IPinfo alternatives: 11 IP geolocation services tools compared

Teams look for an IPinfo alternative when the free Lite plan stops at country level, when the step to city data brings a per-lookup bill, or when they want a vendor whose servers sit in Europe. Some want flat database files, others a cheaper API with a daily quota, and a few want fraud signals from the original GeoIP source.

Short answer: BigDataCloud, DB-IP and ipbase head the list of IPinfo alternatives drawn from our IP geolocation services ranking. Smaller vendors fill the top three places where the category offers them, and the household names start at place 4. BigDataCloud is the one to try if you want an independent vendor with a free API allowance and optional flat files. These 11 products are all in Best IP Geolocation Services in 2026; the notes say how each one compares with IPinfo.

Vendors can pay for more visibility on this website, for example a higher place in a ranking or more room on a page. Commercial relationships can also affect which products we feature and how prominently. Every vendor link is marked the same, whatever the arrangement behind it. How that works.

IPinfo

#3 of 12 in our IP geolocation services ranking

  • Pricing: Free Lite plan, then Core and Max billed monthly or yearly, Enterprise on custom annual terms; overage charged per thousand requests
  • Established in: United States
  • Built for: Developers who need a country lookup now and a paid tier later
  • Not for: Anyone needing city-level answers on the free tier
01

Why buyers look past IPinfo

  1. 01

    City data starts on a paid plan

    IPinfo Lite is free with no card, but it returns country, continent and ASN fields only. City-level geolocation begins on Core at $26 a month ($310 a year), and an accuracy radius, DMA and GeoName ID wait on Max at $163 a month. A project that needs only a city name still pays for a tier.

  2. 02

    Overage and attribution rules

    Core allows 150,000 API requests a month and Max 250,000. Beyond that, each extra thousand costs $0.34 on Core and $1.30 on Max. The self-serve plans, Lite included, also ask you to credit IPinfo as the data source, which some products would rather avoid.

  3. 03

    Files and enterprise data cost more

    Company, IP Whois, IP ranges, abuse contact and hosted-domain data are Enterprise only, as are Snowflake, Google Cloud and Splunk integrations. Database downloads for paying customers start at $1,000 a month on the page we read, and the page does not describe hosting locations.

02

11 alternatives at a glance

Smaller vendors first, big brands after
AlternativeHeadquartersFree optionPricing model Switch ifOur rank
BigDataCloudAustraliaYesPublishedyou want an independent vendor with a free API allowance and optional flat files#1
DB-IPFranceNo free tierPublishedyou want a French operator, euro invoices and downloadable MMDB files#2
ipbaseAustriaYesPublishedyou want an Austrian company and German servers behind a simple API#5
ipdataNot stated by the vendorYesPublishedyou want daily quotas and a free plan that degrades to country level instead of stopping#6
IpregistryNot stated by the vendorNo free tierPublishedyou prefer credits you can top up with one-time packs and several API keys#7
IPGeolocationNot stated by the vendorNo free tierPublishedyou want security and abuse-contact modules priced as credit add-ons#8
MaxMindNot stated by the vendorNo free tierPublishedyou want pay-per-query rates and fraud signals from the GeoIP originator#4
Abstract APINot stated by the vendorYesPublishedyou want a small free plan inside a wider set of utility APIs#9
ipapiNot stated by the vendorYesPublishedyou need a plain per-lookup overage schedule and only light hobby traffic on the free tier#10
ipstackNot stated by the vendorYesPublishedyou want four fixed request tiers and a free plan to prototype on#11
Digital ElementNot stated by the vendorNo free tierOn requestyou need deep attributes at large scale and accept a quote-based sales process#12
03

What each one does differently

BigDataCloud

Australia · Published

BigDataCloud describes itself as a bootstrapped company in Adelaide that answers to customers, not investors. Its API opens with a standing free allowance of 10,000 requests a month and no card, then climbs through Bronze, Silver and Gold. Database files are priced on separate monthly packages, while redistribution inside your own product is quoted case by case.

Switch from IPinfo if you want an independent vendor with a free API allowance and optional flat files.

BigDataCloud review, listed at 1 of 12 IP geolocation services products →

DB-IP

France · Published

Eris Networks S.A.S in Perros-Guirec runs DB-IP, and its prices are shown in euros. API plans count requests per day, from 2,000 or 50,000 on the Starter tiers up to unlimited on Enterprise, while CSV and MMDB database downloads are billed yearly. Testing means taking the starter API trial, because no free file is listed.

Switch from IPinfo if you want a French operator, euro invoices and downloadable MMDB files.

