Quick answer
The IP API - The IP API wins for most builders because its free tier is commercial, no-card, and much closer to the paid product, while ipdata’s free tier is non-commercial and blocks requests once you hit the daily cap.
How the free tiers compare
These two free tiers solve a similar problem, but they are aimed at different stages of a project. ipdata gives you more daily requests on paper, 1,500 per day versus 1,000, but the free tier is non-commercial and stops serving requests after the quota is used up. That makes it better for evaluation, internal tools, or hobby work, not for shipping a production app. The IP API is the more builder-friendly free tier because it allows commercial use, requires no credit card, and includes the core geolocation, ASN, and company data you would actually keep using as you grow. Its paid ladder is also easier to reason about because it scales in monthly request bands and keeps the same basic feature set. ipdata pulls ahead only when you need its extra threat-intel style features or higher daily caps on a paid plan.
ipdata vs The IP API free tier, side by side
| ipdataFTV 42 | The IP APIFTV 58 | |
|---|---|---|
| Free requestsipdata has the higher free daily cap, but its free tier is non-commercial. | 1,500 requests daily | 1,000 requests daily |
| Commercial use on free tierThis is the biggest practical difference for builders shipping an app. | No | Yes |
| Data included on free tierThe IP API is more explicit about what is included for free. | Geolocation, plus the free tier is described at a high level; paid tiers add ASN, company, and threat features | Geolocation data, ASN, and company information |
| Credit card requiredOnly state this because the field is present for both products. | Yes | No |
| Lowest paid planipdata starts cheaper, while The IP API starts with a larger monthly request allowance. | Personal - $10 per month | Beginner - $19 / month |
| First paid quotaThe IP API’s paid tiers are framed monthly; ipdata’s are daily. | 2,500 requests daily | 600,000 requests/month |
After you outgrow the free tier
ipdata uses flat monthly plans with daily request caps, starting at $10/month for 2,500 requests daily, then stepping up to higher daily limits and more features. The IP API also uses flat monthly pricing, starting at $19/month for 600,000 requests per month, then 3,000,000 and 15,000,000 request tiers. For small-team production use, The IP API is usually the cheaper path if you need commercial use on the free tier and a low-friction upgrade. ipdata is cheaper at the entry paid tier, but its lower caps and extra feature gating make it more of a step-up product.
Cost at real usage
| Usage | ipdata | The IP API |
|---|---|---|
| ~30,000 requests/monthipdata’s Personal plan is 2,500 requests daily, which is enough for this volume; The IP API’s Beginner plan is 600,000 requests/month. | ~$10/mo | ~$19/mo |
| ~300,000 requests/monthipdata’s Business plan is 100,000 requests daily and is the first clearly sufficient listed plan; The IP API’s Beginner plan still covers this level. | ~$120/mo | ~$19/mo |
| ~2 million requests/monthipdata’s Enterprise plan is custom pricing; The IP API’s Standard plan is 3,000,000 requests/month. | contact sales / varies by usage | ~$49/mo |
Estimates, not quotes. Usage-based rates change - verify with the vendor's pricing page before committing.
When to pick each one
Pick ipdata when…
- You are testing geolocation logic on a side project or internal tool and do not need commercial rights.
- You want more free requests per day for short bursts of development or QA.
- You expect to upgrade into threat and abuse features such as VPN detection, commercial blocklists, or ML IP reputation scores.
- You want a higher daily ceiling before paying, even if the free tier is non-commercial.
Pick The IP API when…
- You are building a production app and need a free tier that allows commercial use.
- You want to avoid entering a credit card before launch.
- You want the closest free-to-paid path with the same core fields staying available after upgrade.
- You need a predictable monthly API budget rather than a daily reset.
- You care more about basic geolocation, ASN, and company data than about threat-intelligence extras.
Bottom line
For the most common builder case, The IP API is the better free-tier choice because it is free for commercial use, requires no credit card, and gives you enough core data to ship without immediately changing products. ipdata is the better pick only if you mainly want a larger free daily allowance for non-commercial work or you know you will value its paid threat-intelligence and abuse-detection features later. If you are building something public, The IP API is the safer default.
Read the full listings: ipdata 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.