# IPinfo vs WhoisXML API

> IPinfo scores 62.7 (B) to WhoisXML's 56.8 (C) for secintel ip enrichment. Prices, MCP, x402, uptime and agent notes side by side.

- Canonical: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ipinfo-vs-whoisxml-api
- Markdown: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ipinfo-vs-whoisxml-api.md (~4,300 tokens)
- Site index for agents: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt (the key docs and every listing in one file, at most 16 MB, about 4 million tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms-full.txt)
- API: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json
- MCP: https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (the whole catalogue as tools, no key)
- DNS: dig +short TXT <slug>.grade.anchorterminal.com (the grade as a DNS TXT record, for a sandbox with no HTTP where names still resolve; also top., best.<category>. and <a>.vs.<b>. under the zone, and the same under grade.letme.dev)
- Licence: CC BY 4.0, credit Anchor Terminal and link this page (https://www.anchorterminal.com/terms/#data)
- Updated: 2026-11-03

IPinfo scores 62.7 (B) on agent readiness against WhoisXML API's 56.8 (C), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. WhoisXML API leads on reliability. Both do secintel ip enrichment.

- IPinfo: grade B, 62.7/100, rank #464 of 1349. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/ipinfo.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/ipinfo.json
- WhoisXML API: grade C, 56.8/100, rank #771 of 1349. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/whoisxml-api.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/whoisxml-api.json
- Best threat and security intelligence APIs for AI agents: https://www.anchorterminal.com/best/security-intelligence/index.md
- All 33 security intel comparisons: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/security-intelligence/index.md

## Which one, for what

### IPinfo (B)

Good for: An agent that needs to enrich an IP with location, network and anonymiser flags at volume, free for country and ASN, paid for city and privacy signals.

Ahead on:
- Schema & documentation, 76 against 70
- Agent ergonomics, 84 against 65
- Security & auth, 60 against 39
- Payments & pricing, 40 against 25
- Maintenance & community, 85 against 76
- Transparency & trust, 70 against 60

Watch for: No status page, incident history or SLA was found; the terms supply the service as is

### WhoisXML API (C)

Good for: An agent investigating a domain's registration, history, DNS, certificates or related domains at scale, on a prepaid credit pool.

Ahead on:
- Reliability, 65 against 38

Watch for: Per-credit prices are not published outside a calculator; the only public figure is from $129 a month, and orders are non-refundable


## Why the edge

### Reliability: WhoisXML API +27

- IPinfo (38): Read with the hosted lines. No status page was found; status.ipinfo.io does not resolve and the site, docs and llms.txt link none (0). No readable history (5). Limits are published with numbers, Lite unlimited, Core 150,000 and Max 250,000 requests a month, with no per-second cap (15). A 429 is documented in the OpenAPI document and the developer page for the monthly quota, and the MCP server maps it to RATE_LIMITED, but no Retry-After or backoff guidance was found; every call is a read (8 of 15). No SLA; the terms supply the service as is and as available (0). The API and the MCP server are generally available (10). 0 + 5 + 15 + 8 + 0 + 10 = 38.
- WhoisXML API (65): Read with the hosted lines. The vendor's own Service Status and Data Releases page is linked from the docs and describes a per-API JSON status file with four levels (20). It shows no incident history and the status file's live values could not be read, so no 90-day record (5). The docs give 200 requests a second with rejection until the next second; the terms give 50 a second, 20 concurrent and 5 concurrent bulk requests, so numbers are published even though they disagree (15). A 429 AUTHENTICATE_06 carries Retry-After and every response X-RateLimit-Limit, X-RateLimit-Remaining and X-RateLimit-Reset, with guidance to slow before zero; all calls are reads (15). No SLA; the terms guarantee no minimum uptime and cite a historical 99.9 per cent, with enterprise SLAs by separate agreement (0). The API is generally available (10). 20 + 5 + 15 + 15 + 0 + 10 = 65.

