# Layrcake vs Crustdata for AI Agents (2026)

> Layrcake vs Crustdata for AI agents: what each MCP server covers, how pricing works, and which one takes an agent from a list to an approved campaign.

Source: https://layrcake.dev/guides/layrcake-vs-crustdata · By the Layrcake team · Published 2026-10-18 · Updated 2026-10-18

**The short answer.** Crustdata is a data API for agents (people, companies, jobs and posts, with watchers), free to start with $20 of credits and enterprise real-time access from four figures a month. Layrcake is built for agents that run outbound: it finds people and companies, verifies emails, reads buying signals and public posts, researches accounts with sources, and drafts and launches campaigns that a person approves, all paid per result from one balance.

## Layrcake or Crustdata for AI agents?

If your agent's job ends at data, both serve it. If the job is outbound (find, check, write, send, follow up), Layrcake covers the whole loop in one connection. Crustdata describes itself as a "Real-Time B2B Data Provider for AI Agents" ([crustdata.com](https://crustdata.com/)), with people, company, job and post data and watchers that alert on changes.

|   | Layrcake | Crustdata |
| --- | --- | --- |
| What it is | Go-to-market infrastructure for AI agents | Real-time B2B data API for AI agents |
| To start | 300 free credits, no card | $20 of free credits |
| Pricing | $0.01 a credit, pay per result, no plans | Self-serve database API by credit; real-time API from four figures a month |
| An empty search | Free | "A search that comes back empty costs nothing" |
| Verified work emails | enrich (5 credits when found) plus verify_email (1.25) | People enrichment with work email, 1 to 9 credits |
| Campaigns and replies | Draft, approve, launch, read and answer replies | Not stated (data, signals and watchers) |
| MCP | mcp.layrcake.dev/mcp · OAuth or key · 22 tools | install.crustdata.com/mcp · OAuth or key |

*Crustdata facts from crustdata.com/pricing and docs.crustdata.com, checked 18 October 2026.*

## How do the prices compare?

Crustdata gives new accounts $20 of credits, then sells credits for its self-serve database API ("Search from 0.03 credits per result · Enrich people from 1 credit and companies from 2"), with real-time API access from four figures a month on enterprise terms. Its pricing page does not state a dollar price per credit ([Crustdata pricing](https://crustdata.com/pricing)).

Layrcake prices every result in $0.01 credits, publicly: 0.25 per person from a search, 5 per work email found, 1.25 per verification, 9 per sourced company research, 11 per company hiring now. A lookup that finds nothing is free, credits never expire, and there is no enterprise tier to unlock the core tools ([Layrcake pricing](https://docs.layrcake.dev/pricing.html)).

## What does an agent get beyond data?

Layrcake turns the data into outreach without another connection. In our run on 1 October 2026, Claude took 20 heads of sales to 15 verified addresses, found recent activity for all 15, and drafted a three-step campaign, for 145 credits. Launching it returned a preview and an approval link for a person to sign off.

The same connection reads public LinkedIn, X and Reddit posts and the people who engaged with them: one run read all 563 people who engaged with a LinkedIn post and kept 26 sales leaders, for 232.2 credits. To see it end to end, read [how to use Claude for lead generation](https://layrcake.dev/guides/claude-lead-generation), or [connect Layrcake to Claude](https://layrcake.dev/claude).

## FAQ

### Is Layrcake a Crustdata alternative?

For agents that run outbound, yes: one MCP connection covers people, companies, verified emails, buying signals, public posts, research, campaigns and replies, paid per result.

### How much does Crustdata cost?

On 18 October 2026 Crustdata offered $20 of free credits, a self-serve database API priced in credits, and real-time API access from four figures a month on enterprise plans.

### Does Crustdata have an MCP server?

Yes. Crustdata's docs list a hosted MCP server at install.crustdata.com/mcp with OAuth sign-in or an API key.

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Layrcake 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. Agents: see https://layrcake.dev/agents.md