Any proxy provider can claim they have millions of “clean residential IPs.” But when your project goes live — scraping prices, verifying ads, managing multiple logins — all that marketing talk means nothing if the network doesn’t hold up

under real traffic.

If you’ve ever had a proxy pool fail halfway through a scrape or watched your accounts get flagged because an IP was blacklisted, you know how costly the wrong choice can be. That’s why we didn’t just skim feature lists — we looked at which providers actually deliver smooth, stable connections with minimal downtime.

Why Residential Proxies Still Beat Datacenter Proxies

Datacenter proxies are cheap and easy to spin up, but they’re also easy for websites to identify and block. When hundreds of users share the same range of server IPs, it only takes a few bad actors for an entire block to get blacklisted. Suddenly, your scraping stops or your accounts trigger security warnings.

Residential proxies change the game because they use real household IP addresses assigned by actual Internet Service Providers. Instead of looking like bot traffic, your requests look like they’re coming from a normal person browsing at home.

This is especially important when you’re working on tasks that depend on staying under the radar: checking local prices, verifying regional ads, or running multiple social media accounts that can’t afford suspicious logins. Residential proxies keep your connection looking real — so your work keeps moving.

How We Picked These Providers

You can judge a proxy service by more than just its IP count. For this list, we focused on what really matters when the stakes are high.

Stability: We looked for networks that hold up under real tasks — not just claims on a pricing page. 

IP freshness: A massive pool doesn’t help if half the IPs are stale or already blacklisted. Top providers on this list refresh their IP supply constantly to avoid bans.

Geo control: Good proxies let you choose exactly where your traffic looks like it’s coming from — down to specific cities, not just a random country.

Refunds and trials: Nobody wants to gamble on a big plan without testing it first. The best providers back up their promises with demos or clear refund policies.

Top Residential Proxy Providers for 2025 (Ranked)

Finding a provider that actually delivers on its promises is harder than it looks. After comparing real-world results, here’s where each top name stands this year.

1. NetNut — Best for Worry-Free Scaling

NetNut keeps its top spot for a simple reason: direct ISP partnerships. Instead of leaning on a patchwork of random peer-to-peer connections, NetNut sources residential IPs straight from ISPs. That means no sudden drops when a user logs off — and no surprise blocks because an IP was reused too many times.

In our tests, NetNut’s speeds held steady even under heavy scraping loads. Geo-targeting was accurate down to city level, sticky sessions worked cleanly for multiple logins, and the support team responded quickly when we pushed edge cases.

For any business that relies on scale — whether that’s pulling data daily, verifying ads worldwide, or managing dozens of accounts — NetNut’s stability pays for itself by avoiding downtime and resets.

Why it’s #1:

• ISP-direct IP supply

• Consistent speeds and uptime

• Easy rotation and sticky sessions

• Real support, not canned replies

Try NetNut’s Residential Proxies

2. Bright Data

Bright Data (formerly Luminati) has been a heavyweight in the proxy industry for years. Its residential pool is enormous — tens of millions of IPs across nearly every country. Enterprise-level clients appreciate its detailed targeting tools, usage dashboards, and robust compliance options.

In real-world tasks, Bright Data’s performance was strong, though new users might find its advanced features and setup slightly more complex than plug-and-play options. Also, its pricing reflects its premium, feature-heavy status.

Best for: Large teams that want maximum customization and are willing to pay for granular control.

3. Oxylabs

Oxylabs is another top choice for companies that need large-scale scraping power and professional support. Its network uses peer-to-peer residential IPs, but with strict sourcing and steady uptime that keeps it dependable.

For scraping thousands of pages or monitoring markets at scale, Oxylabs performed well in our tests — though like other peer-based services, it can see slight speed dips if node supply fluctuates.

Best for: Research agencies, big data teams, and businesses that want volume and reliability.

4. Decodo

Decodo hits a sweet spot for growing teams. It doesn’t have the largest pool, but its 40 million residential IPs cover enough regions for most tasks — from checking local SERPs to running multiple social profiles.

Its easy-to-use dashboard and simple pricing make it beginner-friendly. We found setup quick and rotation straightforward for smaller to mid-sized scraping projects. It’s not as feature-packed as Bright Data, but that’s partly the point.

Best for: Startups and small agencies that need trusted performance without the complexity.

5. SOAX

SOAX rounds out this list as a good choice for teams that need precise geo-targeting without locking into a huge upfront plan. Its residential IP pool is smaller but carefully managed for quality.

In our test runs, SOAX handled region-specific scraping well and offered flexible rotation rules. It’s ideal for users who want to test new markets or run focused campaigns without paying for enterprise bells and whistles.

Best for: Small teams or niche use cases where accuracy matters more than sheer volume.

Frequently Asked Questions About Residential Proxies

Do I need rotating or sticky residential IPs?

It depends on what you’re trying to do. If you’re scraping big batches of pages or want to look like multiple different visitors, rotating IPs help spread requests and avoid detection. If you’re logging into an account or managing a session

that needs to look stable, sticky IPs are better. 

Can I use residential proxies for brand protection?

Yes. Many brands rely on residential proxies to check how their ads appear in different regions, monitor for counterfeit listings, or verify if someone is misusing their brand name online. Residential IPs keep these checks looking like normal traffic from real users — which makes them harder to detect and block.

How fast are residential proxies really?

Speeds can vary depending on how the provider sources IPs. Peer-to-peer networks can slow down if end users log off or if too many people share the same IP. Direct ISP-sourced proxies tend to be more stable, so you get fewer slowdowns, especially on large scraping runs.

What kind of support should I expect?

Proxy issues happen, rotating too fast, hitting blocks, or needing help tweaking scripts. The better providers back you up with real support teams that actually answer quickly. NetNut team stood out in our tests for being fast and helpful, which can save you hours when you’re stuck.