Clay vs Apollo MCP servers
Both Clay and Apollo have official MCP servers. Clay's server works in Claude, ChatGPT, Claude Code and Cursor. Its docs don't say whether it can change data. It uses credits on some tools. Apollo's server works in Claude, ChatGPT, Claude Code, Cursor and GitHub Copilot. It can change data. It uses credits on some tools.
This page sets the facts side by side, each with its vendor source. It doesn't pick a winner: the right one is usually the tool your team already pays for.
How do the Clay and Apollo MCP servers compare?
| Fact | Clay | Apollo |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Data Enrichment & Orchestration | Prospecting & Lead Data |
| Hosted endpoint | https://api.clay.com/v3/mcp | https://mcp.apollo.io/mcp |
| Auth | OAuth 2.0 with DCR + PKCE | OAuth 2.0 (master API key / X-Api-Key for headless) |
| Works in Claude | YesSource: university.clay.com, checked 2026-10-16 | YesSource: docs.apollo.io, checked 2026-10-16 |
| Works in ChatGPT | YesSource: university.clay.com, checked 2026-10-16 | YesSource: knowledge.apollo.io, checked 2026-10-16 |
| Works in Claude Code | YesSource: university.clay.com, checked 2026-10-16 | YesSource: docs.apollo.io, checked 2026-10-16 |
| Works in Cursor | YesSource: university.clay.com, checked 2026-10-16 | YesSource: knowledge.apollo.io, checked 2026-10-16 |
| Works in GitHub Copilot | Not confirmed | YesSource: docs.apollo.io, checked 2026-10-16 |
| What it can change | Not confirmed | Read + write creates and updates contacts and accounts; creates deals; adds and removes contacts in sequences (enrollment); creates and updates sequences and 7 moreSource: docs.apollo.io, checked 2026-10-16 |
| Credits | Some tools use credits People and company search are free; enrichments (email, phone, tech stack, etc.) and Functions that enrich consume Clay credits at the same rate as in Clay, with no MCP surcharge. New connections get 500 free credits; ChatGPT interactions typically use 20-100 credits.Source: university.clay.com, checked 2026-10-16 | Some tools use credits Company search, company enrichment (single and bulk), company job postings, and people enrichment (single and bulk) use credits; people/contact search, CRM, sequence, email, task and analytics actions do not. Get conversation insights uses credits only if the conversation has AI insights.Source: docs.apollo.io, checked 2026-10-16 |
| Plan required | FreeSource: university.clay.com, checked 2026-10-16 | FreeSource: knowledge.apollo.io, checked 2026-10-16 |
| Setup | Self-serveSource: university.clay.com, checked 2026-10-16 | Self-serveSource: docs.apollo.io, checked 2026-10-16 |
| An admin must approve or enable the connection | YesSource: university.clay.com, checked 2026-10-16 | Not confirmed |
| Scopes or permissions can limit what it reaches | YesSource: university.clay.com, checked 2026-10-16 | YesSource: knowledge.apollo.io, checked 2026-10-16 |
| Individual tools can be turned off | YesSource: university.clay.com, checked 2026-10-16 | Not confirmed |
| MCP activity shows in an audit log | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Endpoint status | Up · auth | Up · auth |
| Last verified | 2026-10-15 | 2026-10-15 |
| Official docs | university.clay.com | docs.apollo.io |
"Not confirmed" means the vendor's docs don't settle the question. It doesn't mean no.
What can each server do?
- Clay: people search, enrichment waterfalls, Clay Functions, admin-governed CRM write-backs
- Apollo: people/company search, enrichment, contacts & accounts CRUD, sequences, one-off email, lists, tasks, analytics
Which recipes use Clay or Apollo?
- Find lookalike accounts and enrich them (Apollo + Clay + HubSpot)
- Research a prospect, then add them to an Instantly campaign (Perplexity + Apollo + Instantly)
- Webinar or Typeform responses to enriched, routed leads (Typeform + Apollo + HubSpot)
- Hiring for the problem you solve: turn job posts into first lines and a lemlist campaign (PredictLeads + Apollo + lemlist)
- Event follow-up within 24 hours: enrich the attendee list, tier it and load tiered follow-ups (Airtable + Apollo + lemlist)
- Competitor customers: find companies on a competitor's product and open with what its own reviewers complain about (PredictLeads + G2 + Apollo)
1 of these use both.
More prospecting and data tools: see the full list.