Most people choosing a dedicated IP get stuck on "residential costs a lot more, is it worth it". That depends on who you need websites to see. A datacenter IP is registered to a US datacenter; sites know it is a commercial IP, which is fine for back-ends, allow-lists and tools. A residential IP is registered to home broadband from a US carrier; sites treat it as an ordinary household, which is what stores, social and ad accounts need. Everything else works the same.
How websites classify an IP
Every IPv4 is registered to a network (an ASN), and public IP databases use that to label which company owns it and what kind it is: datacenter, business, home broadband, mobile. A site looks it up and knows whether you came from a server rack or a living room; no special technique is needed, it is public information.
So on the IP layer, "looking like a real person" is decided by the registration, not by how you use it. The cleanest datacenter IP is still a datacenter range; a residential IP on a real broadband line shows up as carrier broadband.
Datacenter IPs
Static IPv4s registered to US datacenters, across many states and cities, from $9.99. For everything that only needs a fixed IP and doesn't mind being seen as commercial.
- Back-ends and allow-lists: servers, databases and company systems that admit by IP are easiest with one unchanging address.
- Tools: listing, reporting and monitoring software, where stability and bandwidth matter more than looking like a household.
- Remote desktops and self-hosted services: one fixed address to reach them.
- Bandwidth 50M / 100M / 300M / 1000M in four tiers; pick $4.99 each within 7 days of payment; swap $1.99 random or $4.99 hand-picked.
Residential IPs
Real household IPs registered to home broadband from multiple US carriers, carrier shown when you order, from $29.99. For everything where a site has to treat you as an ordinary user.
- Store back-ends and seller accounts: one store per IP. See cross-border e-commerce IPs.
- TikTok US, social and ad accounts: one account per IP. See social and ad account IPs.
- Research and collection: dynamic residential rotates once a day, good for browsing not tied to an account.
- Static or dynamic: static never changes and can be picked or swapped for a fee; dynamic rotates daily within the same area and carrier and can't be picked or swapped.
The rules side by side
Apart from the price and type rows, the rules are identical: each IP has its own monthly data and bandwidth, 2 devices online at once, and a 3-day grace period after expiry.
| Item | Datacenter | Residential |
|---|---|---|
| From, per month | $9.99 | $29.99 |
| Type | Static, never changes | Static, or dynamic (rotates daily) |
| Source | US datacenters, many states and cities | home broadband from multiple carriers |
| Bandwidth | 50M / 100M / 300M / 1000M, four tiers | 50M / 100M / 300M / 1000M, four tiers |
| Devices at once | 2 per IP | 2 per IP |
| Pick an IP | $4.99 each, within 7 days of payment | Static only, $4.99 each |
| Change IP | $1.99 random, $4.99 hand-picked | $1.99 random, $4.99 hand-picked; dynamic rotates daily for free |
| After expiry | IP held for 3 days; renew to keep it | IP held for 3 days; renew to keep it |
Three questions to decide
- Will the site care that I'm coming from a datacenter? Yes (accounts, stores, social, ads) → residential; no (back-ends, allow-lists, tools) → datacenter.
- Must the IP stay the same? Yes → static (both kinds); no, it's just browsing and collection → dynamic residential.
- Do I want to pick the IP myself? Yes → static, tick "pick an IP" for $4.99 each; no → one is assigned the moment you pay.
There is no "upgrade" from datacenter to residential; buy another IP instead. Both can run alongside Standard. Dedicated IPs activate right after payment and are non-refundable, so settle the type before ordering.