When is ipapi the better choice?

You are only testing an integration and do not need a perpetual free plan. You want a cheaper first paid step after the free tier, starting at $15/month. You need bulk IP lookup on a small paid plan. You are fine with a trial-style offer and the free tier’s testing and development framing.

When is The IP API the better choice?

You need a free tier you can keep using indefinitely. You want to use the API commercially without moving to paid immediately. You want ASN and company data included in the free plan. You are building a small live app and want the free tier to feel closer to the paid product.

ipapi vs The IP API: Free Tier Comparison

Q: How much does ipapi cost after the free tier?

Monthly 60K - $15 billed monthly. Both products use flat monthly pricing after the free tier. ipapi starts cheaper at $15/month for 60,000 lookups, then scales through $25, $49, $99, and $199 as volume rises. The IP API starts at $19/month for 600,000 requests and then moves to $49 and $99 for much larger caps. So ipapi is cheaper if you only need a small paid plan, but The IP API gives far more included usage at the first paid tier and stays ahead on value as request volume grows.

Q: How much does The IP API cost after the free tier?

Beginner - $19 / month. Both products use flat monthly pricing after the free tier. ipapi starts cheaper at $15/month for 60,000 lookups, then scales through $25, $49, $99, and $199 as volume rises. The IP API starts at $19/month for 600,000 requests and then moves to $49 and $99 for much larger caps. So ipapi is cheaper if you only need a small paid plan, but The IP API gives far more included usage at the first paid tier and stays ahead on value as request volume grows.

Quick answer

The IP API - The IP API wins for most builders because its free tier is perpetual, allows commercial use, and is closer to the paid product, while ipapi is mainly a free trial with testing-only limits.

How the free tiers compare

These two free offers look similar on paper because both cap you at about 1,000 lookups per day and both cover basic IP geolocation. The difference is in what happens around that quota and whether the free tier is meant to be used in real projects. ipapi’s free offer is explicitly a trial: it is for testing and development, includes limited bulk lookup capability, and stores IP queries in logs. The IP API’s free tier is positioned as a permanent plan with commercial use, daily data updates, ASN and company data, and no email support. That makes it more usable for a live side project or small production deployment. After the free tier, ipapi is cheaper at the first step up, but The IP API offers much larger jumps in included volume at each paid tier.

ipapi vs The IP API free tier, side by side

	ipapiFTV 41	The IP APIFTV 58
Requests / lookups per dayBoth free tiers cap daily usage at the same level.	1,000	1,000
Requests / lookups per monthipapi gives an approximate monthly equivalent; The IP API only states the daily limit.	~30,000	Not stated
Commercial useThe IP API explicitly includes commercial use on the free tier.	Not stated for free trial	Included
Support on free tierThe IP API explicitly excludes email support from the free tier.	Not stated	No email support
Bulk lookupipapi calls out limited bulk lookup on the free trial.	Limited bulk IP lookup capability	Not stated

After you outgrow the free tier

Both products use flat monthly pricing after the free tier. ipapi starts cheaper at $15/month for 60,000 lookups, then scales through $25, $49, $99, and $199 as volume rises. The IP API starts at $19/month for 600,000 requests and then moves to $49 and $99 for much larger caps. So ipapi is cheaper if you only need a small paid plan, but The IP API gives far more included usage at the first paid tier and stays ahead on value as request volume grows.

ipapi next stepMonthly 60K - $15 billed monthlyFlat monthly

The IP API next stepBeginner - $19 / monthFlat monthly

Cost at real usage

Usage	ipapi	The IP API
60,000 requests/moThe IP API’s free tier is 1,000/day, roughly 30,000/month if used evenly, so 60,000/month is above free.	$15/mo	Free (within tier)
150,000 requests/moThe IP API free tier is still below this if averaged strictly by month, but it is capped at 1,000/day, so sustained daily use at this level would exceed free.	$25/mo	Free (within tier)
600,000 requests/moThe IP API’s Beginner plan includes 600,000 requests/month.	$49/mo	$19/mo
3,000,000 requests/moipapi has a 2M tier at $99 and a 6M tier at $199, so 3M/month would fall between those provided tiers.	Not covered by provided plan caps	$49/mo

Estimates, not quotes. Usage-based rates change - verify with the vendor's pricing page before committing.

When to pick each one

Pick ipapi when…

You are only testing an integration and do not need a perpetual free plan.
You want a cheaper first paid step after the free tier, starting at $15/month.
You need bulk IP lookup on a small paid plan.
You are fine with a trial-style offer and the free tier’s testing and development framing.

Pick The IP API when…

You need a free tier you can keep using indefinitely.
You want to use the API commercially without moving to paid immediately.
You want ASN and company data included in the free plan.
You are building a small live app and want the free tier to feel closer to the paid product.

Bottom line

For the most common builder use case, The IP API is the better free-tier choice because it is meant to be used in a real project, not just a trial. You get a perpetual free plan, commercial use, and the same core geolocation data you would expect from a basic paid setup. ipapi only makes more sense if you are specifically evaluating the API or if you know you will move to a very small paid plan right away, where its $15 starter tier is the cheapest entry point.

Read the full listings: ipapi and The IP API. Scores use the FTV methodology at /ftv. Browse more head-to-heads on /compare, or see the top-ranked free tiers on /top.