### Security & auth: IPinfo +21

- IPinfo (60): One access token per account, accepted as a Bearer header, HTTP Basic or a token query parameter, with no scopes found; the hosted MCP server adds OAuth with short-lived tokens (20 less 10 for the query string, plus 4 for OAuth on the MCP server, so 14). Every endpoint is a read and tools return ACCESS_DENIED outside the plan, but there is no read-only or restricted token (16 of 20). Responses are structured network data rather than third-party free text (10 of 15). The dashboard shows request graphs and lookup history per the pricing page, with no per-call log documented (8 of 15). security.txt valid until 21 August 2027 with a PGP key, a SECURITY.md with 2-day acknowledgement and a 90-day disclosure window, no bug bounty or certification found beyond a bank-grade claim (12 of 20). 14 + 16 + 10 + 8 + 12 = 60.
- WhoisXML API (39): An API key with no scopes found, accepted as an apiKey query parameter that overrides the Authorization header, or as a Bearer token including a server-to-server OAuth token; an IP allowlist can be set on the account (20 less 10 for the query string, plus 4 for OAuth and the allowlist, so 14). Every call is a read and the MCP server has no write tools, but there is no read-only or restricted key (12 of 20). Records include raw registrar text from third parties with no guidance on treating it as untrusted (5 of 15). The MCP server's account_balance tool reports credits per product and the account page shows usage, with no per-call log documented (5 of 15). security.txt returns 404, no disclosure policy, bug bounty or certification was found, and the payment page names only a PCI-compliant card processor (3 of 20). 14 + 12 + 5 + 5 + 3 = 39.

### Agent ergonomics: IPinfo +19

- IPinfo (84): Field paths such as /country return one value, the Lite and lookup objects are small, and the MCP server has six compact tools with a per-session cache (23 of 25). Batch takes up to 1,000 lookups with filter=1 to drop empty results; no pagination is needed on single lookups, and ASN and range responses have no size control (16 of 20). The only documented error is 429; the MCP server returns coded errors with a message and a suggestion (12 of 20). Every call is a read, batch is a read over POST, and the MCP tools carry tool annotations (18 of 20). One parameter per call, sensible defaults and official SDKs in eleven languages (15). 23 + 16 + 12 + 18 + 15 = 84.
- WhoisXML API (65): ignoreRawTexts drops the raw text fields, cmd=GET_DN_AVAILABILITY returns a two-field record, and the MCP server's reverse_whois defaults to a count-only mode; the MCP server lists 35 tools, more than 30, with a tool_search for deferred loading over stdio only (17 of 25). The WHOIS API returns one record per call with no pagination; bulk variants take up to 10,000 domains as jobs with status and results tools (8 of 20). Errors carry a code and a message an agent can branch on, though WHOIS_01 names both a validation error on HTTP 200 and an internal error on 500 (14 of 20). Every call is a read, and the cache flags make a repeat cheap, but a retry with _hardRefresh costs 5 credits each time and no annotations were found on the MCP tools (14 of 20). One required parameter, sensible defaults, and official Python and Go client libraries in the vendor's GitHub organisation, last pushed in 2023 (12 of 15). 17 + 8 + 14 + 14 + 12 = 65.

### Payments & pricing: IPinfo +15

- IPinfo (40): No x402, MPP or L402 (0). Plan prices and per-1,000 overage rates are public on the pricing page (20). Lite is free with no card and no request cap (20). The token comes from the dashboard after a browser signup, and no key API was found (0). 0 + 20 + 20 + 0 = 40.
- WhoisXML API (25): No x402, MPP or L402 (0). The only public price is from $129 a month for a universal credit pool; per-credit rates are behind a calculator whose output was not read and enterprise packages are by sales (5 of 20). 500 free WHOIS credits on signup with no card (20). The key comes from the account after a browser signup and no key API was found (0). 0 + 5 + 20 + 0 = 25.

### Transparency & trust: IPinfo +10

- IPinfo (70): A closed service with clear terms naming IPinfo Inc. and the governing law, with the MCP server and SDKs under Apache-2.0 (17 of 30). The privacy policy of 29 October 2026 lists processors, links a DPA and says data is kept as long as needed, with no periods (16 of 30). No deprecation policy; the legacy API is maintained for existing users with no end date (6 of 20). Processors named and hosting in the United States (16 of 20). 17 + 16 + 6 + 16 = 55.
- WhoisXML API (60): A closed service with clear terms naming Whois API, Inc. and California law, though they confine data to one site, bar sharing it and forbid AI training on it (15 of 30). The privacy policy was last modified on 6 April 2020, cites the Privacy Shield frameworks, keeps data as long as there is a reasonable basis, and names no DPA (6 of 30). Deprecated parameters are listed and still accepted, with no notice periods or policy (8 of 20). No subprocessors or data locations are named (2 of 20). 15 + 6 + 8 + 2 = 31.

