Geofencing vs. Geolocation: Key Differences and Top APIs for Each

With little to no exceptions, the knowledge and usage of users’ locations is a highly crucial data point for businesses, which is why it’s no surprise that most apps on your phone need your location permissions. Geolocation and geofencing are two techniques deeply and widely used in many industries like mobility, e-commerce, advertising, retail, hospitality, etc., to form and leverage location-based business strategies.

Although they sound somewhat similar, geolocation and geofencing are significantly different. Geolocation is the process of finding the user’s location through their device using GPS, wi-fi, or IP data. Geofencing, on the other hand, is the process of setting virtual boundaries around specific geographic areas. 

Let’s go deeper into what both of these are, how they differ, and how you can choose the best APIs for each.

Differences Between Geolocation And Geofencing

This table comprises all the major differences between geolocation and geofencing across the same criteria.

Criteria	Geolocation	Geofencing
Scope	Identifies the exact or approximate location coordinates of users’ device at the street or city level	Has a more precise scope defined by exact boundaries, where specific  actions are triggered
Technology used	GPS, Wi-Fi, Cellular data, find out users’ real-time location, and function constantly in the background	Virtual boundaries are set up using GPS and RFID so that when the device enters or leaves a particular boundary, an action/event triggers
User interaction	Users get relevant information based on their current location	Context-specific notifications can be sent to users by defining which areas they are entering and exiting
Functionality	Continuously tracks user movements and thus location	Tracks only entry/exit events to define the area the user is in
Privacy	Constantly tracking location data might be labeled as intrusive to user privacy	Less invasive as compared to geolocation because it functions based on entry/exit events only
Use cases	Navigation apps like Google MapsDelivery tracking apps like Uber Eats, AmazonLocation-based search in real-estate or hotel booking	Location-based marketing strategies like sending push notificationsSecurity and automation in home systemsFleet management for tracking vehicle movements
Relevance in businesses	Essential for businesses using functions like logistics, ride-sharing, fitness tracking, emergency services, etc.	Important in marketing operations, security automations, access control, event management, etc.,

Geolocation and geofencing are powerful tools for product and marketing teams that want to deliver and market personalized, location-defined services. Tons of APIs out there can cater to your geolocation and geofencing integration needs, which makes it even more difficult to pick out the one best suited to your use case. 

Let’s check out the top five APIs for each and make it easier for you to find the one you are looking for.

Top 5 Geolocation APIs

There are a few key considerations we’ve kept in mind to form this list of top geolocation APIs. These include accuracy & precision concerns, area coverage, speed & performance, pricing, scalability, reliability, and developer experience. The API you choose should ideally have ease of integration, clear documentation, and reliable support. 

The APIs listed below fulfill all the above criteria and have been adopted by countless developers worldwide to meet their geolocation needs.

1. 1. Google Maps Geolocation API
      The Google Maps API uses GPS, Wi-Fi, and cell towers to provide highly accurate data, global coverage, fast response time, and low latency. Its neat documentation and SDKs for multiple platforms make it a favorite of many developers.

2. 2. IPinfo Geolocation API
      IPinfo API is a great choice if you are looking for accurate city and region level IP-based location tracking. This API covers IPv4 and IPv6 with a vast dataset. IPinfo has simple REST API endpoints, support for multiple programming languages, clear documentation and many SDKs for convenient developer support.

3. 3. MaxMind GeoIP® API
      Maxmind is one of the best options for IP-based geolocation and fraud detection. It offers strong global coverage, updated databases, quick lookups, and minimal delay. Its clean documentation and easy integration make it one of the top options.

4. 4. IPstack API
      IPstack API offers precise geolocation data such as continent, country, city, region and latitude/longitude coordinates based on IP addresses. One of developers’ favourite geolocation APIs, IPstack has clear API endpoints, supports JSON and XML, and has excellent documentation to help you at all times. 

5. 5. Positionstack API
      Positionstack API is for you if you want to convert addresses into geographic coordinates and vice versa. It provides an easy-to-use API interface to perform forward and reverse geocoding in real-time with global coverage. It’s accurate, fast, and excels in terms of developer experience.

Top 5 Geofencing APIs

The criteria for choosing the best APIs for geofencing remain the same as those for geolocation. Depending on what you want to use the API for, there might be additional specific use-case-based suitability criteria, but that’s outside the scope of this list. 

