Choose IPQualityScore for proxy, VPN and Tor detection, email checks that flag addresses recently tied to chargebacks or trial abuse, or device fingerprinting.
Choose Bewary for scam verdicts with reason codes, lookups of SMS short codes, crypto wallets and IBANs, and MCP tools.
At a glance
| IPQualityScore | Bewary | |
|---|---|---|
| IP address checks | IPQS's IP API flags connections through proxies, VPNs and Tor. | Bewary returns the network owner and ASN. It also returns the hosting type and reverse DNS. |
| Email address checks | IPQS says it can flag valid email addresses recently tied to chargebacks, spam or trial abuse. | Bewary checks whether an email address is disposable, uses a free email provider or is a shared role mailbox. It also checks whether the domain has a mail server. |
| URL checks | IPQS's Malicious URL Scanner flags phishing, malware, parked and suspicious URLs and returns a risk score. | Bewary checks where a link lands after shorteners and redirects, the destination domain's facts and phishing and malware URL feeds. |
| Additional inputs | IPQualityScore's device fingerprinting needs a script placed on the customer's own site. | Bewary provides lookup endpoints for crypto wallets, IBANs, mobile apps, payment handles and SMS short codes. |
| AI interface | IPQualityScore's in-product AI Fraud Analyst explains fraud signals using IPQualityScore's own AI. | Bewary's remote MCP server gives AI agents 15 tools over streamable HTTP and runs the same code as the REST API. |
| Developer interfaces | IPQS publishes an official Node SDK for server-side API calls. | Bewary has a REST API with an MCP server and a CLI. TypeScript types and Python models are published at bewary.app/types. |
IPQualityScore documents fraud scoring and device fingerprinting
IPQualityScore describes APIs for checking IP addresses, email addresses, phone numbers and URLs, alongside device fingerprinting.
Its IP API documentation describes a lookup returning proxy, VPN and Tor flags alongside risk data, geolocation, connection type and ISP. Its email and phone documentation describes validation and fraud-risk checks, while its Malicious URL Scanner documentation describes URL risk scoring.
Bewary returns scam verdicts and typed evidence
Bewary is a scam detection API and MCP server for apps and AI agents. Its lookups cover links, domains, IP addresses, phone numbers, SMS short codes, email addresses, crypto wallets, IBANs, mobile apps and payment handles.
Every check and lookup returns a typed JSON envelope with verdict, p_scam, reason_codes, classification, entities and signals. Entity facts identify the datasets checked, while signals identify their source class, weight, dataset and coverage.
The verdict is scam, suspicious, safe or unknown. Unknown means insufficient evidence or a source failure, and your code should never treat it as safe. The overall p_scam ranges from 0 to 1 and is interim, without calibration against labelled data.
The MCP server at https://api.bewary.app/mcp exposes 15 tools and runs the same code as REST. It supports Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, VS Code and other MCP clients over streamable HTTP. Lookup tools return the API envelope through outputSchema and structuredContent.
Responses follow contract version 1.16.0. Within /v1, changes only add fields, enum values and reason codes. Existing fields, enum values and reason codes are never renamed or removed.
IPQualityScore is stronger for device and abuse-risk checks
IPQualityScore's documented IP checks include explicit proxy, VPN and Tor detection. Those are additional checks beyond Bewary's network owner, ASN, registry country, hosting type and reverse DNS fields.
Its email documentation describes flagging otherwise valid addresses recently associated with chargebacks, fake signups, account takeover, spam or trial abuse. It attributes those associations to its honeypot network and partner feedback. Names associated with an address are available on upgraded plans, with match rates varying by country.
Its phone documentation states coverage for landline and mobile numbers in over 150 countries. The documented line_type values include satellite and pager numbers alongside toll-free, wireless, landline, VOIP and premium-rate numbers. Its risky flag identifies associations with fraud, scams, robocalls or fake accounts.
IPQualityScore also documents an optional HLR add-on for reachable or disconnected status. Without that add-on, its active field is null. Bewary's optional carrier lookup returns live line type, which answers a different question.
Its URL scanner documentation includes parked URLs as well as phishing, malware and suspicious URLs. IPQualityScore claims detection of zero-day phishing links and newly registered domains before other services have analyzed them.