### Maintenance & community: IPinfo +9

- IPinfo (85): Read as a closed service with an official MCP server and SDKs. MCP server v0.2.3 on 29 October 2026, a commit on 3 November, and SDK repositories pushed in October and November (30). Eight MCP releases since 8 September 2026, v0.1.12 to v0.2.3 (20). GitHub releases for the MCP server, a community forum, a help centre and a support form, but no changelog for the API and GitHub issue pages could not be read (10 of 15). The MCP server is in the official registry as io.github.ipinfo/mcp and the SDKs are official (15). The MCP package has tests, CI with pinned actions, CodeQL and Scorecard workflows and a lock file (10). 30 + 20 + 10 + 15 + 10 = 85.
- WhoisXML API (76): Read as a closed service with an official MCP server. MCP server 1.13.0 was published in the official registry on 3 November 2026 and the ProfessionalServices and ipgeo-community repositories were pushed the same day (30). 1.8.6 on 8 September through 1.13.0 on 3 November 2026 is nine registry versions in 90 days (20). Product updates are summarised in yearly press releases, the newest 9 May 2025, support is a contact form with tiered response times sold separately, and the client library repositories were last pushed in 2023 (8 of 15). The MCP server is in the official registry under io.github.whois-api-llc, and official Python and Go clients exist (15). The MCP server's source was not found on GitHub, and the SDK repositories show no activity since 2023 (3 of 10). 30 + 20 + 8 + 15 + 3 = 76.

## Score by category

| Category | Weight | IPinfo | WhoisXML API | Edge |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 38 | 65 | WhoisXML API +27 |
| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Schema & documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 76 | 70 | IPinfo +6 |
| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 84 | 65 | IPinfo +19 |
| Security & auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 60 | 39 | IPinfo +21 |
| Payments & pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 40 | 25 | IPinfo +15 |
| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Maintenance & community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 85 | 76 | IPinfo +9 |
| Transparency & trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 70 | 60 | IPinfo +10 |
| Negative events | ≤15 | 0 | 0 | |
| **Total** | | **62.7 · B** | **56.8 · C** | |

## Facts side by side

| Fact | IPinfo | WhoisXML API |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Kind | HTTP API | HTTP API |
| Vendor | IPinfo Inc. | Whois API, Inc. |
| Hosted endpoint | `https://mcp.ipinfo.io/` | `https://mcp-hosted.whoisxmlapi.com/mcp` |
| Transports | Streamable HTTP, stdio | Streamable HTTP, stdio |
| Auth | OAuth or key | OAuth or key |
| Pricing | Freemium | Freemium |
| x402 | no | no |
| Tools exposed | 6 | 35 |
| Read-only variant documented | yes | no |
| llms.txt | yes | yes |
| MCP registry | `io.github.ipinfo/mcp` | `io.github.whois-api-llc/mcp-whoisxmlapi` |
| Last release | 2026-10-29 | 2026-11-03 |
| Terms last updated | 2024-06-03 | 2025-03-03 |
| Privacy policy last updated | 2026-10-29 | 2020-04-06 |
| Customer content may train models | not found in the text | not found in the text |
| Terms restrict automated access | yes | not found in the text |
| Terms restrict benchmarking | not found in the text | not found in the text |
| Terms or service can change without notice | yes | not found in the text |
| Arbitration or class-action waiver | yes | yes |
| Popularity | 2 stars | none |

## Verdicts

**IPinfo.** A free Lite tier with no request cap, a public OpenAPI document, llms.txt, a batch endpoint of 1,000 lookups and a six-tool hosted MCP server with OAuth. No status page or SLA was found, the only documented error is 429, the token may travel in a query string, and city-level and privacy data need a paid plan.

