A differential ESD circuit is provided for protecting a pair of differential terminals of an integrated circuit from electrostatic shock. A first diode couples between a first terminal in the pair of differential terminals and a first resistor that couples to a voltage node of the integrated circuit. Similarly, a second diode couples between a second terminal in the pair of differential terminals and a second resistor that couples to the voltage node of the integrated circuit. The first and second resistors isolate the first and second terminals from a capacitive loading that would otherwise exist from the first and second diodes.