Datacenter proxies at a third of
the cost of residential
Route high-volume scraping jobs through fast, affordable datacenter proxies instead of residential ones, built into the same managed browser sessions you already run on Browserless.
Available on every plan
Datacenter proxies are included on every Browserless plan,
with some features accessible on higher tiers.
What is a datacenter proxy?
A datacenter proxy is a proxy server that routes your traffic through an IP address hosted in a data center or cloud provider, rather than one assigned by a home internet service provider.
Datacenter IPs are faster and cheaper, but their ranges are publicly known, so sites with strict IP reputation checks flag them more readily. It's a forward proxy: it sits between you and the site you're requesting, hiding your own IP.
What you get with Browserless datacenter proxies
Datacenter proxies run on the same infrastructure as everything else on Browserless — the same token, endpoints, and usage dashboard. The rate you're billed at is what changes.
proxy=datacenter to your connection URL, or set network: datacenter inside a BQL proxy mutation. No migration and no new SDK to install.proxyCountry, or narrow it to a city on the Scale plan. Locations cover many of the main countries for scraping and market research jobs.proxySticky=true to keep the same IP address across a multi-step session, or let it rotate between requests by default.The benefits of datacenter proxies for high-volume scraping
Where teams see the difference once they've moved high-volume traffic off residential.
proxySticky=true so each session holds one geo-targeted IP for its full run. Manage multiple accounts or run concurrent sessions, whether for testing, ad verification or social media.How Browserless compares
Many managed browser clouds default to residential proxies and stop there. Here's how a selectable datacenter proxy type actually differs across providers.
| Provider | Datacenter proxy tier | Pricing model |
|---|---|---|
| Browserless | YesSelectable datacenter tier | 2 units/MB vs. 6 for residential |
| Kernel | YesDatacenter proxies available | Cost bundled into browser use |
| Scrapfly | YesDatacenter proxies available | A per-request scraping API |
| Steel | PartialNo selectable tier | A free, static, default datacenter IP |
| ZenRows | PartialSeparate API | Not offered in the browser product |
| Anchor | NoNo datacenter tier | No cheaper datacenter tier |
| Browserbase | NoNo datacenter tier | Residential proxies only |
| Hyperbrowser | NoNo datacenter tier | Residential proxies only |
What to look for in a datacenter proxy
Not every datacenter proxy provider structures pricing, targeting, or rotation the same way. Here's what actually matters:
- A proxy server you can select per session, not per account, so residential and datacenter proxies can sit side by side in the same job.
- Geo-targeting to specific countries and cities, instead of one fixed pool of datacenter IP addresses.
- Rotating proxies by default, with the option to hold the same IP addresses across a session through sticky proxying.
- Transparent, metered pricing per MB instead of a flat pay-per-IP rate.
- Access across various APIs, so you're not locked into a single client.
Datacenter proxies vs. residential proxies
Datacenter and residential proxies are just two of the proxy types on the market, and they solve overlapping problems in different ways, whether the goal is online anonymity, market research, or straightforward web scraping.
Datacenter proxies
- IP addresses hosted in data centers, not assigned by an internet service provider
- Faster and more affordable, often a fraction of residential per-MB pricing
- Easier for some sites to flag as non-human traffic, since datacenter IP ranges carry a distinct IP reputation
- A strong fit for high-volume web scraping against lightly protected sites
Residential proxies
- IP addresses assigned to real home internet connections through residential networks
- Slower and pricier, but harder for sites to tell apart from an ordinary visitor
- A better fit for login flows, hard targets, and sites layering in heavy bot protection
- Worth the premium when a blocked request costs more than the proxy itself
When to use a datacenter proxy
The right network depends on how much the target site cares about being scraped.
Datacenter proxy FAQs
Start routing traffic through datacenter proxies today
Add one flag to your existing Browserless integration and start paying a third of the residential rate on the traffic that doesn't need it. No new account, no new SDK, no migration, no new bill.