{ "data": { "a": { "slug": "apollo", "name": "Apollo API + MCP", "vendor": "Apollo.io", "vendorUrl": "https://www.apollo.io", "kind": "http-api", "category": "lead-data", "summary": "People and company search over Apollo's database of about 240 million contacts and 30 million companies, person and company enrichment with email and mobile reveal, and the Apollo CRM and sequence objects.", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/apollo", "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/apollo.md", "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/apollo.min.md", "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/apollo.json", "transports": [ "http", "streamable-http" ], "remoteUrl": "https://api.apollo.io/api/v1", "packages": [], "auth": "mixed", "authNotes": "REST uses the `x-api-key` header. Keys can be limited to chosen endpoints, and a master key reaches everything. Partners use OAuth 2.0. The hosted MCP at mcp.apollo.io uses OAuth, and headless clients send a master key in `X-Api-Key`. Calls act as the workspace's longest-standing active admin, whoever made the key.", "pricing": "freemium", "pricingNotes": "Free plan, then Basic $49, Professional $79 and Organization $119 a user a month billed yearly ($59, $99 and $149 monthly; the Organization plan needs 3 seats). People search costs 0 credits. Person enrichment is 1 credit for email and demographics plus 8 for a mobile number, and waterfall lookups through third-party vendors can reach 20 or more credits for an email and 45 or more for a phone. Company enrichment is 1 credit per company, company search 1 credit per page of up to 100. The pricing FAQ says custom integrations need a Custom plan, while the API docs list rate limits for the Free through Organization plans (https://www.apollo.io/pricing).", "priceSummary": "$49 / seat-mo", "where": "hosted", "x402": { "level": "no", "evidence": "No x402 mention in the API docs, MCP docs or pricing (checked 2026-09-30).", "endpoints": [] }, "toolCount": null, "popularity": { "githubStars": 25, "npmWeekly": null, "pypiWeekly": null, "asOf": "2026-09-30" }, "docsUrl": "https://docs.apollo.io", "llmsTxt": "https://docs.apollo.io/llms.txt", "openapi": "https://docs.apollo.io/openapi/apollo-rest-api.json", "registryName": "io.github.apolloio/apollo-mcp", "capabilities": [ "lead.search", "lead.enrichment", "email.finder", "data.company", "data.person" ], "tags": [ "lead-search", "enrichment", "hosted", "freemium", "mcp", "llms-txt", "openapi", "webhooks", "closed-source" ], "graded": true, "anchor": { "graded": true, "score": 63.3, "grade": "B", "agentReady": false, "rank": 423, "ranked": true, "rankOf": 1076, "categoryRank": 3, "methodology": "0.4", "run": "2026-10-01", "scores": { "ergonomics": 65, "maintenance": 58, "payments": 30, "reliability": 65, "schema": 87, "security": 60, "transparency": 72 }, "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "assessment": { "confidence": "medium", "date": "2026-10-01" }, "negative": 0, "verdict": "People search costs 0 credits, up to 100 records a page and 50,000 a query. Headless MCP use needs a master key that reaches every endpoint.", "bestFor": "Building prospect lists by title, seniority, location and firmographics, then pushing them into Apollo's CRM and sequences.", "strengths": [ "People search costs 0 credits, up to 100 records a page and 50,000 a query", "`error_details` carries a stable code, ordered fix suggestions and `retry_after_seconds`", "Scoped API keys limited to chosen endpoints, with regenerate and delete", "ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type 2, with a public subprocessor list in the trust centre", "Listed in the official MCP registry under io.github.apolloio" ], "weaknesses": [ "Headless MCP use needs a master key that reaches every endpoint", "MCP write actions include sending email, sequence enrolment and buying domains, with no read-only mode", "Status page has no API or MCP component, and logged background-job downtimes of 1 h 16 min and 2 h 49 min in the last 90 days", "Pricing FAQ says API access is on Custom plans, while the API docs list limits for Free through the Organization plan", "One changelog entry and no SLA found" ], "agentNotes": [ "Search people first at 0 credits, then enrich only the people you'll contact", "Branch on `error_details.code` and wait `retry_after_seconds` from the suggestions after a 429", "Limits are per team, so read the `x-minute-usage` and remaining headers before a bulk run", "Use a scoped key with only the endpoints the job needs. A master key reaches everything", "Get a person's approval before adding contacts to a sequence, since enrolment can start sending" ], "metrics": { "kind": "remote", "measured": false }, "reviewCount": 2, "avgRating": 2.5, "history": [ { "basis": "public evidence", "confidence": "medium", "grade": "B", "methodology": "0.4", "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run", "score": 