ipinfo.io Alternative — Why Developers Switch to IP Geo API
TL;DR: ipinfo.io is an industry leader with deep enterprise features (privacy detection, mobile carrier data, hosted databases). It is also US-headquartered, USD-billed, and pricier per request than EU-focused alternatives. IP Geo API offers a direct REST replacement, free VPN/Proxy/Tor detection on every plan, EU-only data residency, and EUR billing.
Try IP Geo API free → · 1.000 requests/day · no credit card
At a glance
| Dimension | ipinfo.io | IP Geo API |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | 50K req/mo (basic data) | 30K req/mo (1K/day) — full data including threat |
| Entry paid | $99/mo (250K req/mo) | EUR 29/mo (100K req/mo) |
| Mid paid | $249/mo (1M req/mo) | EUR 99/mo (1M req/mo) |
| Privacy detection | $$$ — separate “Privacy Detection” add-on | Included on all plans |
| Mobile carrier data | $$$ — separate “Carrier Detection” add-on | Roadmap Q3 2026 (currently: ASN-based heuristic) |
| Hosted database (offline use) | Yes (large file, monthly snapshot) | Roadmap — current API is real-time only |
| Hosting | Global (US-headquartered) | EU-only (Frankfurt + Amsterdam) |
| Currency | USD | EUR |
| Data residency commitment | Standard cloud terms | Contractual EU-only, no US transfer |
| Threat data | Add-on | Included: VPN, proxy, Tor, datacenter, residential |
| API rate limit (free) | 50K/mo, smoothed | 1K/day (no burst smoothing) |
| Support response (paid) | Tiered SLA | <24h all plans, Slack on Business |
| Customer-base | Enterprise + indie | EU SMB + indie |
Honest: ipinfo.io has the deepest IP intelligence dataset in market, especially for mobile carrier and ASN abuse signals. If you have $5K+/mo budget and need carrier-level data, ipinfo.io is the right choice.
When IP Geo API beats ipinfo.io
1. Threat detection should not be a paid add-on
ipinfo.io charges separately for “Privacy Detection” (proxy/VPN/Tor) — the add-on doubles your bill at scale. IP Geo API includes it free on every plan including the free 1K/day tier. This is the most common reason developers switch.
2. Your customers/auditors want EU-only data
ipinfo.io is a US Delaware corporation. Even with EU sub-processors, contracts route through US jurisdiction (CCPA/CLOUD Act exposure). IP Geo API is EU-only at the infra, contract, and corporate level (operating BV in oprichting, target Q2 2026).
3. You’re an indie / small SaaS / EU agency
$99/mo entry is steep for early-stage products. EUR 29/mo is friendlier on a CAC budget. If you grow to 1M req/mo, IP Geo API is EUR 99 vs ipinfo.io $249. ~60% cheaper at the same quota tier.
4. iDEAL / SEPA / Bancontact billing
Mollie-powered checkout. Pay with iDEAL, SEPA, Bancontact — not just credit cards. Important for EU companies whose accounting workflows expect SEPA invoicing.
5. Real-time API is enough (no offline DB needed)
If you don’t need ipinfo.io’s downloadable database (multi-GB snapshot), the API-only model is leaner and cheaper. IP Geo API is API-only by design.
When ipinfo.io is the better choice
Real strengths — be honest with yourself:
- Mobile carrier data: if you need to know “is this IP a Verizon mobile customer?” — ipinfo.io has the dataset, IP Geo API does not (yet).
- Offline / on-prem deployment: ipinfo.io’s downloadable DB lets you run lookups locally with zero latency. IP Geo API is API-only.
- Enterprise contracts: ipinfo.io has a sales team, MSAs, custom DPAs. IP Geo API offers a standard EU DPA but no custom contract negotiation under EUR 10K/year.
- Massive scale (10M+ req/mo): ipinfo.io’s pricing flattens at very high volume. IP Geo API is competitive up to ~5M req/mo, then becomes a custom-quote conversation.
