If you’ve been in the proxy or data-scraping world for a while, you’ve likely heard the same claim for years: “IPv4 is dying.”

Yet here we are in 2026, and IPv4 remains the industry heavyweight.

That said, as data operations scale and infrastructure demands grow, the conversation is shifting toward IPv6 faster than ever.

At ColdProxy, we’re frequently asked:

“Should I save money with IPv6, or stick with the reliability of IPv4?”

The answer isn’t a simple yes or no—it depends on understanding where the web is heading.

The Elephant in the Room: Scarcity vs Abundance

IPv4 is like real estate in a crowded city. With roughly 4.3 billion addresses, scarcity has turned IPv4 into a premium resource—especially in proxy networks.

IPv6, by contrast, is virtually limitless. With 340 undecillion addresses, it completely solves the IP-exhaustion problem. However, abundance introduces a new challenge: how quickly the broader internet ecosystem fully adopts it.

The “Compatibility Trap”

One of the most common mistakes we see is users purchasing large IPv6 proxy volumes because the pricing is attractive—only to discover their target websites don’t support IPv6 at all.

A significant portion of the internet still relies on IPv4-only infrastructure. If a target does not support IPv6, connections simply won’t resolve.

Before committing, verification is essential. That’s why we recommend checking IPv6 compatibility in advance to avoid wasted budget and operational delays.

Before you buy, take this step: we’ve built a simple tool to help you avoid unnecessary costs. Use our IPv6 Compatibility Checker to verify whether your target site supports IPv6. It takes only a few seconds and can help prevent wasted budget and operational delays.

Breaking Down Performance: A Practical View

Reliability:

IPv4 remains the most universally supported protocol. For workflows involving account management, authentication, or session-sensitive tasks, IPv4 continues to be the safest choice.

Scalability:

IPv6 excels at scale. For high-volume data operations on platforms that fully support IPv6, it enables massive IP rotation at significantly lower cost.

The Trust Factor:

Because IPv6 addresses are easier to obtain, some platforms apply stricter reputation or behavior analysis. IPv4 addresses often carry higher implicit trust, while IPv6 requires more deliberate traffic patterns and session management to maintain stability.

Where Is the Future Heading?

This is no longer an IPv4 vs IPv6 debate—it’s about coexistence.

The most effective strategy today is a hybrid approach. Many teams rely on IPv4 for session-critical workflows while leveraging IPv6 for large-scale, high-throughput tasks when compatibility allows.

This approach balances reliability, scalability, and cost efficiency.

The Verdict

If your priority is universal compatibility and maximum reliability, IPv4 remains the safest option.

If your goal is large-scale growth and cost-efficient expansion—and your targets support it—IPv6 offers a powerful path forward.

Whichever route you choose, ColdProxy provides the infrastructure and flexibility to ensure stable, secure, and scalable proxy operations.

Explore ColdProxy services: https://coldproxy.com/