Quick answer
IP2Location.io - IP2Location.io wins for most builders who need a monthly geolocation quota, while Free IP API wins if you want unlimited request rate on a free plan and a simpler, lighter setup.
How the free tiers compare
These two free tiers solve slightly different problems. Free IP API is the better fit if you want a usable no-card starter plan with no monthly request cap, basic geolocation features, and the ability to call the API as often as 60 times per minute. Its free tier is narrow but practical for low to moderate traffic, and the paid jump is a simple flat fee for unlimited requests. IP2Location.io is stronger if your app needs predictable monthly volume across multiple endpoints: its free tier includes 50K geolocation queries, plus small quotas for WHOIS and hosted domain lookups, but it gives up a lot of feature depth versus paid plans and requires attribution. The tradeoff is straightforward: Free IP API is better for rate-limited always-on usage, while IP2Location.io is better for quota-based monthly workloads and broader endpoint coverage.
Free IP API vs IP2Location.io free tier, side by side
| Free IP APIFTV 54 | IP2Location.ioFTV 58 | |
|---|---|---|
| Free geolocation quotaA is rate-limited by minute, B is quota-limited by month. | 60 requests per minute | 50K IP Geolocation API queries per month |
| Other free API quotasB exposes more endpoint types on the free tier. | Bulk IP lookups up to 50 IPs per request | 500 Domain WHOIS queries/month; 50 Hosted Domain queries/month |
| Free data freshness | Regularly updated database | Daily database updates |
| Free support | Email support included | Standard support |
| Free access conditionsCard requirement is explicitly absent as false? Actually present true for both, so no card required. | Commercial use allowed; servers in Europe only; no card required | Attribution required; no card required |
After you outgrow the free tier
Free IP API moves from free to a flat unlimited plan: €9.90/month, or €99/year, with a contact-sales Enterprise tier beyond that. IP2Location.io also uses flat pricing, but its first paid step is much higher at $49/month, then $249/month and $499/month as volume and attributes increase. For small builders, Free IP API is much cheaper once you need to remove the 60 RPM cap. IP2Location.io costs more, but it bundles larger monthly quotas and more endpoint coverage.
Cost at real usage
| Usage | Free IP API | IP2Location.io |
|---|---|---|
| Low-traffic app needing only geolocation, under 60 requests/minuteB’s free tier still has a monthly quota, so this assumes usage stays within 50K geolocation queries/month and the smaller WHOIS/hosted-domain limits are not exceeded. | Free (within tier) | Free (within tier) |
| Always-on service that needs higher than 60 requests/minute but modest total volumeA’s paid jump removes the per-minute cap; B does not publish a lower paid step than Starter. | €9.90/mo | Free (within tier) |
| Growing team that needs 150K geolocation queries/monthB’s Starter tier is the first plan that explicitly covers 150K geolocation queries/month. | €9.90/mo | $49/mo |
| Heavier project needing 300K geolocation queries/monthB’s Plus tier covers 300K geolocation queries/month; A’s unlimited plan does not add monthly request caps. | €9.90/mo | $249/mo |
Estimates, not quotes. Usage-based rates change - verify with the vendor's pricing page before committing.
When to pick each one
Pick Free IP API when…
- You need a free plan with no credit card and no monthly request cap, as long as you stay under 60 requests per minute.
- You are building a small app that only needs IP geolocation, country, timezone, proxy detection, or bulk lookups up to 50 IPs per request.
- You want commercial use on the free tier and do not need a large set of endpoint types.
- You expect bursty but low-volume usage where a per-minute limit is easier to manage than a monthly quota.
Pick IP2Location.io when…
- You need a monthly allowance for geolocation traffic, such as 50K queries per month on the free tier.
- Your workflow also needs small amounts of Domain WHOIS or Hosted Domain lookups alongside geolocation.
- You want daily database updates and are okay with attribution on the free plan.
- You are comparing upgrade paths and prefer a product with clearly defined flat monthly tiers starting at $49/month.
Bottom line
For the most common builder case, Free IP API is the better free-tier choice if your concern is simply getting a no-card IP lookup API that will not throttle you by monthly quota. IP2Location.io is the better pick if you want a free plan with explicit monthly limits across geolocation and related endpoints, and you are willing to live with attribution and a much steeper first paid jump. If you expect to outgrow the free tier quickly, A is cheaper to upgrade.
Read the full listings: Free IP API and IP2Location.io. Scores use the FTV methodology at /ftv. Browse more head-to-heads on /compare, or see the top-ranked free tiers on /top.