DB-IP comes 2 of 12 when IP geolocation services products are ranked here →

ipbase

Austria · Published

Everapi GmbH of Austria operates ipbase, and its pricing page places the API on servers in Germany. The free tier allows 1,000 requests a month at 10 per minute. Paid steps start at 65,000 requests on Small and reach 6 million on Business, with Enterprise invoiced yearly from a listed minimum.

Switch from IPinfo if you want an Austrian company and German servers behind a simple API.

ipbase holds rank 5 among 12 entries in our IP geolocation services guide →

ipdata

Not stated by the vendor · Published

Every ipdata plan is measured per day. The free plan returns 1,000 city-level lookups daily and then country-level answers without a limit or key, so small sites rarely hit a wall. Startup allows 50,000 a day and Business 100,000, and only Business carries a seven-day trial. The about page names no company or country.

Switch from IPinfo if you want daily quotas and a free plan that degrades to country level instead of stopping.

ipdata, #6 of 12 in our IP geolocation services ranking →

Ipregistry

Not stated by the vendor · Published

Ipregistry meters usage in credits across five plans from Starter to Enterprise. A new account receives 20,000 credits once, with no card and no expiry, but nothing recurs afterwards. Overage is $0.25 per 1,000 credits, and each extra API key adds $2 a month. Only a sales email and social profiles identify the company.

Switch from IPinfo if you prefer credits you can top up with one-time packs and several API keys.

Full verdict on Ipregistry, which sits at number 7 of 12 for IP geolocation services →

IPGeolocation

Not stated by the vendor · Published

A standard IPGeolocation lookup costs one credit, Security adds two and Abuse Contact adds one, so the bill follows the modules each call carries. The Developer plan gives 1,000 credits a day that reset daily, and five paid plans stretch to 5 million a month on annual billing. Paid trials go through support or live chat.

Switch from IPinfo if you want security and abuse-contact modules priced as credit add-ons.

Read our review of IPGeolocation (position 8 of 12 on the IP geolocation services list) →

MaxMind

Not stated by the vendor · Published

MaxMind calls itself the creator of GeoIP and bills each query against prepaid credit, starting at $25 with no minimum. Rates rise with data depth, from $0.0001 for Country to $0.002 for Insights, and proxy and fraud detection are listed too. A trial exists through sign-up, but its length is not stated and no company country appears.

Switch from IPinfo if you want pay-per-query rates and fraud signals from the GeoIP originator.

See the full MaxMind entry, ranked 4 of 12 among IP geolocation services products →

Abstract API

Not stated by the vendor · Published

Abstract API offers 1,000 requests a month at one per second on its free plan, then Starter, Standard and Professional with 200,000 to 3.5 million request options. The pricing page contradicts itself, listing 5,000 monthly requests in the feature text while the selector offers far more, so get the real figure in writing before signing.

Switch from IPinfo if you want a small free plan inside a wider set of utility APIs.

Abstract API, #9 of 12 in our IP geolocation services ranking →

ipapi

Not stated by the vendor · Published

The pricing page names the service IPAPI, an APILayer product, with legal pages hosted on ideracorp.com. The free plan covers 100 lookups and non-commercial use only, so business use starts at Standard with 50,000 lookups. Business reaches 500,000 and Business Pro 2 million, with overage priced per lookup and falling at each step.

Switch from IPinfo if you need a plain per-lookup overage schedule and only light hobby traffic on the free tier.

See the full ipapi entry, ranked 10 of 12 among IP geolocation services products →

ipstack

Not stated by the vendor · Published

ipstack says it is now part of APILayer, and its imprint and terms pages sit on ideracorp.com. The free plan holds 100 requests a month without a card. Basic gives 50,000, Professional 500,000 and Professional + 2 million, all published, while a custom plan goes through sales and no paid trial is named.

Switch from IPinfo if you want four fixed request tiers and a free plan to prototype on.

Open the ipstack profile, 11st of 12 in the IP geolocation services guide →

Digital Element

Not stated by the vendor · On request

Digital Element lists no plans, prices or trial. Cost follows use case, scale and depth, meaning precision, granularity and attributes, and the way in is a talk-to-sales link and contact form. The only complimentary offer is a consultation. The footer reads Digital Envoy, unlike the page branding, and no country appears.

Switch from IPinfo if you need deep attributes at large scale and accept a quote-based sales process.

Check Digital Element in the ranked list (12 out of 12, IP geolocation services) →

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Which alternative for which situation

  1. 01

    You want a vendor that is small and answers to no investors

    BigDataCloud: It calls itself bootstrapped in Adelaide, and its API includes 10,000 free requests a month without a card.

  2. 02

    You want euro invoices and files in MMDB format

    DB-IP: Prices are published in euros, and database downloads in CSV and MMDB are billed yearly by a French operator.

