shouldiuse.io

VERDICT

Should I use ipapi.is?

ipapi.is offers precise IP data via a user-friendly API, encompassing geolocation, ASN data, hosting detection, VPN detection, and proxy detection. - ipapi.is

Worth it. Buy if you're a developer or small team needing IP geolocation plus VPN/proxy/hosting detection with a real free tier. Skip if you need enterprise support, vendor depth, or a spotless security record — this is a one-person company with a reported data leak.

Confidence

Medium. Based on ~30 public sources. Caveat: G2/Capterra 'ipapi' listings frequently describe ipapi.co (Kloudend, Inc.), a different product — ratings here were treated with caution.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support quality
  • Security posture

Pricing

$0

Free

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes
Paid plansNot disclosed in sources reviewed

Best for

  • Developers embedding IP geo in apps
  • VPN/proxy/datacenter fraud checks
  • Projects needing a free daily quota
  • Security tooling blocking hosting IPs

Not for

  • Non-technical buyers wanting a point-and-click dashboard — it's an API
  • Enterprises needing SLAs, account teams, and multi-person support
  • Anyone making it a primary security control without verifying the leak report
  • Buyers who conflate it with or — different companies

Gotchas - check before you buy

high

Verify the leaked-database report before relying on it for IP-based security blocking

medium

Confirm you're on: G2/Capterra 'ipapi' reviews describe a different company (Kloudend's)

medium

Support, uptime, and roadmap all depend on one person's availability

low

Free tier caps at 1,000 requests/day; paid-tier limits aren't visible in sources — verify before committing

Pros and cons

Pros

  • 1,000 free requests daily on a free account
  • 97% company-name accuracy, ahead of's 95%
  • Geolocation, ASN, hosting, VPN, and proxy detection in one API
  • Listed among Geekflare's 20 best IP geolocation APIs
  • One-time credits never expire

Cons

  • Entire product run by one solo developer — continuity risk
  • Brinztech reported a leaked 2.55 GB IP intelligence database
  • No dedicated security page found
  • Review sites conflate it with (Kloudend), muddying ratings

Sources & method

Analyzed 9/24/2026 - 10 sources - Brinztech reported a leaked 2.55 GB ipapi.is database; a DPA is published, but no dedicated security page was found.

official x4review x4security x2
  • 2.55 GB IP intelligence database leaked, Brinztech's breach alert reports a 2.55 GB database leak, warning it could compromise IP-based security layers relying on this data.

Key stats

  • Value for money: 5/5

    Rating

  • $0

    Starting price

  • 10

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 5/5. 1,000 free daily requests; credits never expire
  • Ease of use: 4/5. Described as fast, reliable, user-friendly by reviewers
  • Feature depth: 4/5. Geo, ASN, hosting, VPN, proxy, company detection in one API
  • Support quality: 3/5. Solo founder, but visibly responsive on Reddit
  • Security posture: 2/5. Reported database leak; no dedicated security page found
  • 1,000 req/day Free tier Free account, per official docs and GitHub
  • 97% Company-name accuracy vs ipinfo.io 95% (Warmly comparison)
  • $20k MRR Founder-reported revenue Solo founder, Reddit AMA
  • 1 Team size Solo developer, per r/selfhosted

Pricing

Free

$0

  • 1,000 requests per day
  • Geo, ASN, VPN/proxy, hosting detection

Paid plans

Not disclosed

  • One-time credits, never expire
  • See pricing page for current tiers

Security

Brinztech reported a leaked 2.55 GB ipapi.is database; a DPA is published, but no dedicated security page was found.

  • 2.55 GB IP intelligence database leakedBrinztech's breach alert reports a 2.55 GB database leak, warning it could compromise IP-based security layers relying on this data.⁹

What users say

Developers describe it as a fast, accurate IP API with a useful free tier, and the solo founder is unusually visible and engaged online.

“In case anyone needs a all around good IP api with excellent threat ...”
Hacker News
“IPapi is a fast and reliable IP geolocation API”
Geekflare
“free plan, consider using https://ipapi.is/”
Reddit, r/HomeNetworking

Alternatives

Compare ipapi.is with each alternative.

  • ipinfo.io

    Category incumbent; slightly lower company-name accuracy in Warmly's comparison

  • ip-api.com

    Free IP geolocation API; popular with hobbyist and self-hosted setups

  • ipengine.dev

    Free alternative to paid IP info APIs, per Reddit users

    ipapi.is vs ipengine.dev

  • Abstract API IP Geolocation

    Commercial IP geolocation API positioned as an ipapi.is alternative

Companies that use it

  • Luma AI
Full analysis

Based on ~30 public sources. Caveat: G2/Capterra 'ipapi' listings frequently describe ipapi.co (Kloudend, Inc.), a different product — ratings here were treated with caution.

Accurate IP API with a genuine free tier — but one-person company and a reported data leak. Fine for devs, risky as a security backbone.

Methodology

Based on ~30 public sources. Caveat: G2/Capterra 'ipapi' listings frequently describe ipapi.co (Kloudend, Inc.), a different product — ratings here were treated with caution.

Sources

  1. ipapi.is homepageipapi.is
    official
  2. Documentation for Developersipapi.is
    official
  3. About — credit policyipapi.is
    official
  4. Data Processing Agreementipapi.is
    official
  5. Reddit AMA: solo project at $20k MRRreddit.com
    review
  6. Hacker News recommendation threadnews.ycombinator.com
    review
  7. Warmly: company-name accuracy comparisonwarmly.ai
    review
  8. Capterra listingcapterra.com
    review
  9. Brinztech breach alertbrinztech.com
    security
  10. eSentire: Tycoon 2FA phishing infrastructureesentire.com
    security

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