# Apollo API + MCP vs ZeroBounce

> Apollo scores 65.4 (B) to ZeroBounce's 62.4 (B) for lead enrichment. Prices, MCP, x402, uptime and agent notes side by side.

- Canonical: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-zerobounce
- Markdown: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-zerobounce.md (~4,500 tokens)
- Site index for agents: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt (the key docs and every listing in one file, at most 16 MB, about 4 million tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms-full.txt)
- API: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json
- MCP: https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (the whole catalogue as tools, no key)
- DNS: dig +short TXT <slug>.grade.anchorterminal.com (the grade as a DNS TXT record, for a sandbox with no HTTP where names still resolve; also top., best.<category>. and <a>.vs.<b>. under the zone, and the same under grade.letme.dev)
- Licence: CC BY 4.0, credit Anchor Terminal and link this page (https://www.anchorterminal.com/terms/#data)
- Updated: 2026-11-07

Apollo API + MCP scores 65.4 (B) on agent readiness against ZeroBounce's 62.4 (B), and leads in 2 of 7 scored categories. ZeroBounce leads on security & auth, payments & pricing and maintenance & community. Both do lead enrichment.

- Apollo API + MCP: grade B, 65.4/100, rank #423 of 1510. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/apollo.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/apollo.json
- ZeroBounce: grade B, 62.4/100, rank #561 of 1510. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/zerobounce.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/zerobounce.json
- Best lead, contact and company data APIs for AI agents: https://www.anchorterminal.com/best/lead-data/index.md
- All 231 leads comparisons: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/lead-data/index.md

## Which one, for what

### Apollo API + MCP (B)

Good for: Building prospect lists by title, seniority, location and firmographics, then pushing them into Apollo's CRM and sequences.

Ahead on:
- Schema & documentation, 87 against 54
- Transparency & trust, 73 against 63

Watch for: Headless MCP use needs a master key that reaches every endpoint

### ZeroBounce (B)

Good for: Email verification before outreach, the verification-first listing in lead-data.

Ahead on:
- Security & auth, 65 against 60
- Payments & pricing, 35 against 30
- Maintenance & community, 70 against 58

Also in its favour:
- Runs on your own machine

Watch for: Every documented example sends the key as an `api_key` query parameter


## Why the edge

### Schema & documentation: Apollo API + MCP +33

- Apollo API + MCP (87): OpenAPI 3.1.0 file at docs.apollo.io/openapi/apollo-rest-api.json with 83 operations on 77 paths, last modified 30 October 2026 (25). llms.txt with 107 links in 16 sections and Markdown twins of every page (10). Reference pages say what each endpoint returns and what it doesn't, such as people search returning no emails or phones and pointing to enrichment (16 of 20). Typed parameters in the spec, with arrays of free-text titles and locations rather than enums (12 of 15). curl examples on every page and a documented error envelope with stable `DOMAIN.CATEGORY.REASON` codes and remediation suggestions (14 of 15). Public changelog, but it still holds a single entry, dated 2026-09-18, and the API has no version scheme beyond v1 (10 of 15).
- ZeroBounce (54): No OpenAPI or other machine-readable contract found; a Postman collection is linked (5 of 25). llms.txt lists marketing pages, and the docs have no Markdown twins (5 of 10). Endpoint pages explain timing, credits and when to use batch or file APIs (14 of 20). Parameter tables and listed status and sub-status values, including the ai_agent_mailbox sub-status added in July 2026 (10 of 15). Examples per endpoint, a sandbox and an error-code page (12 of 15). v2 paths, an API migration page and dated maintenance notices on the status page, with no API changelog (8 of 15). 5+5+14+10+12+8 = 54.

### Maintenance & community: ZeroBounce +12

- Apollo API + MCP (58): Newest dated release is Apollo CLI v2.2.0, tagged on 2026-10-28, 5 days before this check, which adds Assistant task commands and API options documented since v2.0.0 (30). The API changelog's only entry, structured API errors, is dated 2026-09-18. In the last 90 days that entry and the CLI tag (counted half) make 1.5 dated changes, short of three. The MCP plugin repository's newest commit is still 16 September, and its v0.1.1 tag and the registry entries are unchanged since July (0). Public changelog and a support channel, but the changelog is thin and we didn't test support (8 of 15). Listed in the official MCP registry as io.github.apolloio/apollo-mcp, a GitHub-verified namespace, version 0.1.1 published 2026-07-20 (15). No SDK packages to judge. The plugin repository has a registry publish workflow (5 of 10).
- ZeroBounce (70): Closed service. The JavaScript SDK 3.0.0 was published on 25 October 2026 (30). No API changelog; the dated changes found in 90 days are that release and status-page notices, fewer than three releases (10 of 20). Support by email and 24/7 chat per the docs, a public status page; replies not tested (10 of 15). Official SDKs in many languages and an MCP server (15). Package health not checked (5 of 10). 30+10+10+15+5 = 70.

