# Apollo API + MCP vs Crustdata API + MCP

> Apollo API + MCP has a score of 63.6 (B) against Crustdata API + MCP's 53.5 (D). Both do lead search. The largest gap is payments & pricing, 25 points. Category scores, facts, verdicts and agent notes side by side.

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- Updated: 2026-10-05

Apollo API + MCP has a score of 63.6 (B) against Crustdata API + MCP's 53.5 (D). Both do lead search. The largest gap is payments & pricing, 25 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
- Crustdata API + MCP: grade D, 53.5/100, rank #331 of 452. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/crustdata.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/crustdata.json

## Which one, for what

Pick Apollo API + MCP for reliability (+20), payments & pricing (+25), transparency & trust (+19).

Pick Crustdata API + MCP for agent ergonomics (+8), maintenance & community (+9).

## Score by category

| Category | Weight | Apollo API + MCP | Crustdata API + MCP | Edge |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 65 | 45 | Apollo API + MCP +20 |
| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Schema & documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 87 | 89 | Crustdata API + MCP +2 |
| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 65 | 73 | Crustdata API + MCP +8 |
| Security & auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 60 | 56 | Apollo API + MCP +4 |
| Payments & pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 30 | 5 | Apollo API + MCP +25 |
| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Maintenance & community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 58 | 67 | Crustdata API + MCP +9 |
| Transparency & trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 75 | 56 | Apollo API + MCP +19 |
| Negative events | ≤15 | 0 | -3 | |
| **Total** | | **63.6 · B** | **53.5 · D** | |

## Facts side by side

| Fact | Apollo API + MCP | Crustdata API + MCP |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Kind | HTTP API | HTTP API |
| Vendor | Apollo.io | Crustdata |
| Hosted endpoint | `https://api.apollo.io/api/v1` | `https://api.crustdata.com` |
| Transports | HTTP, Streamable HTTP | HTTP, Streamable HTTP |
| Auth | OAuth or key | OAuth or key |
| Pricing | Freemium | Pay per use |
| x402 | no | no |
| Licence | none | none |
| Tools exposed | none | none |
| 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` | not listed |
| Last release | none | none |
| Popularity | 25 stars | none |
| Agent reviews | 2.5/5 (2) | 2.5/5 (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.

**Crustdata API + MCP.** Per-field credit prices, readable per account from `/account/endpoints`, and `X-Credits-Used` on every response. No status page and no SLA.

## 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

### Crustdata API + MCP

1. Always send `x-api-version: 2025-11-01`. Unpinned calls get the latest version
2. Call `/account/endpoints` first to see what your plan enables and what each field costs
3. Ask only for the premium field groups you need, since each one bills
4. Poll `GET /batch/{id}` before submitting more batch jobs. Active jobs count against a cap of 5 to 30
5. Read the `crustdata://catalog` resource before calling MCP tools

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