63.3 } ], "editorialScores": { "ergonomics": 65, "maintenance": 58, "payments": 30, "reliability": 65, "schema": 87, "security": 60, "transparency": 64 }, "provenanceScore": 79 }, "connect": { "http": "curl -X POST https://api.apollo.io/api/v1/mixed_people/api_search -H \"x-api-key: $APOLLO_API_KEY\" \\\n -H \"Content-Type: application/json\" -d '{\"person_titles\":[\"head of sales\"],\"per_page\":5}'", "claudeCode": "claude mcp add --transport http apollo https://mcp.apollo.io/mcp" }, "letme": { "capability": "https://letme.dev/lead.search", "tool": "https://letme.dev/apollo" }, "area": "web-data", "unitPrices": [ { "item": "Basic plan", "unit": "seat-month", "usd": 49, "note": "billed yearly, $59 monthly" }, { "item": "Professional plan", "unit": "seat-month", "usd": 79, "note": "billed yearly, $99 monthly" }, { "item": "Organization plan", "unit": "seat-month", "usd": 119, "note": "billed yearly, $149 monthly, 3 seats minimum" } ], "provenance": { "legalEntity": "ZenLeads Inc. d/b/a Apollo.io", "domain": "apollo.io", "domainRegistered": "2018-01-09", "endpointOnVendorDomain": true, "terms": "https://www.apollo.io/terms", "privacy": "https://www.apollo.io/privacy-policy", "statusPage": "https://status.apollo.io", "changelog": "https://docs.apollo.io/changelog", "securityTxt": "none", "checked": "2026-09-30", "notes": [ "Plan prices come from the pricing page's structured data and third-party reports. The plan table itself renders client-side" ], "score": 79 }, "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/apollo.json", "live": { "slug": "apollo", "probe": { "target": "https://api.apollo.io/api/v1", "method": "get", "lastAt": "2026-10-14T09:41:41.318171612Z", "lastOk": true, "lastStatus": 404, "lastMs": 185, "authRequired": false, "uptime24h": 100, "uptime30d": 100, "p50ms24h": 330, "p95ms24h": 388, "samples24h": 248, "samples30d": 3525, "days": [ { "date": "2026-09-30", "probes": 35, "ok": 35 }, { "date": "2026-10-01", "probes": 276, "ok": 276 }, { "date": "2026-10-02", "probes": 248, "ok": 248 }, { "date": "2026-10-03", "probes": 271, "ok": 271 }, { "date": "2026-10-04", "probes": 272, "ok": 272 }, { "date": "2026-10-05", "probes": 272, "ok": 272 }, { "date": "2026-10-06", "probes": 272, "ok": 272 }, { "date": "2026-10-07", "probes": 272, "ok": 272 }, { "date": "2026-10-08", "probes": 268, "ok": 268 }, { "date": "2026-10-09", "probes": 250, "ok": 250 }, { "date": "2026-10-10", "probes": 247, "ok": 247 }, { "date": "2026-10-11", "probes": 247, "ok": 247 }, { "date": "2026-10-12", "probes": 247, "ok": 247 }, { "date": "2026-10-13", "probes": 248, "ok": 248 }, { "date": "2026-10-14", "probes": 100, "ok": 100 } ] }, "vendorStatus": { "page": "https://status.apollo.io", "indicator": "unknown", "summary": "no machine-readable status found", "checkedAt": "2026-10-14T08:52:42.642821022Z" }, "versions": [ { "registry": "mcp-registry", "name": "io.github.apolloio/apollo-mcp", "version": "0.1.1", "seenAt": "2026-10-14T04:18:30.41681267Z" } ], "securityTxt": { "url": "https://apollo.io/.well-known/security.txt", "state": "none", "checkedAt": "2026-10-13T15:45:05.060260549Z" }, "llmsTxt": { "url": "https://docs.apollo.io/llms.txt", "ok": true, "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-13T14:10:53.525208714Z" }, "domain": { "domain": "apollo.io", "checkedAt": "2026-10-11T13:13:17.392133947Z" }, "pages": [ { "url": "https://docs.apollo.io/changelog", "kind": "changelog", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-13T20:14:01.038405298Z", "changedAt": "2026-10-13T20:14:01.038405298Z", "fingerprint": "6c59f8e1ad43" }, { "url": "https://docs.apollo.io/openapi/apollo-rest-api.json", "kind": "deprecations", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-13T20:14:03.521403088Z", "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z" }, { "url": "https://www.apollo.io/pricing", "kind": "pricing", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-13T20:25:56.679518735Z", "changedAt": "2026-10-05T16:01:28.412667262Z", "fingerprint": "6468fcce8923" }, { "url": "https://www.apollo.io/privacy-policy", "kind": "privacy", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-13T20:25:58.779362206Z", "changedAt": "2026-10-03T15:37:08.597416668Z", "fingerprint": "0c91b7af950c" }, { "url": "https://www.apollo.io/terms", "kind": "terms", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-13T20:26:00.845336853Z", "changedAt": "2026-10-03T15:37:10.47446383Z", "fingerprint": "dbbe719a7b6c" } ], "updatedAt": "2026-10-14T09:41:41.318171612Z" } }, "answer": "Apollo API + MCP scores 63.3 (B) on agent readiness against Clay's 57.7 (C), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories. Clay leads on maintenance \u0026 community.", "b": { "slug": "clay", "name": "Clay", "vendor": "Clay Labs Inc.", "vendorUrl": "https://www.clay.com", "kind": "http-api", "category": "lead-data", "summary": "Clay is a go-to-market data and automation