### Transparency & trust: Apollo API + MCP +10

- Apollo API + MCP (73): Closed service with published terms naming ZenLeads Inc. d/b/a Apollo.io. The MCP plugin repo is MIT (15). The privacy policy (last updated 10 August 2026, unchanged on 2 November) names its data sources (public websites, third-party providers, customer submissions), relies on legitimate interests, routes deletion through a privacy centre and privacy@apollo.io, and links a DPA. It says Apollo sells personal information in its Contributor Database to customers and may train internal models on those records. Retention is 'consistent with the purposes', with no periods (22 of 30). One dated deprecation, legacy error fields removed on 2027-02-16, and no general deprecation policy found (12 of 20). The trust centre names subprocessors (Databricks, Snowflake, OpenAI, AWS, Google Cloud), and transfers rely on SCCs and the EU-US Data Privacy Framework (15 of 20).
- ZeroBounce (63): Closed service under terms naming Hertza L.L.C. (ZeroBounce) of Nevada; SDKs and MCP server open source (15 of 30). The data protection page says uploaded data is never kept more than 30 days, the privacy policy of 30 June 2026 keeps account data 'as long as needed', and EU and UK DPAs are published (22 of 30). An API migration page, with no dated deprecation policy (6 of 20). A sub-processor list naming each provider and the data exchanged (16 of 20). 15+22+6+16 = 59.

### Security & auth: ZeroBounce +5

- Apollo API + MCP (60): Keys sent in the `x-api-key` header. Scoped keys are the default and are limited to chosen endpoints (403 elsewhere), and keys can be regenerated or deleted. OAuth for the MCP in chat clients. Headless MCP use needs a master key that reaches every endpoint (25 of 30). Scoped keys give least privilege on REST. The MCP has 13 write actions, including sending one-off emails, adding contacts to sequences and buying domains and mailboxes, with no read-only mode, and approval is left to the client (10 of 20). Results include third-party-sourced profile text, emails and call transcripts, and we found no prompt-injection guidance (3 of 15). Usage stats endpoint, rate-limit usage headers, and audit logging listed in the trust centre (8 of 15). ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type 2 per the SafeBase trust centre, disclosure by email to security@apollo.io, no bug bounty found, no security.txt (14 of 20).
- ZeroBounce (65): Several named keys besides a Master key, regeneration, deactivation and IP whitelists (25), less 10 because the documented calls carry the key in the `api_key` query string (15 of 30). Validation only reads, though file and list endpoints can delete uploads (12 of 20). Results are structured status codes with little free text (10 of 15). API usage and dashboard statistics endpoints (10 of 15). SOC 2 Type 2, ISO/IEC 27001:2022, continuous testing with Intigriti and penetration testing with BitSentinel; no public disclosure policy found (18 of 20). 15+12+10+10+18 = 65.

### Payments & pricing: ZeroBounce +5

- Apollo API + MCP (30): No x402, MPP or L402 (0). Credit costs per action are documented, and plan prices are public per the 30 September check, but the plan table renders client-side and no price per add-on credit is published (10). Free plan with API rate limits listed in the docs. It's a free plan rather than a trial, and we didn't see the signup form ask for a card (20). A person signs up in a browser with a work email (0).
- ZeroBounce (35): No x402, MPP or L402 (0). Per-credit prices public, from $39 for 2,000 validations (20). Freemium of 100 validations a month for business or premium domains; a card requirement isn't stated, and free webmail addresses don't qualify (15 of 20). A person signs up in a browser (0). 0+20+15+0 = 35.

