DB-IP Alternative — Why Developers Switch to IP Geo API

TL;DR: DB-IP is a Brussels-based IP intelligence vendor with a long track record (since 2010), a downloadable-database product line, and a REST API on top. If you want REST-first without a database file to maintain, bundled VPN/proxy/Tor detection without buying a second product (DB-IP IP-to-Threat), EUR billing instead of USD, and an attribution-free free tier, IP Geo API is the cleaner path. Same EU jurisdiction (NL/BE both fall under EU adequacy), simpler integration, predictable monthly pricing.

Try IP Geo API free → · 1.000 requests/day · HTTPS on every tier · no credit card · no attribution

Quick comparison

Honest note: DB-IP is a credible EU-based competitor — Brussels-headquartered, GDPR-native by jurisdiction, with a mature dataset going back to 2010. The wedges below aren’t “DB-IP is foreign and shady” (they’re not). The wedges are about delivery model (REST vs DB-download), bundling (threat detection), pricing currency (EUR vs USD), and the attribution clause on the free tier.

When IP Geo API is the better fit

1. You don’t want a CC-BY attribution link on your product

DB-IP’s free tier — both the Lite database and the free REST allowance — requires a visible CC-BY 4.0 attribution link back to db-ip.com on any public page that displays geolocation data. For internal tools, side projects, and learning environments, that’s fine. For a customer-facing product where you’d rather not advertise your vendor’s brand to your own users, it’s a non-starter. IP Geo API’s free tier has zero attribution requirement — use it on public pages, in production, in your B2B SaaS, no link back required.

2. You need VPN/proxy/Tor detection without a second invoice

DB-IP splits IP geolocation (the core IP-to-City / IP-to-Location dataset) and threat intelligence (IP-to-Threat / Anonymous / Datacenter datasets) into multiple separately-priced product lines. Each axis you need (anonymous-proxy detection, datacenter classification, Tor exit nodes) is its own subscription on its own renewal cycle. IP Geo API ships is_vpn, is_proxy, is_tor, is_datacenter, is_residential on every response, every tier — one product, one invoice, one integration.

3. You don’t want to maintain a DB-download cycle

DB-IP’s downloadable-DB model — pull a fresh MMDB monthly (Lite) or daily (paid), validate, redeploy across staging/prod — adds a recurring ops task that doesn’t compound into product value if IP geolocation isn’t your core. IP Geo API is GET https://ipgeo.10b.app/v1/{ip} — that’s the integration. Updates happen server-side, daily, invisibly. No cron, no checksums, no version skew between services.

4. You want EU-only edges, not global CDN

DB-IP is an EU vendor, but the public REST API is fronted by globally distributed CDN edges — your queries may transit non-EU edges to reach the dataset. For Article 30 record-of-processing under GDPR, “vendor is EU but edges are global” is a row that needs explanation. IP Geo API runs only on EU infrastructure (Hetzner Nuremberg + Vercel fra1 and ams) — your queries hit EU edges, resolve against EU datasets, return through EU edges. One row, one explanation.

5. You want monthly EUR billing, not annual USD

DB-IP prices in USD on monthly subscriptions. For EU-domiciled buyers, that’s an FX exposure on every invoice and a USD-to-EUR conversion fee on the card statement. IP Geo API is EUR-invoiced, monthly, cancel anytime. iDEAL, SEPA, Bancontact through Mollie. Predictable OPEX.

6. You want a single-product vendor focused on one thing

DB-IP’s product portfolio has expanded over 15+ years to span IP-to-Location, IP-to-Threat, IP-to-Anonymous, IP-to-ISP, IP-to-Connection-Type, IP-to-Country-ISP-Connection-Region-City, downloadable databases, and REST API — multiple SKUs across multiple axes. IP Geo API does one thing: a single REST endpoint that returns country + region + city + ASN + threat flags, on every tier. Less SKU navigation, no upsell path, no “you need our Anonymous dataset for that flag” conversations.