1. 1. Radar
      Radar API is great for contextual geofencing and battery optimization. If your product needs to detect home, work, and travel patterns, Radar might be a good choice. 

2. 2. Google Geofence API
      Google Maps Geofence API is fully integrated with the Google ecosystem, making it easy to use with other Google services and products. It is a good choice for large-scale consumer apps that need global coverage.

3. 3. Bluedot
      If you want to go beyond GPS-based geofencing and choose something more precise, Bluedot is a suitable option. It can be great for mobile geofencing.

4. 4. Mapbox
      Mapbox is best suited for interactive maps in gaming, AR, and adventure apps. If you need an offline-friendly geofencing solution, it is worth a try.

5. 5. LocationSmart
      LocationSmart uses cellular network-based geolocation and is thus ideal for asset tracking, regulatory compliance, and security. Since it is not based on GPS, it does not need user app permissions.

One API for geolocation and geofencing

Choosing one API instead of two for geolocation and geofencing cuts down your research hassle and you don’t even have to break the bank. A single API ensures better synchronization between geolocation data and geofence triggers, reduces complexity, and eliminates latency.

IPstack can serve as the perfect solution for both your needs. It is a powerful API for retrieving users’ IP-based real-time geolocation. While it’s not an out-of-the-box geofencing solution, it forms a strong backbone for your customized geofencing needs. Customized geofencing refers to tailor-made virtual boundaries that help your business define your own unique geographical areas and thus, their corresponding trigger events.

Why IPstack?

• • Global IP coverage that supports IPv4 and IPv6 addresses across the world, which makes it suitable for applications worldwide.

• • Accurate geolocation data, including country, city, region, ZIP code, and latitude/longitude coordinates, lay the foundation for precise geofencing.

• • Fast API responses to ensure it works seamlessly with applications needing real-time geofence verification.

• • Scalable, flexible, reliable, and can be integrated into mobile apps, web apps, enterprise solutions, etc.

Geofencing Logic Flow Using IPstack Data

Setting up a basic geofencing system using IPstack is as easy as it can get. Here’s an example of how you can implement this in Python.

1. Get the user geolocation from IPstack in the form of latitude and longitude coordinates
   
   
   Python

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   import requests   API_KEY = "your_ipstack_api_key" ip_address = "134.201.250.155"  # Example IP   response = requests.get(f"http://api.ipstack.com/{ip_address}?access_key={API_KEY}") data = response.json()   user_lat = data["latitude"] user_lon = data["longitude"]   print(f"User Location: {user_lat}, {user_lon}")

2.  Set up virtual geofence boundaries using the latitude/longitude boundary box.
   
   
   Python

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   # Example geofenced area (bounding box method) geofence = {     "lat_min": 37.7740,  # Lower latitude     "lat_max": 37.7750,  # Upper latitude     "lon_min": -122.4195,  # Lower longitude     "lon_max": -122.4185  # Upper longitude }   # Check if user is inside geofenced area def is_within_geofence(lat, lon, geofence):     return (geofence["lat_min"] <= lat <= geofence["lat_max"] and             geofence["lon_min"] <= lon <= geofence["lon_max"])   if is_within_geofence(user_lat, user_lon, geofence):     print("User is inside the geofenced area.") else:     print("User is outside the geofenced area.")

3. Trigger custom actions such as sending notifications to users when they enter the geofence, or restricted app permissions when they exit a geofence.

Geofencing For Developer And Marketing Teams

The use of geofencing should not be limited to a single function in a company. It can be adopted across marketing, growth, product, UX, security, and customer support teams. While all teams can find use cases for geofencing, it is the most useful for the developer and marketing teams. If you are still not using geofencing within your dev and marketing teams, it’s time to start doing so. 

For dev teams, geofencing can massively improve security and compliance for your product. Use it to restrict access to specific services, flag suspicious activity, trigger real-time alerts, and prevent frauds.

Marketing teams across the world use geofencing to increase and retain user engagement. Send location-based push notifications & specific emails, and trigger custom in-app experiences to deliver experiences that feel natural and hyper-relevant to users.  

Conclusion

Just retrieving user geolocation and creating geofences is not enough. It’s crucial to use the APIs that make these processes as efficient as possible for seamless user experience that gives you an edge over the competition.

IPstack is the perfect answer to your geolocation and geofencing needs. Sign up for free today and explore documentation here.