Short answer: GetLeads is a fit for teams that want to find and export B2B contacts through an AI assistant. Apollo is stronger if you also want prospecting and sales actions in one product. Clay is useful for multi-provider enrichment and custom workflows. Hunter is a good choice when finding and verifying work emails is the main job.
I'm a GetLeads co-founder, so I have a stake in this comparison. The right choice depends on the audience you target, the fields you need, your existing stack and your budget. The descriptions below use each provider's documentation; they are not the results of an independent head-to-head accuracy test. Details checked 10 November 2026.
Compare the options
| Server | Best fit | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| GetLeads | AI-led company and contact list building, exports and enrichment | Fair-use limits, field availability and separate charges for some features |
| Apollo | Prospecting, research and sales actions together | Plan permissions, available actions and credits |
| Clay | Enrichment across providers and reusable GTM workflows | Plan access, enabled functions and action/data credit spend |
| Hunter | Finding and verifying work emails alongside company and people search | Plan, credit cost and whether you need broader sales workflows |
1. GetLeads: build prospect lists with AI
GetLeads gives an assistant access to company and contact search, counts, exports and people enrichment. It is API and MCP-first, so it suits a team comfortable working through an AI assistant or its own software. It is not a replacement for a full sales-engagement platform if you need built-in sequencing and calling.
Connect an MCP-compatible assistant to https://app.getleads.io/api/mcp and sign in through OAuth. Give the assistant your target industries, locations, company sizes and job titles. Ask it to show the proposed filters and count matches before retrieving or exporting records. Review a sample before scaling the search. See the GetLeads API reference and FAQ.
On 29 October 2026, the documentation reported 542,413,703 contact records. A record count does not prove that every record is unique, current or deliverable. Field availability varies, and stored email status is not a guarantee that a message will reach an inbox. Check the returned status and verify addresses before sending.
GetLeads also offers US Google Maps business search. The documented export limit is 25,000 rows per export, subject to account and fair-use limits. The default API limit is 100 requests per minute per account; a people-enrichment request can contain up to 100 people. These are limits, not measured throughput. Source: GetLeads API reference.
There are 1,000 free starting credits. The published Unlimited plan is $497 per month; the Partner plan is advertised at $249 per month with participation requirements, including two LinkedIn posts per month. Unlimited use has fair-use budgets, typically 500,000 records per UTC day and 6 million per UTC month for covered operations. Some live data products use a separate prepaid wallet. Check current pricing and the billing and limits documentation before buying.
2. Apollo: prospect and run sales workflows
Apollo combines prospect data with sales engagement. Its MCP supports prospecting, research, enrichment and sales actions, which can suit an SDR team that wants to work inside one platform. Enrichment and other actions may consume credits; your plan, permissions and available credits govern what the assistant can do.
Apollo supports built-in AI connectors and a standalone remote server. Check access and credit costs for the actions you intend to use, and require approval before actions that consume credits or affect outreach. Source: Apollo MCP documentation.
3. Clay: orchestrate data and enrichment
Clay is useful when a team wants to combine providers, run enrichment workflows and expose approved functions to an AI assistant. It can complement a contact database: one tool can supply records while Clay coordinates additional research and enrichment.
Clay documents a remote MCP endpoint and controls for administrators to enable functions and set rep credit limits. Available controls depend on the plan. Actions and data credits can be consumed by work triggered through MCP, so model the whole workflow rather than assuming each prompt has a single fixed cost. Clay MCP settings · Clay credit documentation · Clay pricing.
4. Hunter: find and verify work emails
Hunter's hosted MCP exposes email finding and verification, people and company search, enrichment, lead management and sequences. It is a practical option for teams whose immediate problem is identifying or checking work emails. Authentication can use OAuth or an API key, depending on the client.
Hunter says its MCP uses the same account and credits as its API. Its pricing page lists a free tier and paid plans; allowances and rates depend on the product and billing term. Check the Hunter MCP guide, API help and pricing page for current details.
How to choose for your team
- Pick one real audience. Write down the roles, industries, locations and company sizes you need, along with required fields.
- Run the same search on each candidate. Compare matching records and the fields returned. Database totals alone cannot tell you which product covers your audience better.
- Check the records. Sample for current role, company fit, duplicates and email status. Record the sample size and what passed; do not treat a populated email as a verified one.
- Calculate the full cost. Include subscription, seats, credits, exports, verification and any extra tools. Read the actual fair-use and contract terms.
- Test the workflow. Check the MCP client, available tools and permissions. Require approval for credit-consuming actions, exports and writes until you trust the setup.
Frequently asked questions
What is an MCP server for lead generation?
It connects a compatible AI assistant to a provider's tools, so the assistant can perform supported searches or other actions against your account. The provider's permissions, plan limits and billing still apply.
Can I use GetLeads and Clay together?
They address different parts of the workflow: GetLeads provides contact and company data, while Clay can orchestrate enrichment across sources. Confirm the specific integration and plan requirements for your setup before relying on a combined workflow.
Does a verified email guarantee delivery?
No. A verification status is one signal about an address, not a guarantee of inbox placement. Check status, recency and your sending setup, and monitor actual results.
Which is cheapest?
It depends on your volume and which actions you need. Compare total costs for the same audience and usable output, including credits and verification, rather than comparing headline subscription prices alone.
Final thoughts
Choose GetLeads for AI-led access to contact and company data, Apollo for a broader prospecting and sales workflow, Clay for orchestrating enrichment, or Hunter for email discovery and verification. Test the exact workflow on a sample before committing to a plan.