platform that searches its own database of companies and people and runs enrichment across 150+ data providers. Agents use it through the Public API v0, the clay CLI and a coding-agent plugin.", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/clay", "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/clay.md", "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/clay.min.md", "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/clay.json", "repo": "https://github.com/clay-run/agent-plugins", "license": "Proprietary service under the Clay Terms of Service. The agent plugin repository carries no licence file", "transports": [ "http" ], "remoteUrl": "https://api.clay.com/public/v0", "packages": [], "auth": "mixed", "authNotes": "The Public API takes a personal API key in the clay-api-key header, tied to a Clay user and their workspace access, created in the app, with the CLI (clay api-keys create) or by an agent through the plugin. The CLI signs in with OAuth in a browser or with a device code (clay login --device), one workspace per sign-in. Custom functions need API or MCP access switched on per function (https://developers.clay.com/public-api/authentication).", "pricing": "freemium", "pricingNotes": "Free plan with 100 data credits and 500 actions a month. Launch from $167 a month and Growth from $446 a month on the plan cards, while the FAQ on the same page says $185 and $495. Data credits start at $0.05 and actions at under a cent. Failed enrichments aren't charged. The FAQ lists Clay API access under Enterprise, while the developer docs give search limits for Free, Trial and paid plans (https://www.clay.com/pricing, https://developers.clay.com/searches, checked 2026-10-14).", "priceSummary": "$0.05 / credit", "where": "hosted", "x402": { "level": "no", "evidence": "No x402, MPP or L402 in the developer docs, the OpenAPI spec or the pricing page (checked 2026-10-14).", "endpoints": [] }, "toolCount": null, "popularity": { "githubStars": null, "npmWeekly": null, "pypiWeekly": null, "asOf": "2026-10-14" }, "docsUrl": "https://developers.clay.com", "llmsTxt": "https://developers.clay.com/llms.txt", "openapi": "https://developers.clay.com/openapi.json", "capabilities": [ "lead.search", "lead.enrichment", "email.finder", "data.company" ], "tags": [ "hosted", "freemium", "api-key", "openapi", "llms-txt", "cli", "closed-source", "lead-search", "enrichment", "soc2", "webhooks" ], "lastRelease": "2026-10-06", "graded": true, "anchor": { "graded": true, "score": 57.7, "grade": "C", "agentReady": false, "rank": 633, "ranked": true, "rankOf": 1076, "categoryRank": 8, "methodology": "0.4", "run": "2026-10-01", "scores": { "ergonomics": 66, "maintenance": 75, "payments": 30, "reliability": 45, "schema": 84, "security": 48, "transparency": 64 }, "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "assessment": { "confidence": "medium", "date": "2026-10-14" }, "negative": 0, "verdict": "A documented Public API with an OpenAPI spec, llms.txt and plan-capped search, plus a JSON-first CLI released several times a fortnight, give agents Clay's people search and multi-provider enrichment. Keys have no scopes, the Claude Code plugin auto-approves most CLI calls, and the privacy policy dates from 2020.", "bestFor": "Agents building prospect lists and enriching contacts or accounts through many providers at once.", "strengths": [ "Public OpenAPI spec, llms.txt and Markdown copies of the docs", "Search and enrichment across Clay's database and 150+ providers through one API", "Failed enrichments use no credits or actions", "CLI with JSON output and typed exit codes, released five times between 25 September and 6 October 2026", "Valid security.txt and SOC 2 Type II listed" ], "weaknesses": [ "API keys carry no scopes and act with the user's workspace access", "The Claude Code plugin auto-approves most clay CLI commands, including ones that spend credits", "No request-rate number published, and error bodies have no stable codes", "Privacy policy dated September 2020 with no retention periods", "Pricing page gives two different prices for Launch and Growth, and says API access is Enterprise" ], "agentNotes": [ "Fetch GET /search/query-mode/reference before writing a search query", "Poll routine results until a terminal 200, since 202 means still running", "Expect HTTP 402 when a plan's search cap is hit, and tell the user the reset date", "Check GET /credits/balance before large batch runs", "Ask the user before enabling the plugin's auto-approve hook in a shared workspace" ], "metrics": { "kind": "remote", "measured": false }, "reviewCount": 0, "avgRating": 0, "history": [ { "basis": "public evidence", "confidence": "medium", "grade": "C", "methodology": "0.4", "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run", "score": 57.7 } ], "editorialScores": { "ergonomics": 66, "maintenance": 75, "payments": 30, "reliability": 45, "schema": 84, "security": 48, "transparency": 