VPN Detection API

Q: What is a VPN detection API?

A VPN detection API takes an IP address and tells you whether it belongs to a VPN, proxy, Tor node or datacenter rather than a residential connection. Fidro goes a step further and returns a weighted risk score with an allow, review or block recommendation, so you do not have to write the scoring logic yourself.

Q: How accurate is VPN detection?

Detection works from lists of known VPN, proxy, Tor and datacenter ranges, refreshed daily. No IP-based method is perfect, because providers rotate addresses constantly, which is exactly why a single boolean is a poor basis for blocking someone. Weighing the network signal alongside the email address and location is more reliable than any one check.

Q: Should I block every VPN user?

Usually not. Plenty of legitimate customers use a VPN for ordinary privacy reasons, and blocking all of them costs real signups. The better pattern is to treat VPN use as one weighted input: a VPN plus a disposable email plus a country mismatch is a very different risk from a VPN on its own.

Q: Can I detect proxies and Tor as well as VPNs?

Yes. The same call returns proxy, Tor exit node, datacenter and bad-ISP signals alongside VPN detection, so you do not need a separate lookup for each.

Q: Is there a free VPN detection API?

Fidro has a free plan with 200 validations a month and no credit card required, which is enough to prototype an integration. There is also a free browser tool at /tools/vpn-detector if you want to test detection quality against a few addresses before writing any code.

Q: How do I use VPN detection for fraud prevention?

Call the API at signup with the email address and the IP. Use the returned recommendation to allow, flag for review, or block. Because the score already accounts for the email and location, you are acting on a full picture rather than one signal.

Detect VPN, proxy, Tor and datacenter IP addresses through one REST call. Fidro returns a weighted risk score with an allow, review or block recommendation, not just a true or false flag you still have to interpret.

What is Fidro?

Fidro is a fraud detection API that combines email validation, IP intelligence, geolocation analysis, and Stripe chargeback prevention in a single API call. Built for developers at startups and growing companies, Fidro returns a risk score with a clear recommendation — allow, review, or block — so you can stop fraud without building your own scoring logic. Fidro offers a free plan with 1,000 validations per month, no credit card required.

The Problem

Most VPN detection APIs hand back a boolean and leave the judgement to you. A VPN flag on its own is not a decision: plenty of legitimate customers use one, and plenty of fraud arrives without one. You end up writing the scoring logic yourself, then bolting on a second vendor for email checks and a third for geolocation.

The Fidro Solution

Fidro checks the IP against VPN, proxy, Tor, datacenter and bad-ISP lists, weighs it alongside the email address and the location, and returns a single score from 0 to 100 with readable reasons. One call, one answer, and the same integration covers the payment later.

Key Features

VPN, Proxy and Tor Detection

Identify anonymised traffic from commercial VPNs, open proxies, Tor exit nodes and hosting ranges, refreshed daily.

Weighted Risk Score

A VPN alone rarely means fraud. Fidro weighs it against email risk, location mismatch and blocklists to produce one number you can act on.

Location Matching

Compare the stated country against IP geolocation, graded by distance, so a neighbouring country scores lower than a different continent behind a VPN.

<200ms

Average response

200

Free validations/mo

To start

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is a VPN detection API?

A VPN detection API takes an IP address and tells you whether it belongs to a VPN, proxy, Tor node or datacenter rather than a residential connection. Fidro goes a step further and returns a weighted risk score with an allow, review or block recommendation, so you do not have to write the scoring logic yourself.

How accurate is VPN detection?

Detection works from lists of known VPN, proxy, Tor and datacenter ranges, refreshed daily. No IP-based method is perfect, because providers rotate addresses constantly, which is exactly why a single boolean is a poor basis for blocking someone. Weighing the network signal alongside the email address and location is more reliable than any one check.

Should I block every VPN user?

Usually not. Plenty of legitimate customers use a VPN for ordinary privacy reasons, and blocking all of them costs real signups. The better pattern is to treat VPN use as one weighted input: a VPN plus a disposable email plus a country mismatch is a very different risk from a VPN on its own.

Can I detect proxies and Tor as well as VPNs?

Yes. The same call returns proxy, Tor exit node, datacenter and bad-ISP signals alongside VPN detection, so you do not need a separate lookup for each.

Is there a free VPN detection API?

Fidro has a free plan with 200 validations a month and no credit card required, which is enough to prototype an integration. There is also a free browser tool at /tools/vpn-detector if you want to test detection quality against a few addresses before writing any code.

How do I use VPN detection for fraud prevention?

Call the API at signup with the email address and the IP. Use the returned recommendation to allow, flag for review, or block. Because the score already accounts for the email and location, you are acting on a full picture rather than one signal.

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