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Ranked October 2026 · 10 tools compared

These are the 10 best IP geolocation APIs of 2026.

1Lookup is our pick for 2026: every 1-credit lookup returns the location and network with proxy, VPN and datacenter flags and a fraud score, and the same account checks emails and phone numbers.

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This is what 115,089 IP lookups on 1Lookup found in the last 30 days.

About 1 in 7 came from a proxy, a VPN exit or a datacenter, traffic worth a second look before you approve a signup or a payment.

26.4%
Home broadband
Residential networks
29.1%
Mobile network
Phone carriers
8.0%
Datacenter
Servers and clouds
6.3%
Proxy or VPN
Hidden origin

Checks run on 1Lookup, 8 September to 7 October 2026. Aggregate counts only.

We ranked these tools on five things a buyer pays for.

  1. 1What one lookup returns: location only, or proxy, VPN and datacenter flags too
  2. 2Which plan the proxy and VPN data comes on
  3. 3How you can start for free
  4. 4Whether the same account checks emails and phone numbers
  5. 5What happens to lookups you don't use

Rival plans and terms were read from each vendor's own pricing page in October 2026.

Here are the 10 tools, ranked.

Our pick

1Lookup logo1. 1Lookup

Best for screening signups and payments

Checks
IP addresses, emails and phone numbers on one key
Proxy and VPN data
On every lookup: proxy or VPN, datacenter, mobile or home broadband, an anonymity level and a fraud score, for 1 credit
Free start
Free single checks with no account, and a 7-day free trial

Why it’s on the list: every lookup returns the city, region, country, time zone and network with a fraud score and a risk level, and the same credits check emails and phone numbers.

Also included: unused monthly credits roll over for 3 months, and the same account comes with an MCP server for AI agents and Zapier, Make and n8n apps.

Start a 7-day free trial

2. IPinfo

Best for country-level data at very high volume

Checks
IP addresses only
Proxy and VPN data
VPN, Tor, proxy and relay flags from the Core plan, $31 a month
Free start
Unlimited country-level lookups on the free Lite plan

Why it’s on the list: its free Lite plan has no request limit for country and network data, refreshed every day.

Watch for: city-level location and privacy detection need a paid plan, and overage costs about 1.6 times the included rate.

1Lookup vs IPinfo: full comparison

3. MaxMind

Best for running lookups on your own servers

Checks
IP addresses only
Proxy and VPN data
Anonymous IP data is priced by sales
Free start
Free GeoLite databases and 1,000 web lookups a day

Why it’s on the list: country lookups cost $0.10 per 1,000, and its databases can be downloaded for unlimited local lookups.

Watch for: MaxMind says its free GeoLite City data is less accurate than its paid data and not meant for commercial use.

1Lookup vs MaxMind: full comparison

4. Ipregistry

Best for prepaid credits that never expire

Checks
IP addresses only
Proxy and VPN data
VPN and proxy detection on every plan
Free start
20,000 credits once, at sign-up

Why it’s on the list: every plan returns the full response, including VPN and proxy detection, and one-time credit packs never expire.

Watch for: the free credits are one-time, extra API keys cost $2 a month each, and it checks no emails or phone numbers.

5. IP2Location

Best for buying a database once a year

Checks
IP addresses only
Proxy and VPN data
VPN detection from the Plus plan, $249 a month; fraud score on Security, $499 a month
Free start
50,000 lookups a month

Why it’s on the list: its free API plan covers 50,000 lookups a month, and annual database licences carry no per-lookup charge.

Watch for: the free plan detects open proxies only, and unused lookups are lost at each monthly renewal.

1Lookup vs IP2Location: full comparison

6. IPGeolocation.io

Best for time zone, currency and user-agent data in one call

Checks
IP addresses only
Proxy and VPN data
VPN, proxy and threat flags cost 2 extra credits a lookup
Free start
1,000 credits a day

Why it’s on the list: one endpoint returns location, ASN and company, time zone, currency and user-agent data for 1 credit.

Watch for: a lookup with security data uses 3 credits, and unused credits do not roll over.

7. ipdata

Best for a $10 a month starting plan

Checks
IP addresses only
Proxy and VPN data
VPN detection and IP reputation on the Business plan, $120 a month
Free start
1,500 requests a day, non-commercial

Why it’s on the list: geolocation, ASN data and open-source blocklists come on every plan, and paid plans get a 10% buffer above quota.

Watch for: quotas are daily, so unused requests do not carry over, and it gives no refunds after purchase.

