3 Best VPNs with IPv6 Support (Only These Few Fully Work)

Key Takeaways:

• IPv6 is a new Internet Protocol version built to solve the shortage of IPv4 addresses.
• Operational costs and slow adoption of the new IP address system mean not many VPN services currently support IPv6 in full.
• Most VPNs nowadays choose to outright block IPv6 Internet traffic to prevent leaks.
• Choose a dedicated IPv6 VPN like Perfect Privacy that actually works on IPv6-only networks (e.g. T-Mobile in the US).

VPN providers focus on security and privacy. They try to protect from any IP leaks, including IPv6. The internet is slowly moving towards the new protocol adoption, but not that many VPNs support it. There are only a few VPNs that work with IPv6. In this article we’ll be going over what IPv6 is, how to test for leaks, and list some of the best IPv6 VPN solutions available.

The Best VPN that supports IPv6 is Perfect Privacy

Do not need IPv6 and looking for a better VPN?

What is IPv6?

When the Internet was created, nobody thought that it would become a global communications network. There were only a few devices connected at that time that were assigned a unique IP address.

Nowadays, the network is so big that there are over 20 billion devices connected to the internet. The number of IPv4 addresses is simply not enough to identify each device. That’s why IPv6 was created.

IPv6 is an upgraded version of its 32-bit IPv4 predecessor. It is a 128-bit length IP protocol that can have up to 3.4×10³⁸ unique IP addresses. The number is more than enough to assign a unique address to every device.

The Internet of Things (IoT) and many mobile devices today rely entirely on IPv6 connections. But the transition to the new version is slow and expensive because it lacks backward compatibility.

Why Do VPN Providers Not Support IPv6?

There are already ISPs that assign you both versions of IP addresses. Yet, many VPN providers do not support IPv6 due to technical and economic reasons. Instead, they chose an easy way out – to simply block it.

It is feasible to create VPN servers with a dual-stack configuration (i.e. running both IPv4 and IPv6). But, to tackle technological difficulties when it comes to security is challenging. To make IPv6 work you need to handle both IP and DNS leaks.

Handling corner case scenarios, for example, when switching servers becomes essential for privacy. Even a few milliseconds spent disconnected from VPN could leave your traffic unprotected.

There’s an economic incentive to block rather than support IPv6 too. As the Internet mainly runs on IPv4 addresses, spending resources to support the new version of the protocol seems inefficient.

VPN companies prioritize marketing rather than tackling hard tech challenges. There’s very little value for business and way too few people who really need that feature.

Does VPN Work with IPv6?

Some VPN services do provide IPv6 support, but they are few and far between.

This is unfortunate because some of the popular mobile networks in the US like T-Mobile are IPv6 only.  You will not be able to use a VPN which does not have a dual stack on such a network 

There are some websites and hosting providers that also work only on the newer IP version. Luckily, there aren’t that many of them and almost all websites work with both versions. Of course, that also means only a VPN with IPv6 support can access them.

So, which VPN supports IPv6?

Best VPNs with IPv6 Support – our detailed list:

1. Perfect Privacy

Perfect Privacy is one of the best VPNs that work with IPv6. It is a privacy-focused service with dual-stack VPN servers in 25 countries. All servers run on RAM-disk so it protects all their users’ data from being collected.

This premium VPN service has great security and OpenVPN, IPSec, and SSH2 protocols. To protect you from all leaks it has DNS and IP leak protection along with an Internet kill switch.

It allows multi-hop connections that are double-encrypted. Perfect Privacy multi-hop allows you to chain up to 4 server locations together to maximize privacy.

A Stealth VPN option is also available that masks your traffic from DPI and other detection systems.

Perfect Privacy can block ads, malware, and trackers with their TrackStop feature. With its unlimited speed and bandwidth the service is great for P2P and torrenting.

That said, we don’t recommend Perfect Privacy if you want to unblock Netflix or other streaming services. Most streaming sites block VPN IP addresses, and unfortunately this provider is no different.

Still, we could connect to a host of other blocked and censored websites, and the service worked well on our IPv6-only network.

The provider has a VPN app for Windows, macOS, and Android. Hopefully they’ll add support for more devices in the future.