Its device documentation describes cross-account tracking and detection of spoofing, emulators, bots and GPS or location tampering. Its plans offer CSV uploads and custom rules. IPQualityScore also publishes an official Node SDK and describes an in-product AI Fraud Analyst that explains signals using its in-house AI on its own servers.
Bewary differs in entity coverage and decision evidence
Bewary looks up SMS short codes, crypto wallets, IBANs, mobile apps and payment handles, and finds related domains. Its POST /v1/assess endpoint checks a seller's contact points in one call.
Bewary's domain lookup reads the registration date, expiry date and registrar from RDAP. It also returns domain age in days, whether the name imitates a brand and by which technique, the TLD's scam rate and whether the domain is on Bewary's scam list.
Bewary reads FTC Do Not Call complaints and FCC complaints every hour. A number named only as spoofable caller ID receives PHONE_REPORTED_CALLER_ID as a caution and stays unknown unless other evidence names it.
On November 6, 2026, Bewary's active scam list included 715,887 domains and 28,604 crypto wallets. The free GET /v1/datasets endpoint publishes dataset geography, entity coverage and active counts. Lookups use no language model, and the returned verdict is always Bewary's own.
Bewary's wallet lookup requires a valid address for its chain and checks its scam list and the US sanctions list. It accepts Bitcoin, Ethereum and other EVM addresses, Tron, Litecoin, Solana, Monero and Dash. The SMS short code directory covers US codes and includes 33 researched entries with operator and status information.
Free use and commercial terms differ
IPQualityScore's plans grid, read November 12, 2026, lists its Free plan at $0 a month. It includes 35 daily lookups, 1,000 monthly lookups, 3 CSV uploads and 10 custom rules.
Bewary's free API key provides 1,000 credits a month without a card. A standard lookup costs 1 credit. Deep domain and URL lookups cost 30 credits, live phone line type costs 10 credits, and a related-domains page costs 5 credits.
Bewary requires a key for API lookups, MCP tools and CLI commands. Its browser checkers allow 10 checks a day per visitor without a key. Keyed requests have a rate limit of 600 requests a minute, and batch requests accept up to 1,000 values at 1 credit per item.
IPQualityScore's terms prohibit opening multiple accounts to collect extra free monthly credits. They prohibit reselling or republishing IPQualityScore data or API responses to third parties. Using IPQualityScore to replicate or compete with its own products requires written approval. IPQualityScore may use the data customers send, with its metadata, to improve its own risk models.
Bewary keeps no record of who requested a lookup. A lookup can add the queried value to its datasets, including queuing a domain for web-archive history or recording an app as seen on its store.
The free key covers every Bewary endpoint. API keys are stored as SHA-256 hashes. The dataset directory and OpenAPI specification remain available without an API key.
Published volume prices use different billing units
Read on November 12, 2026, IPQualityScore's plans grid lists Startup at $139.99 a month for 5,000 monthly lookups, with 200 daily lookups, unlimited CSV uploads and 100 custom rules.
IPQualityScore's plans grid lists SMB Basic at $599.99 a month for 10,000 monthly lookups and SMB+ at $1,149.99 a month for 75,000 monthly lookups. Both plans have no daily lookup cap, unlimited CSV uploads and 5,000 custom rules.
Bewary sells prepaid packs without a subscription. The packs cost $20 for 10,000 credits, $100 for 60,000, $500 for 375,000 and $2,000 for 2,000,000. Prepaid credits never expire.
Bewary's published rates range from $2.00 to $1.00 per 1,000 credits. Most Bewary lookups cost 1 credit. A page of related domains costs 5 credits, a phone lookup with live line type costs 10 credits, and a deep link or domain lookup costs 30 credits. IPQualityScore prices plans by monthly lookup caps, so a plan lookup and a Bewary credit are different billing units.
API check migration from IPQualityScore to Bewary
For phishing and malware risk, the IPQualityScore call is its documented Malicious URL Scanner with a URL as input. The corresponding Bewary call is GET https://api.bewary.app/v1/url. Bewary returns the redirect destination, domain facts, feed checks and its verdict envelope.