  3. 03

    You want servers in Germany behind an EU company

    ipbase: Everapi GmbH of Austria says the API runs on servers in Germany, and the free tier allows 1,000 requests a month.

  4. 04

    You want a free plan that keeps answering past its limit

    ipdata: After 1,000 daily city lookups it returns country-level answers without a limit or key.

  5. 05

    You want fraud and proxy signals from the original GeoIP source

    MaxMind: It lists fraud and proxy detection, with queries billed from $0.0001 each against prepaid credit.

04

When IPinfo is still the right choice

IPinfo stays a sound choice when you want one API that scales from a free country lookup to city data, privacy detection and carrier fields without changing vendor. The Lite plan has no request cap and ships as CSV, MMDB, JSON or Parquet downloads. If you only need country and ASN and can credit IPinfo, check whether Lite already covers you before leaving.

05

What moving off IPinfo involves

  1. 01

    Field names and accuracy will differ

    Each provider names city, region, ASN and privacy fields in its own way, and results for the same address can disagree. Run a sample of a few thousand real visitor addresses through both services and compare the fields your code reads before you switch traffic.

  2. 02

    Quotas are counted in different units

    IPinfo counts monthly requests, ipdata counts per day, and IPGeolocation and Ipregistry count credits. Convert your traffic into the new unit, including bursts, and set alerts well below the cap, because overage rules differ between vendors.

  3. 03

    Attribution and licence terms change

    Lite asks for a credit line under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the licence of the new vendor for redistribution or embedding in a product, since BigDataCloud, for example, quotes OEM use separately.

06

Questions about replacing IPinfo

6 answers
How much does IPinfo cost?

The page we read lists Lite at $0 forever, Core at $26 a month or $310 a year, Max at $163 a month or $1,960 a year, and Enterprise on custom annual terms. Annual billing saves 17%.

How many requests does each IPinfo plan include?

Lite has unlimited API requests at country level, Core 150,000 a month, Max 250,000 and Enterprise 1 million or more. Overage is $0.34 per extra 1,000 on Core and $1.30 on Max.

Does IPinfo Lite include city-level data?

No. Lite returns ASN, AS name, AS domain, country code and name, and continent code and name. City data begins on Core.

Can I download IPinfo data as files?

Lite is offered as CSV, MMDB, JSON or Parquet downloads. For paid data, the page we read puts Enterprise database downloads from $1,000 a month and says the comparison table is ambiguous, so confirm with sales.

Which alternatives publish a country in their company details?

In our checks BigDataCloud names Australia, DB-IP France and ipbase Austria. Several others show no company country on the pages we read, which is worth asking about if data location matters.

Does IPinfo offer a trial of paid plans?

The pricing page we read does not name one. Among the alternatives, ipdata lists a seven-day Business trial, DB-IP a trial on starter API tiers and MaxMind a trial through sign-up.

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Sources

Checked 9 November 2026
  • IPinfo pricing: Plans, prices, request limits, overage rates, feature split, Enterprise database downloads, 17% annual saving.
  • IPinfo Lite: Country and ASN fields, no request caps, CC BY-SA 4.0 attribution, CSV, MMDB, JSON and Parquet downloads.
  • BigDataCloud: Adelaide, bootstrapped, 10k free requests, database files on separate packages.
  • DB-IP: Eris Networks S.A.S, euro pricing, daily quotas, CSV and MMDB downloads.
  • ipbase: Everapi GmbH, servers in Germany, free tier 1,000 requests, plan sizes.
  • ipdata: Daily limits, free plan, Startup and Business, seven-day Business trial.
  • Ipregistry: Credit metering, 20,000 one-time credits, overage and extra key prices.
  • IPGeolocation: Credit costs per module, Developer plan 1,000 daily credits, paid plans.
  • MaxMind: Per-query rates, prepaid credit from $25, trial through sign-up.
  • Abstract API: Free plan, paid tiers, contradictory request figures.
  • ipapi: APILayer product, non-commercial free plan, paid tiers, overage per lookup.
  • ipstack: APILayer, free plan 100 requests, paid tiers, custom plan.
  • Digital Element: Quote-based pricing, no plans listed, Digital Envoy footer.
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Who wrote this

Last reviewed 9 November 2026

Sebastiaan Smits

Founder · Amsterdam, Netherlands

Founder of The Knowledge Engineers and of 2 Steps Ahead, an AI search visibility agency. Editorially responsible for every page on this site; research and drafting are AI-assisted.

Author and fact-checker: Sebastiaan Smits. This page was last reviewed on 9 November 2026; our review process is public.

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