The State of IPv6 in Web Hosting: Who’s Ready and Who’s Falling Behind
Global IPv6 adoption has crossed the 44% threshold according to Internet Society Pulse measurements in 2026, with Google reporting similar figures among its user base. Yet the web hosting industry remains split: some providers offer full dual-stack connectivity out of the box, while others still treat IPv6 as an afterthought or a premium add-on.
We surveyed the IPv6 readiness of 15 major hosting providers across shared, VPS, cloud, and managed WordPress tiers. Here’s where the industry stands heading into the second half of 2026.
Why IPv6 Matters for Hosting Customers Now
The practical urgency is straightforward. ARIN, RIPE NCC, and APNIC have all exhausted their free pools of IPv4 addresses. The going rate for a single IPv4 address on transfer markets now sits between $35 and $55, up from under $25 in 2022. That cost pressure flows directly into hosting pricing.
For site owners, IPv6 support means faster connections for the growing share of visitors on IPv6-native networks. Mobile carriers in India (Jio), the United States (T-Mobile), and Germany (Deutsche Telekom) route over 70% of traffic via IPv6. A hosting provider without IPv6 forces those visitors through carrier-grade NAT translation, adding latency.
Search engines have not confirmed IPv6 as a direct ranking factor. However, Google’s own infrastructure is fully dual-stack, and page speed (which IPv6 can improve for IPv6-native visitors) remains a confirmed signal.
Cloud and VPS Providers: Mostly Ready
The cloud and VPS tier shows the strongest IPv6 adoption. Most providers in this segment offer at least one IPv6 address per instance at no extra cost.
| Provider | IPv6 on VPS/Cloud | Default or Opt-in | IPv6-Only Option | Regions Covered |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DigitalOcean | Yes | Opt-in (checkbox at creation) | No | All 15 data centers |
| Vultr | Yes | Default on all plans | Yes ($2.50/mo discount) | All 32 locations |
| Linode (Akamai) | Yes | Default since 2023 | No | All 25+ regions |
| Hetzner | Yes | Default (/64 subnet included) | Yes (free tier) | All EU and US locations |
| AWS (EC2/Lightsail) | Yes | Opt-in (VPC config) | Yes (EC2 only) | All regions |
| Google Cloud | Yes | Opt-in (dual-stack VPC) | No | All regions |
| Azure | Yes | Opt-in (VNet config) | No | All regions |
| OVHcloud | Yes | Default (/128 per instance) | No | All locations |
Vultr and Hetzner stand out here. Vultr launched an IPv6-only tier in late 2024 that strips the IPv4 address entirely, passing the savings to customers. Hetzner includes a full /64 subnet by default on every cloud server, giving customers 18 quintillion addresses to work with at no additional cost.
The hyperscalers (AWS, Google Cloud, Azure) all support IPv6 but require manual configuration. AWS made progress in 2025 by introducing IPv6-only subnets for EC2, partly motivated by their decision to charge $0.005/hour for public IPv4 addresses starting February 2024. That pricing change pushed many AWS customers to finally enable dual-stack.
Shared Hosting: The Weak Spot
Shared hosting is where IPv6 readiness drops off sharply. Many budget hosts still run IPv4-only infrastructure on their shared servers, and customers on these plans have no way to enable IPv6 themselves.
| Provider | IPv6 on Shared Hosting | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cloudflare (proxy) | Yes (free for all plans) | Adds IPv6 via proxy regardless of origin server |
| SiteGround | Yes | Enabled by default on all shared plans since 2024 |
| A2 Hosting | Yes | Available on Turbo plans, opt-in on others |
| Hostinger | Partial | Available on Business and Cloud plans only |
| Bluehost | No | IPv4 only on shared; available on VPS/dedicated |
| HostGator | No | No IPv6 on any shared plan |
| GoDaddy | No | IPv4 only across shared hosting |
| Namecheap | Partial | Stellar Plus and above; not on entry plan |
| DreamHost | Yes | Full dual-stack on all shared plans |
| InMotion Hosting | No | IPv4 only on shared; VPS supports IPv6 |
The pattern is clear: EIG/Newfold Digital brands (Bluehost, HostGator) and GoDaddy’s shared infrastructure remain IPv4-only. These are among the largest shared hosting providers by customer count, which means millions of websites still lack IPv6 connectivity at the origin.
SiteGround and DreamHost are the notable exceptions. SiteGround rolled out IPv6 across its Google Cloud-based shared infrastructure in 2024, making it automatic for all customers. DreamHost has supported IPv6 on shared hosting since 2012, making it one of the earliest adopters in the budget tier.
Managed WordPress Hosting: Mixed Results
Managed WordPress hosts sit between shared and cloud in terms of IPv6 readiness. The results depend heavily on the underlying infrastructure each provider uses.
