IPv4 vs IPv6 Proxy Servers: How Do They Compare?

The internet as we know it today runs predominantly on IPv4, the fourth revision of the Internet Protocol. However, with the rapid growth of internet-connected devices and global internet usage, IPv4 addresses are running out.

This gave rise to IPv6, the next generation of IP addressing designed to overcome the limitations of IPv4. But even after over a decade since its release, global adoption of IPv6 remains low.

If you‘re looking to buy proxies for web scraping or sneaker bots, chances are they will be IPv4 proxies. But as more providers start offering IPv6 proxies, you may be wondering – which one should I choose?

In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll cover everything you need to know about IPv4 and IPv6 proxies, and how they compare when it comes to web scraping and general proxy use cases.

A Brief History of IP Addressing

Before diving into the nitty-gritty differences between IPv4 and IPv6, let‘s go over a brief history of IP addressing.

IP stands for Internet Protocol. An IP address identifies a device connected to the internet. Without IP addresses, devices wouldn‘t be able to communicate with each other over the internet.

The first publicly used version of IP was IPv4, developed in 1981. IPv4 uses 32-bit addresses, which means there can be around 4.3 billion possible unique addresses.

Back then, 4.3 billion addresses seemed plenty. However, with the explosive growth of the internet and internet-connected devices, we‘ve been facing an IPv4 address shortage for over a decade now.

To solve this, Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) was publicly launched in 2012. IPv6 uses 128-bit addresses, allowing for a whopping 340 undecillion unique IP addresses. That‘s 340 followed by 36 zeroes!

So in theory, IPv6 provides more than enough IP addresses to last us many lifetimes over. But in reality, adoption has been very slow. Most networks today still rely predominantly on IPv4.

Next, let‘s take a closer look at the technical differences between the two protocols.

IPv4 vs IPv6 Addresses: Key Differences

Here‘s a quick rundown of how IPv4 and IPv6 addresses differ:

• Address length – IPv4 uses 32 bits for its addresses, allowing for 4.3 billion addresses. IPv6 uses 128 bits for addresses, allowing for 340 undecillion unique addresses.

• Address format – An IPv4 address consists of four decimal numbers separated by dots, like 192.168.1.1. An IPv6 address consists of eight groups of four hexadecimal numbers separated by colons, like 2001:0db8:0000:0000:0000:ff00:0042:8329.

• Address scope – IPv4 has three address scopes – public, private, and loopback. IPv6 has nine different address scopes for finer control over address allocation.

• Security – IPv6 was designed with security in mind and has native support for encryption. IPv4 has basic security provisions through IPSec but lacks native encryption.

• Packet header – The IPv6 packet header is simpler than IPv4 with fewer fields. This makes it more efficient to route and process IPv6 packets.

• Auto-configuration – IPv6 supports stateless auto-configuration using Neighbor Discovery Protocol. This lets devices configure IPv6 addresses automatically when connected to a network. IPv4 requires manual or DHCP configuration.

• Multicast & broadcast – IPv4 uses broadcast whereas IPv6 uses multicast. IPv6 multicast allows for more efficient streaming and group communication.

• Compatibility – IPv6 and IPv4 are not interoperable. Special tunnels or translation mechanisms are required for IPv6 devices to communicate with IPv4 networks and vice versa.

As you can see, IPv6 provides several enhancements over IPv4, especially in terms of address space, security, and efficiency. But the lack of backward compatibility has greatly slowed its adoption.

Next, let‘s talk about how proxies work with each IP protocol.

IPv4 Proxies

An IPv4 proxy is simply a proxy server that uses an IPv4 address. Most of the proxies you‘ll find today will be IPv4 proxies.

Here are some things to know about IPv4 proxies:

• Limited address space – Because of the limited pool of 4.3 billion IPv4 addresses, it‘s getting harder for providers to acquire fresh, virgin IP addresses. As such, expect a lot of re-used addresses.

• Shared addresses – With the IPv4 shortage, mobile carriers use Carrier Grade NAT (CGNAT) to share one public IPv4 address among thousands of customers. This makes mobile IPv4 proxies very hard to block.

• Residential proxies – All major residential proxy providers currently offer IPv4 residential proxies. No decent residential IPv6 proxies exist.

• Web support – Most websites still only support IPv4. According to W3Techs, 71% of Alexa top 500 websites still don‘t have IPv6 support.

• Better circumvention – Since IPv4 offers limited IP space and shared IPs, it‘s very hard for websites to permanently block IPv4 proxies. This makes IPv4 better for sites with advanced bot protection.

So in summary, IPv4 proxies are still the de facto standard when it comes to residential proxies and proxy sources ideal for scraping and automation. The limited IP space ironically works in favor of proxies.

Next up, let‘s discuss IPv6 proxies and how they compare.