All plans come with a 7-day money-back guarantee.

2. AzireVPN

AzireVPN is a Swedish VPN provider with full IPv6 support. This service does not keep any logs and runs a RAM-disk server network.

Another great thing is that AzireVPN’s servers are all self-managed and do not involve any data centers or third parties. This is great for those looking for extra privacy.

When it comes to speed and security this is one of the few IPv6 VPNs that work with WireGuard. Besides this fast, secure, and modern protocol, it also supports OpenVPN and SOCKS5 too.

Torrenting is allowed on all their servers in 14 countries (22 total server locations) around the world.

We appreciate that they added support for mobile operating systems, as AzireVPN only ran on desktop devices until recently.

All in all, AzireVPN is a great VPN provider with IPv6 for those who are tech-savvy and value privacy. All plans are quite affordable and come with a 7-day money-back guarantee.

3. AirVPN

AirVPN is another VPN service that allows IPv6 traffic. It’s a transparent VPN run by privacy activists. It develops features using only open-source code.

When it comes to IPv6 VPNs, AirVPN has one of the largest server networks available. There are around 250 servers across 23 countries to choose from.  

The service supports two protocols within their apps (OpenVPN and WireGuard). Two industry-standard options known for their strong security. 

It has dual-stack servers that allow torrenting. There are also no IP or DNS leaks, and their apps include an Internet kill switch to protect you even if the VPN connection drops.

AirVPN has no speed, bandwidth, or data limits and allows 5 simultaneous connections. It provides functional apps for Windows, Linux, Mac, Linux, iOS, and other operating systems.

This provider believes in complete transparency. That’s why you can inspect real-time server stats and their technical specs on their website.

It’s also one of the few providers that has port-forwarding and many more tech-features.

AirVPN has a wide variety of plans to choose from. From a 3-day 2-Euro plan, to 1/3/6-months, all the way up to 3-years.

Their plans come with a 30-day refund policy. However, their Terms of Service mention that “AirVPN accepts only written refund requests sent to the addresses given in the Privacy Notice.” Not very user-friendly, but at least it’s a no-questions-asked process.

Do I Need VPN with IPv6 Support?

It depends on your requirements.

Currently, you need an IPv6 VPN to use T-Mobile networks securely. That’s because the Internet service provider has fully transitioned to using the new Internet protocol version.

Wikipedia often blocks entire ranges of T-Mobile IP addresses due to abuse by certain users. Why entire ranges, you ask?

Well, T-Mobile has configured their IPv6 servers in a way that may change the IP on mobile phones for every restart. That means there’s no easy way to distinguish between regular users and vandals.

In such cases, using an IPv6 VPN will allow you to obtain IP addresses outside of these blocked ranges.

Should I Disable IPv6 if I Use VPN?

You can fully avoid leaks if you disable IPv6. Operating systems like Microsoft Windows let you disable this Internet protocol from the system settings.

That said, you don’t really need to do so to stay safe. Simply use any of our recommended VPNs that support IPv6, and you’re good to go.

The only real reason to disable IPv6 is if you use a manual VPN connection (through IKEv2 or OpenVPN, for example).

Alternatively, you can use a VPN like NordVPN that automatically blocks IPv6 traffic. It also comes with strong security features, such as built-in Threat Protection that keeps you safe against malicious ads, phishing, and even malware.

And while the VPN doesn’t support IPv6 yet, their engineers are hard at work to make that possible.

Should I Enable IPv6 on My Router?

Your ISP most likely already supports IPv6, especially if you have a modern router. If you plan on using any IPV6 VPN services, contact your ISP and ask if it’s possible to enable the new Internet protocol on your home network.

On modern hardware, it should be enabled by default. Otherwise, it should only take a few clicks to get started.

Depending on the manufacturer, your router will enter an auto-configuration mode for a few minutes and reboot with IPv6 support.

Some routers may require additional steps you can easily find on the manufacturer’s website.

How to Prevent IPv6 VPN Leaks

VPNs that do not support IPv6 usually block the whole Internet protocol stack in your OS. This is usually done automatically every time you connect to a VPN.

