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IPWhois vs positionstack

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

APIIPWhoisNEW—positionstackNEW—
Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d—%—%
Uptime · 30d—%—%
P50 · ms——
P95 · ms——
AuthapiKeyapiKey
CORSyesno
HTTPSnoyes
Card requirednono
Commercial useunclearunclear
Data licenseUnverifiedUnverified
Free tierFree tier — API key may be required for productionFree tier — key may be required
Rate limitUnpublishedUnpublished
In directory since2026-07-052026-07-05
operationalpartialdownno data

IPWhois vs positionstack: common questions

Which is more reliable, IPWhois or positionstack?

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

Do IPWhois and positionstack need an API key?

Both ask you to authenticate — IPWhois 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 IPWhois and positionstack from the browser?

Neither sends browser-friendly CORS headers reliably, so call IPWhois 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 IPWhois and positionstack free for commercial use?

IPWhois 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.