| Updated: January 13, 2025
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A dedicated IP address is used by one user or entity at a time. This is best suited for businesses that give employees or sites in remote locations access to sensitive data.
A dedicated IP address is more costly than a shared IP but adds an extra layer of security and privacy. There are multiple uses for a dedicated IP address, some of which are listed below.
In short, a dedicated IP is needed for a business today. Regular internet users don’t need a dedicated IP address to stream or surf the web. Before further reading, check out NordVPN’s static IP offered at $4.19/m and ExpressVPN’s dedicated IP at $3.42/m.
In your quest to find the best VPN, you will encounter terms like split tunneling and dedicated IP address. Most premium VPNs offer these features for a small additional cost and are designed for specific uses.
You must be wondering what a dedicated IP is and whether you really need one to secure your online activities.
A dedicated IP address is a static IP assigned exclusively to a single person or device. This IP is not shared with any other user, offering both advantages and disadvantages. For instance, a dedicated IP allows you to bypass VPN blocks easily and securely log in to your accounts while traveling abroad.
This blog will discuss everything you need to know about a dedicated IP address, its advantages and disadvantages, and should you get one.
As its name suggests, a dedicated IP address is a unique IP used by a single user or entity. To obtain a dedicated IP, the user pays an additional fee to the VPN, hosting provider, or ISP. It is also know as VPN with a static IP or Static IP VPN.
This IP will not be used by others in the provider’s system and will be bonded to the user paying for it. A dedicated IP is useful for businesses with strict controls over their system, which allows them to control which data becomes accessible to employees or users by whitelisting the dedicated IP.
As a regular VPN user, you won’t need a dedicated IP address. But you should get one if you reside in countries with strict internet laws and cencorship regulations.
A dedicated IP/static IP is assigned to a single user or entity, and no one else can have it. A regular VPN user does not need a dedicated IP because the shared IP address a VPN provides satisfies their needs for online security and unblocking content.
However, when it comes to business, a dedicated IP becomes useful. For example, a business can prevent unwanted access to sensitive files on its servers, and no regular employees can access them. For example, the financial or payroll departments can be given a dedicated IP address to manage sensitive company details that shouldn’t be accessible to other employees.
Dedicated IP comes at an additional cost but has its own advantages for businesses.
The dedicated IP that is assigned to you by a VPN provider will be assigned to another used. Businesses often think that their ‘used’ dedicated IP won’t be assigned to others, which is totally incorrect. The IP address used by your business to access sensitive data will be assigned to another user.
We asked the customer support agent from NordVPN and ExpressVPN about it, and they said the dedicated IP will be assigned to another user.
We have a conversation with John — the customer support guy from NordLayers. He told us that the dedicated IP address would be assigned to another user once you have stopped paying for it. And that is fair because they have to maintain their infrastructure cost.
The guy from ExpressVPN asked if we had an ExpressVPN account instead of answering the simple question, ‘What happens to the dedicated IP after I have stopped using it? Will it be assigned to other users?’
Upon providing our email address he took a long break and maybe went to another department to ask this simple question. Finally, he said, ‘The dedicated IP, once used by my business, will go back in the pool,’ which means it will be assigned to another user in the future.
Therefore, be vigilant when you stop paying for a dedicated IP address and remove it from your network’s whitelist.
IP address stands for Internet Protocols, a set of rules used by devices to communicate by sending and receiving data. In other words, it is the language spoken by all the devices on the internet to communicate with each other, and it is a crucial part of transferring information.
Every device on the internet has a unique IP address, allowing them to send and receive data. Users, on the other hand, deal with websites and domain names and don’t have an idea what is actually happening at the backend.
A shared IP address is a unique IP used by multiple users at the same time. It can be from a VPN provider, ISP, or hosting service. The cost of a shared IP is less than that of a dedicated IP or Static IP.
Shared IPs are mostly used by VPN providers, internet service providers, and hosting companies. They rotate IPs between their users, and it helps them maintain the cost of IP addresses. However, a customer is provided with a dedicated or static IP on demand at an additional cost.
Your regular internet connection, hosting service, and VPN IP are the best examples of how shared IPs work.
We use a shared IP address system on a daily basis. Your ISP provides you with the same IP address it has provided to other users, and the same is true for your VPN provider and hosting company.
Usually, this does not affect an internet user’s daily activities, but there are downsides to using a shared IP address, some of which are listed below.
It totally depends on your needs. A regular internet user does not need the facility of a dedicated IP, and it is perfectly found with the shared IP address provided by the ISP or VPN.
However, if you are a business owner looking for a secure solution, a Static VPN IP address can be beneficial.
Yes, you can! This often happens in businesses with a large number of employees. You just have to ask your provider for another IP address, and they will do the rest.
