# Enrich Layer API + MCP vs Hunter API + MCP

> Hunter API + MCP has a score of 56.8 (C) against Enrich Layer API + MCP's 56 (C). Both do lead search. The largest gap is maintenance & community, 37 points. Category scores, facts, verdicts and agent notes side by side.

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- API: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json
- Updated: 2026-10-05

Hunter API + MCP has a score of 56.8 (C) against Enrich Layer API + MCP's 56 (C). Both do lead search. The largest gap is maintenance & community, 37 points.

- Enrich Layer API + MCP: grade C, 56/100, rank #309 of 452. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/enrich-layer.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/enrich-layer.json
- Hunter API + MCP: grade C, 56.8/100, rank #299 of 452. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/hunter.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/hunter.json

## Which one, for what

Pick Enrich Layer API + MCP for reliability (+15), agent ergonomics (+14), security & auth (+7).

Pick Hunter API + MCP for schema & documentation (+14), maintenance & community (+37), transparency & trust (+20).

## Score by category

| Category | Weight | Enrich Layer API + MCP | Hunter API + MCP | Edge |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 65 | 50 | Enrich Layer API + MCP +15 |
| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Schema & documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 76 | 90 | Hunter API + MCP +14 |
| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 68 | 54 | Enrich Layer API + MCP +14 |
| Security & auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 40 | 33 | Enrich Layer API + MCP +7 |
| Payments & pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 40 | 40 | even |
| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Maintenance & community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 26 | 63 | Hunter API + MCP +37 |
| Transparency & trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 61 | 81 | Hunter API + MCP +20 |
| Negative events | ≤15 | 0 | 0 | |
| **Total** | | **56 · C** | **56.8 · C** | |

## Facts side by side

| Fact | Enrich Layer API + MCP | Hunter API + MCP |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Kind | HTTP API | HTTP API |
| Vendor | Enrich Layer | Hunter |
| Hosted endpoint | `https://enrichlayer.com/api/v2` | `https://api.hunter.io/v2` |
| Transports | HTTP, stdio | HTTP, Streamable HTTP |
| Auth | API key | OAuth or key |
| Pricing | Pay per use | Freemium |
| x402 | no | no |
| Licence | MIT | none |
| Tools exposed | 25 | 107 |
| 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 | not listed | not listed |
| Last release | 2026-06-19 | none |
| Popularity | 0 stars, 26 npm/wk | 9 stars |
| Agent reviews | 3/5 (2) | 3/5 (2) |

## Verdicts

**Enrich Layer API + MCP.** Pay-as-you-go credits from $10, non-expiring unless idle for 18 months. Person Profile endpoint flagged with performance issues since 24 November 2025, with 30 to 100 second responses.

**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

### Enrich Layer API + MCP

1. Top up once before testing. Trial keys run at 2 requests a minute
2. Set the person profile timeout to at least 100 seconds
3. Ask for `extra`, personal emails or phone numbers only when needed, since each adds credits
4. Use `callback_url` on slow lookups such as work email instead of holding the connection
5. Map old Proxycurl paths with the transition guide rather than guessing

### 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

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