Layrcake or Apollo for AI agents?
If an AI agent is doing the prospecting, Layrcake is built for that job. It is go-to-market infrastructure for AI agents: one MCP server and API that lets Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor and Codex find leads, verify emails, read buying signals and run approved campaigns, paid per result from one balance. Apollo is a sales platform for reps, with an MCP server added, priced per seat.
| Layrcake | Apollo | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Go-to-market infrastructure for AI agents | "one connected AI GTM system" for sales teams |
| Pricing | Pay per result, $0.01 a credit, no seats; 300 free credits | Free plan; Basic $49, Professional $79, Organization $119 per seat a month, billed annually |
| Unused credits | Never expire | "expire at the end of each billing cycle" |
| A lookup that finds nothing | Free | API enrichment "charged only if credit-consuming data is found" |
| MCP server | mcp.layrcake.dev/mcp · OAuth or key · 22 tools | mcp.apollo.io/mcp · OAuth or key |
| Sending | Drafts campaigns, provisions warmed mailboxes, launches after human approval, reads and answers replies | Sequences and email included on every account |
| Beyond contacts | Buying signals, public posts and the people who engaged, sourced company research, yes/no checks on company websites | Company research, lists, tasks, analytics |
Apollo facts from apollo.io/pricing, docs.apollo.io and apollo.io/product/mcp, checked 18 October 2026.
How do the prices compare?
Apollo charges per seat. Its plans on 18 October 2026: a free plan, then Basic at $49, Professional at $79 and Organization at $119 per seat a month, billed annually, with credits granted per seat. Apollo's pricing page also says unused credits "expire at the end of each billing cycle and do not carry over" (Apollo pricing).
Layrcake has no seats and no plan to buy. A credit is $0.01 and every call reports what it charged. A work email found costs 5 credits ($0.05), a verification 1.25, a person from a search 0.25, a sourced company research 9, and lookups that find nothing cost nothing. Credits never expire, and new accounts start with 300 free (Layrcake pricing).
For an agent, that shape matters. Agents run in bursts: a hundred lookups today, none next week. A balance that never expires and charges only for results fits that rhythm.
What can an agent do with each?
Both give Claude real tools. Apollo's MCP covers contacts, company research, lists, sequences, enrollment, tasks and analytics, and its docs recommend "Approval required for any action that consumes credits" (Apollo MCP docs).
Layrcake covers the whole outbound loop in one connection, including jobs beyond a contact database. From our logged runs with Claude:
| Job | Result | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| 20 heads of sales in London to verified emails and a drafted sequence | 15 ready to send | 145 |
| Everyone who engaged with one LinkedIn post, filtered to sales leaders | 563 read, 26 kept | 232.2 |
| UK software companies hiring salespeople this week | 4 companies, each posted in the last 2 days | 24 |
| 8 heads of marketing, checked emails, 3 companies researched with sources | 7 sendable, 3 sourced openers | 78.75 |
Runs on 1, 3 and 12 October 2026, at the prices on the day.
Anything that sends email or buys mailboxes returns a preview and an approval link first, and a signed-in person approves. The agent can do the work; it can't send on its own.
Which fits agencies and agent builders?
Layrcake is built to sit inside the agents you build and run: one key and one prepaid balance per workspace, no seats to assign, and the same tools in Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, Codex or your own code over REST.
Keep your Apollo seats for the reps who live in it. Connect Layrcake alongside for the agent work: signals, public posts, research and approved sends from one balance.
How do you try Layrcake in Claude?
In Claude, add a custom connector with https://mcp.layrcake.dev/mcp and sign in; in Claude Code it is one command. New accounts get 300 free credits with no card. See the Claude setup page, or other assistants. For a full tested run, read how to use Claude for lead generation.
Questions people ask
Is Layrcake an Apollo alternative?
Yes, for agent-run prospecting. Layrcake gives Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor and Codex one connection for finding people, verifying emails, buying signals, public posts, research and approved campaigns, paid per result with no seats.
How much does Apollo cost in 2026?
On Apollo's pricing page on 18 October 2026: a free plan, then Basic $49, Professional $79 and Organization $119 per seat a month, billed annually.
Does Apollo work with Claude?
Yes. Apollo runs a hosted MCP server at mcp.apollo.io/mcp with OAuth, and lists Claude among its built-in integrations.
Do Layrcake credits expire?
No. Layrcake credits never expire, a credit is $0.01, and lookups that find nothing are free.