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Cartes.io vs ipapi.co

Same instrument, two spec sheets — measured, not claimed.

APICartes.ioHEALTHY92ipapi.coDYING35
Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d99.02%1.0%
Uptime · 30d100%1.7%
P50 · ms612440
P95 · ms1160440
Authnonenone
CORSyesyes
HTTPSyesyes
Card requirednono
Commercial useunclearunclear
Data licenseUnverified (open-source project; user-generated maps)Unverified
Free tierFree, no API key for public readFree — quota not published; returns 429 when exceeded
Rate limit60 req/window · 59 remainingUnpublished (429 Quota exceeded)
In directory since2026-07-052026-07-05
operationalpartialdownno data

Cartes.io vs ipapi.co: common questions

Which is more reliable, Cartes.io or ipapi.co?

On our scheduled checks, Cartes.io leads on measured uptime — Cartes.io at 99.02% versus ipapi.co at 1.0% over 90 days. These are our own probe results, not provider claims; the uptime bars above show the day-by-day record for both.

Which is faster, Cartes.io or ipapi.co?

ipapi.co has the lower median latency in our checks — Cartes.io responds in 612 ms versus ipapi.co at 440 ms (P50). Tail latency (P95) is in the table above; for most workloads the median is the number that shapes how the API feels.

Do Cartes.io and ipapi.co need an API key?

Neither needs a paid key — Cartes.io is callable with no signup, and ipapi.co is callable with no signup. Both are quick to prototype with; rate limits still apply.

Can I call Cartes.io and ipapi.co from the browser?

Yes — both Cartes.io and ipapi.co send CORS headers over HTTPS, so front-end code can fetch either directly with no backend proxy. That makes them easy to swap in a client-side app while you compare responses.

Are Cartes.io and ipapi.co free for commercial use?

Cartes.io has unclear commercial terms, and ipapi.co has unclear commercial terms. We track service terms and the data license as separate fields — see the Commercial use and Data license rows above, and confirm both before shipping either in a paid product.