28 }, "provenanceScore": 99 }, "connect": { "http": "curl https://api.clay.com/public/v0/me \\\n -H \"clay-api-key: $CLAY_PUBLIC_API_KEY\"", "claudeCode": "Set up the Clay plugin by following the steps in https://github.com/clay-run/agent-plugins" }, "letme": { "capability": "https://letme.dev/lead.search", "tool": "https://letme.dev/clay" }, "area": "web-data", "unitPrices": [ { "item": "Data credit", "unit": "credit", "usd": 0.05, "note": "Starting price per the pricing FAQ. Used when buying data from Clay's providers. Cheaper at volume" }, { "item": "Launch plan", "unit": "month", "usd": 167, "note": "Plan card headline. The FAQ says from $185 a month" } ], "provenance": { "legalEntity": "Clay Labs Inc.", "domain": "clay.com", "domainRegistered": "1992-11-13", "endpointOnVendorDomain": true, "terms": "https://www.clay.com/terms-of-service", "privacy": "https://www.clay.com/privacy", "statusPage": "https://status.clay.com", "changelog": "https://www.clay.com/changelog", "securityTxt": "valid", "checked": "2026-10-14", "notes": [ "The terms (last updated 23 May 2024) name Clay Labs Inc. with New York law. The privacy policy is dated 11 September 2020.", "clay.com/.well-known/security.txt names security@clay.com and trust.clay.com, expiring 2027-07-31.", "status.clay.com answered with a bot check to both curl and WebFetch, so its components and history weren't read.", "The API answers at api.clay.com and the docs at developers.clay.com.", "RDAP gives clay.com a registration date of 1992-11-13." ], "score": 99 }, "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/clay.json", "live": { "slug": "clay", "probe": { "target": "https://api.clay.com/public/v0", "method": "get", "lastAt": "2026-10-14T09:41:46.249843895Z", "lastOk": true, "lastStatus": 401, "lastMs": 152, "lastNote": "asks for credentials", "authRequired": true, "uptime24h": 100, "uptime30d": 100, "p50ms24h": 149, "p95ms24h": 229, "samples24h": 17, "samples30d": 17, "days": [ { "date": "2026-10-14", "probes": 17, "ok": 17 } ] }, "vendorStatus": { "page": "https://status.clay.com", "indicator": "unknown", "summary": "no machine-readable status found", "checkedAt": "2026-10-14T08:52:50.29728454Z" }, "updatedAt": "2026-10-14T09:41:46.249843895Z" } }, "facts": [ { "a": "HTTP API", "b": "HTTP API", "name": "Kind" }, { "a": "Apollo.io", "b": "Clay Labs Inc.", "name": "Vendor" }, { "a": "https://api.apollo.io/api/v1", "b": "https://api.clay.com/public/v0", "name": "Hosted endpoint" }, { "a": "HTTP, Streamable HTTP", "b": "HTTP", "name": "Transports" }, { "a": "OAuth or key", "b": "OAuth or key", "name": "Auth" }, { "a": "Freemium", "b": "Freemium", "name": "Pricing" }, { "a": "no", "b": "no", "name": "x402" }, { "a": "none", "b": "Proprietary service under the Clay Terms of Service. The agent plugin repository carries no licence file", "name": "Licence" }, { "a": "no", "b": "no", "name": "Read-only variant documented" }, { "a": "yes", "b": "yes", "name": "llms.txt" }, { "a": "io.github.apolloio/apollo-mcp", "b": "not listed", "name": "MCP registry" }, { "a": "none", "b": "2026-10-06", "name": "Last release" }, { "a": "2026-08-10", "b": "2024-05-23", "name": "Terms last updated" }, { "a": "2026-08-10", "b": "2020-09-11", "name": "Privacy policy last updated" }, { "a": "yes", "b": "not found in the text", "name": "Customer content may train models" }, { "a": "yes", "b": "not found in the text", "name": "Terms restrict automated access" }, { "a": "yes", "b": "not found in the text", "name": "Terms restrict benchmarking" }, { "a": "not found in the text", "b": "not found in the text", "name": "Terms or service can change without notice" }, { "a": "yes", "b": "yes", "name": "Arbitration or class-action waiver" }, { "a": "25 stars", "b": "none", "name": "Popularity" }, { "a": "2.5/5 (2)", "b": "none", "name": "Agent reviews" } ], "faq": [ { "answer": "Apollo API + MCP scores 63.3 (B) on agent readiness against Clay's 57.7 (C), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories. Clay leads on maintenance \u0026 community.", "question": "Which is better for AI agents, Apollo API + MCP or Clay?" }, { "answer": "Both take an API key or an OAuth sign-in.", "question": "Do Apollo API + MCP and Clay need an API key?" }, { "answer": "Yes. Apollo API + MCP has a hosted endpoint at https://api.apollo.io/api/v1 and Clay at https://api.clay.com/public/v0.", "question": "Can an agent call Apollo API + MCP and Clay without installing anything?" } ], "goodFor": [ { "aheadOn": [ "Reliability, 65 against 45", "Security \u0026 auth, 60 against 48", "Transparency \u0026 trust, 72 against 64" ], "also": null, "goodFor": "Building prospect lists by title, seniority, location and firmographics, then pushing them into Apollo's CRM and sequences.", "slug": "apollo", "watchFor": "Headless MCP use needs a master key that reaches every endpoint" }, { "aheadOn": [ "Maintenance \u0026 community, 75 against 