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Quick Answer
A dedicated IP is an address used by one hosting account only, while a shared IP is used by many accounts on the same server. Most small sites run fine on a shared IP. Hostwinds is the one provider in our fact sheets that lists a free dedicated IP on shared hosting, with plans starting at $6.99 per month (checked October 2026). If you need a dedicated address for email reputation, a separate firewall rule or a fixed address for a partner, check that the host states it in writing before you pay.
Key Takeaways
- Hostwinds states that each shared hosting account receives its own cPanel account and a dedicated IP address.
- Hostwinds lists shared plans from $6.99 per month for Basic, $8.99 for Advanced and $10.99 for Ultimate.
- Hostwinds Basic allows 1 domain, Advanced allows 4 domains and Ultimate allows unlimited domains.
- The InterServer fact sheet we use does not list a dedicated IP for its standard web hosting plan, so confirm it with InterServer before assuming one.
- A dedicated IP is not needed for free SSL on most modern plans, so do not pay extra only for that reason.
What Is a Dedicated IP in Web Hosting?
A dedicated IP is a unique internet address assigned to a single hosting account, and no other customer’s site uses it. Every website lives on a server with at least one address. On shared hosting, one server often carries many accounts, and by default they all answer on the same address. A dedicated IP removes that overlap for your account.
The address matters in three places. Browsers and email servers see it when they connect. Blocklist operators attach reputation to it. Firewalls and partner systems can allow or deny traffic from it by number. Your domain name still points to the address through DNS, so visitors never type it.
Shared IP vs Dedicated IP
A shared IP costs nothing extra and suits most blogs and brochure sites, while a dedicated IP gives you isolation from other tenants. The table below sets out the practical differences.
| Question | Shared IP | Dedicated IP |
|---|---|---|
| Who else uses the address | Other accounts on the server | Only your account |
| Effect of a neighbor’s spam | Can touch the address you use | Does not touch your address |
| Allow-listing by a partner | Hard, because the address can change or be shared | Easier, because the address stays yours |
| Typical cost | Included | Included on some plans, an add-on on others |
| Needed for basic HTTPS | Not on modern plans | Not on modern plans |
Reputation cuts both ways. A dedicated address cannot be dragged down by a neighbor, but you also carry all of the consequences of your own mailing habits. Reviews are opinions, not facts about the service, yet they show how this plays out: reviewers of VPS products on Trustpilot have complained about addresses that arrived already listed on blocklists, which is why you should test any address you are given.
When a Dedicated IP Matters
A dedicated IP matters when something outside your website depends on the address itself. These are the common cases.
- Sending email from your own server. Mailbox providers score the sending address. A clean, single-tenant address gives you control over that score.
- Allow-listing. A payment gateway, an API partner or an office firewall may accept traffic only from fixed addresses.
- Access by IP before DNS is ready. Some teams test a site by address while a domain is still pointing elsewhere.
- Legacy software. Old clients that cannot handle modern HTTPS negotiation may still expect one certificate per address.
- Compliance or audit rules. Some internal policies ask for a separate address per application.
A dedicated IP does not make a site faster, and it does not make a site more secure by itself. We have not run speed tests on any host, so this guide makes no performance claim about dedicated or shared addresses.
Which Hosts Include a Dedicated IP on Shared Plans?
Among the providers in our fact sheets, Hostwinds is the only one that lists a free dedicated IP on shared hosting. Its shared hosting page states “Free Dedicated IP” and that each account gets its own cPanel account and a dedicated IP address (checked October 2026).
InterServer’s standard web hosting page, as captured in our sheet, lists unlimited storage, email accounts and FTP accounts, weekly backups and a free Cloudflare CDN. The sheet does not list a dedicated IP for that plan. That is an absence from our sheet, not a statement that InterServer cannot provide one, so ask its sales team if the address is a requirement.
For every other provider, we hold no dedicated IP fact. Read the host’s plan page or ask sales before you buy.
Hostwinds Shared Hosting: What the Dedicated IP Comes With
Hostwinds lists three shared plans, and the dedicated IP statement sits on the shared hosting page for all of them. The monthly starting prices are shown below.
| Plan | Starting price (checked October 2026) | Domains allowed |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | $6.99 per month | 1 |
| Advanced | $8.99 per month | 4 |
| Ultimate | $10.99 per month | Unlimited |
Hostwinds also lists the following on the same page:
- Unlimited disk space and bandwidth on shared plans.
- Free SSL certificates and unlimited email accounts.
- Nightly backups and 24/7 website monitoring.
