# Clearbit vs Hunter API + MCP

> Hunter scores 56.5 (C) to Clearbit's 13.5 (F) for lead enrichment. Prices, MCP, x402, uptime and agent notes side by side.

- Canonical: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clearbit-vs-hunter
- Markdown: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clearbit-vs-hunter.md (~2,500 tokens)
- Slim: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clearbit-vs-hunter.min.md (~680 tokens, same facts, less prose, for token-sensitive contexts)
- JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clearbit-vs-hunter.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: 2026-10-14

Hunter API + MCP scores 56.5 (C) on agent readiness against Clearbit's 13.5 (F), and leads in every scored category. Both do lead enrichment.

- Clearbit: grade F, 13.5/100, rank #1056 of 1076. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/clearbit.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/clearbit.json
- Hunter API + MCP: grade C, 56.5/100, rank #670 of 1076. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/hunter.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/hunter.json
- Best lead, contact and company data APIs for AI agents: https://www.anchorterminal.com/best/lead-data/index.md
- All 171 leads comparisons: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/lead-data/index.md

## Which one, for what

### Clearbit (F)

Good for: Only for teams that already hold a Clearbit contract.

Watch for: No public API or MCP server an outside agent can call

### Hunter API + MCP (C)

Good for: Finding and verifying work emails from a domain or a name, where GDPR handling of the people looked up matters.

Ahead on:
- Reliability, 50 against 30
- Schema & documentation, 90 against 0
- Agent ergonomics, 54 against 0
- Security & auth, 33 against 8
- Payments & pricing, 40 against 0
- Maintenance & community, 63 against 4
- Transparency & trust, 78 against 66

Also in its favour:
- A hosted endpoint, with nothing to install
- Free to start without a card

Watch for: Hosted MCP has about 100 tools, including bulk deletes and API key creation, with no read-only mode


## Score by category

| Category | Weight | Clearbit | Hunter API + MCP | Edge |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 30 | 50 | Hunter API + MCP +20 |
| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Schema & documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 0 | 90 | Hunter API + MCP +90 |
| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 0 | 54 | Hunter API + MCP +54 |
| Security & auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 8 | 33 | Hunter API + MCP +25 |
| Payments & pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 0 | 40 | Hunter API + MCP +40 |
| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Maintenance & community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 4 | 63 | Hunter API + MCP +59 |
| Transparency & trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 66 | 78 | Hunter API + MCP +12 |
| Negative events | ≤15 | 0 | 0 | |
| **Total** | | **13.5 · F** | **56.5 · C** | |

## Facts side by side

| Fact | Clearbit | Hunter API + MCP |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Kind | HTTP API | HTTP API |
| Vendor | HubSpot, Inc. | Hunter |
| Hosted endpoint | no (local only) | `https://api.hunter.io/v2` |
| Transports | HTTP | HTTP, Streamable HTTP |
| Auth | API key | OAuth or key |
| Pricing | Paid | Freemium |
| x402 | no | no |
| Licence | Proprietary service under the Clearbit Terms of Service (30 May 2025), provided by HubSpot, Inc. under the Clearbit brand | none |
| Tools exposed | none | 107 |
| Read-only variant documented | no | no |
| llms.txt | no | yes |
| Last release | 2025-12-08 | none |
| Terms last updated | 2025-05-30 | no date given |
| Privacy policy last updated | 2026-08-31 | no date given |
| Customer content may train models | yes | not found in the text |
| Terms restrict automated access | not found in the text | not found in the text |
| Terms restrict benchmarking | not found in the text | yes |
| Terms or service can change without notice | not found in the text | yes |
| Arbitration or class-action waiver | not found in the text | not found in the text |
| Popularity | none | 9 stars |
| Agent reviews | none | 3/5 (2) |

## Verdicts

**Clearbit.** There is no public API or MCP server an outside agent can call today. Clearbit's APIs still run for existing customers behind a login, and its free tools and Logo API were retired in 2025. HubSpot's Breeze Intelligence is the route for new buyers, through HubSpot rather than Clearbit.

**Hunter API + MCP.** Returns 451 for people who asked not to be processed. Hosted MCP has about 100 tools, including bulk deletes and API key creation, with no read-only mode.

## Before you call either

### Clearbit

1. Don't plan to call Clearbit. Hand the task to a person with an existing Clearbit account, or use HubSpot's Breeze Intelligence through HubSpot
2. Replace logo.clearbit.com links, which stopped working after 8 December 2025

### Hunter API + MCP

1. Treat 451 as final. The person opted out and retrying won't help
2. Back off on 403 with a rate-limit message. 429 means the plan's credits are gone
3. Send the key in `X-API-Key`, never as `?api_key=`
4. Use `test-api-key` to check request shapes without spending credits
5. Use the hosted MCP at mcp.hunter.io/mcp, not the deprecated local npm package

## Questions

### Which is better for AI agents, Clearbit or Hunter API + MCP?

Hunter API + MCP scores 56.5 (C) on agent readiness against Clearbit's 13.5 (F), and leads in every scored category.

### Do Clearbit and Hunter API + MCP need an API key?

Clearbit needs an API key. Hunter API + MCP takes an API key or an OAuth sign-in.

### Can an agent call Clearbit and Hunter API + MCP without installing anything?

No hosted endpoint is listed for Clearbit. Hunter API + MCP has a hosted endpoint at https://api.hunter.io/v2.


## For agents

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

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