For example, NordVPN is a popular service that currently does not allow IPv6 traffic. It simply sets the address value to fd00::1 once connected.. This is a local network address that is not allowed to be routed publicly, so can not be leaked.

VPNs that do support IPv6 must take into account many technical challenges. For example, to prevent leaking your real IP address while reconnecting to another server.

DNS queries must also be handled too. If VPN apps are incorrectly configured they can leak your DNS requests and bypass the secure VPN tunnel.

To prevent an IPv6 leak you need to use a VPN service that handles all corner case scenarios. An internet kill switch is also a must-have feature to protect against leaks.

And while not strictly necessary, some providers suggest you disable IPv6 within your OS settings. That way your device will only connect through IPv4 addresses.

If you’re worried about exposing your online traffic, there’s a simple way to test for leaks.

How to Test for IPv6 Leaks

Whether you are using a VPN that supports IPv6 or not, testing for IPv6 leaks is important. The easiest way to do that is to check on the ipleak.net website.

Here’s how you should test for VPN IPv6 leaks:

1. Connect to a VPN server.
2. Visit the IPleak.net website.
3. Wait until all automatic tests pass.
4. Check the results for IP and DNS leaks.

The expected result for a VPN that does not work with IPv6 is that the test should show that the IPv6 address is unreachable.

If a VPN supports such traffic, then both IP addresses should be completely different before and after connecting to a VPN server.

An advanced way to test is to use packet sniffers such as Wireshark, but that requires extensive networking knowledge.

What to Do If My IPv6 Is Leaking?

First off, see if the problem persists when you use a different device or server. If it does, it may be worth contacting customer support about the issue.

In the meantime, you can disable IPv6 on your device. Alternatively, use one of the VPNs recommended above. We’ve tested all 3 of them and neither of them leaked our IPv4 or IPv6 addresses.

You can also check out our list of the best VPNs for some providers that block IPv6 traffic.   

IPv6 VPN FAQ

We answer some questions about IPv4 and IPv6 that frequently pop up in online discussions.

What’s the Difference Between Each Internet Protocol Version?

The main difference between an IPv4 and an IPv6 address is their length and format. Here are some examples of how the addresses look like:

• IPv4 – 192.158.1.38
• IPv6 – 2001:db8:3333:4444:5555:6666:7777:8888

The longer addresses support both numbers and letters, thus providing more unique options for the billions of devices connecting to the Internet each day.

What Are the Advantages of IPv6?

The main perks of using IPv6 addresses are as follows:

• More IP addresses to go around – necessary for billions of devices with network capabilities manufactured every year
• Efficient routing thanks to reduced routing table size
• Bandwidth conservation due to auto-configuration mode in host devices
• Better for mobile devices – you can keep using the same IP address on your phone even as you move between regions.   

IPv4 vs IPv6 – Which IP Addresses Are Faster?

Tests done by Facebook and Apple engineers show that access to their services can be faster over an IPv6 address. That said, there are other studies that suggest there are no significant speed differences between the two protocols.

In the end, IPv4 and IPv6 will continue to co-exist until more devices are built exclusively with IPv6 addresses in mind.

Does ExpressVPN Work with IPv6?

No, ExpressVPN does not offer IPv6 address support. Like most VPNs nowadays, ExpressVPN completely blocks IPv6 traffic

As IPv6 adoption becomes more widespread, ExpressVPN may eventually transition to a dual-stacked service (that works with IPv4 and IPv6).

Does CyberGhost VPN Support IPv6?

Unfortunately, CyberGhost VPN does not support IPv6 at this time. Luckily, their service is fully leak-proof, so there’s no risk of leaking your IPv6 address.

Does OpenVPN Support IPv6?

Yes, OpenVPN has added support for IPv6 within the encrypted tunnel as of version 2.3.0. That said, not every VPN client that has OpenVPN automatically supports IPv6.

Conclusion

Many VPNs do not support the new version of the IP protocol but rather block it. Sadly, there’s not much economic incentive for the best VPN services out there to support the new protocol.

The best solution that works with IPv6 so far is Perfect Privacy. They have servers in 25 different countries, offer multi-hop connections and obfuscation. What’s more, their network runs on RAM-disk servers for extra security.