Static vs Dynamic IP
A static IP stays the same over time, while a dynamic IP is reassigned periodically by the network.
The difference between static and dynamic IPs is persistence. A static IP address stays fixed - the same device or proxy keeps the same IP indefinitely. A dynamic IP changes over time, reassigned by the ISP or network from a pool whenever a lease expires or the device reconnects.
Most home internet connections use dynamic IPs: your router gets an address from the ISP that may change every few days or on reconnect. Servers and business connections often use static IPs so they can be reliably reached at a known address. Neither is inherently better - they serve different needs.
In the proxy world, this maps directly onto proxy types. ISP proxies (static residential) give you a fixed residential IP that does not change between sessions - useful when you need a consistent identity over days or weeks, such as managing an account. Rotating residential proxies give you dynamic IPs by design, assigning a fresh address per request or session.
Choose static IPs when continuity matters: long-running logins, account management, or anything where a changing IP would break the session or look suspicious. Choose dynamic/rotating IPs when you want to distribute requests across many addresses to avoid rate limits and bans, as in high-volume scraping.
What makes an address change
A static address is assigned to one customer and stays assigned until someone cancels it. A dynamic address is handed out from a pool for as long as a session lasts, and the next session may get a different one. The distinction is about the lease, not about the technology.
Home connections are usually dynamic because it costs providers less: a household that is offline overnight releases its address to someone else. Business connections are usually static because servers need to be findable and because email and TLS certificates depend on stability.
For proxy work the difference shows up in what a destination site can infer. An address that stays the same across weeks of logins looks like a person with a home and a router. An address that changes every request looks like automation, unless the site expects consumer traffic that naturally rotates.
The corollary is that neither is universally better. Rotation defeats rate limits and spreads load. Stability builds account history. Choosing between them is a question about the target, not about quality.
Which of our products is which
We sell both models, and the choice usually decides itself once you name the task:
Static and dynamic across our catalogue
STATIC ISP proxies from $1.90 per address per month
Datacenter IPv4 from $1.15
IPv6 from $0.20
Mobile modem address holds until you rotate it
DYNAMIC Residential $1.00 per GB, new exit per request
Residential sticky same exit for 30s, 15m or 1h- Account work belongs on static. An account that logs in from one address for months and then keeps doing so is the least interesting thing a platform can see.
- Scraping belongs on dynamic. Spreading requests across many exits is what keeps you under rate limits.
- Mobile sits in between: the address is stable while you leave it alone and changes the moment you ask, which is why it suits account work on platforms that also expect carrier addresses.
- Sticky residential is not static. One hour is the ceiling, and a home device can drop earlier, so anything that must never change belongs on ISP.
Where the terms get muddled
Dynamic does not mean anonymous
A rotating address changes what the site sees between requests. It does nothing about cookies, fingerprints or an account you are logged into.
Static does not mean dedicated
An address can be static and still shared with other customers. Ours are dedicated, but the two words describe different things.
Sticky is not static
It is a dynamic address held temporarily. Building a long-lived account on one is how people lose accounts when the session expires.
Residential is not automatically dynamic
Our residential pool rotates by default, and ISP addresses are residential-registered but static. The registration and the lease are independent.
Related terms
See this in practice
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