15-minute migration guide

DB-IP REST API (example):

GET https://api.db-ip.com/v2/YOUR_KEY/8.8.8.8

IP Geo API:

GET https://ipgeo.10b.app/v1/8.8.8.8
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_KEY

Field mapping (DB-IP REST → IP Geo API):

For teams on the MMDB-download model, the migration is conceptual rather than field-by-field: replace the local MMDB lookup call (reader.city(ip)) with an HTTP GET to IP Geo API. Cache hot IPs in Redis or equivalent for p95 latency parity.

Need a per-language snippet? See the migration recipes.

Pricing comparison (honest)

The honest line on the per-axis-pricing observation: if you only need country + city + lat/lng and your free-tier attribution exposure is acceptable, DB-IP’s Basic tier at USD 19/mo is competitive. The cost story flips once you add VPN/proxy/Tor, ASN, and need EUR-invoiced predictable OPEX without FX volatility.

What DB-IP does better

Being fair:

• Brussels HQ + EU jurisdiction is a clean GDPR story. DB-IP is unambiguously EU-domiciled. If your only filter is “vendor must be EU,” DB-IP qualifies as well as we do.
• Downloadable MMDB for offline / air-gapped lookups. If your architecture requires lookups inside a VPC with no external network call, DB-IP’s MMDB is the right tool. IP Geo API is REST-only.
• 15+ year operating history. DB-IP has been around since 2010 — more than a decade of operation is a legitimate trust signal for enterprise procurement.
• MaxMind GeoIP2 schema compatibility on MMDB. If you’ve already integrated against the MaxMind GeoIP2 MMDB schema, DB-IP’s MMDB is a near-drop-in replacement with similar field names. IP Geo API uses our own JSON schema.
• More granular per-axis pricing for high-volume specialists. If you only need geolocation (no threat, no ASN), DB-IP’s slim Basic tier is genuinely cheaper than our bundled plan.

If those outweigh REST simplicity, EUR billing, attribution-free free tier, or bundled threat detection for you, stay with DB-IP. No hard feelings.

FAQ

Is IP Geo API accurate enough to replace DB-IP?

For country, region, city, ASN, and VPN/proxy/Tor detection: yes, accuracy is in the same band. We source from multiple upstream providers and reconcile daily. For DB-IP-specific fields (connectionType, usageType, IDD code), we don’t expose those today — if you depend on them, stay with DB-IP.

Can I self-host the IP Geo API database?

No — IP Geo API is a managed REST service. If self-hosting is a hard requirement, stay with DB-IP’s MMDB or MaxMind’s GeoLite2.

What happens when I exceed my monthly quota?

Requests over-quota return HTTP 429 with a Retry-After header. No silent overage charges. You can upgrade mid-cycle; the new quota applies immediately and we prorate.

Do you charge for failed lookups (bad input, private IPs)?

No. Malformed IP → HTTP 400, free. Private/reserved IP (RFC 1918, CGNAT) → HTTP 200 with is_private: true, doesn’t count against your quota.

How do you handle IPv6?

Single endpoint, dual-stack. GET /v1/2001:db8::1 works identically to GET /v1/8.8.8.8. No separate DB package, no separate license.

Is IP Geo API GDPR-compliant?

Yes. 100% EU infrastructure, no sub-processor outside EEA adequacy, signed DPA on request for Business plan. Data residency and retention documented per Article 30.

Can I migrate from a downloaded DB-IP MMDB file?

Yes — the migration is conceptual: replace your local reader.city(ip) call (or your language’s equivalent) with an HTTP GET. Add Redis caching for hot IPs to match local-lookup latency on repeated queries.

What if IP Geo API goes down — what’s my fallback?

For free and Starter tiers, none contractually — same as DB-IP’s REST API on entry tiers. For Business plan, SLA credits apply. We publish status at status.ipgeo.10b.app (live after M0 launch) and recommend always caching last-known-good responses in your app for graceful degradation.

Do you offer an annual billing discount?

Yes — annual prepay receives 2 months free (equivalent to ~16% discount) on Starter and Business. Monthly default; annual available on request.

Read also

IP Geo API vs DB-IP in 2026: REST-First vs DB-Download — Which EU Vendor Wins for Your Stack? → — 6-minute narrative companion to this comparison: the EU-vs-EU positioning question, attribution-clause economics on free tiers, threat-detection bundling math, and the cases where DB-IP’s MMDB model is still the right tool.

