Pearch
People-search API/MCP aimed at ATS and recruiting agents.
From $10/250 credits MCP server API
Bottom line
People-search API billed per candidate in credits. Self-Service is $0.04 per credit, prepaid from $10 for 250 credits.
Stands out for: Hosted MCP at mcp.pearch.ai plus a REST search API that meters Fast vs Pro search.
Watch out for: Packs auto-renew by default. Emails and phones cost 6 credits each on top of search.
Overview
Pearch is an API-first people and candidate search engine. You buy credit packs and spend them per returned profile. Fast search is 1 credit per candidate; Pro search is 5. Optional add-ons include insights, realtime profiles, contact filters, and email or phone enrich at 6 credits each. Ranking is free. A hosted MCP server sits at mcp.pearch.ai and REST docs live at apidocs.pearch.ai.
Teams pick Pearch when they want natural-language search inside an ATS or agent rather than a recruiter seat. Self-Service is $0.04 per credit, prepaid in packs from $10 for 250 credits up to $6,000 for 150,000. The first purchase gets 2x credits. Paid credits are valid for 12 months. Auto-renew is on by default. Scale with Us runs $0.03 to $0.01 per credit on an annual commitment from $10,000.
Who it's for
Best for
- ATS and recruiting-product teams embedding people search
- Builders wiring Claude or Cursor to a hosted people MCP
- Sourcing desks that want pay-per-candidate instead of seats
- Startups testing volume with a small prepaid pack
Not ideal for
- Recruiters who only want a Chrome extension UI
- Buyers who want a flat monthly seat price
Key features
People search. Search people indexes beyond a single LinkedIn tab.
API. Documented API for jobs, candidates, and stage sync.
MCP. Agent connector so an LLM client can query product data.
AI features
| What the AI does | Plan |
|---|---|
| Natural-language people search with per-query candidate insights | Included |
Only features named in the vendor's own documentation. Anything sold separately is marked as an add-on.
MCP server
https://mcp.pearch.ai/mcp
First-party MCP at mcp.pearch.ai. REST plus a hosted MCP server.
Setup steps and live status MCP Directory Check your stack in the MCP readiness checker
Pricing
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | $0 | 500 credits, valid 1 month |
| Self-Service | $0.04/credit | Prepaid packs from $10 for 250 credits |
| Scale with Us | From $10,000/yr | $0.03 to $0.01 per credit, annual commitment |
Self-Service is $0.04 per credit, prepaid in packs from $10 for 250 credits up to $6,000 for 150,000, and auto-renews; the first purchase gets 2x credits. Scale with Us runs $0.03 to $0.01 per credit on an annual commitment from $10,000. A free trial gives 500 credits valid for 1 month. Paid credits are valid for 12 months. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.
Checked 4 Nov 2026. Vendors change prices without notice.
Is Pearch expensive?
Pearch starts at $10/250 credits. We list 177 sourcing tools in total. 40 have a free tier, and those with a public price typically start around $97 a month.
- 54 quote-based
- 40 free tier
- 103 public price
Worked out automatically from every sourcing listing, so it updates as the directory changes.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Hosted MCP plus REST people search
- Pay per candidate, not per recruiter seat
- Public credit packs from $10 for 250 credits
Cons
- Trial credits expire after 1 month
- Email and phone enrich add 6 credits each
- Auto-renew is on by default
Integrations
Claude Cursor VS Code
What's new at Pearch
See all 1 Pearch update, taken from Pearch's own announcements and our price checks.
Follow Pearch
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How Pearch compares
See all Pearch alternatives, with what each one does differently and a head to head for every pairing.
| Tool | Free tier | From | MCP | API | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pearch (this tool) | – | $10/250 credits | ✓ | ✓ | |
| | ✓ | $99/mo | ✓ | – | Compare |
| | – | $494/mo | – | ✓ | Compare |
| | – | $49/mo | ✓ | ✓ | Compare |
| | ✓ | $98/mo | – | ✓ | Compare |
$99/mo Free tier MCP
PeopleGPT-style sourcing if you want a recruiter UI more than a raw search API.
$494/mo API
Sourcing plus outreach in one suite if you need sequences, not just search credits.
$49/mo MCP API
People and company data API if you want a dataset dump more than live search.
$98/mo Free tier API
Person and company enrichment API with a published free tier if volume is the job.
Your next step
Shortlisting Pearch?
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Frequently asked questions
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