For an IP address, IPQualityScore's documented call is its IP API lookup. Bewary's corresponding endpoint is GET https://api.bewary.app/v1/ip/{ip}. It returns the network owner, ASN, registry country, hosting type and reverse DNS. Your integration needs a separate check for proxy, VPN or Tor flags. IPQualityScore's phone API maps to Bewary's GET /v1/phone/{number}. Bewary returns the numbering-plan number type and scam list status. With line_type=true, the lookup costs 10 credits and adds the live carrier line type. This field does not report the reachable or disconnected status provided by IPQualityScore's HLR add-on. IPQualityScore's email API maps to Bewary's GET /v1/email/{address}. Bewary returns disposable, free-provider and role-mailbox status and whether the domain has a mail server. Bewary's email lookup does not return IPQualityScore's abuse-history flag or linked names.
IPQualityScore documents API-key submission through the URL path, a POST body or a request header. Bewary requires an API key for either lookup. Its OpenAPI specification is published at https://api.bewary.app/v1/openapi.json, with TypeScript types and Python models at bewary.app/types.
Code that branched on IPQualityScore's score thresholds of 85 and 90 should branch on Bewary's verdict and reason_codes, with a separate path for unknown. Bewary lists deciding reason codes strongest first.
Both APIs can check different parts of one account
An app can use IPQualityScore's documented IP and device checks during signup, then use Bewary for a seller's website, email, phone, other links and payout wallet. This combines account-activity checks with contact-point lookups.
Bewary's POST /v1/assess returns deny when a field is scam, review when one is suspicious, and otherwise pass. Pass means no contact point is named by evidence Bewary holds. It does not establish that the account is safe.
An agent can call Bewary's MCP tools before opening a link or evaluating a payment destination. IPQualityScore's documented device fingerprinting remains a site-script integration, so it serves a different part of that application.
Questions
Is there a free IPQualityScore alternative?
Yes. Bewary offers a free API key with 1,000 credits a month and no card requirement. Standard lookups consume 1 credit each, and its free browser checkers allow 10 checks a day per visitor.
What does an IPQualityScore fraud score mean?
A score of 90 or more means high risk under IPQualityScore's published guidance. Its documentation recommends treating 85 or more as highly suspicious.
Does IPQualityScore detect device fingerprints?
Yes, IPQualityScore documents device fingerprinting that tracks devices across accounts. Its documentation describes spoofing, emulator, bot and location-tampering detection. The integration requires its script on your own site.
What is the difference between a fraud score and a scam verdict?
An IPQualityScore fraud score expresses risk, while Bewary's scam verdict selects scam, suspicious, safe or unknown. Bewary also returns deciding reason codes and typed evidence. Its overall p_scam remains interim, with calibration against labelled data still pending.
Sources
- www.ipqualityscore.com: Overviewwww.ipqualityscore.com/documentation/proxy-detection-api/overview
- www.ipqualityscore.com: Fraud prevention scoringwww.ipqualityscore.com/documentation/about-ipqs-apis/fraud-prevention-scoring
- www.ipqualityscore.com: Overviewwww.ipqualityscore.com/documentation/email-validation-api/overview
- www.ipqualityscore.com: Response parameterswww.ipqualityscore.com/documentation/email-validation-api/response-parameters
- www.ipqualityscore.com: Overviewwww.ipqualityscore.com/documentation/phone-number-validation-api/overview
- www.ipqualityscore.com: Response parameterswww.ipqualityscore.com/documentation/phone-number-validation-api/response-parameters
- www.ipqualityscore.com: Overviewwww.ipqualityscore.com/documentation/malicious-url-scanner-api/overview
- www.ipqualityscore.com: Overviewwww.ipqualityscore.com/documentation/device-fingerprint-api/overview
- www.ipqualityscore.com: Planswww.ipqualityscore.com/plans
- www.ipqualityscore.com: Terms of servicewww.ipqualityscore.com/terms-of-service
- www.ipqualityscore.com: Submitting data to ipqs apiswww.ipqualityscore.com/documentation/about-ipqs-apis/submitting-data-to-ipqs-apis
- www.ipqualityscore.com: Overviewwww.ipqualityscore.com/documentation/ai-fraud-analyst/overview
- github.com: IPQSNodeSDKgithub.com/IPQualityScore/IPQSNodeSDK