**WhoisXML API.** 500 free credits with no card, JSON Schema and XSD for every response, 429s with Retry-After, cache controls that set the price per lookup, and a 35-tool hosted MCP server with OAuth. Per-credit prices sit behind a calculator, the terms confine data to one site and forbid AI training on it, and the key is accepted in the query string.

## Before you call either

### IPinfo

1. Call `https://api.ipinfo.io/lite/{ip}` with `Authorization: Bearer` on a free token; `/lookup/{ip}` and `detailed=true` in the MCP tools return ACCESS_DENIED without a paid plan
2. Batch up to 1,000 addresses in one POST to `/batch/lite` or `/batch` with `filter=1`; each address counts as one request against the monthly quota
3. Append a field path such as `/country` or `/asn` to get a single plain-text value instead of the full object
4. On a 429 the monthly plan quota is spent; there is no Retry-After, so stop and report rather than retry
5. Treat the data as licensed for internal use; selling or reselling it needs IPinfo's written consent under the terms

### WhoisXML API

1. Send the key as `Authorization: Bearer` and `outputFormat=JSON`; the default output is XML and an `apiKey` query parameter overrides the header
2. Leave the cache flags alone for 1 credit a lookup; `_hardRefresh=1` costs 5 credits, and `_dbOnly=1` returns WHOIS_03 when nothing is cached
3. Read `audit.updatedDate` before trusting a record, and check `dataError` for MASKED_WHOIS_DATA or PARTIAL_DATA
4. Watch `X-RateLimit-Remaining` and on 429 AUTHENTICATE_06 wait for `Retry-After`; a 401 AUTHENTICATE_05 means the balance is spent, so stop
5. Keep results inside the customer's own systems; the terms forbid passing data to third parties or using it to train models

## Questions

### Which is better for AI agents, IPinfo or WhoisXML API?

IPinfo scores 62.7 (B) on agent readiness against WhoisXML API's 56.8 (C), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. WhoisXML API leads on reliability.

### Do IPinfo and WhoisXML API need an API key?

Both take an API key or an OAuth sign-in.

### Can an agent call IPinfo and WhoisXML API without installing anything?

Yes. IPinfo has a hosted endpoint at https://mcp.ipinfo.io/ and WhoisXML API at https://mcp-hosted.whoisxmlapi.com/mcp.


## For agents

- This comparison as JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ipinfo-vs-whoisxml-api.json, and with the fewest tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ipinfo-vs-whoisxml-api.min.md
- Over MCP at https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (no key): `compare_tools {"a": "ipinfo", "b": "whoisxml-api"}`. From a terminal: `anchor compare ipinfo whoisxml-api`
- Each listing in full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/ipinfo.json and https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/whoisxml-api.json

## Other comparisons with IPinfo or WhoisXML API

- [AbuseIPDB vs IPinfo](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/abuseipdb-vs-ipinfo.md)
- [AbuseIPDB vs WhoisXML API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/abuseipdb-vs-whoisxml-api.md)
- [GreyNoise vs IPinfo](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/greynoise-vs-ipinfo.md)
- [GreyNoise vs WhoisXML API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/greynoise-vs-whoisxml-api.md)
- [IPinfo vs VirusTotal](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ipinfo-vs-virustotal.md)
- [VirusTotal vs WhoisXML API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/virustotal-vs-whoisxml-api.md)
- [Censys vs IPinfo](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/censys-vs-ipinfo.md)
- [IPinfo vs Pulsedive](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ipinfo-vs-pulsedive.md)
- [IPinfo vs SecurityTrails](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ipinfo-vs-securitytrails.md)
- [IPinfo vs Shodan](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ipinfo-vs-shodan.md)
- [Censys vs WhoisXML API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/censys-vs-whoisxml-api.md)
- [SecurityTrails vs WhoisXML API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/securitytrails-vs-whoisxml-api.md)
- [Shodan vs WhoisXML API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/shodan-vs-whoisxml-api.md)
- [Pulsedive vs WhoisXML API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/pulsedive-vs-whoisxml-api.md)

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Query this catalogue directly over MCP: https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (Streamable HTTP, no key). How: https://www.anchorterminal.com/agents/#mcp