The easiest entity to deal with in this kind of case is VPN providers. Login into your VPN account and contact their support team to change your dedicated IP address.
A person from their team will contact you back and may be asked for the reason behind changing your Static IP address. Once they are satisfied with your answer, they will proceed with the request, and you will be assigned a new dedicated IP address in no time.
Things can get difficult with ISPs and hosting companies. Your ISP may need additional details on why you want to change the dedicated IP address, but they will eventually change the address since you are paying for it.
Hosting companies, on the other hand, have to deal with servers and IP addresses associated with these devices. In some cases, they will have to move your entire data from one server to another to get you a new dedicated IP address.
But these companies get these requests on a daily basis and are trained with sophisticated software and systems that can do the job with one or two clicks.
A dedicated IP address is used for specific cases and is mostly required by businesses. Whereas a shared IP address is low on cost and is used by the general public. A dedicated IP address has one owner at a time, which is the opposite of a shared IP with multiple users at the same time.
Here are a few use cases of dedicated IP addresses.
A shared IP is lower in cost but does not offer online security and privacy, which are offered by a dedicated IP address. The use of both IPs varies from case to case; a regular internet user does not need a dedicated IP address, whereas a business needs one.
Most commercial VPN providers offers a dedicated IP for an additional cost. I have used dedicated IP by NordVPN, ExpressVPN and IPVanish to access blocked websites and social media apps in countries where VPNs are illegal.
Here are the VPN providers with the best dedicated IPs:
NordVPN is considered the best VPN with static IP and has VPN servers in more than 105 locations globally. You can get NordVPN’s dedicated IP for $4.19/m with the regular subscription. You can select a dedicated IP from the United States, the UK, Hong Kong and several Euroepan countries.
I access twitter, and Amercian Netflix with NordVPN’s dedicated IP (US) while travelling to countries. Its helpful in accessing regionally restricted content from anywhere. I have configured this VPN on a router and use the dedicated IP on all my devices for complete anonymity.
ExpressVPN has been praised for its fast VPN servers and secure VPN protocols. It has been securing the top position on many VPN review websites like VPN for What and is the first choice of privacy and security enthisists.
I have installed this VPN on iPhone and it protects me wherever I got. ExpressVPN’s dedicated IP is offered at $3.42/m with 26 locations to choose from including the United States, UK, Canada, Australia and other Eureopan countries.
On top of that, ExpressVPN uses obfuscated VPN servers which are best if you are in countries with strict internet laws like China, Russia, Iran, etc. Last year I used ExpressVPN to watch the fifth season of the Handmaid’s Tale on Hulu from Russia, and it worked perfectly because I was using an American dedicated IP address.
ExpressVPN is the best choice if you are looking for a premium VPN static IP address, that works when its needed the most.
I have explained what a dedicated IP is and who might benefit from using one. If you’re a regular internet user living in a western country with a democratically elected government, a static or dedicated IP may not be necessary for your daily activities.
However, if you plan to travel, having a dedicated IP can be highly beneficial for securely accessing sensitive information, such as your bank accounts, without unnecessary restrictions.
I have also highlighted the benefits of using a static VPN IP address and why it can be particularly advantageous for businesses. Additionally, I’ve recommended NordVPN and ExpressVPN as excellent options for those seeking a reliable dedicated IP address solution.
A dedicated IP address is a static IP that is allotted to you or your business by the VPN or ISP. This IP will be used by you or your employees to access sensitive files as long as you are paying for it.
You can request a dedicated IP address from your Internet provider or VPN. We would recommend getting a dedicated IP from your ISP for official use.
A dedicated IP address is a normal IP that will be used only by you when you are online. A VPS is a virtualized server that mimics a dedicated server within a shared hosting environment. You have dedicated resources and root access, allowing you to host websites, applications, or databases. You can install and configure software as you like, almost as if it were a physical server, but at a lower cost.
A Dedicated Hosting IP is an IP address that is assigned exclusively to a specific hosting account or server, rather than being shared among multiple users.
This helps manage and maintain a website’s and business’s online security. In a shared hosting setup, multiple websites use the same IP address, which can affect your online reputation.
Yes, all top-notch VPNs offer a dedicated IP address at an additional cost. However, the regular IP you get by connecting to a VPN is not a dedicated IP and is distributed among many users.
All VPN providers offer the same service when it comes to dedicated IP. However, if you are a business looking to secure your network with a dedicated IP, we recommend consulting with F-Secure or NordLayers, whichever suits your budget.
Mustafa is a cybersecurity analyst and a co-founder of VPN for What. Since 2017, Mustafa has gained international experience, working with governments, NGOs, and the private sector as a cybersecurity and VPN expert and advisor.