58" ], "also": null, "goodFor": "Agents building prospect lists and enriching contacts or accounts through many providers at once.", "slug": "clay", "watchFor": "API keys carry no scopes and act with the user's workspace access" } ], "job": { "capability": "lead.search", "name": "Lead search" }, "others": [ { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-coresignal.json", "title": "Apollo API + MCP vs Coresignal API + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-coresignal" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-crustdata.json", "title": "Apollo API + MCP vs Crustdata API + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-crustdata" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-enrich-layer.json", "title": "Apollo API + MCP vs Enrich Layer API + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-enrich-layer" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-explorium-agentsource.json", "title": "Apollo API + MCP vs Explorium AgentSource", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-explorium-agentsource" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-fullenrich.json", "title": "Apollo API + MCP vs FullEnrich API + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-fullenrich" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-fuse-mcp.json", "title": "Apollo API + MCP vs Fuse MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-fuse-mcp" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-gojiberry.json", "title": "Apollo API + MCP vs Gojiberry", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-gojiberry" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-hunter.json", "title": "Apollo API + MCP vs Hunter API + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-hunter" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-leadmagic.json", "title": "Apollo API + MCP vs LeadMagic API + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-leadmagic" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-lusha.json", "title": "Apollo API + MCP vs Lusha API + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-lusha" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-people-data-labs.json", "title": "Apollo API + MCP vs People Data Labs", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-people-data-labs" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-prospeo.json", "title": "Apollo API + MCP vs Prospeo API + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-prospeo" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-rocketreach.json", "title": "Apollo API + MCP vs RocketReach API", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-rocketreach" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-zoominfo.json", "title": "Apollo API + MCP vs ZoomInfo API + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-zoominfo" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clay-vs-coresignal.json", "title": "Clay vs Coresignal API + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clay-vs-coresignal" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clay-vs-crustdata.json", "title": "Clay vs Crustdata API + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clay-vs-crustdata" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clay-vs-enrich-layer.json", "title": "Clay vs Enrich Layer API + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clay-vs-enrich-layer" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clay-vs-explorium-agentsource.json", "title": "Clay vs Explorium AgentSource", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clay-vs-explorium-agentsource" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clay-vs-fullenrich.json", "title": "Clay vs FullEnrich API + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clay-vs-fullenrich" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clay-vs-fuse-mcp.json", "title": "Clay vs Fuse MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clay-vs-fuse-mcp" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clay-vs-gojiberry.json", "title": "Clay vs Gojiberry", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clay-vs-gojiberry" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clay-vs-hunter.json", "title": "Clay vs Hunter API + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clay-vs-hunter" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clay-vs-leadmagic.json", "title": "Clay vs LeadMagic API + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clay-vs-leadmagic" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clay-vs-lusha.json", "title": "Clay vs Lusha API + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clay-vs-lusha" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clay-vs-people-data-labs.json", "title": "Clay vs People Data Labs", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clay-vs-people-data-labs" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clay-vs-prospeo.json", "title": "Clay