How to Migrate from DB-IP to IP Geo API in 2026: A Step-by-Step Drop-In Guide → — practical 7-step migration guide: field-by-field map for both REST and MMDB/CSV callers, drop-in code diffs (Python / Node / Go), shadow-mode validation, gradual cutover, rollback plan, and the 7 week-one gotchas.

Six sibling migration walkthroughs — same field-map + code-diff format, different incumbent gotchas:

• Migrate from MaxMind GeoIP2 to IP Geo API (2026 walkthrough) → — drop the weekly .mmdb sync, swap to a REST call with the same field shape, edge-cache patterns + CSV→JSON field map.
• Migrate from ipinfo.io to IP Geo API (2026 walkthrough) → — loc-string parsing, org ASN+name regex split, and Authorization-header edge-stripping gotchas.
• Migrate from ipstack to IP Geo API (2026 walkthrough) → — HTTP→HTTPS scheme flip, security.* empty-vs-populated branch behaviour, connection.asn integer typing.
• Migrate from ipapi.co to IP Geo API (2026 walkthrough) → — per-day rate-limit fragmentation, org ASN+name regex, attribution-backlink scrub for paid-tier customers.
• Migrate from ipgeolocation.io to IP Geo API (2026 walkthrough) → — separately-billed Security API SKU consolidation, apiKey-in-URL log-leak hardening, and latitude/longitude string-vs-number gotchas.
• Migrate from IP2Location to IP Geo API (2026 walkthrough) → — BIN/CSV/MMDB-download decommission, IP2Proxy SKU consolidation, USD-annual-prepay-to-EUR-monthly billing migration, and proxy_type enum-vs-split-booleans gotchas.

If you’re also comparing IP Geo API against the other providers most often shortlisted next to DB-IP, the narrative deep-dives:

• IP Geo API vs ipinfo.io in 2026: When the EU Alternative Wins (and When It Doesn’t) → — code-level migration sketch + 2026 pricing math at 100K / 1M / 10M req/mo.
• IP Geo API vs MaxMind in 2026: SaaS vs DB Download — Which Stack Wins? → — when GeoIP2 binary still wins, when EU-hosted SaaS wins, and how the math changes at 1M+ req/mo.
• IP Geo API vs ipstack in 2026: HTTPS-on-Free, EU Hosting, and the Security Module Question → — why HTTP-only free tiers break browser-side calls, bundled threat-detection vs add-on Security Module.
• IP Geo API vs ipapi.co in 2026: Free-Tier Attribution, EU Residency, and the Threat-Detection Question → — attribution-free free tier, bundled VPN/proxy/Tor flags vs paid-only proxy/tor, EUR billing.
• IP Geo API vs ipgeolocation.io in 2026: Bundled Endpoints, Bundled Threat-Detection, and the EU-Residency Question → — separately-priced Security API vs bundled threat block, USD vs EUR billing, ~600B vs ~1.4KB payload.
• IP Geo API vs IP2Location in 2026: REST-First vs Database-Download — Which Model Wins for Your Stack? → — BIN-license-vs-monthly-subscription TCO math, IP2Proxy bundling math, EU-residency wedge.

Ready to switch?

Start free → · 1.000 requests/day · no credit card · no attribution · HTTPS on every tier

Questions? Email eric@ipgeo.10b.app (founder, replies within 24h).

Industry deep-dives

• IP Geolocation for Fintech — KYC, Sanctions Screening, Fraud, and EU Residency → — fintech-specific deep-dive: the three IP-control surfaces (KYC country-of-origin, OFAC/EU sanctions, payment-fraud risk), EU-hosted GDPR posture, EUR billing, ASN-level hosting detection, and ≤40 ms median EU-edge latency for 800-1200 ms PSP authorisation budgets.

• IP Geolocation for Ad-Tech — RTB Enrichment, SIVT/IVT Filtering, and Click-Fraud Attribution → — ad-tech-specific deep-dive: the three IP-control surfaces (RTB bid enrichment with ≤40 ms latency budget + OpenRTB 2.6 device.geo/device.ext, SIVT/IVT filtering with IAB-confirmed datacenter ASN block-list, click-fraud post-back attribution + risk scoring), EU-hosted GDPR + ePrivacy + IAB-TCF v2.2 posture, bundled threat fields, ASN-level granularity, and predictable EUR billing.

