shipapis
StarSubmit an APISubmit API

ipapi.com vs positionstack

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

APIipapi.comHEALTHY96positionstackHEALTHY93
Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d100%100%
Uptime · 30d100%100%
P50 · ms301455
P95 · ms15753328
AuthapiKeyapiKey
CORSnono
HTTPSyesyes
Card requirednono
Commercial useunclearunclear
Data licenseUnverifiedUnverified
Free tierFree tier — key may be requiredFree tier — key may be required
Rate limitUnpublishedUnpublished
In directory since2026-07-052026-07-05
operationalpartialdownno data

ipapi.com vs positionstack: common questions

Which is more reliable, ipapi.com or positionstack?

Both are neck-and-neck — ipapi.com and positionstack each measure 100% uptime over 90 days on our probe schedule. Reliability here is verified from our own scheduled checks; use the 30-day bars above to see which has been steadier lately.

Which is faster, ipapi.com or positionstack?

ipapi.com has the lower median latency in our checks — ipapi.com responds in 301 ms versus positionstack at 455 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 ipapi.com and positionstack need an API key?

Both ask you to authenticate — ipapi.com uses an API key and positionstack uses an API key. Each key is free to obtain; the Auth and Card-required rows above spell out the signup terms.

Can I call ipapi.com and positionstack from the browser?

Neither sends browser-friendly CORS headers reliably, so call ipapi.com and positionstack from a server or proxy rather than client-side. The CORS and HTTPS rows above show exactly what we detected for each.

Are ipapi.com and positionstack free for commercial use?

ipapi.com has unclear commercial terms, and positionstack 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.