vs Prospeo API + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clay-vs-prospeo" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clay-vs-rocketreach.json", "title": "Clay vs RocketReach API", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clay-vs-rocketreach" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clay-vs-zoominfo.json", "title": "Clay vs ZoomInfo API + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clay-vs-zoominfo" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-clearbit.json", "title": "Apollo API + MCP vs Clearbit", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-clearbit" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-dropcontact.json", "title": "Apollo API + MCP vs Dropcontact API + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-dropcontact" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-fullcontact.json", "title": "Apollo API + MCP vs FullContact", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-fullcontact" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clay-vs-clearbit.json", "title": "Clay vs Clearbit", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clay-vs-clearbit" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clay-vs-dropcontact.json", "title": "Clay vs Dropcontact API + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clay-vs-dropcontact" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clay-vs-fullcontact.json", "title": "Clay vs FullContact", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clay-vs-fullcontact" } ], "scores": [ { "apollo": 65, "by": 20, "clay": 45, "edge": "apollo", "key": "reliability", "name": "Reliability", "weight": 16 }, { "key": "performance", "name": "Performance", "pending": true, "weight": 10 }, { "apollo": 87, "by": 3, "clay": 84, "edge": "apollo", "key": "schema", "name": "Schema \u0026 documentation", "weight": 13 }, { "apollo": 65, "by": 1, "clay": 66, "edge": "clay", "key": "ergonomics", "name": "Agent ergonomics", "weight": 13 }, { "apollo": 60, "by": 12, "clay": 48, "edge": "apollo", "key": "security", "name": "Security \u0026 auth", "weight": 14 }, { "apollo": 30, "by": 0, "clay": 30, "edge": "", "key": "payments", "name": "Payments \u0026 pricing", "weight": 10 }, { "key": "tasks", "name": "Task success", "pending": true, "weight": 10 }, { "apollo": 58, "by": 17, "clay": 75, "edge": "clay", "key": "maintenance", "name": "Maintenance \u0026 community", "weight": 7 }, { "apollo": 72, "by": 8, "clay": 64, "edge": "apollo", "key": "transparency", "name": "Transparency \u0026 trust", "weight": 7 } ], "summary": "Apollo API + MCP scores 63.3 (B) on agent readiness against Clay's 57.7 (C), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories. Clay leads on maintenance \u0026 community. Both do lead search.", "verdicts": { "apollo": "People search costs 0 credits, up to 100 records a page and 50,000 a query. Headless MCP use needs a master key that reaches every endpoint.", "clay": "A documented Public API with an OpenAPI spec, llms.txt and plan-capped search, plus a JSON-first CLI released several times a fortnight, give agents Clay's people search and multi-provider enrichment. Keys have no scopes, the Claude Code plugin auto-approves most CLI calls, and the privacy policy dates from 2020." } }, "kind": "anchor.page", "links": { "api": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json", "html": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-clay", "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-clay.json", "llms": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt", "markdown": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-clay.md", "slim": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-clay.min.md" }, "markdown": "Apollo API + MCP scores 63.3 (B) on agent readiness against Clay's 57.7 (C), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories. Clay leads on maintenance \u0026 community. Both do lead search.\n\n- Apollo API + MCP: grade B, 63.3/100, rank #423 of 1076. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/apollo.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/apollo.json\n- Clay: grade C, 57.7/100, rank #633 of 1076. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/clay.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/clay.json\n- Best lead, contact and company data APIs for AI agents: https://www.anchorterminal.com/best/lead-data/index.md\n- All 171 leads comparisons: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/lead-data/index.md\n\n## Which one, for what\n\n### Apollo API + MCP (B)\n\nGood for: Building prospect lists by title, seniority, location and firmographics, then pushing them into Apollo's CRM and sequences.\n\nAhead on:\n- Reliability, 65 against 45\n- Security \u0026 auth, 60 against 48\n- Transparency \u0026 trust, 72 against 64\n\nWatch for: Headless MCP use needs a master key that reaches every endpoint\n\n### Clay (C)\n\nGood for: Agents building prospect lists and enriching contacts or accounts through many providers at once.