shouldiuse.io

VERDICT

Should I use IPAPI?

Free IP to geolocation REST API supporting IPv4 or IPv6 GeoIP and reverse IP lookup using JSON and XML in PHP, JavaScript, Node, Python, Java, and more. - ipapi.com

Depends. Buy if you're a developer adding basic IP geolocation at low volume — the free tier makes trying it painless. Skip or comparison-shop if you're high-volume or need a published security posture.

Confidence

Medium. Based on 20+ public sources. Caution: evidence mixes ipapi.com (APILayer), ipapi.co (Kloudend), and ipapi.is — separate vendors under similar names.

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
PaidUsage-based; $15–$199/mo listed on sister site ipapi.co

Best for

  • Content personalization by visitor region
  • Signup fraud and bot screening
  • Low-volume apps on the free plan

Not for

  • High-volume apps — rivals claim 90% cheaper at 150K requests
  • Compliance-driven buyers — no published security page
  • Anyone expecting or — different vendors entirely
  • Teams needing pinpoint accuracy; IP geolocation is city-level at best

Gotchas - check before you buy

high

Three lookalike vendors: (APILayer), (Kloudend), — separate companies. Verify the domain before paying.

medium

Pricing is per monthly request volume; costs grow with traffic. Forecast usage before committing.

medium

Competitors claim 90% lower cost at 150K requests — negotiate or comparison-shop at scale.

medium

, a similarly named service, reportedly had a 128.4k-account breach. Not this vendor — but check domains carefully.

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Free plan to explore before paying
  • IPv4/IPv6, JSON/XML, reverse IP lookup in one API
  • Bulk tool maps 1,000 IPs, exports CSV/PDF
  • Location, timezone, and security data combined
  • Usage-based pricing scales with request volume

Cons

  • No published security page on site
  • Ranked 25th of 31 active competitors
  • Rival claims 90% cheaper at 150K requests
  • Lookalike brands blur ownership and reviews

Sources & method

Analyzed 9/24/2026 - 16 sources - No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed. Note: ipapi.is, a different vendor with a similar name, reportedly exposed 128.4k accounts; no breach was found for ipapi.com, which also publishes no security page.

official x6review x5security x2news x3
  • ipapi.is breach (different vendor, not this product), A similarly named service,, reportedly exposed 128.4k accounts and a 2.55 GB IP database leak was flagged. No breach was found for itself.

Key stats

  • Value for money: 3/5

    Rating

  • $0

    Starting price

  • 16

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 3/5. Free tier; rivals undercut volume pricing
  • Ease of use: 4/5. Reviewers praise easy setup and use
  • Feature depth: 4/5. IPv4/IPv6, reverse lookup, bulk mapping, security data
  • Support quality: 4/5. 'GREAT support' per SoftwareAdvice review
  • Security posture: 2/5. No published security page; lookalike vendor breached
  • 115,064 Websites using Tracked by BuiltWith
  • $15/mo Starting price Sister site ipapi.co lists tiers to $199
  • Yes Free tier Free plan to explore the API
  • $722.2K Est. revenue Projected this year (Crunchbase)

Pricing

Free

$0

  • Explore the API
  • Limited requests

Paid

Usage-based; $15–$199/mo listed on sister site ipapi.co

  • Priced by monthly API request volume
  • Higher volumes cost more

Security

No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

  • ipapi.is breach (different vendor, not this product)A similarly named service,, reportedly exposed 128.4k accounts and a 2.55 GB IP database leak was flagged. No breach was found for itself.11

Note: ipapi.is, a different vendor with a similar name, reportedly exposed 128.4k accounts; no breach was found for ipapi.com, which also publishes no security page.

Alternatives

Compare IPAPI with each alternative.

  • ip-api.com

    Free since 2012; solid no-cost option for low-volume lookups

  • MaxMind GeoIP2

    Downloadable databases; avoids per-request fees at high volume

  • ipdata.co

    Commercial API frequently recommended in category comparisons

  • ipinfo.io

    Category standard with company-enrichment features

Full analysis

Based on 20+ public sources. Caution: evidence mixes ipapi.com (APILayer), ipapi.co (Kloudend), and ipapi.is — separate vendors under similar names.

Cheap, easy IP geolocation API with a free tier; fine for small apps, but verify the vendor and shop volume pricing.

Methodology

Based on 20+ public sources. Caution: evidence mixes ipapi.com (APILayer), ipapi.co (Kloudend), and ipapi.is — separate vendors under similar names.

Sources

  1. IPAPI homepageipapi.com
    official
  2. IPAPI pricingipapi.com
    official
  3. IPAPI contact / free planipapi.com
    official
  4. IPAPI security page scanipapi.com
    security
  5. ipapi.co pricingipapi.co
    official
  6. ipapi.co bulk toolapp.ipapi.co
    official
  7. SoftwareAdvice reviewsoftwareadvice.ie
    review
  8. TheDevCouple IPAPI reviewthedevcouple.com
    review
  9. BuiltWith ipapi usage statstrends.builtwith.com
    news
  10. IPWho alternative pricing comparisonipwho.org
    review
  11. ipapi.is breach reportlunarcyber.com
    security
  12. Crunchbase profilecrunchbase.com
    news
  13. Tracxn competitor rankingtracxn.com
    news
  14. Slashdot DB-IP vs ipapi (Kloudend ownership)slashdot.org
    review
  15. ip-api.comip-api.com
    official
  16. Best IP geolocation API comparisonmedium.com
    review

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