IPv6 Proxies

As the name suggests, an IPv6 proxy uses an IPv6 IP address. Here are some key things to know about IPv6 proxies:

• Massive IP space – With such a huge pool of IPs, it‘s easy for providers to acquire millions of fresh, unused IPv6 addresses. No need to reuse IPs.

• Dedicated IP allocation – IPv6 doesn‘t use shared IP schemes like CGNAT. So most IPs are dedicated to individual connections. This makes them easier to blacklist.

• No residential proxies – There are practically no legitimate residential IPv6 proxies yet. Most IPv6 proxies come from datacenters.

• Cheap – With abundant addresses, IPv6 datacenter proxies are very cheap compared to IPv4. You can buy 1,000 IPv6 proxies for the price of a small residential IPv4 network.

• Easy blacklisting – The massive IP space makes it easy for sites to permanently blacklist IPv6 sources once detected. A single ban can knock out an entire datacenter subnet.

• Limited website support – A vast majority of websites still don‘t support IPv6. So, IPv6 proxies have very limited use outside technology companies.

As you can see, IPv6 proxies come with major drawbacks when used for general proxy use cases like ad verification, web scraping, sneaker bots, etc. The only advantage is cost, but proxies are worthless if sites can easily block them.

Now that we‘ve compared both types of proxies, let‘s move on to some practical tips for choosing between IPv4 and IPv6.

Choosing Between IPv4 vs IPv6 Proxies

So should you buy IPv6 proxies instead of the usual IPv4 proxies? Here are some guidelines to help decide:

• For web scraping & bots – Stick with IPv4 proxies, as they are harder to block on most sites and work across more websites.

• For accessing IPv6-only sites – If you need to access websites that only work over IPv6, use IPv6 proxies. For all other sites, go with IPv4.

• For cost savings – If you have an unconventional use case and need lots of IPs on the cheap, IPv6 datacenter proxies may work. But expect blocks.

• For startups/MVPs – Starting out? Just use public proxies or cloud scraping services. No need to deal with IP proxies yet.

• For average users – Regular individuals accessing geo-blocked sites can still safely use free public proxies. No need for paid proxies.

In most cases today, IPv4 proxies are still the better choice over IPv6 proxies. The main exception is if you need to access websites or services that only work over IPv6.

For web scraping, sneaker bots, ad verification, and similar proxy use cases, IPv4 proxies are harder to block, work on more sites, and offer better quality residential IPs.

And when it comes to residential proxies, there are currently no legitimate options for IPv6 residential proxies. All major providers like Oxylabs, Bright Data, and Smartproxy only offer IPv4 residential proxies.

However, IPv6 adoption is steadily growing about 10-15% each year. Major cloud providers like Amazon AWS, Google Cloud, and Cloudflare now all support IPv6. So while IPv4 proxies still reign supreme today, IPv6 proxies will likely start playing a bigger role down the road.

FAQs About IPv4 and IPv6 Proxies

Here are answers to some common questions about IPv4 and IPv6 proxies:

Why are IPv6 proxies so cheap compared to IPv4?

Since IPv6 has such a massive pool of addresses, providers can easily generate millions of fresh IPs at little cost. This abundance of IPs is why datacenter IPv6 proxies are cheap.

Are there any legitimate residential IPv6 proxies?

As of now, all major residential proxy providers like Bright Data, Oxylabs, and Smartproxy only offer IPv4 residential proxies. No reputable residential IPv6 proxy networks seem to exist yet.

Can I use IPv6 proxies for sneaker bots?

Not recommended. Sneaker sites have very sophisticated bot protection. The massive scale of IPv6 makes it very easy for them to permanently block entire IPv6 ranges. Stick with residential IPv4 proxies for sneaker bots.

How do I know if a website supports IPv6?

Use the IPv6 Test to check if a domain has IPv6 address records (AAAA records). You can also check on W3Techs to see if an Alexa Top 1 Million site supports IPv6.

Should I buy IPv6 proxies for web scraping?

For general web scraping, IPv4 proxies are still a much safer bet. They offer better quality IPs less prone to blocking. The limited IPv4 space works in favor of rotation. Only consider IPv6 for scraping IPv6-only sites.

Summary: Stick to IPv4 Proxies for Now

To recap:

• IPv4 is still the dominant IP protocol with over 90% share of global internet traffic.

• Most websites and proxy providers still only support IPv4.

• IPv6 adoption has been relatively slow despite the protocol being over a decade old.

• IPv4 proxies have fewer IP addresses available but this scarcity actually makes them ideal for circumvention and automation.

• The massive scale of IPv6 proxies makes them cheap but also very easy to block permanently.

So in most cases today, IPv4 proxies remain the better, safer choice for web scraping, sneaker bots, ad verification and similar proxy use cases.

For accessing IPv6-only sites or services, obviously you‘ll need to use IPv6 proxies specifically. But outside of those niche use cases, IPv4 is still king when it comes to residential proxies ideal for automation and circumvention.