Short answer: IPv4 addresses are 32-bit (about 4.3 billion in total) and exhausted, so providers increasingly charge for them; IPv6 addresses are 128-bit and plentiful, and most VPS include a /64 block for free. A dual-stack VPS has both.
IPv4 vs IPv6 explained
Every VPS needs a public address. Because IPv4 is scarce, extra IPv4 addresses typically cost $1–5 per month, and some clouds bill even the first one (AWS has charged for public IPv4 since February 2024).
IPv6 gives each server a large block, avoids NAT and is supported by all modern operating systems, but some networks and services still reach the internet over IPv4 only. An IPv6-only VPS is cheaper but needs NAT64/DNS64 or a proxy to talk to IPv4-only sites.
At a glance
| IPv4 | IPv6 | |
|---|---|---|
| Address length | 32 bits | 128 bits |
| Example | 203.0.113.10 | 2001:db8::10 |
| Availability | Exhausted | Abundant |
| Typical VPS allocation | 1 address | /64 block |
| Cost | Often extra | Usually free |
See it in the data
Frequently asked questions
Do I need IPv4 on a VPS?
For a public website or any service that IPv4-only users must reach, yes; IPv6-only servers suit internal services and cost-sensitive setups.