• IP Geolocation for iGaming — Licence-Jurisdiction Enforcement, VPN-Circumvention Scoring, and Self-Exclusion Register Routing → — iGaming-specific deep-dive: the three IP-control surfaces (licence-jurisdiction enforcement with hard-fail-closed posture across MGA/UKGC/KSA/DGOJ/ANJ/ADM/DAS, anti-circumvention scoring with residential-proxy ASN block-list covering Bright Data + Oxylabs + Smartproxy + IPRoyal, self-exclusion register routing to GamStop/CRUKS/ROFUS/Spelpaus/OASIS by IP-country), EU-hosted GDPR + EGBA posture, bundled threat fields, ASN-level granularity, and predictable EUR billing.

• IP Geolocation for SaaS Monetization — Geo-Pricing, EU-VAT/DAC7 Tax-Routing, Trial-Abuse Scoring, and OFAC/EAR Export-Controls → — SaaS-specific deep-dive: the four IP-control surfaces (PPP-anchored geo-pricing with ≤40 ms checkout-flow budget, EU-VAT-MOSS + OECD DAC7 tax-routing to the right Stripe/Adyen/Braintree/Paddle tax-id, trial-abuse detection with residential-proxy ASN block-list across Bright Data/Oxylabs/Smartproxy/IPRoyal, and OFAC SDN + EAR export-controls feature-gating), EU-hosted GDPR posture, bundled threat fields, ASN-level granularity, and predictable EUR billing.

• IP Geolocation for Streaming Media — Content Licensing, VPN-Bypass Defence, CDN POP Steering, and SSAI Ad-Insertion → — Streaming-media-specific deep-dive: the four IP-control surfaces (per-territory licensing enforcement with hard-fail-closed HTTP 451 on ambiguous resolve, VPN/proxy/Tor circumvention defence with residential-proxy ASN block-list across Bright Data/Oxylabs/Smartproxy/IPRoyal, CDN POP steering and adaptive bitrate-ladder selection across Akamai/Cloudflare/Fastly/BunnyCDN/Lumen, and SSAI ad-insertion targeting with sports blackout windows via Haversine GPS-distance), ≤40 ms session-init budget on EU edges, studio-grade 24-month audit trail, threat fields on every plan, ASN-level granularity, and EU-hosted GDPR + AVMSD (Directive 2018/1808) posture.

• IP Geolocation for E-commerce — Tax-Jurisdiction Routing, BIN-vs-IP Carding Defence, PPP-Adjusted Currency Display, and Shipping-Zone Fulfilment Routing → — E-commerce-specific deep-dive: the four IP-control surfaces (EU OSS distance-sales 27-rate map + UK VAT 20% + CH-VAT 7.7% + NO MVA 25% + US Wayfair 13-state nexus + CA GST/HST per-province + AU/SG/IN/BR/JP GST/ICMS/JCT with sanctions hard-stop on IR/KP/SY/CU/BY/RU/MM/VE at checkout; BIN-vs-IP carding + refund-fraud 6-factor weighted score at place-order with residential-proxy ASN block-list across Bright Data/Oxylabs/Smartproxy/IPRoyal/Tier3; PPP-adjusted 7-tier pricebook on first paint with VPN/proxy fall-back to BIN-billing-country; 9-warehouse fulfilment routing FRA/AMS/MAD/MIL/DOV/IAD/LAX/DEL/SIN with DDP/DDU duty pre-calc and lithium/aerosol/prescription destination-gates), ≤40 ms checkout-first-paint budget, DAC7/GDPR/EU OSS audit posture, bundled threat fields on every plan, ASN-level granularity, and EUR billing.

