How it is calculated
Some providers include a public IPv4 address with every server; others list it as its own monthly line, or sell an IPv6-only version of the plan for less. Either way the address is part of what the server costs. The table takes each provider’s checked prices: the separate fee where there is one, otherwise the gap between a plan and the same plan without an address.
a month = addresses × price per address a year = a month × 12
The big clouds charge for every public IPv4 address: AWS has billed $0.005 an hour since February 2024, about $3.65 a month, even for an address attached to a running server. Smaller VPS providers more often include one address and charge for extra ones.
Example
Five servers at a provider that charges €0.50 per address: 5 × €0.50 × 12 = €30 a year. At $3.65 an address, the same five cost $219 a year, more than some of the servers themselves.
Questions
Why do providers charge for IPv4 addresses?
The world ran out of new IPv4 addresses in the 2010s, and providers now buy or lease them on a market where one address costs tens of dollars. Billing the address separately passes that cost on and rewards customers who can manage with IPv6.
How much does an IPv4 address cost per month?
From nothing, where the address is included, to a few dollars or euros a month. The table on this page lists what each provider in our catalogue charges today.
Can I run a server without an IPv4 address?
Yes, if everyone who connects to it has IPv6. Most mobile networks and many home connections do, but some offices, older networks and services such as GitHub’s git over SSH still need IPv4. A proxy or CDN in front of the server can bridge the gap for websites.
Does AWS charge for public IPv4 addresses?
Yes. Since 1 February 2024 AWS charges $0.005 an hour, about $3.65 a month, for every public IPv4 address, whether it is attached to a running instance or not. Lightsail bundles one address into its plans and sells IPv6-only plans for less.