VPN With Static IP and Port Forwarding: Real Picks (2026)
Most VPNs sell one half of the static-IP-plus-port-forwarding combo and stay quiet about the other. See which providers actually sell both, what the pair costs, and how to verify it in minutes.
Quick Answer
They exist, but rarely in one box: PureVPN sells dedicated IP and port forwarding as add-ons that work together, while Proton VPN includes port forwarding on every paid plan and offers dedicated IPs separately on Business. Match your use case below, then verify the port from an outside network before the refund window closes.
A VPN with static IP and port forwarding is one of those topics where every review names a different winner — because most providers sell one half of the combo and quietly skip the other. I run NAT Checker, and the messages behind this question are always practical: a Plex address that must never change, a camera feed that has to stay reachable, an office nobody can dial back into since the ISP moved them behind CGNAT. So this guide does the boring thing first: it separates static IP, dedicated IP, and port forwarding into what each word actually buys you, then ranks the two providers that sell the pair honestly, and walks the five-minute setup that proves the port is open from outside your network.
Static IP, Dedicated IP, Port Forwarding: What Each Word Actually Buys
A VPN with a static IP and port forwarding gives you two things at once: an external address that never changes, and an open port on that address so the internet can start connections to your server. Few providers sell both in one plan — verify the pair on the provider’s own pages before subscribing.
New to the topic?What a public IP address revealsWhy your ISP hides your IP (CGNAT)
Static IP: the address that never changes
Your exit address stays the same across sessions and reconnects. That is what let whitelists, firewalls, and logins remember you — and what shared VPN pools break every time you reconnect.
Dedicated IP: static AND only yours
A dedicated IP is a static address nobody else uses. It ends block-list roulette and captcha loops, and it is the version worth paying an add-on for. A “static” address shared with a thousand strangers is not what you came here for.
Port forwarding: the reachable door
Forwarding opens one port on that external address and maps it to your device — the part that makes Plex, game servers, and remote desktop reachable. Providers implement it as an add-on, an app toggle, or a manual request, and the details decide whether the combo actually works.
Match Your Use Case Before You Buy Anything
Seven different situations lead to the same question, and they need different halves of the combo. The last column tells you where a subscription actually earns its keep.
| Your situation | What you actually need | Pay or free? |
|---|---|---|
| Plex or Jellyfin at an address that never changes | Dedicated IP plus one forwarded port — the address stops re-login prompts, the port makes remote streaming work. | Pay — the combo add-ons |
| CCTV, DVR, or smart-home access from outside | A static entry point with one or two forwarded ports — and a provider that allows camera-style traffic. | Pay — see the picks |
| Dialing back into an office network | Business-grade reachability: a dedicated address, a single forwarded port for the VPN gateway, and client whitelisting. | Pay — Business tier or a VPS |
| Game servers friends join every week | Forwarding matters far more than the address — friends connect to whatever exit IP you publish, as long as it does not change mid-week. | Pay — Proton VPN |
| Seeding on private trackers with a fixed identity | A dedicated IP keeps your ratio story consistent, plus P2P-friendly forwarded ports — check the provider’s port list limits first. | Pay — combo add-ons |
| Starlink, T-Mobile, or any CGNAT line | Your ISP cannot give you a public address at all — the VPN becomes the public entry point your router never had. | Pay — the picks or our CGNAT guide |
| Shared VPN IPs keep getting blocked or flagged | The unshared part alone fixes this — a dedicated IP ends the block-list roulette even before forwarding enters the picture. | Pay — dedicated IP add-on |
VPNs That Actually Sell Both: The Two Real Picks
Two honest routes to the combo: PureVPN bundles dedicated IP and port forwarding as paired add-ons, Proton VPN includes forwarding on paid plans and sells dedicated addresses on Business. Each card says who it fits — the comparison settles the rest.
PureVPN
- Dedicated IP add-on for a personal, static address
- Port forwarding add-on combines with the dedicated IP
- Ports are a manual list — a set of forwards, not unlimited ranges
- 31-day money-back guarantee
Proton VPN
- Port forwarding included on paid plans (Windows & Linux apps)
- Dedicated IPs offered on Business plans for a clean address
- WireGuard default; Stealth fallback; open-source apps
- Five independent no-logs audits · 30-day money-back guarantee
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VPN with static IP and port forwarding comparison
Marketing pages blur the two features on purpose. Compare them separately: how you get the fixed address, how the port opens, and what the pair costs together at renewal.