• IP Geolocation for Healthcare — Cross-Border Telehealth Licensing, HIPAA PHI/EPHI Access Geofencing, EU Patient-Data Residency w/ Schrems II Routing, and Cross-Border Pharma + DEA Schedule Gating → — Healthcare-specific deep-dive: the four IP-control surfaces (cross-border telehealth licensure match at consult-init w/ US IMLC 41-state partial + CA/FL/NY/TX independent + EU MRPQ Directive 2005/36/EC + DE Bundesärztekammer + NL BIG + FR ONM + UK GMC + HTTP 451 hard-fail-closed on jurisdiction-mismatch + NO_RECIPROCITY hard-stop on IR/KP/SY/CU/BY/RU/MM/VE/AF/SO; HIPAA 45 CFR §164.308(a)(4) PHI/EPHI access geofencing w/ clinical-ASN allowlist Epic/Cerner/Allscripts/Mayo/MGH/Cleveland/Kaiser + residential-proxy ASN reject Bright Data/Oxylabs/Smartproxy/IPRoyal/Tier3 + home-office BAA-attested workstation allowlist + risk_score < 30 soft-allow; EU patient-data residency w/ GDPR Art. 9 special-category + EDPB Recommendations 01/2020 supplementary technical measures + Schrems II SCC flag for US-shard + routing to 6 EHR shards EU-FRA/EU-AMS/UK-LON/US-IAD/CA-YYZ/AU-SYD w/ VPN/proxy → fall-back to EU-FRA highest protection; cross-border pharma + controlled-substance gating w/ DEA Schedules I-V + Ryan Haight Act §3 in-person-eval requirement for telemed Rx + EU Falsified Medicines Directive 2011/62/EU originator-country audit + per-country bans for cannabis/CBD/psilocybin/MDMA/kratom), ≤40 ms consult-init budget, HIPAA/GDPR Art. 9/Schrems II/DEA/EU FMD audit posture, bundled threat fields on every plan, ASN-level granularity, and EUR billing.

• IP Geolocation for Travel + Hospitality — Geo-Rate Enforcement + Dynamic-Pricing per Booking Origin, OTA Carding + ATO Defence, OFAC/EU CONSILIUM/UK OFSI Sanctions Screening at Booking-Init, and GDS + EU OSS / DAC7 Reporting → — Travel/hospitality-specific deep-dive: the four IP-control surfaces (geo-rate enforcement + dynamic-pricing per booking origin w/ 8-tier pricebook T1 EU-Lux 1.00x → T8 Africa 0.75x + VPN/proxy/Tor fall-back to T2_NA_LUX anti-arbitrage + SANCTIONS_HARDSTOP on IR/KP/SY/CU/BY/RU/MM/VE/AF/SO HTTP 451 at search-render + BIN-billing-country pin at checkout; OTA carding + ATO defence at booking checkout w/ corporate-travel-platform ASN allowlist AS-CWT/Amex GBT/BCD/FCM/Egencia/Navan/Amadeus/Sabre fast-lane + consumer-OTA reject on VPN/Tor/relay + residential-proxy ASN block Bright Data/Oxylabs/Smartproxy/IPRoyal/Tier3 + 6-factor carding score threshold ≥70; OFAC + EU CONSILIUM + UK OFSI sanctions screening at booking-init w/ sanctioned-origin hard-stop regardless of session residency + EU 6AMLD compelled-disclosure on VPN/proxy + US-Cuba 31 CFR §515 General License gate + luxury-segment AML thresholds yacht €10K / private jet €20K / villa €5K/night / heli €3K + PEP screen + source-of-funds eval; GDS + inventory routing + EU OSS / DAC7 reporting w/ Amadeus EU/UK + Sabre US/CA + Travelport APAC + 27 EU-MS destination-VAT rates DE 19% → HU 27% + NO 25% + CH 8.1% + UK 20% + DAC7 Directive 2021/514 reportable-platform-operator evidence-log 5-year retention + Jan-31 lead-MS annual report), ≤40 ms search-render budget, OFAC/EU CONSILIUM/UK OFSI/DAC7/EU OSS/HOTREC audit posture, bundled threat fields on every plan, ASN-level granularity, and EUR billing.

Last updated: 2026-05-09. Prices and features change — we update this page on every pricing revision and within 7 days of any DB-IP product change we become aware of. Spotted something out of date? Email eric@ipgeo.10b.app and we’ll fix it.