Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

IP-API.com VS Zipcodestack

Compare IP-API.com VS Zipcodestack and see what are their differences

IP-API.com logo IP-API.com

Free IP Geolocation API - lookup any IP address

Zipcodestack logo Zipcodestack

Free Zip Code API - Free Postal Code Validation | Zipcodestack
  • IP-API.com Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-11-26

A simple to integrate Geolocation API that provides information about your users, either directly from a browser or device, or from any of your servers.

Provides data such as City, Region, Postal code, Country, Continent, Coordinates, Timezone, Currency, Organization, ISP, AS, if they are using a mobile network, or an anonymous proxy/VPN.

Works with IPv4, IPv6 or hostnames. Supports batch requests with up to 100 queries per HTTP request.

The free version requires no sign up or keys, and it's limited to 45 HTTP requests per minute from an IP address. Non-commercial use only.

The pro service includes more features such as SLA for 99.9% of monthly uptime, a dashboard with usage statistics, up to 10 API keys (customizable with restrictions), and more.

Not present

IP-API.com

Website
ip-api.com
$ Details
freemium โ‚ฌ15.0 / Monthly (Unlimited queries, SLA, Commercial Use)
Platforms
REST API
Release Date
2012 January

Zipcodestack

Pricing URL
-
$ Details
free
Platforms
REST API
Release Date
-

IP-API.com features and specs

  • Comprehensive Data
    IP-API.com provides extensive information such as country, region, city, latitude, longitude, ISP, and more, which can be useful for various applications like geolocation, analytics, and security.
  • Ease of Use
    The API is straightforward to use, with a simple HTTP GET request format that returns data in popular formats like JSON, XML, and CSV.
  • High Accuracy
    IP-API.com is known for its high accuracy in identifying geographic locations based on IP addresses, which is critical for applications requiring precise geolocation.
  • Free Tier
    The service offers a free tier with a generous limit of up to 45 requests per minute, making it accessible for small projects and testing purposes.
  • Scalable
    IP-API.com provides commercial plans that offer higher request limits and additional features, allowing users to scale their usage as needed.
  • No API Key Required for Free Tier
    Users can access the free tier without needing an API key, which simplifies the setup process and reduces initial friction for new users.

Possible disadvantages of IP-API.com

  • Rate Limits
    The free tier is limited to 45 requests per minute, which might not be sufficient for high-volume applications.
  • Data Privacy
    Storing and processing IP data can raise privacy concerns, especially in regions with strict data protection laws like GDPR in the EU.
  • Dependence on Third-Party Service
    Relying on an external API means your application is dependent on their uptime and performance. Any downtime or issues with IP-API.com can impact your application.
  • Limited to IP Geolocation
    The service is highly specialized for IP geolocation and does not provide broader functionalities that might be offered by more comprehensive data service providers.
  • No Batch Processing in Free Tier
    Batch processing of multiple IP addresses in a single request is not available in the free tier, which can make handling large datasets more cumbersome.
  • Paid Plans Required for Advanced Features
    To access higher rate limits and additional features, users must subscribe to paid plans, which can be a limitation for budget-conscious projects.

Zipcodestack features and specs

  • Comprehensive Data Coverage
    Zipcodestack provides extensive data coverage for postal codes, allowing users to access detailed information about demographics, geography, and more.
  • Easy Integration
    The platform offers user-friendly APIs that make it easy to integrate postal code data into various applications, thereby simplifying the development process.
  • Real-time Updates
    Zipcodestack ensures that the data is constantly updated in real-time, providing users with the most accurate and current information available.
  • Customer Support
    Highly responsive customer support assists users with any issues or questions, ensuring a smooth user experience.

Possible disadvantages of Zipcodestack

  • Cost
    Some users might find the pricing model to be on the higher side, especially for small businesses or individual developers with limited budgets.
  • Learning Curve
    While the platform is comprehensive, it might require some time for new users to fully understand and utilize all its features effectively.
  • Dependency on Internet
    As an online platform, Zipcodestack requires a stable internet connection; disruptions in connectivity can impede access to data.
  • Limited Offline Functionality
    The platform has limited capabilities for offline use, which might be a drawback for applications requiring offline access to data.

Analysis of IP-API.com

Overall verdict

  • IP-API.com is considered a good choice for those looking for a dependable, efficient, and well-documented geolocation and IP information service. Its combination of accurate data, ease of use, and flexible pricing makes it suitable for a variety of applications.

Why this product is good

  • IP-API.com offers a reliable and fast API service for geolocation and IP information. It is widely used because of its straightforward and easy-to-use interface, providing accurate data such as location, country, region, city, zip code, latitude, longitude, timezone, ISP, and more. The service supports both free and paid plans, with the paid tier offering higher request limits and priority support. Additionally, the documentation is well-maintained, making it easy for developers to integrate the API into their applications.

Recommended for

  • Developers looking for a quick and efficient geolocation API integration.
  • Businesses that need reliable IP data services for fraud prevention.
  • Organizations seeking geographic analytics to enhance user engagement.
  • Websites or applications that require IP-based personalization features.

