Why Use an API Geolocation API?
There are many reasons to determine a user's location. Knowing where users are helps with targeted advertising, localizing content (such as translations and currency conversion), improving security through authentication, and gathering demographic insights to enhance the user experience.
An IP geolocation API makes it simple to translate an IP address into location details. By sending a network request containing an IP address to the API, you get back a response (typically in JSON format) with details such as city, state, country, postal code, and additional data like ISP information, time zone, currency, and more.
Best IP Geolocation APIs in 2025 and Beyond
We've reviewed some of the top IP geolocation APIs based on ease of use, pricing, features, and reliability.
1. Abstract API - Best Overall
Abstract API’s Free IP Geolocation API is an excellent resource for developers who need a quick and easy way to do real-time IP address lookup without a lot of overhead. The API is very simple - there are no additional features beyond IP geolocation - meaning the UI is also simple and clear.
Abstract API provides a fast and easy-to-use IP geolocation API, ideal for developers who need reliable real-time IP lookup. The setup is straightforward—just sign up for a free account, get an API key, and integrate it into your project. The API returns clean JSON responses with key location details.
In 2025, Abstract API has expanded its capabilities by launching the IP Intelligence API, which now includes fraud detection features, enhancing security by identifying high-risk IP addresses and suspicious activities.
Pros
- Simple setup and integration
- Well-documented with code snippets
- Fast and accurate results
Cons
- Some users report occasional delays in customer support
Customer Reviews
"All the best. Looking forward to more lookup APIs. 👍"
"We are hitting our limits and have no way to upgrade due to a bug in their own code."
Pricing and Usage Limits
Pricing:
- Free tier available
- Paid plans start at $19/month for 400,000 requests, up to $499/month for 20,000,000 requests. Annual plans are also available
Best for: Developers looking for an easy-to-use and affordable solution.
2. IPGeolocation.io – Best Free Tier
IPGeolocation.io offers a generous free plan with up to 30,000 requests per month, making it great for budget-conscious developers. The API provides geolocation, time zone, currency, and ASN data, with additional security insights.
Pros:
- Large free tier (30,000 requests/month)
- Multi-language support
- Includes security insights like proxy detection
Cons:
- Some accuracy issues with cloud provider detection
- Higher pricing at lower volume usage
Customer Reviews
"We have reached their support and it was perfectly, fast and accurate. All questions was resolved, special documentation and agreements was approved and jointly completed."
“Some of cloud providers from IP addresses which are belong to, was not detected in their API. For some reason, cloud_provider was false but should be true.”
“It was important for us to find local database, because our clients are banks that don't prefer to share their personal data. These guys quickly answered all our numerous questions before we stopped looking for a suitable solution.”
Pricing:
- Free tier: 30,000 requests per month
- Paid plans start at $15/month for 150,000 requests, up to $500/month for 20 million requests
Best for: Developers needing a high-volume free plan.
3. IPStack
IPStack provides reliable geolocation data with a simple API structure. The free plan includes 1,000 requests per month, but paid plans are slightly pricier than competitors.
Pros:
- Trusted by major enterprises
- Reliable service with a simple API
- IPv6 and IPv4 support
Cons:
- More expensive than some alternatives
Customer Reviews
"I've been using ipstack for over 6 years on a couple of different websites, and I'm really happy with what we're getting. We needed a simple geolocation service that's easy to integrate into our systems and provides accurate results for user's country, language, and currency."
“...my only suggestion for ipstack is to consider adding an option to exclude robots and crawlers from consuming your credit requests.”
Pricing:
- Free tier: 1,000 requests per month
- Paid plans start at $11.99/month for 50,000 requests, up to $79.99/month for 2,000,000 requests
4. MaxMind – Best for Fraud Prevention
MaxMind is a leader in IP geolocation and fraud detection, using machine learning to detect high-risk IP addresses. The API is powerful but can be complex for new users.
Pros:
- Advanced fraud detection features
- Machine learning-backed risk assessment
Cons:
- Not beginner-friendly
- Pricing is unclear without contacting sales
Customer Reviews
"It's very easy to set-up and takes less than a minute to get Access to the API, and can be used immediately to limit Access to Ads (in my case) based on Country."
“There isnt much to dislike. I havent had any issues.”
“Not very friendly for those not tech-savvy”
Pricing:
- Free GeoLite2 version available with limited accuracy
- Paid plans require direct contact with MaxMind
Best for: Businesses needing fraud detection in addition to geolocation.
5. IPData – Best for Threat Intelligence
IPData offers location and security insights, including threat intelligence feeds to identify risky IPs. The free plan allows up to 1,500 requests per day for personal use.
Pros:
- Includes threat intelligence
- Generous free tier for non-commercial use
Cons:
- Free plan is not available for commercial use
Customer Reviews
"Ipdata is a fantastic service which provides IP data like the location, time zone, currency, language, and other data related to an IP address."
“There is nothing much to dislike, but the monthly plan pricing seems expensive compared to other services available in the market. they have a lot of official libraries supporting different languages but not available for dart (Flutter).”
