Do I still need IPv4 if I have IPv6 on my VPS?
Yes, you still need IPv4 for most VPS workloads in 2026. You’ll want to run dual-stack (both IPv4 and IPv6). About 45% of global internet traffic uses IPv6 as of early 2026, which means roughly half the internet still relies on IPv4 to reach your server. Drop IPv4, and those users can’t connect.
Why dual-stack is the right answer for now
Run both IPv4 and IPv6 on your server. Every ColossusCloud VPS includes both by default. Your services listen on both protocols, and clients connect using whichever they have.
This is zero-risk. Adding IPv6 doesn’t break anything. It just makes your server reachable by more users through more efficient routes.
When IPv6-only might work (and you don’t need IPv4)
A few scenarios where you can skip IPv4:
- Internal services that only your own infrastructure accesses (and all of it has IPv6)
- IoT devices on IPv6-only networks communicating with your VPS over IPv6
- Backend services that aren’t directly accessed by end users (databases, message queues, internal APIs)
- Development and testing environments where universal reachability doesn’t matter
For anything public-facing (a website, API, or mail server) you need both protocols for at least the next few years.
What’s changing with IPv4 vs IPv6
IPv6 adoption is accelerating. Major US ISPs have rolled out IPv6 to most customers. Mobile networks (T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T) have been largely IPv6 for years. Microsoft added CLAT support to Windows, making IPv6 the default transport with IPv4 as fallback.
At some point the balance tips and IPv6-only becomes viable for public services. Not quite there yet, but getting closer every year.
ColossusCloud IPv4 + IPv6 setup
Every VPS gets:
- One public IPv4 address
- One IPv6 address
- Optional routed
/64or/56IPv6 subnets
Dual-stack from the start. No extra configuration for basic connectivity. Both protocols work out of the box.
All ColossusCloud VPS plans include both IPv4 and IPv6. For more on IPv6, see what IPv6 is and why your VPS needs it.