Much of the OSPF for IPv6 feature is the same as in OSPF version 2. OSPF version 3 for IPv6, which is described in RFC 2740, expands on OSPF version 2 to provide support for IPv6 routing prefixes and the larger size of IPv6 addresses.

In OSPF for IPv6, a routing process does not need to be explicitly created. Enabling OSPF for IPv6 on an interface will cause a routing process and its associated configuration, to be created.

Furthermore, in OSPFv3 on Cisco IOS, each interface must be enabled using commands in interface configuration mode. This feature is different from OSPF version 2, in which interfaces are indirectly enabled using the router configuration mode.

When using a non-broadcast multi-access (NBMA) interface in OSPF for IPv6, users must manually configure the router with the list of neighbors. Neighboring routers are identified by their router ID. In IPv6, users can configure many address prefixes on an interface. In OSPF for IPv6, all address prefixes on an interface are included by default. Users cannot select some address prefixes to be imported into OSPF for IPv6; either all address prefixes on an interface are imported, or no address prefixes on an interface are imported.

Unlike OSPF version 2, multiple instances of OSPF for IPv6 can be run on a link.