Analysis of Zipcodestack

Overall verdict

  • Zipcodestack is a solid, developer-friendly postal code lookup API that offers reliable geolocation and distance data with a straightforward integration process and a usable free tier, making it a good choice for adding zip code functionality to applications.

Why this product is good

  • Provides accurate postal code, city, state, and geolocation data across many countries
  • Offers a generous free tier that's great for testing and small projects
  • Simple REST API with clear documentation and easy authentication via API keys
  • Supports useful features like distance calculation between zip codes and radius searches
  • Fast response times and reliable uptime for production use
  • Affordable paid plans that scale with usage needs

Recommended for

  • Developers building location-based or address-validation features
  • E-commerce platforms needing shipping and delivery zone calculations
  • Startups and small businesses wanting an affordable postal code API
  • Applications requiring international zip code lookups and geocoding
  • Projects needing distance or radius-based search functionality between locations

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to IP-API.com and Zipcodestack)
IP Data
100 100%
0% 0
APIs
0 0%
100% 100
IP Geolocation
100 100%
0% 0
Data Validation
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, IP-API.com seems to be a lot more popular than Zipcodestack. While we know about 34 links to IP-API.com, we've tracked only 3 mentions of Zipcodestack. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

IP-API.com mentions (34)

  • Hurl vs Postman: Git-Friendly API Testing With Proxy-Aware Egress (2026)
    Free public geo APIs do not love datacenter traffic. My first instinct was to use ip-api.com โ€” itโ€™s the go-to for โ€œwhat country is this IPโ€ lookups and has a generous free tier. Hooked it up, ran the direct profile, got a clean response. Then I ran it through the Bright Data proxies I had (these) and got a HTTP 402. Turns out ip-api.comโ€™s free tier detects any datacenter egress and refuses to serve it. The proxy... - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
  • I Built a Threat Intelligence Tool That Maps Malicious IPs in Real Time
    The original version used http://ip-api.com โ€” plain HTTP. On a cloud server, that traffic is unencrypted and could be intercepted and spoofed. I switched to https://ipinfo.io which supports HTTPS on the free tier. - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
  • MongoDB equivalent to FOR UPDATE SKIP LOCKED
    In this example, I'll process messages based on their originating IP address. Multiple threads will enrich them with location data fetched from the public API at https://ip-api.com/. - Source: dev.to / 7 months ago
  • A list of SaaS, PaaS and IaaS offerings that have free tiers of interest to devops and infradev
    Ip-api โ€” IP Geolocation API, Free for non-commercial use, no API key required, limited to 45 req/minute from the same IP address for the free plan. - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
  • Using Whoer IP Checker in 2023
    The Language may be different: You can check up the [Set language based on IP], and make the system automatically set up the browser language according to the IP that you set up. Mismatch of DNS or system time: We recommend you to replace the proxy IP and start the operation. Or you can enter the site https://ip-api.com for verification. Source: over 2 years ago
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Zipcodestack mentions (3)

  • Validating Postal Codes Worldwide in Node.js โ€“ Challenges & Solutions with zipcodestack API
    Using the zipcodestack API in your Node.js application is straightforward. Youโ€™ll first need to sign up for a free API key (it only takes a minute). Once you have your API key, you can call the REST endpoints using any HTTP client. Below is a simple example using Nodeโ€™s built-in fetch (available in Node v18+), but you could use axios or any library of your choice:. - Source: dev.to / 10 months ago
  • A list of SaaS, PaaS and IaaS offerings that have free tiers of interest to devops and infradev
    Zipcodestack - Free Zip Code API and Postal Code Validation. Ten thousand free requests/month. - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
  • I have a column in google sheets with ZIP codes. How do i put a column next to it that will automatically fill with what city is associated with that zip code?
    I have seen this request pop up quite a few times. I did a quick search for free APIs of zipcode lookups. This one, named "zipcodestack" (I'm not in any way tied to, endorsing, or promoting them) seemed like a pretty good resource with up to 10,000 free lookups each month. So, I wrapped a quick script around it and made it a custom sheets function called GET_CITY:. Source: about 3 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing IP-API.com and Zipcodestack, you can also consider the following products

ipinfo.io - Simple IP address information.

ZIP Code API - REST API for US ZIP, ZIP+4, and Canadian postal codes. Single unified endpoint covers address validation and standardization, radius search (centroid haversine and true spatial polygon intersection), point-to-point distance, autocomplete/typeah

ipapi - Web analytics with IP address lookup and location API

PostalCodes.info - Postal code lookup API and downloadable country datasets for address validation, checkout, logistics and geocoding workflows.

ipgeolocation.io - Free IP Geolocation API and Accurate GeoIP Lookup Location Database

ZipCheckup - Check water quality, product recalls, energy rebates, and safety alerts for any U.S. ZIP code. Free reports powered by EPA and government data.