What Is a Static VPN IP Address?

An IP (Internet Protocol) address is a unique identifier assigned to your internet connection. It functions as your ‘passport’ on the internet, allowing you to communicate with other devices and servers as well as indicating your geographic location.

When you connect to a VPN server, it will usually allocate you a dynamic VPN IP address, which will change every time you connect to the same server.

However, some VPN services offer static VPN IP addresses which always stay the same – regardless of how many times you reconnect or where you connect from.

There are also VPN services that go one step further by providing a dedicated IP address, normally for an extra fee. This is a static IP address that only you can connect to – it can’t be used by anyone else.

We’ve outlined the main differences between static and dynamic VPN IPs below:

Static	Dedicated	Dynamic
Fixed IP address	Fixed IP address	Changeable IP address
Offered by some VPN services	Rarely offered by VPN services	Widely available
Costs an extra fee	Costs an extra fee	Enabled by default
Can be accessed by a group of users	Can only ever be accessed by you	Shared amongst all VPN subscribers
Anonymity dependent on number of users	Explicitly linked to you	Anonymity guaranteed
Tied to one region	Tied to one region	Can be assigned wherever there’s a server
Smoother browsing experience	Smoother browsing experience	Prone to CAPTCHAs and frequent verification checks
Secure remote access to private business servers	Secure remote access to private business servers	Can’t bypass IP whitelists for remote access

Pros	Cons
Eliminates CAPTCHAs for a less disruptive browsing experience	Explicitly linked to your VPN subscription
Allows for secure remote connections	Limited to one geographical region
Reliably assigns you the same IP address	Incurs an extra cost
	Not offered by every VPN service

When you connect to a VPN, your internet connection is assigned the IP address and geo-location of the VPN server. This allows you to bypass geo-restricted content, and ensures your real IP address is hidden from potential snoopers.

Your IP address can be used to find your approximate location, send personalized ads, and subject your connection to DoS attacks.

You’ll always be assigned an IP address in the geographic region you’ve chosen. However, the exact IP address can change following a reconnection. This is known as a dynamic VPN IP address and it is the default for the majority of VPN services.

Some VPNs can assign you a static IP address for an additional fee. This is an IP address that does not change, regardless of how many times you reconnect. A static VPN IP address can be shared with multiple accounts, and isn’t tied to your VPN subscription alone.

We Recommend Using a Static IP VPN If You Need:

• To bypass an IP whitelist. If you need to remotely connect to a service protected by an IP blocklist then you can restrict access to just your IP.
• To host a server. Whether you’re hosting a video game server or a website, access for external users is made easier with a static IP.
• A better browsing experience. You can avoid CAPTCHAs and online banking verification checks by using a static IP.

How to Get a Static IP Address With a VPN

It’s not guaranteed that your VPN service will offer a static IP address at all. Aside from Surfshark, there aren’t any VPN services that offer a static IP address as part of a default subscription, or for free.

Most services allow you to purchase a static IP address as an add-on within the account area of the provider’s website. The cost is then added on top of your current VPN subscription.

Quick Summary: How to get a Static IP on your VPN

1. Log into your VPN’s client area. This is the Account section on your VPN’s website.
2. Navigate to the static IP setup area. This can be found under Add-ons, Subscriptions, or Port Forwarding.

   It can also be labeled any variation of Dedicated IP, Static IP, and Setup Dedicated IP.

3. Purchase a static IP. Choose your preferred subscription length and server location.
4. Make a note of the generated token. A top-rated VPN will generate a random token which you won’t be able to access again.
5. Open the VPN app and redeem the token. Find the static IP section in your VPN’s general settings and input the information from Step 4.

In the instructions below, we’ve outlined exactly how to set up a VPN Static IP using Private Internet Access as an example:

How to Set Up & Activate a Static IP with PIA VPN

1. Log into your PIA account and select Dedicated IP from the side bar.



2. Choose the length of your subscription.



3. Select the geo-location you want your IP tied to.



4. Make a note of PIA’s randomly generated token, you won’t be able to see it again.



5. Open the PIA app of your choice and navigate to Settings.



6. Go to Dedicated IP and input the token from Step 4 to activate the static IP address.



7. Your dedicated IP appears at the top of the PIA server list, simply connect to it like any other VPN server location.



EXPERT ADVICE: Your VPN service may link your identity and account to a dedicated IP address. Only the best static IP VPNs use a token-based system to ensure complete anonymity.