8. IPWHOIS.io

Best for a free endpoint with no sign-up

Checks
IP addresses only
Proxy and VPN data
Proxy, VPN and threat flags on the Business plan, $39.99 a month
Free start
1,000 requests a day, no sign-up

Why it’s on the list: its free endpoint needs no sign-up or API key and allows commercial use.

Watch for: security data and bulk lookups need the Business plan, and the free endpoint has no uptime guarantee.

9. ipapi

Best for a cheap location-only plan

Checks
IP addresses only
Proxy and VPN data
Proxy, Tor and threat data on Business Pro, $99.99 a month, among paid plans
Free start
100 lookups a month, non-commercial

Why it’s on the list: Business Pro covers 2,000,000 lookups a month for $99.99.

Watch for: the Standard and Business plans leave out the security module, and lookups past the plan cost 4 times the plan rate.

1Lookup vs ipapi: full comparison

10. ipstack

Best for location, time zone and currency in one call

Checks
IP addresses only
Proxy and VPN data
The security module on Professional +, $99.99 a month, among paid plans
Free start
100 requests a month, non-commercial

Why it’s on the list: location, time zone, currency and connection data come on every paid plan.

Watch for: threat and proxy detection and the bulk endpoint are only on Professional +, and overage is billed automatically.

1Lookup vs ipstack: full comparison

1Lookup is the only API on this list with proxy, VPN and datacenter flags on every lookup and email and phone checks on the same key.

  • 1. 1Lookup
    Emails
    Phone numbers
    Proxy and VPN data
    Every lookup
    Free start
    Free lookups, no account
  • 2. IPinfo
    Emails
    Phone numbers
    Proxy and VPN data
    Core plan and up
    Free start
    Lite, country only
  • 3. MaxMind
    Emails
    Phone numbers
    Proxy and VPN data
    Priced by sales
    Free start
    GeoLite, 1,000 a day
  • 4. Ipregistry
    Emails
    Phone numbers
    Proxy and VPN data
    Every plan
    Free start
    20,000 once
  • 5. IP2Location
    Emails
    Phone numbers
    Proxy and VPN data
    Plus plan, $249 a month
    Free start
    50,000 a month
  • 6. IPGeolocation.io
    Emails
    Phone numbers
    Proxy and VPN data
    2 extra credits a lookup
    Free start
    1,000 a day
  • 7. ipdata
    Emails
    Phone numbers
    Proxy and VPN data
    Business, $120 a month
    Free start
    1,500 a day
  • 8. IPWHOIS.io
    Emails
    Phone numbers
    Proxy and VPN data
    Business, $39.99 a month
    Free start
    1,000 a day
  • 9. ipapi
    Emails
    Phone numbers
    Proxy and VPN data
    Business Pro, $99.99 a month
    Free start
    100 a month
  • 10. ipstack
    Emails
    Phone numbers
    Proxy and VPN data
    Professional +, $99.99 a month
    Free start
    100 a month

Rival plans from each vendor's own pricing page, October 2026. 1Lookup: proxy, VPN and datacenter flags and a fraud score come with every 1-credit IP lookup.

These are the questions buyers ask most about IP geolocation.

What is the best IP geolocation API in 2026?

1Lookup, because every lookup returns the location and network together with proxy, VPN and datacenter flags, an anonymity level and a fraud score for 1 credit, and the same account checks emails and phone numbers.

Can an IP lookup tell if someone is using a VPN?

Yes. 1Lookup flags proxy and VPN exits, datacenter ranges and Tor exit nodes on every lookup, and gives an anonymity level and a fraud score, so you can hold a signup or a payment for review.

How much does an IP geolocation API cost?

Location data is cheap on every API here. Proxy and VPN data is where prices climb: $39.99 a month on IPWHOIS.io Business, $99.99 a month on ipapi's Business Pro and ipstack's Professional +, $120 a month on ipdata Business and $249 a month on IP2Location Plus. 1Lookup includes it in every 1-credit lookup, on every plan.

Is there a free IP lookup?

Yes. 1Lookup's free IP lookup checks any IPv4 or IPv6 address with no account and shows its location, network and connection type. Most APIs on this list also give a free allowance, usually without proxy or VPN data.

What is the difference between IP geolocation and IP intelligence?

Geolocation answers where an address is: the country, region, city and time zone. IP intelligence answers what it is: a home or mobile connection, a datacenter, a proxy or VPN exit, and how risky that makes it.

Try 1Lookup free for 7 days before you decide.

The 7-day free trial includes credits for all 44 data products: $5 on Starter, $20 on Growth and above. No payment today.

Start your free trialSee 1Lookup pricing

We rank three more kinds of data tools the same way.

Looking for one head-to-head instead? See the full comparison directory or the alternatives guides.