
- Long-lived, stable sessions
- Fast page loads or streaming
- Predictable monthly billing
Go with residential proxies if you need:
- Tens of thousands of unique IPs
- Wide geographic spread across many cities
- Maximum anonymity through constant IP rotation
Our recommendation: Choose ISP proxies when you need speed, uptime, and static sessions. Choose traditional residential when you need maximum IP diversity. Botosaur offers both — explore plans here.
See also: Types of Proxies Explained, ISP/Residential vs Datacenter Guide, and What Is a Proxy Server?