Migration guide
Switching from IPinfo (ipinfo.io) to LookValid
IPinfo maps an IP address to a place, a network and privacy signals, on plans sized by monthly requests. If you call its API today, moving the lookups LookValid covers takes 11 steps: 5 in the LookValid dashboard and 6 in your own code. The lookup listed below has a LookValid counterpart. It answers a narrower question than IPinfo's, as the overlap table explains. This page shows which is which, what you edit, and how plans and prices compare.
What moves over
| Item | On IPinfo | On LookValid, and what you do |
|---|---|---|
| API key and sign-in | The token goes in a token query parameter, in HTTP Basic authentication, or in an Authorization header as a Bearer token. Source | Send the key in an Authorization header as a Bearer token; X-API-Key also works for a client that cannot set that header. A LookValid key is created on the Keys tab, and keys do not transfer between providers. |
| Address and request format | A lookup is a GET to https://api.ipinfo.io/lookup/{ip} on the Core and Plus plans, or /lite/{ip} on the free Lite plan, and a field name can be added to the path to return only that field. Source | Each lookup is a POST with a JSON body to https://YOUR_API_HOST/v1/<product>. The product names and parameters differ, so each call is remapped using the overlap table. |
| Rate limits and back-off | Paid plans have a monthly request limit and no per-second throttling; going over it returns 429 unless metered billing is on. Source | 200 requests per 10 seconds on each key, on every plan. A 429 carries Retry-After, so a back-off that reads it keeps working. |
| What a lookup costs | Plans are sized in monthly requests, and extra requests on Core cost $0.34 per 1,000 and on Max $1.30 per 1,000. Source | IP Intelligence: 1 credit per lookup. Every lookup draws credits from one plan balance. |
Lookups that overlap
| Lookup | On IPinfo | On LookValid |
|---|---|---|
| IP address lookup | Location, ASN and network data for one address, with VPN, Tor, proxy and relay detection listed on the Core plan. Source | IP Intelligence: POST /v1/ip, 1 credit per lookup, charged only when the lookup finds something. LookValid returns location, ASN and network owner with risk flags from open lists such as Tor exit nodes and cloud provider ranges. It does not name VPN or residential proxy services. |
How much work it is
11 steps: 5 happen in the LookValid dashboard and 6 are edits to your own code or configuration.
- Start a LookValid plan (dashboard). Starter, Growth and Professional each start with a 7-day trial for $1 that allows 100 credits. The trial runs next to your current provider, so nothing has to stop first.
- Create an API key (dashboard). Open the Keys tab and create one key per application or environment. A key is shown once, so store it before you close the dialog.
- Run one lookup by hand (dashboard). Use the quick lookup on the dashboard overview with a value you already know the answer to, so you see the real response before you write any code.
- Point your client at the new address and key (your code). Requests go to https://YOUR_API_HOST/v1/<product> with the key in an Authorization header as a Bearer token. IPinfo takes the token as a query parameter, with Basic auth or as a Bearer header, so a client that already sends the header only needs the new key. Read the key from LOOKVALID_API_KEY.
- Map each endpoint you call (your code). Use the overlap table above to swap each path. Anything that has no LookValid counterpart stays with its current provider.
- Update how you read a response (your code). Branch on found instead of success, read the result from data, and read the cost from credits_charged and credits_remaining.
- Update how you handle errors (your code). Error codes are lower case and each carries a retryable flag. Branch on the code and retry only the retryable ones; the errors reference lists every code.
- Keep your retry logic (your code). A 429 carries Retry-After and the X-RateLimit headers on LookValid too, so a back-off that reads Retry-After carries over. The limit is 200 requests per 10 seconds on each key.
- Move list jobs to the Jobs tab (dashboard). If you run lists, upload a CSV, pick the column and the product, and download the results when the job finishes. A file holds up to 10,000 rows.
- Reconnect AI clients and automations (your code). If you use them, point each MCP client at https://YOUR_API_HOST/v1/mcp and send the same style of Bearer key. Rebuild each Zapier, Make or n8n workflow as a request step that calls LookValid with a Bearer key; the integrations pages have a recipe for each tool.
- Compare balances, then end the old plan (dashboard). Check the first runs against the credits LookValid reports for them. When you are satisfied, stop sending those lookups to IPinfo and end its plan.
What changes
Plans and prices
| Plan | IPinfo | LookValid |
|---|---|---|
| Lite | Free with no card, with country and ASN data and no request quota. Source | LookValid has no free plan. The free tools run an IP lookup with no account. |
| Core | $310 a year billed annually, with 150,000 API requests a month and city-level location. Source | IP Intelligence: 1 credit per lookup, $2.00 to $4.95 per 1,000 lookups across the plans |
| Max | $1,960 a year billed annually, with 250,000 API requests a month. Source | No LookValid plan is sized by requests. Every lookup draws credits from the same plan balance. |
Differences
| Topic | IPinfo | LookValid |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | IPinfo Lite is free, with no card needed and no request quota. Source | LookValid sells paid plans only (Starter, Growth, Professional online, Enterprise on a call). The free tools on the website run a set of the same lookups with no account. |
| Minimum term | There is no minimum subscription period, and a plan can be cancelled at any time. Source | To cancel a LookValid plan, write to hello@lookvalid.com from your account email. Keep the old plan running until its period ends while you test, so both providers answer in the meantime. |
| Enterprise | Enterprise pricing is custom and annual, set through its sales team. Source | Enterprise starts at $1,999 a month for 1,000,000 credits and is set up on a call; larger volumes are quoted there. |
Questions
Do I have to change code to move from IPinfo?
Yes. The address, the key, the paths, the response fields and the error codes differ, so the calls you make and the code that reads their answers are edited. 6 of the 11 steps are code or configuration changes, and 5 happen in the dashboard.
Can I run LookValid next to IPinfo while I test?
Yes. A LookValid trial starts without ending anything else, so you can send the same inputs to both and compare the first runs before you change your IPinfo plan.
Which of my IPinfo lookups can I move?
The lookup listed below has a LookValid counterpart. It answers a narrower question than IPinfo's, as the overlap table explains.
Which IPinfo data does LookValid not return?
LookValid returns country, region, city, time zone, ASN and network owner, with risk flags from open lists. It does not name VPN or residential proxy services, and it has no hosted-domains or IP-range lookups. Keep IPinfo for those fields.
Do I get a LookValid balance to match what is left on my old plan?
No. LookValid credits come from a LookValid plan, and the trial allows 100 credits. Plan credits stay spendable for 3 months after they arrive.
Sources
- IPinfo pricing page https://ipinfo.io/pricing, read 2026-10-26
- IPinfo developer documentation https://ipinfo.io/developers, read 2026-10-26
LookValid is run by Meralume Labs. It is not connected to, endorsed by or a partner of any company or product named on this page, and every product name belongs to its owner.
Related pages
LookValid puts every lookup behind one key and one credit balance, over REST and MCP.
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