Honest comparison
GeoQ vs MaxMind
MaxMind is an industry staple — GeoIP2 databases for geolocation and minFraud for risk scoring. GeoQ is a hosted, API-first IP-signal service with flat pricing. They suit different workflows.
Based on publicly available information. We don't disparage competitors — if something here is wrong, tell us.
| Feature | GeoQ | MaxMind |
|---|---|---|
| Delivery | Hosted API | Downloadable DBs + API services |
| Pricing model | Flat plans, daily quota | Subscriptions / per-query (minFraud) |
| Free tier | 1,000 lookups/day, no card | Free GeoLite2 (separate licence terms) |
| Geo + ASN | Yes | Yes (GeoIP2 — a core strength) |
| VPN / proxy / Tor signals | Yes, in base call | Anonymous-IP database / minFraud |
| Risk score | Transparent formula + reasons[] | minFraud proprietary score |
| Offline use | No (API-first) | Yes |
| Published accuracy benchmark | Methodology published; numbers soon | No single reproducible public benchmark (to our knowledge) |
Pick GeoQ when…
- You want a hosted API, not a database to download and update.
- You want abuse signals and a transparent risk score in one call.
- You want flat pricing and a no-card free tier.
Pick MaxMind when…
MaxMind offers mature GeoIP2 databases you can self-host and a long-established minFraud scoring service — a strong choice if you want offline databases or a battle-tested fraud-scoring incumbent.
- You need downloadable GeoIP2 databases to run offline.
- You're standardised on minFraud's scoring model.
Other comparisons
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is GeoQ a drop-in replacement for MaxMind?
Not necessarily — the response shapes differ. GeoQ returns abuse signals, geo, ASN and a transparent risk score from one
/v1/check call. Check the response schema to map fields.Is this comparison fair to MaxMind?
We aim for factual, neutral comparisons based on publicly available information, and we link to MaxMind's own docs where we can. If anything here is out of date, tell us and we'll correct it.
Does GeoQ claim to be more accurate?
No. We don't publish 'most accurate' claims. We publish a reproducible benchmark methodology and let the numbers speak.
Start with the free tier. No card.
1,000 lookups a day, every signal, the same transparent risk score. Upgrade only when you outgrow it.