| VPN | The combo | Port forwarding | Static / dedicated IP | Price model | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PureVPN | Both halves in one account | Port forwarding add-on: manual list on supported locations | Dedicated IP add-on (personal static address) | Lowest combined add-on price; 31-day refund | The simplest way to get the full combo |
| Proton VPN | Forwarding included; address via Business | Port forwarding: NAT-PMP, permanent while enabled (Win/Linux) | Dedicated IPs on Business plans | Paid plans; Business tier for dedicated IP | Best-supported route to a reachable port |
| Private Internet Access | Native forwarding, IPs by country | Port forwarding: built into the apps | Dedicated IP add-on by region | Cheap multi-year plans | Solid third option when price ties |
| Windscribe | Static IP sold as its own product | Port forwarding: Pro accounts, requested manually | Yearly static IP purchase | Mid price | Fine for one fixed device |
| OVPN | Dedicated IP with all ports open | Port forwarding: fully open, self-managed | Dedicated IP paired with it | Premium price | The self-hoster’s clean entry |
The naming trap older reviews spread
“Static IP VPN” lists still recommend providers that quietly dropped one half: Mullvad removed port forwarding in 2023, and NordVPN never sold inbound forwarding at all. Check both features on the provider’s own pages — not the review — before paying, because the combo is exactly what comes and goes.
Combo availability checked September 7, 2026, against each provider’s own documentation. Re-check the checkout total and renewal terms at purchase.
Proton VPN or PureVPN? Pick by Situation
| If this is you | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Plex or cameras at an address that must never change | PureVPN | The dedicated IP and forwarding add-ons combine — address and port in one account. |
| A game server where the open port matters most | Proton VPN | Forwarding is included on paid plans, with audits behind the tunnel. |
| Lowest combined monthly total | PureVPN | Cheapest add-on pairing — compare the renewal total, not the first month. |
| Shared VPN IPs keep getting blocked | PureVPN dedicated IP (or Proton Business) | An unshared address ends block-list roulette even before ports enter. |
| Seeding on private trackers | PureVPN | Fixed identity plus P2P ports — mind the manual port-list limits. |
| Still torn after the checklist | Proton VPN | Forwarding included everywhere, five audits, and a refund window to verify. |
How to Set Up a VPN Static IP With Port Forwarding
Ten minutes, one variable at a time. These are the same five steps I run before trusting any combo — the last one is where most “it didn’t work” stories actually fail.
Confirm which halves you actually need
Write down the failure you are fixing: an address that changes, a port that never opens, or both. The use-case table above maps each failure to the feature — buying both halves when you need one is the most common overspend.
Pick the provider that sells your pair
Need both on one address: PureVPN’s paired add-ons are the direct answer. Need the port most: Proton VPN includes forwarding on paid plans. Check the feature on the provider’s own documentation, not a review — this combo changes without notice.
Enable the add-ons before first connect
In the member area, activate the dedicated IP and port forwarding options and note the assigned address and port numbers. On Proton, confirm your plan includes forwarding and install the Windows or Linux app, where the toggle lives.
Assign a local static IP and open the port
Give your server a fixed local address via your router’s DHCP reservation, then put the VPN’s forwarded port into the app — Plex, the game server, or the camera NVR. One public port maps to one local address; keep them consistent or the door opens onto nothing.
Verify from outside your network
Test the service from cellular data, reconnect the VPN twice and confirm the exit address and port both hold steady, then run the NAT Checker with the tunnel on. A port that only works from your own LAN is still closed.
When the Combo Is Overkill: Cheaper Static Entry Points
A subscription is not the only way to get a fixed, reachable address. Three of these routes cost less — each trades setup time, a phone call, or scope instead of money.
A $5 VPS + WireGuard — your own static IP
A tiny cloud server gives you a real static address with every port open, under your control. More setup than an app, and the address is yours forever. Our remote-access guide compares the full field.
Remote access without port forwardingA business line from your ISP
If your carrier sells business internet, a static IP usually comes with it — the old-fashioned way to get a fixed address with normal router port forwarding. One sales call replaces a subscription; our public IP guide explains what to ask for.
Public IP address guideCloudflare Tunnel — web apps only
cloudflared exposes a self-hosted web app through Cloudflare with zero open ports and no static IP at all. Great for dashboards and sites; game servers need UDP, which the Tunnel does not carry.
Mesh tools for device-to-device access
When strangers never need to reach you, mesh VPNs connect your own machines directly and make the static-IP question disappear. They stop at your front door — public reachability still needs a port.
The use-case table and the five-step checklist work with any provider — including one we do not earn a commission from. If you already pay for a VPN, run the method on it first; buy the combo only if it fails the verify step.
VPN with static IP and port forwarding FAQ
Verify the Port, Then Keep the Combo
A static address you cannot reach is just a name tag. Buy inside the refund window, connect, and prove the port from cellular data while the address holds steady across reconnects — our NAT Checker shows both sides of that test in one run.
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