- Audit history: SOC 2, ISO 27001 audited. IP Geo API has DevSecOps controls (CI/CD security, dependency scanning) but no formal audit until 2027.
If you’re an enterprise security team needing compliance evidence today — ipinfo.io. If you’re a developer or EU SMB optimizing for cost + EU residency — IP Geo API.
Migration guide
Step 1: Sign up
open https://ipgeo.10b.app/pricing
export IPGEO_API_KEY=sk_live_...
Step 2: Swap endpoint
curl https://ipinfo.io/8.8.8.8?token=$TOKEN
IP Geo API:
curl https://ipgeo.10b.app/v1/lookup/8.8.8.8 \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $IPGEO_API_KEY"
Step 3: Field mapping
| ipinfo.io | IP Geo API | Notes |
|---|---|---|
ip |
ip |
Identical |
city |
location.city |
Nested |
region |
location.region |
Nested |
country |
country.iso_code |
Renamed for clarity |
loc (“lat,lng”) |
location.lat, location.lng |
Split into two fields |
org (e.g., “AS15169 Google LLC”) |
network.asn + network.organization |
Split |
postal |
location.postal_code |
Renamed |
timezone |
location.timezone |
Nested |
privacy.vpn, proxy, tor, relay, hosting |
threat.is_vpn, is_proxy, is_tor, is_datacenter |
Free, included |
Compatibility shim available: ?format=ipinfo returns flat ipinfo.io-style response.
Step 4: Quota & burst
- Starter EUR 29: 100K/mo, 60 req/sec
- Business EUR 99: 1M/mo, 200 req/sec, dedicated IP, Slack support
Step 5: Cutover
Dual-write for 24-48h, diff sample, then flip env var or DNS.
Pricing snapshot (2026-04-16)
| Volume | ipinfo.io | IP Geo API | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50K/mo | Free (basic only) | Free (full data) | Threat-detection included |
| 100K/mo | $99 (Basic) + $99 (Privacy add-on) = $198 | EUR 29 | ~85% lower |
| 250K/mo | $99 (Basic 250K) + $99 (Privacy) = $198 | EUR 29 (still in Starter) | ~85% lower |
| 1M/mo | $249 (Standard 1M) + $249 (Privacy) = $498 | EUR 99 (Business) | ~80% lower |
| 5M/mo | Custom (~$1.500+) | Custom (EUR 350-500 range) | ~70% lower |
Add-on bundling differs per ipinfo plan. We took the most-common config: Standard + Privacy Detection. Verify on ipinfo.io/pricing.
FAQ
Why is IP Geo API so much cheaper?
Three reasons: (1) we don’t sell add-ons — threat detection is bundled. (2) EU hosting on Hetzner is structurally cheaper than US AWS-equivalent. (3) we’re a smaller/newer player and price aggressively for adoption. We can do this sustainably because our infra costs are <EUR 200/mo at current scale.
Is the data quality comparable?
For country/region/city: yes (both use MaxMind + IP2Location as primary sources). For ASN/org: yes. For threat detection: comparable accuracy but different model — we score on combined signals (ASN reputation, port-scan data, residential IP signals); ipinfo.io uses their proprietary classifier.
What about privacy and ePrivacy compliance?
Logging is operational only (1h retention). We do not retain a mapping of customer-IP -> queried-IP. Full disclosure: privacy policy.
Can I get a SLA above 99.5%?
Business plan SLA is 99.5%. Custom 99.9% available on annual contracts (EUR 10K+/year).
Do you support webhook-based bulk processing?
Not currently. POST batch (up to 100 IPs/req) is the recommended pattern. Webhook delivery on roadmap for Q4 2026.
Are you GDPR-compliant?
Yes — EU-only infrastructure, EU-only operating entity (in oprichting), no transfer to non-adequacy countries, standard EU DPA available. Contact legal@10b.app for the DPA template.
Try IP Geo API free
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No add-ons. No USD-EUR FX. Threat detection included. EU-hosted. Cancel anytime.
Last updated: 2026-04-16. Pricing verified against vendor public pages on this date. Submit a correction →
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