MCP vs REST API: which way to connect to ScanToPitch?

ScanToPitch gives you two ways to connect from outside the app: a hosted MCP server and a REST API. They reach the same data and spend the same credits; they just suit different jobs. Here is how to choose.

Use MCP when a human is in the loop

MCP is built for AI assistants. If you want to sit in ChatGPT or Claude and say 'find these leads and pitch them,' MCP is the answer. The assistant discovers the tools, calls them conversationally, and you review each step. It is the fastest path from idea to outreach, and it needs no code.

Use the REST API when a program is in the loop

The REST API (documented at our developers page, with an OpenAPI spec) is for scripts, automations and back-end systems. If you want a nightly job that scans a set of cities, writes leads into your CRM, and never involves a chat window, REST is the clean fit. You call endpoints, you get JSON.

They are not exclusive

Plenty of setups use both: MCP for exploratory, conversational work during the day, and the REST API for the scheduled heavy lifting overnight. Both authenticate to the same account, draw from the same credit balance, and obey the same rate limits, so you can move between them without surprises.

What is the same either way

Coordinates are never returned (a privacy promise we keep on both surfaces), credits are debited identically, failed scans are refunded automatically, and purchases stay human-only. The plumbing underneath is shared; only the front door differs.

A simple rule

If a person is going to read and react to each result, use MCP. If a machine is going to process results unattended, use the API. If you are not sure, start with MCP in your assistant (see what MCP is), it is the lowest-effort way to see the whole thing work, then automate the parts that prove repetitive.