ip-api Review, Pricing & Features

ip-api.com is a free, no-signup IP geolocation API returning location, ISP, and proxy data for IPv4/IPv6, plus a paid Pro tier for commercial use.

Category
Developer Tools
Pricing
Freemium, from Free (non-commercial use)
Verified
Not yet
Last updated
July 20, 2026
Founded
2012
Free PlanAPIFreemium

What Is ip-api?

ip-api.com is an IP geolocation API launched in 2012 that looks up the geographic location and network details of an IP address or domain.

It has become one of the more widely used free geolocation services among developers, reporting more than a billion requests processed per day across its global infrastructure.

Key Features

The API returns location coordinates, timezone, ISP, organization, and AS number data, along with proxy and hosting-provider detection, and supports both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses.

Results can be returned in JSON, XML, CSV, Newline, or PHP-serialized formats, and the service runs on dedicated servers in the US, EU, and APAC using Anycast routing to keep response times typically under 50 milliseconds.

ip-api Pricing

The free tier requires no API key or account signup but is restricted to non-commercial use and limited to 45 requests per minute per IP address, with HTTP 429 responses if the limit is exceeded.

A paid Pro service is available for commercial use, removing the rate limit and adding unlimited queries, SSL/HTTPS access, usage statistics, and dedicated support.

Key Features

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • No signup or API key needed for the free tier
  • Very high request throughput and global infrastructure
  • Multiple output formats for easy integration
  • Supports both IPv4 and IPv6
  • Established service with over a decade of operation

Cons

  • Free tier prohibits commercial use
  • Free tier is rate-limited to 45 requests per minute
  • No published pricing for the Pro tier on the public site
  • No SSL/HTTPS on the free endpoint

Pricing

Frequently Asked Questions

Is ip-api free?

Yes, for non-commercial use with a limit of 45 requests per minute and no signup required.

Can I use ip-api for a commercial product?

Commercial use requires the paid Pro service, which removes the rate limit and adds SSL access.

Does ip-api support IPv6?

Yes, both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses are supported.

What response formats does ip-api support?

JSON, XML, CSV, Newline, and PHP-serialized formats.

When was ip-api.com launched?

It was established in 2012.

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