Compare/Head to head

LinkupAPI vs Unipile

Same facts, side by side: starting price, free tier, MCP, API and what each one is actually built for.

Starting price

LinkupAPI

$55/mo

One API and MCP server for LinkedIn, email and WhatsApp, with Sales Navigator and Recruiter support. $55/mo covers up to 10 accounts, then per-account pricing with unlimited usage. Best for builders and recruiting tools that run outreach across many connected accounts.

Where LinkupAPI fits

  • Recruiting tools that need LinkedIn Recruiter access
  • AI SDR and sourcing agents on several channels
  • Builders connecting many user accounts

Unipile

$55/mo 7 day free trial

Unified API for LinkedIn, WhatsApp, Instagram, Telegram, email and calendars, billed per connected account with unlimited calls. From $55/mo for 10 accounts with a 7-day trial. Best for recruiting and sales software teams that want LinkedIn and Recruiter access inside their own product.

Where Unipile fits

  • ATS and recruiting CRM vendors adding LinkedIn
  • Outreach tools that need LinkedIn and email in one API
  • Developers building AI agents on users' accounts

At a glance

DetailLinkupAPIUnipile
Starting price$55/mo$55/mo
Free tier–No–No
Free trialNot on record7 day free trial
MCP server✓Yes✓Yes
Public API✓Yes✓Yes
Listed underLinkedIn, Email finders, SourcingLinkedIn, Outreach, Sourcing

Where they pull apart

LinkupAPI

Stands out: It is one of the few LinkedIn APIs that lists LinkedIn Recruiter alongside Sales Navigator, so a recruiting agent can search candidates and applicants through the same MCP server it uses for outreach.

Watch out: It acts through users' own LinkedIn sessions rather than an official LinkedIn API, and it monitors accounts instead of enforcing fixed daily caps, so pacing is on you. Email finding and verification use credits on top of the account price.

Not the right fit for

  • Recruiters who want a finished app with a UI
  • Teams that need LinkedIn's official API
  • One-person setups that only need posting

Unipile

Stands out: It is the connection layer many recruiting and outreach tools already build on, with Recruiter projects, pipelines and job applicants available through the same API as messaging and search.

Watch out: It is a developer API, so it needs engineering time before anyone can use it. LinkedIn access is reverse engineered rather than official, and its MCP server helps coding agents build integrations rather than letting a recruiter run LinkedIn from Claude.

Not the right fit for

  • Recruiters who want a ready app
  • Teams without developers
  • Buyers who need LinkedIn's official API

Pros and cons

LinkupAPI

  • Recruiter and Sales Navigator support
  • LinkedIn, email and WhatsApp in one API
  • Unlimited usage per account
  • Not an official LinkedIn API
  • Email lookups use separate credits
  • Built for developers, not a ready app

Unipile

  • LinkedIn Recruiter and Sales Navigator endpoints
  • Unlimited API calls per account
  • SOC 2 Type II certified
  • For developers, not end users
  • LinkedIn access is not official
  • MCP is for coding agents only

What each one costs

LinkupAPI

$55/mo

LinkupAPI bills per connected account (one LinkedIn profile, mailbox or WhatsApp number) with unlimited usage: $55/mo flat for up to 10 accounts, $5.50/account/mo for 11 to 50, $5.00 for 51 to 200, $4.50 for 201 to 640, and an Unlimited plan at $3,000/mo flat. Extra accounts bill at the end of the cycle on the peak number connected. Email finder and verification lookups use credits. Prices are in USD excluding VAT. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 21 Oct 2026

Unipile

$55/mo

Unipile bills per connected account on every channel, with unlimited API calls: $55/mo (49 EUR) minimum covering up to 10 accounts, then $5.50/account/mo for 11 to 50, $5.00 for 51 to 200, $4.50 for 201 to 1,000, $4.00 for 1,001 to 5,000 and $3.50 above 5,000. Billing is post-paid on the peak number of accounts connected at once. A 7-day free trial needs no card. Prices exclude VAT. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 21 Oct 2026

Common questions

Is LinkupAPI cheaper than Unipile?
LinkupAPI starts lower, at $55/mo against $55/mo for Unipile. That is the entry plan on each side, so the real number depends on seats and the tier you land on.
Can you try LinkupAPI or Unipile for free?
Neither carries a free tier on our listing. Unipile offers a 7 day free trial.
Does LinkupAPI or Unipile have an MCP server?
LinkupAPI and Unipile ship a first party MCP server, so an AI assistant can work the product directly.

Not the pair you wanted?

All LinkupAPI alternatives All Unipile alternatives Every LinkedIn tool

Editorial listings, never paid rankings. Prices checked 21 Oct 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?