Pros	Cons
Great for unblocking geo-restricted content in a specific region	Synonymous with your VPN subscription as only you can access it
Complete agency over your IP address as no one else can use it	Limited to one region
Even more secure remote access capabilities	Incurs an extra cost and not offered by every VPN service

Your VPN service may also offer a dedicated IP address feature. This is a static IP address that only you can connect to and use. Your IP address will be the same every time you connect to the VPN server, and only your internet connection will be associated with the IP.

This makes remote access to private servers or devices even more secure, as your whitelisted IP address can only be used by you.

It’s also great for avoiding IP bans during online gaming, as you won’t ever be assigned a ‘bad’ IP address that may have formerly been used by a hacker or cheater.

You can also purchase a residential IP address from a VPN, which is a dedicated IP address taken from a range of IP addresses reserved for household connections. This causes your VPN connection to mimic ‘normal’ internet traffic, allowing you to bypass VPN blocks on streaming services.

The major drawback to a dedicated VPN IP address is that it’s directly tied to your VPN subscription – even more so than a normal static IP.

It’s much easier to monitor and de-anonymize a VPN connection that’s tied to your account and always uses the same IP address.

We Recommend Using a Dedicated IP VPN if You Need:

1. To unblock a specific streaming library. Dedicated IPs are effective at bypassing geo-restrictions but you are limited to a single region.
2. Complete agency over your IP. Only you have access over your dedicated IP, so you won’t have to deal with the consequences of a past IP ban.
3. Secure remote access to a device or server. Putting a server or device behind an IP whitelist ensures both convenience and security for your remote connections.

Pros	Cons
Increased anonymity as your IP is constantly changing or shared among other users	Can result in CAPTCHAs and verification checks
More widely available as they can be reused and reassigned	Makes remote access connections less secure
Fully supported across the VPN’s entire server network
Isn’t tied to one region

A dynamic IP address is the most common type of IP address. It is the default for your internet connection and your VPN connection.

Most VPN services will assign you a dynamic VPN IP address when connecting to a server. It is not fixed, and can change an indefinite number of times – including every time you reconnect to the VPN server.

Every server location offered by your VPN can assign a dynamic IP address, whereas static IPs are typically limited to up to 10 regions. This makes dynamic VPN IPs ideal for accessing geo-restricted content, as you can easily cycle through different virtual locations.

However, dynamic IP addresses are shared with thousands of other VPN users all over the world, which means it’s more common for them to be banned and blocked by web or streaming services.

We Recommend Using a Dynamic IP VPN if You Need:

1. Complete anonymity. Your online activity can’t be traced back to you on dynamic IP VPN.
2. A cheaper VPN service. Dynamic IPs are enabled by default on a VPN and won’t require any extra fees.
3. To unblock geo-restricted content. Dynamic VPN IPs aren’t tied to one region and can be used to access a variety of international streaming libraries.

Here’s a summary of how static and dynamic VPN IP addresses compare in eight key areas:

Category	Winner
Anonymity	Dynamic IP A static IP address is explicitly tied to your account whereas a dynamic IP is shared amongst many users.
Remote Access Security	Static IP A VPN static IP can be added to a IP whitelist to ensure secure, remote connections. Dynamic IPs change too often and won’t be permitted.
Bypass Firewalls	Static IP Static VPN IPs never change so you only ever need to update rules on any applicable restricted firewall, once.
Streaming	Dynamic IP Dynamic IPs aren’t restricted to a region in the same way static IPs are, and can unblock streaming libraries in a number of locations.
Gaming	Static IP Players can easily connect to your server if you host with a static IP. You also avoid bans from games where other users have abused a shared IP.
Browsing Experience	Static IP You can avoid CAPTCHAs and other online verification checks by using a static VPN IP.
Price	Dynamic IP Dynamic IPs are automatically assigned and reused by the VPN service with no extra cost. Static VPN IPs require manual configuration and an additional VPN subscription.

Here’s a more detailed overview of how static and dynamic IP addresses compare in different circumstances:

Static vs Dynamic IP: Remote Access Security

Businesses can implement an IP whitelist to manage access to a data-sensitive resource, usually a private server.

An IP whitelist works by monitoring incoming connection requests and only permitting access to those originating from previously specified IP addresses.

By using a firewall on your private server and whitelisting a static VPN IP, the risk of someone accessing your server is significantly reduced. Furthermore, if you use a dedicated static IP and a correctly locked-down firewall, then it’s impossible for any other user to remotely access your server.

This is far more secure than using a dynamic IP, which is shared amongst multiple users.

Similarly, Internet of Things (IoT) devices such as surveillance cameras, home security systems, and doorbell cams can threaten your real world privacy and security if compromised.

You can limit access to these devices by only allowing your static IP to remotely connect to them.