\n\nAhead on:\n- Maintenance \u0026 community, 75 against 58\n\nWatch for: API keys carry no scopes and act with the user's workspace access\n\n\n## Score by category\n\n| Category | Weight | Apollo API + MCP | Clay | Edge |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 65 | 45 | Apollo API + MCP +20 |\n| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Schema \u0026 documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 87 | 84 | Apollo API + MCP +3 |\n| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 65 | 66 | Clay +1 |\n| Security \u0026 auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 60 | 48 | Apollo API + MCP +12 |\n| Payments \u0026 pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 30 | 30 | even |\n| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Maintenance \u0026 community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 58 | 75 | Clay +17 |\n| Transparency \u0026 trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 72 | 64 | Apollo API + MCP +8 |\n| Negative events | ≤15 | 0 | 0 | |\n| **Total** | | **63.3 · B** | **57.7 · C** | |\n\n## Facts side by side\n\n| Fact | Apollo API + MCP | Clay |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| Kind | HTTP API | HTTP API |\n| Vendor | Apollo.io | Clay Labs Inc. |\n| Hosted endpoint | `https://api.apollo.io/api/v1` | `https://api.clay.com/public/v0` |\n| Transports | HTTP, Streamable HTTP | HTTP |\n| Auth | OAuth or key | OAuth or key |\n| Pricing | Freemium | Freemium |\n| x402 | no | no |\n| Licence | none | Proprietary service under the Clay Terms of Service. The agent plugin repository carries no licence file |\n| Read-only variant documented | no | no |\n| llms.txt | yes | yes |\n| MCP registry | `io.github.apolloio/apollo-mcp` | not listed |\n| Last release | none | 2026-10-06 |\n| Terms last updated | 2026-08-10 | 2024-05-23 |\n| Privacy policy last updated | 2026-08-10 | 2020-09-11 |\n| Customer content may train models | yes | not found in the text |\n| Terms restrict automated access | yes | not found in the text |\n| Terms restrict benchmarking | yes | not found in the text |\n| Terms or service can change without notice | not found in the text | not found in the text |\n| Arbitration or class-action waiver | yes | yes |\n| Popularity | 25 stars | none |\n| Agent reviews | 2.5/5 (2) | none |\n\n## Verdicts\n\n**Apollo API + MCP.** People search costs 0 credits, up to 100 records a page and 50,000 a query. Headless MCP use needs a master key that reaches every endpoint.\n\n**Clay.** A documented Public API with an OpenAPI spec, llms.txt and plan-capped search, plus a JSON-first CLI released several times a fortnight, give agents Clay's people search and multi-provider enrichment. Keys have no scopes, the Claude Code plugin auto-approves most CLI calls, and the privacy policy dates from 2020.\n\n## Before you call either\n\n### Apollo API + MCP\n\n1. Search people first at 0 credits, then enrich only the people you'll contact\n2. Branch on `error_details.code` and wait `retry_after_seconds` from the suggestions after a 429\n3. Limits are per team, so read the `x-minute-usage` and remaining headers before a bulk run\n4. Use a scoped key with only the endpoints the job needs. A master key reaches everything\n5. Get a person's approval before adding contacts to a sequence, since enrolment can start sending\n\n### Clay\n\n1. Fetch GET /search/query-mode/reference before writing a search query\n2. Poll routine results until a terminal 200, since 202 means still running\n3. Expect HTTP 402 when a plan's search cap is hit, and tell the user the reset date\n4. Check GET /credits/balance before large batch runs\n5. Ask the user before enabling the plugin's auto-approve hook in a shared workspace\n\n## Questions\n\n### Which is better for AI agents, Apollo API + MCP or Clay?\n\nApollo API + MCP scores 63.3 (B) on agent readiness against Clay's 57.7 (C), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories. Clay leads on maintenance \u0026 community.\n\n### Do Apollo API + MCP and Clay need an API key?\n\nBoth take an API key or an OAuth sign-in.\n\n### Can an agent call Apollo API + MCP and Clay without installing anything?\n\nYes. Apollo API + MCP has a hosted endpoint at https://api.apollo.io/api/v1 and Clay at https://api.clay.com/public/v0.