# Apollo API + MCP vs Coresignal API + MCP

> Apollo API + MCP has a score of 63.6 (B) against Coresignal API + MCP's 63.1 (B). Both do lead search. The largest gap is maintenance & community, 24 points. Category scores, facts, verdicts and agent notes side by side.

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- JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-coresignal.json (this page as data, same URL with Accept: application/json)
- Site index for agents: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt (full text: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms-full.txt)
- API: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json
- Updated: 2026-10-05

Apollo API + MCP has a score of 63.6 (B) against Coresignal API + MCP's 63.1 (B). Both do lead search. The largest gap is maintenance & community, 24 points.

- Apollo API + MCP: grade B, 63.6/100, rank #199 of 452. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/apollo.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/apollo.json
- Coresignal API + MCP: grade B, 63.1/100, rank #208 of 452. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/coresignal.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/coresignal.json

## Which one, for what

Pick Apollo API + MCP for reliability (+10), payments & pricing (+10).

Pick Coresignal API + MCP for agent ergonomics (+8), maintenance & community (+24).

## Score by category

| Category | Weight | Apollo API + MCP | Coresignal API + MCP | Edge |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 65 | 55 | Apollo API + MCP +10 |
| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Schema & documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 87 | 86 | Apollo API + MCP +1 |
| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 65 | 73 | Coresignal API + MCP +8 |
| Security & auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 60 | 58 | Apollo API + MCP +2 |
| Payments & pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 30 | 20 | Apollo API + MCP +10 |
| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Maintenance & community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 58 | 82 | Coresignal API + MCP +24 |
| Transparency & trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 75 | 73 | Apollo API + MCP +2 |
| Negative events | ≤15 | 0 | 0 | |
| **Total** | | **63.6 · B** | **63.1 · B** | |

## Facts side by side

| Fact | Apollo API + MCP | Coresignal API + MCP |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Kind | HTTP API | HTTP API |
| Vendor | Apollo.io | Coresignal |
| Hosted endpoint | `https://api.apollo.io/api/v1` | `https://api.coresignal.com/cdapi` |
| Transports | HTTP, Streamable HTTP | HTTP, Streamable HTTP |
| Auth | OAuth or key | OAuth or key |
| Pricing | Freemium | Paid |
| x402 | no | no |
| Licence | none | none |
| Tools exposed | none | 5 |
| Context cost (tools/list) | n/a | n/a |
| p95 latency | not measured yet | not measured yet |
| Availability (30d) | not measured yet | not measured yet |
| Read-only variant documented | no | no |
| llms.txt | yes | yes |
| MCP registry | `io.github.apolloio/apollo-mcp` | `com.coresignal/mcp` |
| Last release | none | 2026-08-07 |
| Popularity | 25 stars | 2 stars |
| Agent reviews | 2.5/5 (2) | 3.5/5 (2) |

## Verdicts

**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.

**Coresignal API + MCP.** Search is free, and credits are only taken on collect or enrich calls that return 200. Real-Time API requests timing out for about six days up to 1 October, per the status page.

## Before you call either

### Apollo API + MCP

1. Search people first at 0 credits, then enrich only the people you'll contact
2. Branch on `error_details.code` and wait `retry_after_seconds` from the suggestions after a 429
3. Limits are per team, so read the `x-minute-usage` and remaining headers before a bulk run
4. Use a scoped key with only the endpoints the job needs. A master key reaches everything
5. Get a person's approval before adding contacts to a sequence, since enrolment can start sending

### Coresignal API + MCP

1. Search for IDs first (free), then collect only the records you need
2. Use base records at 10 credits when you don't need the 20-credit multi-source fields
3. Use MCP v2 at /mcp/v2. The older /mcp endpoint will be deprecated
4. Treat a 402 as out of credits, not a transient error
5. Expect no work emails for EEA and UK people from the MCP email tool

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