Static vs Dynamic IP: Streaming Geo-Restricted Content

When you connect to a VPN server, you are assigned its IP address and, in turn, its geo-location. This allows you to ‘spoof’ your online location and bypass geo-restrictions on streaming services, such as Netflix and Disney+.

Dynamic VPN IPs can be continually recycled and reassigned from a pool of IP addresses, allowing you to connect to a variety of different locations across a VPN’s server network.

As a result, you can connect to servers in the UK to access BBC iPlayer, servers in the US for HBO Max and so on.

This not only guarantees a range of geo-locations, but also means you can access different IP addresses within the same location. For example, your VPN’s New York server may not initially unblock US Netflix, but disconnecting and reconnecting could result in a new IP address that can.

VPN static IPs are tied to a server location of your choice. As a static IP address can’t change, connecting to your VPN will always assign the same geo-location.

A VPN static IP can be useful for unblocking geo-restricted content in its assigned region as its traffic more closely resembles normal internet traffic than a dynamic IP VPN.

However, you won’t be able to access geo-restricted content outside of your static IP’s geo-location and you can’t cycle through IP addresses if your static IP stops working.

Static vs Dynamic IP: Anonymity

Connecting to a dedicated static VPN IP means you’re guaranteed to be assigned the same IP address every time.

An attacker could monitor the incoming and outgoing traffic from a VPN data-center to spot any patterns within the data. This is known as a traffic correlation attack and can result in your internet traffic becoming completely de-anonymised.

A static IP address is more susceptible to traffic correlation attacks than a dynamic IP, as a hacker can more easily isolate your activity to a single IP address.

As a result your online activity can be traced back to you, even if you’re using a no-logs VPN service.

If you use a dedicated, static VPN IP address, your online privacy is further undermined as you are the only user connecting to that IP.

Whereas before your non-dedicated static IP would be shared among multiple subscribers, a dedicated IP is solely tied to your account.

Your VPN service needs to know your exact account details in order to assign you the dedicated IP address. This completely undermines the purpose of using a VPN for anonymity in the first place, as your email address and browsing activity are now completely visible to your VPN service.

There are, however, exceptions to this. Some VPN services, such as PIA and CyberGhost, use an anonymous token-based system to assign you a dedicated IP address.

After purchasing a dedicated IP, you’re given a randomly generated code, only accessible by you, which can then be redeemed on your account.

This avoids the issue of linking your personal account to your IP address but doesn’t mitigate the fact that you’re still connecting to the same IP every time.

A dynamic VPN IP randomly assigns you an IP address upon connection. As long as you’re using a VPN with a sensible logging policy, your online activity cannot be traced back to you.

Static vs Dynamic IP: Online Gaming

It’s much easier to host a game server using a VPN static IP than a dynamic one. As your static IP never changes, other players can directly connect to your server by inputting your address.

With a dynamic IP address, you would need to use a dynamic DNS provider to update the DNS following any changes to your IP address.

VPN static IPs can also help avoid IP bans on multiplayer games. It’s not uncommon for video game publishers to penalize players with an IP ban for breaching terms of service.

As dynamic VPN IPs are continually being recycled amongst multiple users, you could, in theory, be assigned a previously banned IP address.

Using a dedicated IP address on your VPN eliminates this possibility as only you can connect to it.

Static vs Dynamic IP: Browsing Experience

Connecting from different IP addresses or frequently changing your online location can prompt a verification check from your browser or data sensitive services.

Using a static IP VPN ensures that all of your internet traffic originates from the same place which reduces the frequency of CAPTCHAs.

Similarly, logging into your online banking from multiple IP addresses can raise alarms for your bank.

A static IP VPN means you can browse with the benefits of a VPN connection, but without the difficulties a dynamic IP VPN suffers from.

Static IP addresses are not widely available among VPN services, and can be implemented in a variety of ways.

We’ve developed an in-depth methodology for assessing VPN static IPs based on four key testing criteria: anonymity, price, server locations, and the type of IP address.

Here’s a table comparing the best VPN static IPs based on our testing parameters:

Do Any Free VPNs Offer Static IP?

There currently isn’t a free VPN service that offers a static IP.

IPv4 addresses are assigned from a constantly decreasing pool, which leads to increased costs for VPN services and ISPs.

You can get a static IP included in your subscription with Surfshark, however its utility is limited because your IP is shared amongst the entirety of Surfshark’s customer base.

If you need a VPN static IP on a budget then consider subscribing to CyberGhost, as it’s the best value for money at just $2.19.

Alternatively, you can take advantage of CyberGhost’s 45-day money-back guarantee to use the full VPN service for free and sign-up to its dedicated IP. You can request a refund at any point during that time period, as long as you don’t miss the deadline.