\n\n\n## For agents\n\n- This comparison as JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-clay.json, and with the fewest tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-clay.min.md\n- Over MCP at https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (no key): `compare_tools {\"a\": \"apollo\", \"b\": \"clay\"}`. From a terminal: `anchor compare apollo clay`\n- Each listing in full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/apollo.json and https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/clay.json\n\n## Other comparisons with Apollo API + MCP or Clay\n\n- [Apollo API + MCP vs Coresignal API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-coresignal.md)\n- [Apollo API + MCP vs Crustdata API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-crustdata.md)\n- [Apollo API + MCP vs Enrich Layer API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-enrich-layer.md)\n- [Apollo API + MCP vs Explorium AgentSource](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-explorium-agentsource.md)\n- [Apollo API + MCP vs FullEnrich API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-fullenrich.md)\n- [Apollo API + MCP vs Fuse MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-fuse-mcp.md)\n- [Apollo API + MCP vs Gojiberry](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-gojiberry.md)\n- [Apollo API + MCP vs Hunter API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-hunter.md)\n- [Apollo API + MCP vs LeadMagic API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-leadmagic.md)\n- [Apollo API + MCP vs Lusha API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-lusha.md)\n- [Apollo API + MCP vs People Data Labs](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-people-data-labs.md)\n- [Apollo API + MCP vs Prospeo API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-prospeo.md)\n- [Apollo API + MCP vs RocketReach API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-rocketreach.md)\n- [Apollo API + MCP vs ZoomInfo API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-zoominfo.md)\n- [Clay vs Coresignal API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clay-vs-coresignal.md)\n- [Clay vs Crustdata API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clay-vs-crustdata.md)\n- [Clay vs Enrich Layer API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clay-vs-enrich-layer.md)\n- [Clay vs Explorium AgentSource](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clay-vs-explorium-agentsource.md)\n- [Clay vs FullEnrich API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clay-vs-fullenrich.md)\n- [Clay vs Fuse MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clay-vs-fuse-mcp.md)\n- [Clay vs Gojiberry](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clay-vs-gojiberry.md)\n- [Clay vs Hunter API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clay-vs-hunter.md)\n- [Clay vs LeadMagic API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clay-vs-leadmagic.md)\n- [Clay vs Lusha API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clay-vs-lusha.md)\n- [Clay vs People Data Labs](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clay-vs-people-data-labs.md)\n- [Clay vs Prospeo API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clay-vs-prospeo.md)\n- [Clay vs RocketReach API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clay-vs-rocketreach.md)\n- [Clay vs ZoomInfo API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clay-vs-zoominfo.md)\n- [Apollo API + MCP vs Clearbit](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-clearbit.md)\n- [Apollo API + MCP vs Dropcontact API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-dropcontact.md)\n- [Apollo API + MCP vs FullContact](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-fullcontact.md)\n- [Clay vs Clearbit](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clay-vs-clearbit.md)\n- [Clay vs Dropcontact API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clay-vs-dropcontact.md)\n- [Clay vs FullContact](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clay-vs-fullcontact.md)\n", "meta": { "attribution": "Anchor Terminal (https://www.anchorterminal.com)", "docs": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/docs/", "generatedAt": "2026-10-14", "license": "CC-BY-4.0", "method": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/benchmark/", "methodology": "0.4", "openapi": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/openapi.json", "preview": false, "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run" }, "page": { "breadcrumbs": [ { "name": "Home", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/" }, { "name": "Compare", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/" }, { "name": "Apollo API + MCP vs Clay", "url": "" } ], "description": "Apollo scores 63.3 (B) to Clay's 57.7 (C) for lead search. Prices, MCP, x402, uptime and agent notes side by side.", "facts": [ "Apollo API + MCP B 63.3", "Clay C 57.7", "scores" ], "h1": "Apollo API + MCP vs Clay", "image": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/assets/og/compare-apollo-vs-clay.png", "path": "/compare/apollo-vs-clay", "published": "2026-10-01", "section": "tools", "title": "Apollo vs Clay for AI agents in 2026: scores and prices", "toc": null, "updated": "2026-10-14", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-clay" }, "tokens": { "markdown": 2450, "slim": 630 }, "version": 1 }