Start with the requirement and time horizon
Write down the prefix size, number of addresses, intended use, origin ASN and expected period of use. A /24 contains 256 addresses, a /23 contains 512 and a /22 contains 1,024. Use the same prefix size when comparing offers.
Leasing may suit a requirement that changes over time or a business preserving cash. Buying through a resource transfer may suit a longer-term requirement. Neither decision follows from the monthly price alone: availability, contract terms, transfer eligibility and operational responsibilities matter.
Build two comparable totals
- Lease: recurring price multiplied by the planned number of months, plus setup, operational and exit costs.
- Purchase: agreed resource price, plus transaction, registry and operational costs over the same period.
Use the same currency and VAT treatment. Include deposits and advance payments in the cash-flow plan, even where refundable. Obtain actual quotes for escrow, brokerage and registry charges instead of assuming they are included.
A simple worked example
ELISTEKA currently advertises a /24 from €104.90 per month, excluding VAT where applicable and subject to availability. At an unchanged rate, 12 months of rent would total €1,258.80 and 36 months €3,776.40. These are arithmetic scenarios, not quotes for those terms.
Suppose an independent purchase quote were €6,000 for the same /24. Dividing €6,000 by €104.90 gives about 57.2 months. That is only a rent-versus-purchase-price crossover: it excludes fees, financing, operating costs and any future resale value. The €6,000 figure is illustrative, not a current market valuation.
Check the operational differences
For either option, confirm your upstream accepts the proposed announcement and establish who maintains the relevant routing records, ROA and reverse DNS. A resource agreement does not itself provide connectivity. Ask how origin-ASN changes, abuse reports and third-party reputation issues are handled.
For a lease, examine the renewal price, minimum commitment, termination notice and renumbering requirements. For a purchase, verify the holder, eligibility and applicable registry transfer process before committing funds.
Use prices with context
An advertised starting price, a marketplace asking price and a completed transaction describe different things. A price from another region or block size may not apply to your requirement. Use our dated IPv4 lease comparison to see how terms affect the numbers.
For ELISTEKA availability, request an IPv4 lease quote. If you hold unused space, review the seller submission process.