IPv6-Ready Managed WordPress Hosts
Kinsta runs on Google Cloud Platform and enabled IPv6 for all sites in early 2025. Since Kinsta uses Cloudflare as its edge layer, all sites get IPv6 connectivity through Cloudflare’s network regardless of the origin configuration.
Cloudways (now part of DigitalOcean) supports IPv6 when customers select DigitalOcean, Vultr, or Linode as their infrastructure provider. AWS and Google Cloud options require additional configuration.
Rocket.net delivers IPv6 by default through its Cloudflare Enterprise integration. Every site on the platform is accessible over both IPv4 and IPv6 with zero configuration.
Still IPv4-Only
WP Engine does not offer native IPv6 on its managed WordPress plans as of May 2026. Customers can work around this by placing Cloudflare in front of their WP Engine site, but that adds complexity and potential caching conflicts.
Flywheel (owned by WP Engine) shares the same limitation. No IPv6 support on any plan tier.
Pressable (Automattic) does not currently provide IPv6 addresses for hosted sites, though WordPress.com itself is fully dual-stack.
The Cloudflare Workaround: IPv6 for Everyone?
Cloudflare deserves special mention because it effectively patches the IPv6 gap for any website using its proxy. When you route traffic through Cloudflare, visitors can connect via IPv6 to Cloudflare’s edge, which then connects to your origin over IPv4 if needed.
This means any site behind Cloudflare’s free plan gets IPv6 connectivity, regardless of what the hosting provider supports. Cloudflare enables IPv6 by default for all zones, and the feature is available on every plan tier including free.
However, this is a band-aid, not a solution. The connection between Cloudflare and your origin server remains IPv4-only if your host doesn’t support IPv6. You’re also adding a dependency on a third-party service for basic network connectivity. For sites that need end-to-end IPv6 (compliance requirements, government contracts, or simply principle), the origin server must support it natively.
Regional Differences in Provider Readiness
European hosting providers lead in IPv6 adoption. Internet Society Pulse data shows Western Europe at 63% IPv6 capability among top websites, and European hosts reflect this.
Hetzner (Germany), OVHcloud (France), Scaleway (France), and Contabo (Germany) all provide IPv6 by default across their product lines. This tracks with regulatory pressure in the EU, where government procurement increasingly requires IPv6 support.
North American providers are more fragmented. The cloud-native companies (DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode) support IPv6 well, but traditional shared hosting brands lag behind. The Americas overall sit at 44% IPv6 adoption according to Internet Society measurements.
Asian providers show the widest variance. Alibaba Cloud and Tencent Cloud offer full IPv6 support (required by Chinese government mandate since 2021). Indian providers like HostingRaja and MilesWeb have been slower to adopt, despite India having one of the world’s highest IPv6 traffic shares thanks to Reliance Jio’s network.
What to Check Before You Buy
If IPv6 support matters for your project, here’s what to verify before signing up with a hosting provider:
1. Native vs. Proxy IPv6
Ask whether the server itself gets an IPv6 address, or if IPv6 is only available through a CDN/proxy layer. Native support means your server’s AAAA DNS record points directly to your host. Proxy-based IPv6 means a third party handles the translation.
2. Subnet Size
A single /128 address is fine for a basic website. But if you’re running multiple services, containers, or virtual hosts, you’ll want a /64 or at least a /112 subnet. Hetzner and Vultr are generous here. Others give you exactly one address.
3. Reverse DNS (PTR Records)
Email servers and some security tools check reverse DNS. Not all providers let you set PTR records on IPv6 addresses. DigitalOcean, Vultr, and Linode all support IPv6 rDNS. Some shared hosts do not.
4. Firewall and Security Group Support
Your provider’s firewall or security group system should handle IPv6 rules. AWS Security Groups support IPv6. DigitalOcean’s cloud firewalls support IPv6. But some control panels (especially on shared hosting) only show IPv4 firewall options.
5. Control Panel Integration
cPanel added full IPv6 support in version 102 (2023). Plesk has supported IPv6 since version 12. If your shared host runs an older panel version, IPv6 management may be unavailable even if the underlying server supports it.
The Bottom Line
The hosting industry’s IPv6 readiness in 2026 follows a predictable pattern: newer, cloud-native providers are ready; legacy shared hosting brands are not. If you’re choosing a VPS or cloud provider today, IPv6 support is essentially universal. If you’re on shared hosting, your options narrow considerably.
For most site owners, the practical advice is straightforward. If your current host doesn’t support IPv6 and you don’t want to switch, put Cloudflare in front of your site for free IPv6 connectivity. If you’re starting fresh or migrating, choose a provider with native dual-stack support to avoid the dependency.
With IPv4 address costs continuing to rise and mobile-first traffic growing, the providers still running IPv4-only shared infrastructure will face increasing pressure to upgrade. The question isn’t whether they’ll add IPv6 support. It’s whether they’ll do it before their customers leave for providers that already have.