Quick answer
IPWho - IPWho wins for most builders because its free tier is more generous on daily volume and its paid plans stay cheaper at the first step up, while still covering the core geolocation use case.
How the free tiers compare
Both products are straightforward IP geolocation APIs, but they diverge in who the free tier is meant for and how fast you outgrow it. IPWho gives you 2,000 requests per day, which is the larger free allowance, and its first paid step is only $2.50/month for 5,000 requests per day. That makes it easier to stay on a very low budget if you are testing, prototyping, or running a small side project. The IP API is the better fit if commercial use on the free plan matters, because it allows that while IPWho does not. Its paid tiers are also more clearly packaged for scale, with monthly request buckets and support levels. In practice, IPWho is cheaper and roomier for hobby use, while The IP API is friendlier for early commercial use.
IPWho vs The IP API free tier, side by side
| IPWhoFTV 49 | The IP APIFTV 58 | |
|---|---|---|
| Free requestsIPWho gives the larger free daily cap. | 2,000 requests/day | 1,000 requests/day |
| Commercial use on free tierThis is the biggest policy difference at free tier. | No commercial usage allowed | Commercial use allowed |
| Support on free tierNeither free tier includes support. | No support included | No email support |
| Data / feature coverage on free tierBoth free tiers include the core geolocation use case. | All Launch Features included | Geolocation data, ASN and company information, daily data updates |
After you outgrow the free tier
Both products use flat-rate paid tiers, so costs diverge mostly by included request volume and support, not by usage overages in the provided data. IPWho starts much cheaper at $2.50/month for 5,000 requests/day, then jumps to $10/month for 250,000 requests/day and $69/month for unlimited. The IP API starts at $19/month for 600,000 requests/month, then moves to $49/month and $99/month for larger monthly buckets. For small builders, IPWho is cheaper at the first paid step; The IP API is priced for larger monthly usage from the start.
Cost at real usage
| Usage | IPWho | The IP API |
|---|---|---|
| 5,000 requests/dayThe IP API free tier is 1,000 requests/day, so 5,000/day exceeds free there. | $2.50/mo | Free (within tier) |
| 600,000 requests/monthIPWho’s paid quota is listed per day, not per month, so this is not a strict apples-to-apples cap; this compares the first paid tiers provided. | $2.50/mo | $19/mo |
| 250,000 requests/dayThe IP API plans are quoted per month, and no daily conversion or overage rates were provided. | $10/mo | Not enough data provided |
Estimates, not quotes. Usage-based rates change - verify with the vendor's pricing page before committing.
When to pick each one
Pick IPWho when…
- You are building a non-commercial prototype, student project, or nonprofit tool and want the larger free daily allowance.
- You expect low traffic and want the cheapest possible paid upgrade once you outgrow free.
- You need a simple IP lookup API with broad fields and do not need support on the free tier.
- You want a free plan with a hard cap that is easy to reason about day by day.
Pick The IP API when…
- You need to use the free tier in a commercial product.
- You care more about monthly request buckets and scaling tiers than about the cheapest entry paid plan.
- You want free access to ASN and company information plus daily data updates.
- You expect to move into a higher-volume paid plan and want a clean path from 600k to 3M to 15M requests per month.
Bottom line
For the most common builder case, IPWho is the better pick because it gives more free headroom, requires no card, and has a much cheaper first paid tier when you do need to upgrade. The IP API only becomes the stronger choice if you need to use the free tier commercially or you are planning around its larger monthly paid buckets and support options. If you are testing or shipping a small internal tool, IPWho is the easier starting point.
Read the full listings: IPWho 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.