What Is a Static VPN IP Address?

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:

1. Private Internet Access: The Best VPN Static IP

Pros	Cons
Uses a token-based system for total anonymity	Doesn’t support residential IP addresses
Dedicated IP address only accessible by you	Limited server coverage
Excellent connection speeds
Affordable price
Our highest-rated VPN that also offers a static IP

Private Internet Access is one the highest-rated VPNs we’ve reviewed, and it’s also the best VPN for getting a static IP address overall.

Your online anonymity is guaranteed by a token-based system, ensuring there’s no paper trail left between the static IP and your account.

It’s also easy to set up and works immediately following activation within the VPN app.

PIA’s static IP is dedicated, giving you full autonomy over your IP address and removing verification checks from your browsing experience.

The dedicated IP subscription costs an additional $5.00 per month on top of your standard PIA subscription. You can mitigate this by purchasing PIA’s affordable two year plan, which works out at $2.03 every month.

Connecting to a dedicated IP in New York, we recorded an impressive average download speed of 79Mbps. This is more than fast enough for HD streaming, torrenting, and general browsing.

Ideally, we would like to see PIA offer a dedicated residential IP in the future. Residential IPs, if implemented correctly, are much better at unblocking geo-restricted content as your internet traffic won’t resemble that of a VPN’s.

Despite this, PIA’s dedicated IP was able to stream Disney+ and HBO Max in our tests without any buffering or drops in video quality.

2. Windscribe: Best VPN Static IP for Streaming

Pros	Cons
Static IP shared with other users to maintain anonymity	Doesn’t offer a dedicated IP
Residential IP can unblock all major streaming services including US Netflix	Residential IPs are expensive at $8/mo
Great server coverage in the US	Middling connection speeds
Data-center IPs are very affordable

Windscribe is an excellent VPN for streaming, and its static IP feature is no different. By connecting to a static IP address in Chicago, we were able to stream US Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, and Hulu.

Windscribe’s streaming success is largely attributed to its use of residential IP addresses.

This disguises your internet traffic, as residential IPs are taken from a pool of IP addresses that have been reserved for households.

Normally, streaming services detect VPNs by maintaining a database of known IP addresses from VPN servers, as well as monitoring accounts that log in from multiple geo-locations.

A residential IP bypasses both detection methods by appearing as a household IP address and retaining the same virtual location.

You can purchase a static IP for seven different countries, including: the US, the Netherlands, the UK, Germany, France, Canada, and Switzerland.

Windscribe only offers residential IPs for the US and Canada, the other locations are all data-centre IP addresses.

The US server location is also the only one to accommodate city-level options.

Windscribe is not without its drawbacks, though. It doesn’t support a dedicated IP address, citing ‘privacy reasons’ as the justification.

Considering PIA and CyberGhost’s token solution, we would like to see Windscribe offer an anonymous dedicated IP address in the future.

It’s also not the fastest VPN connection, we experienced a 33% speed loss in download speed when connecting to a Chicago-based static IP.

In terms of pricing, Windscribe is a mixed bag. Purchasing a data-center IP only sets you back $2.00 per month, but it lacks the streaming benefits of a residential IP. It’s also not dedicated, so its usefulness is limited all-round.

Subscribing to a residential IP is much more costly at $8.00 per month, but this is mitigated by Windscribe’s great streaming performance.

3. CyberGhost: Best Cheap Static IP VPN

Pros	Cons
Uses a token-based system for total anonymity	Doesn’t support residential IP addresses
Dedicated IP address only accessible by you	Only unblocks Disney+
Decent server coverage
Great value for money at $4.80/mo

CyberGhost’s static IP feature provides a decent alternative, but it falls just short of PIA and Windscribe.

Similar to PIA, your online anonymity is assured with a randomly generated token that can be redeemed within the CyberGhost app.

We didn’t have any issues setting this up and were able to connect to a dedicated IP in New York immediately.

Its server coverage is impressive for a static IP and includes city-level options in Canada, the UK, and the US.

Our connection speeds were serviceable, with an average download speed of 68Mbps from our US location.

At $4.80 per month and $4.00 per month on a yearly plan, CyberGhost is the most affordable option for a static VPN IP.

We would, however, look to see an improvement in CyberGhost’s streaming performance. Its static IP failed to unblock any major streaming service aside from Disney+.

4. Surfshark: Static IP at No Extra Cost

Pros	Cons
Excellent connection speeds	Your static IP is shared amongst Surfshark’s entire clientele
Static IP at no extra cost	Doesn’t support residential IP addresses
	Doesn’t offer a dedicated IP
	Limited server coverage

Surfshark is the only VPN service to offer a static IP address as part of its default subscription, at no additional cost.

You can sign up for just $2.21 a month on a two year plan, making Surfshark the best cheap VPN.

The major downside to this is that every Surfshark subscriber has access to the same static IP servers as you.

This means thousands of users will be connecting from the same IP address, completely negating any benefit of using a static IP, aside from hosting a game server.

Your browsing activity will still seem suspicious and prompt CAPTCHAs, any access to remote services or IoT devices will be shared with other Surfshark users, and streaming services will recognise the traffic as coming from a VPN.

We can’t recommend Surfshark’s static IP for most use cases, but it’s worth highlighting for its inclusion in the default service.

It did record the fastest speeds of any static IP we tested with an average download speed of 92Mbps when connecting to a nearby New York.

Surfshark’s server network was fairly extensive too, covering locations in North America, Europe, and Asia.

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 $2.03.

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.

Should You Use NordVPN’s Static IP?

We strongly recommend that you don’t purchase NordVPN’s Static IP.

NordVPN requires you to purchase a second subscription for its dedicated IP and then link it to your standard VPN account.

This puts your online privacy at risk as your browsing activity, via your dedicated IP address, is directly associated with your personal NordVPN account.

Why Are Static IP Addresses More Expensive?

The majority of IP addresses in circulation use the IPv4 protocol, as opposed to the newer IPv6.

IPv4 uses a 32-bit address structure, limiting its number to 4.3 billion IP addresses.

Both ISPs and VPN services rely on dynamic IP addresses to conserve the limited number of IP addresses in circulation by continually recycling the same IPs.

Static IPs are therefore a finite commodity which raises its price.

Your VPN service has to manually assign the static IP, which also increases its cost, whereas dynamic IPs are typically allocated automatically by a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) server.

DHCP is a network management tool used to automate the process of assigning IP addresses.

Does Using a Static IP Increase Your Internet Speed?

In most instances a static IP will not increase your internet speed.

It’s entirely up to your ISP to decide how much bandwidth you are allocated. Your ISP could choose to prioritize your connection from a static IP due to your increased subscription fee.

However, there’s no guarantee that this will happen.