Quick answer
IP Geolocation API - Abstract API’s IP Geolocation API wins for most builders because its free tier is broader, avoids email verification, and gives you more geolocation context before you pay, while IP.City is mainly the better pick if you need a cheap daily-request allowance.
How the free tiers compare
These two free tiers solve the same core job, but they behave differently. Abstract API gives you a more complete geolocation package on the free tier, including ASN, timezone, flag, currency, company information, security data, and domain data, with a simple 1,000 requests per month limit and no credit card required. That makes it easier to test in a real app without extra friction. IP.City is narrower on the free tier and is explicitly for development use only, but it is much more generous once you need volume: its paid plans scale by daily request caps and start low at $5/month. So the choice is mostly between richer free functionality and a cheaper path to higher request volume.
IP Geolocation API vs IP.City free tier, side by side
| IP Geolocation API FTV 61 | IP.City FTV 42 | |
|---|---|---|
| Free requests A is monthly capped; B is daily capped. | 1,000 requests / month | Up to 100 API requests per API key each day |
| Free location fields B’s free tier is narrower on fields. | ASN, location, timezone, flag, currency, company information, security data, domain data | Country name/code, city, latitude, longitude |
| No credit card required B requires email verification to activate the API key. | Yes | No |
| Free tier intent | General free tier | Intended for development use only |
| Cheapest paid plan A’s first paid tier is a tiered monthly plan; B’s is a flat monthly plan with a daily request cap. | Starter - $17/month | Basic - $5/mo |
After you outgrow the free tier
Abstract API moves from a free tier into tiered monthly plans: Starter at $17/month, Standard at $37/month, Professional at $39/month, with Enterprise custom. IP.City uses flat monthly pricing tied to daily request caps: Basic at $5/mo, then $20/mo, $80/mo, $150/mo, and $500/mo. For small-team usage, IP.City is cheaper once you need sustained request volume, while Abstract API is cheaper only if you stay under the free cap or value the extra fields enough to justify the jump. The gap widens fast as volume rises because IP.City publishes clear step-up tiers and Abstract API’s paid limits are not framed as simple volume scaling.
Cost at real usage
| Usage | IP Geolocation API | IP.City |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 requests/mo B’s free tier is 100 requests per key per day, which is about 3,000/month if fully used, but the plan is still development-only. | Free (within tier) | Free (within tier) |
| 2,000 requests/day A’s published pricing does not map cleanly to daily request volume in the provided data. | Contact sales / varies by usage | $5/mo |
| 10,000 requests/day A has no published daily-volume equivalent in the input. | Contact sales / varies by usage | $20/mo |
| 50,000 requests/day B’s Pro tier is the published match. | Contact sales / varies by usage | $80/mo |
Estimates, not quotes. Usage-based rates change - verify with the vendor's pricing page before committing.
When to pick each one
Pick IP Geolocation API when…
- You want the most useful free tier for a real prototype, not just a demo.
- You need extra fields like timezone, currency, ASN, company, security, or domain data.
- You do not want to enter a credit card or go through email verification just to test.
- Your usage is low enough that 1,000 requests per month is enough for development or a small app.
Pick IP.City when…
- You need more than 1,000 lookups per month and want the cheapest upgrade path.
- Your app makes bursts of requests every day and a daily quota fits your traffic pattern better than a monthly cap.
- You only need basic geolocation fields like country, city, latitude, and longitude.
- You are comfortable with email verification and a free tier intended for development use only.
Bottom line
For the most common builder case, Abstract API is the better free-tier choice because it gives you a richer geolocation payload with less setup friction. If your main constraint is request volume and you are fine with basic location data, IP.City wins on price once you move past the free tier. In other words, Abstract API is better for validating product logic, while IP.City is better for keeping ongoing lookup costs low.
Read the full listings: IP Geolocation API and IP.City. Scores use the FTV methodology at /ftv. Browse more head-to-heads on /compare, or see the top-ranked free tiers on /top.