Pricing:
- Free tier: 1,500 requests/day
- Paid plans start at $10/month for 2,500 daily requests, up to $120/month for 100,000 daily requests
Best for: Security-focused users who need threat intelligence.
6. IPInfo – Best for Detailed Insights
IPInfo provides not just IP geolocation but also company details, ASN data, and VPN/proxy detection. It offers high-detail data but is one of the pricier options.
Pros:
- Comprehensive data beyond just geolocation
- Offers bulk data downloads
Cons:
- Expensive compared to competitors
Customer Reviews
"The documentation is really simple and easy to understand. The result of a request is also fairly simple to process and it covers all the required attributes regarding location ex. lat, long, state, country, street address, pin code etc. The API is always up and running never faced any issues with request made to the server."
“The most frustrating thing about using Ipinfo.io is what whenever I'm manually looking up an IP address, there's a pop-up that says "Help us get Better" which interrupts my usage of the service."
“The service is highly reliable as well as cost-effective for our use case. We haven't had any issues and have been using the service for several years. The dashboard has sufficient information for trouble-shooting as well.”
Pricing:
- Free tier: 50,000 requests per month (limited features)
- Paid plans start at $99/month for 150,000 requests, up to $499/month for 500,000 requests
Best for: Businesses needing deep IP intelligence beyond just location data.
7. IP-API – Best for Unlimited Requests
IP-API is a no-frills IP geolocation API that offers unlimited requests in paid plans, making it great for high-volume users. However, the free tier is limited in functionality.
Pros:
- Unlimited requests on paid plans
- Supports multiple response formats (JSON, XML, CSV, etc.)
Cons:
- Free plan lacks key features like SSL support
Customer Reviews
"Very simple and has a free tier that is quickly able to be set up. The support team is incredible and are very helpful to try to get solved."
"The customer support is really bad. For the prices they charge, you would think you would get a reply when facing issues."
“Ran into an issue and tried to troubleshoot myself for about 40 minutes before finally reaching out to support. I had expected it would be a day or two before receiving a response, but it was literally minutes and the issue was immediately resolved.”
Pricing:
- Free tier: 45 requests per minute
- Paid plans start at $13.99/month
Best for: High-volume users needing unlimited lookups.
8. PositionStack – Best for Reverse Geocoding
PositionStack specializes in both forward and reverse geocoding, making it useful for applications that need address lookup as well. It offers JSON, XML, and GeoJSON responses.
Pros:
- Supports multiple formats and languages
- Includes forward and reverse geocoding
Cons:
- No security or threat intelligence features
Customer Reviews
"PositionStack is undoubtedly a very affordable geocoding API. You will find many alternatives on the market but very few match the price this one offers, especially when compared to the feature-rich portfolio it has."
Pricing:
- Free tier: 25,000 requests per month
- Paid plans start at $9/month for 100,000 requests, up to $99/month for 3,000,000 requests
Best for: Developers needing reverse geocoding alongside IP lookup.
Best IP Geolocation APIs: Side-by-Side Comparison
Factors to Consider When Choosing an IP Geolocation API
Which geolocation API you ultimately choose will depend on your specific needs and use cases. However, there are some general points to keep in mind when making your decision.
Data Accuracy
How frequently is the data updated? Where do they source their data from? If you can’t find this information easily on the API’s website, it could be a sign that either their data is not accurate or that it is sourced unreliably. If you talk with a sales representative in order to set up your account, be sure to ask for this information.
Price
Some APIs are costlier at low volume but get cheaper the more you use them. You will need to analyze your own usage rates to make a decision about which API is right for you. For personal use, many of the free tiers on this list will be sufficient, but if your site has very heavy traffic, you may want to consider a paid plan that will allow you near-unlimited requests.
Ease of Integration
Most APIs are very easy to integrate with your tech stack. Check their documentation. Is it clear and easy to follow? Determine who in your company will be responsible for implementing the API - are they tech-savvy? Will they require customer support?
Coverage
Do you need global or regional coverage? There may be no point paying for an API that has data centers all over the world if your customers are only in a small, localized area. Some APIs might offer custom pricing if you only need IP geolocation done in a particular region. Talk to your sales representative to see what they can do for you.
Common Questions About IP Geolocation APIs
What is an IP Geolocation API?
An IP geolocation database or API is a service that accepts a network request containing an IP address (or m any IP address) and returns geographical information about the device at that IP address. Geographical data usually includes city, state, region, postal code, local currency, and time zone, and can also include information on proxy servers, threat data, hostname, etc.
Are geolocation APIs free?
Most IP address geolocation APIs offer a free plan or access to some portion of their data for free. Usually, doing basic IP address lookup is free for non-commercial use, up to a certain number of requests per month. If you need high volume or additional features, you will need to sign up for a plan.
What is the best geolocation API?
The best geolocation API for you will come down to your specific needs and use cases. We believe some of the best overall geolocation APIs include Abstract API, IPStack, MaxMind, and IPGeolocation.io.
Final Thoughts
Each of these services has its own strengths, whether it's affordability, detailed insights, fraud detection, or unlimited requests. The right choice will depend on your project's specific needs and budget considerations.