- cPanel, with the Softaculous one-click installer for WordPress and other apps.
- Free website migration by the Hostwinds team.
- Support 24/7/365 by live chat or ticket, with managed support included at no additional cost.
- Upgrades through the Client Area with no downtime.
The prices are “starts at” figures from the shared hosting page. Our sheet does not record the billing term or a renewal price for Hostwinds shared plans, so we cannot tell you what the plan costs after the first term. Read the checkout page, and see our web hosting renewal prices guide for how we compare intro and renewal rates.
Check Hostwinds shared hosting plans
What About a VPS With a Dedicated IP?
If you want full control, a VPS is the usual next step, but a VPS is a different product with a different workload. Hostwinds lists unmanaged Linux VPS plans from $4.99 per month and managed Linux VPS plans at $7.14 per month, against a listed price of $10.99 per month (checked October 2026). Hostwinds states that the unmanaged VPS comes without technical, management or administrative support, and that it can be upgraded to managed at any time.
Our sheet does not say how many addresses a Hostwinds VPS includes, so confirm that on the VPS page. If you are new to servers, pick the managed option, because you are the administrator on an unmanaged plan. Our shared hosting vs VPS explainer covers the trade-off, and the cheap VPS hosting roundup lists entry plans.
Pros and Cons
Hostwinds
Pros
- States a free dedicated IP on shared hosting, per its shared hosting page
- cPanel on every shared plan, with Softaculous for one-click installs
- Free website migration by the Hostwinds team
Cons
- Basic allows only 1 domain, so a second site needs Advanced at $8.99 per month or more
- No billing term or renewal price appears in our sheet, so the true long-term cost is unverified
- The unmanaged VPS comes without technical or administrative support
- Its Trustpilot reviews, which are opinions, include complaints about IP addresses that arrived on blocklists
InterServer
Pros
- Standard web hosting costs $2.50 for the first month, then renews at $7 per month
- Unlimited storage, email accounts and FTP accounts for normal use
- Free website migration handled by its team
Cons
- No dedicated IP is listed in our sheet for the standard plan
- Uses DirectAdmin instead of cPanel
- Backups are weekly rather than nightly
- Monthly price rises from $2.50 to $7 after the first month
Which Option Should You Choose?
- Choose Hostwinds shared hosting if a dedicated IP is a firm requirement and you want cPanel with managed support included.
- Choose InterServer if you do not need a dedicated address and want the lowest first-month price in this comparison: $2.50 against $6.99 for Hostwinds Basic.
- Choose a managed VPS if you outgrow shared hosting and want server-level control without administering the machine yourself.
- Skip an unmanaged VPS if you have never run a server, because no support is included.
Read our Hostwinds review for more detail on the provider.
How to Check Whether a Plan Really Includes a Dedicated IP
Ask four questions before you pay, and keep the answers in writing.
- Is the dedicated IP free, or an add-on with a monthly fee?
- Is it assigned automatically at signup or on request?
- Does it stay with the account if you upgrade to a larger plan?
- Can support check the address against public blocklists on your request?
How We Evaluated These Hosts
- We read the official shared hosting and VPS pages for Hostwinds and the web hosting page for InterServer on 2026-10-07 and use only the figures published there.
- We treated a feature as available only when a captured page states it, and marked it as unconfirmed otherwise.
- We applied the same checks to both providers regardless of affiliate status, including at least two cons for each.
- We have not run our own speed, uptime or email-delivery tests, so this guide makes no performance claims.
FAQ
Do I need a dedicated IP for my website?
Most websites do not. A blog, portfolio or small business site works on a shared IP, and free SSL does not require a dedicated address on modern plans. You need one when email reputation, partner allow-listing or a specific compliance rule depends on a fixed address that only your account uses.
Does a dedicated IP improve SEO?
No source in our fact sheets supports that claim, so we do not make it. A dedicated IP changes which address your site answers on, not the quality of your content. Choose one for email, allow-listing or isolation, and judge hosting for SEO by reliability and your own site’s content.
Which shared hosting includes a free dedicated IP?
Among the providers in our fact sheets, Hostwinds lists a free dedicated IP on its shared hosting plans, which start at $6.99 per month for Basic (checked October 2026). We hold no dedicated IP fact for the other providers, so check their plan pages or ask sales before assuming one is included.
Is a dedicated IP the same as a dedicated server?
No. A dedicated IP is one address assigned to your account, and it can sit on a shared server. A dedicated server is a whole physical machine rented by one customer. InterServer’s terms, for example, state that refunds do not apply to dedicated servers or colocation, which shows they are separate products.