IPv4 addresses remain one of the internet's most valuable infrastructure assets. Although IPv6 adoption continues to grow, demand for public IPv4 addresses remains strong among cloud providers, hosting companies, ISPs, enterprises, SaaS providers, and telecommunications businesses. As a result, organisations regularly compare leasing and purchasing options before expanding their networks.
This 2026 IPv4 address price guide explains how IPv4 pricing works, what affects market rates, and how lease pricing compares with purchase prices. Because the IPv4 market changes frequently, organisations should always verify current inventory pricing immediately before making purchasing decisions.
Pricing note (Updated September 2026): IPv4 lease inventory and sale prices change regularly as inventory is leased, sold, or newly listed. Always verify current pricing on the live inventory pages before publishing or making purchasing decisions.
Why IPv4 Addresses Still Have Value
IPv4 uses a 32-bit addressing system that supports approximately 4.3 billion unique addresses. That address pool has long been exhausted for new allocations, making existing IPv4 resources scarce.
Demand continues because organisations still rely on IPv4 for:
- Cloud infrastructure
- Web hosting
- Enterprise networking
- SaaS platforms
- Customer-facing applications
- Internet service providers
- Hybrid IPv4 and IPv6 environments
Limited supply combined with continued demand supports an active secondary market.
What Determines IPv4 Prices?
No single price applies to every IPv4 block.
Pricing is influenced by factors including:
- Prefix size
- Registry region (ARIN, RIPE, APNIC, etc.)
- Address reputation
- Routing history
- Market supply
- Current demand
- Whether the address block is leased or purchased
Clean, well-documented IPv4 blocks generally command higher prices than addresses with a history of abuse or routing issues.
IPv4 Lease Pricing
Leasing has become popular because it avoids the substantial upfront investment required for permanent ownership.
Typical advantages include:
- Lower initial cost
- Faster deployment
- Predictable operating expenses
- Flexible scaling
- No ownership transfer
Current Lease Pricing
As of September 2026, publicly listed lease inventory commonly falls around the following ranges:
Block SizeApproximateMonthly Lease/24 (256 IPs)Verify live inventory, historically around $165/month/23 (512 IPs)Varies by listing/22 (1,024 IPs)Varies by listing/20 (4,096 IPs)Varies by listing/19 (8,192 IPs)Verify live inventory, historically around $3,885/month
These figures should always be verified against the live inventory immediately before publication, as pricing changes frequently.
IPv4 Purchase Prices
Permanent ownership requires an IPv4 transfer approved under the applicable Regional Internet Registry policies.
Purchase prices vary by:
- Prefix size
- Registry region
- Address quality
- Market demand
- Transaction size
Recent market reports show approximate purchase pricing in these ranges:
Block SizeTypical Purchase Price/24Approximately $35 to $45 per IP/22Approximately $28 to $38 per IP/20Approximately $22 to $32 per IP/18Approximately $20 to $30 per IP/16Approximately $18 to $28 per IP
Smaller prefixes generally command a higher per-IP price because they are easier to deploy and more accessible to smaller buyers.
Lease vs Purchase
The right option depends on business objectives.
Leasing
Leasing is often suitable for organisations that:
- Need IPv4 resources quickly
- Prefer operating expenditure (OpEx)
- Expect future requirements to change
- Want to avoid significant capital investment
Purchasing
Buying may be preferable for organisations that:
- Require permanent ownership
- Have long-term infrastructure plans
- Want complete control over their address assets
- Can justify the initial investment
Many enterprises evaluate both options based on expected deployment duration and available capital.
Pricing by Block Size
Block size has a significant impact on pricing.
/24
The most commonly leased and traded block size.
Suitable for:
- Small hosting providers
- Startups
- Enterprise branch offices
/23
Often selected by:
- Growing SaaS providers
- Medium-sized hosting companies
- Regional ISPs
/22
A common choice for:
- Cloud providers
- Managed service providers
- Growing enterprise infrastructure
Larger Blocks
Prefixes such as /20, /19, and larger are frequently acquired by:
- National ISPs
- Telecommunications providers
- Large cloud platforms
- Data centre operators
Larger transactions generally receive lower per-IP pricing.
What Makes an IPv4 Block More Valuable?
Businesses should evaluate more than price alone.
High-quality IPv4 resources typically offer:
- Clean blacklist history
- Positive reputation
- Stable routing history
- Accurate registry records
- Support for RPKI
- Reverse DNS capability
A lower-priced block may ultimately cost more if operational issues arise after deployment.
Market Trends in 2026
Several trends continue shaping the IPv4 market.
Current developments include:
- Continued IPv4 leasing growth
- Increased enterprise demand
- Greater use of RPKI
- Improved marketplace transparency
- Ongoing IPv6 adoption alongside IPv4
- Better address quality screening
Although IPv6 adoption continues, IPv4 remains essential for many production environments.
Best Practices Before Buying or Leasing
Before acquiring IPv4 resources, organisations should:
- Estimate future address requirements.
- Compare leasing and purchasing costs.
- Review live inventory pricing.
- Verify address reputation.
- Confirm registry information.
- Evaluate routing history.
- Choose the appropriate block size.
Careful planning results in better long-term infrastructure decisions.
Understanding IPv4 Prices in 2026
Understanding IPv4 address prices helps organisations choose the most appropriate acquisition strategy. Leasing provides rapid deployment and lower upfront costs, while purchasing offers permanent ownership for businesses with long-term infrastructure plans. Because pricing varies according to block size, address quality, registry region, and market demand, organisations should always verify live inventory immediately before making purchasing decisions.
As the IPv4 market continues to evolve, combining careful planning with current market data enables businesses to expand their networks while managing costs effectively.
About IPv4Hub
IPv4Hub is a trusted marketplace where organisations can lease, buy, and sell IPv4 address resources through a secure and transparent platform. Businesses benefit from verified IPv4 inventory, structured onboarding, transparent pricing, secure transaction workflows, and professional guidance throughout the acquisition process. With IP intelligence, blacklist screening, registry-aware procedures, and reliable customer support, IPv4Hub helps organisations confidently acquire high-quality IPv4 resources that support secure, scalable, and long-term network growth.
Discover IPv4 address resources suitable for various networking requirements.