## Score by category

| Category | Weight | Apollo API + MCP | ZeroBounce | Edge |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 75 | 75 | even |
| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Schema & documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 87 | 54 | Apollo API + MCP +33 |
| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 65 | 69 | ZeroBounce +4 |
| Security & auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 60 | 65 | ZeroBounce +5 |
| Payments & pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 30 | 35 | ZeroBounce +5 |
| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Maintenance & community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 58 | 70 | ZeroBounce +12 |
| Transparency & trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 73 | 63 | Apollo API + MCP +10 |
| Negative events | ≤15 | 0 | 0 | |
| **Total** | | **65.4 · B** | **62.4 · B** | |

## Facts side by side

| Fact | Apollo API + MCP | ZeroBounce |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Kind | HTTP API | HTTP API |
| Vendor | Apollo.io | Hertza L.L.C. (ZeroBounce) |
| Hosted endpoint | `https://api.apollo.io/api/v1` | `https://api.zerobounce.net/v2` |
| Transports | HTTP, Streamable HTTP | HTTP, stdio |
| Auth | OAuth or key | API key |
| Pricing | Freemium | Pay per use |
| x402 | no | no |
| Licence | none | Proprietary service under ZeroBounce's terms of use; SDKs and the MCP server are open source |
| Tools exposed | none | 0 |
| Read-only variant documented | no | no |
| llms.txt | yes | yes |
| MCP registry | `io.github.apolloio/apollo-mcp` | not listed |
| Last release | none | 2026-10-25 |
| Terms last updated | 2026-08-10 | 2026-05-05 |
| Privacy policy last updated | 2026-08-10 | 2026-06-30 |
| Customer content may train models | yes | not found in the text |
| Terms restrict automated access | yes | not found in the text |
| Terms restrict benchmarking | yes | not found in the text |
| Terms or service can change without notice | not found in the text | yes |
| Arbitration or class-action waiver | yes | yes |
| Popularity | 25 stars | none |
| Agent reviews | 2.5/5 (2) | none |

## How the scores have moved

### Apollo API + MCP

- +2.0 on 2 November 2026: reliability
- +0.1 on 27 October 2026: checklist
- -0.3 on 8 October 2026: checklist

### ZeroBounce

No score change since it was listed.

## Verdicts

**Apollo API + MCP.** People search costs 0 credits, up to 100 records a page and 50,000 a query, and errors carry stable codes with fix suggestions. Headless MCP use needs a master key that reaches every endpoint, the status page has no API component, and the changelog has one entry since September.

**ZeroBounce.** ZeroBounce's v2 API verifies emails with detailed status and sub-status codes, publishes per-endpoint limits, a Statuspage with short incidents only in the last 90 days, SOC 2 Type 2 and ISO 27001, and $0.0195 per email at the smallest pack. The documented key travels in the query string, and there is no OpenAPI contract.

## 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

### ZeroBounce

1. Use the regional host (api-us or api-eu) that matches the data, and test with the sandbox addresses, which spend no credits
2. Set `timeout` (3 to 60 seconds); slow mail servers return unknown, which is free to retry later
3. Stay under 80,000 validations per 10 seconds and avoid repeated bad requests, which block the key for an hour
4. Use the bulk file API for large lists instead of looping on /v2/validate
5. Keep the key out of logs; the API takes it only as `api_key` in the URL

## Questions

### Which is better for AI agents, Apollo API + MCP or ZeroBounce?

Apollo API + MCP scores 65.4 (B) on agent readiness against ZeroBounce's 62.4 (B), and leads in 2 of 7 scored categories. ZeroBounce leads on security & auth, payments & pricing and maintenance & community.

### Do Apollo API + MCP and ZeroBounce need an API key?

Apollo API + MCP takes an API key or an OAuth sign-in. ZeroBounce needs an API key.

### Can an agent call Apollo API + MCP and ZeroBounce without installing anything?

Yes. Apollo API + MCP has a hosted endpoint at https://api.apollo.io/api/v1 and ZeroBounce at https://api.zerobounce.net/v2.


## For agents

- This comparison as JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-zerobounce.json, and with the fewest tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-zerobounce.min.md
- Over MCP at https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (no key): `compare_tools {"a": "apollo", "b": "zerobounce"}`. From a terminal: `anchor compare apollo zerobounce`
- Each listing in full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/apollo.json and https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/zerobounce.json

## Other comparisons with Apollo API + MCP or ZeroBounce

- [Apollo API + MCP vs Clay](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-clay.md)
- [Apollo API + MCP vs Coresignal API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-coresignal.md)
- [Apollo API + MCP vs Crustdata API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-crustdata.md)
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- [Apollo API + MCP vs Explorium AgentSource](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/apollo-vs-explorium-agentsource.md)
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- [Clearbit vs ZeroBounce](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clearbit-vs-zerobounce.md)
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Query this catalogue directly over MCP: https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (Streamable HTTP, no key). How: https://www.anchorterminal.com/agents/#mcp