Build and monetize MCP servers
Build once, earn forever, with zero upfront costs. Apify’s MCP marketplace connects your servers to 36K+ monthly developers.
I was making $500 a month on other side projects, but now Apify is bringing in more than $2,000 from Apify Store.
Guillaume Lancrenon
Senior Software Engineer @ Twenty
7,000+ tools
for your AI agents
$500k+ payouts
to developers every month
130k+ signups
and growing every month
Why publish MCP servers on Apify?
Connect your MCP servers to a large, high-intent developer community.
Visibility across multiple platforms
Your MCP server is automatically distributed across the Apify ecosystem and partner platforms like Make, n8n, and Gumloop, with no extra work required.
Out-of-box infra and billing
Let Apify take care of running your code and scaling resources. You don’t have to worry about handling payments, taxes, or invoicing.
Join the agent-to-agent economy
Apify is already building top-class integrations, getting top spots in all MCP registries, and supports the latest developments like agentic payments.
Create your Actor from template01
Start with a pre-built MCP server template to get up and running in minutes. You can also use the CLI command: apify create my-actor -t ts-mcp-proxy
Configure your server settings02
Set up your MCP command and dependencies to define how your server will handle requests.
Set up monetization 03
Define your pricing model and event triggers to start earning revenue when people use your MCP server.
Deploy and enable standby mode 04
Push your server to Apify and activate Standby mode for persistent, always-available API endpoints.
Connect your MCP client 05
Use your generated URL with authentication to connect any MCP-compatible client or application.
Apify offers the fastest path to monetize your MCP servers with zero infrastructure investment. You get instant access to our 130k+ monthly signups and 36k+ active developer community - all actively seeking AI tools and automation solutions.
With our pay-per-event model, you earn revenue immediately by simply adding Actor.charge('eventName', count=N) to your code. We handle all the infrastructure complexity - auto-scaling, concurrent requests, multiple transport protocols (Streamable HTTP, stdio, and legacy SSE), and global distribution through our partner network including Make, n8n, and Zapier.
Competition validates market demand! Even if similar tools exist, there's room for differentiation through specialization, performance, unique features, or better pricing. Our marketplace thrives on diversity - different agents have different needs, and users often prefer tools that match their specific workflows or technical requirements.
Focus on what makes your approach unique: better data quality, faster performance, specific platform focus, or enhanced features. Many successful Actors on our platform compete in similar spaces but serve different user segments. Remember, the MCP ecosystem is rapidly growing, and there's significant room for multiple solutions in each category.
Join our vibrant developer community on Discord where 36K+ active developers share insights, troubleshoot issues, and collaborate on projects.
You can also engage with the community through:
- Apify Help: Technical details and best practices
- GitHub Discussions: Deep-dive technical conversations
Our community is known for being supportive and technically sophisticated. These developers understand infrastructure challenges and actively help each other succeed.
Focus on tools that solve real workflow pain points for AI agents. The highest-performing categories include:
High-demand areas:
- Data extraction and web scraping: Social media, e-commerce, news, business intelligence
- API integrations: Popular SaaS platforms without existing MCP support
- Workflow automation: Multi-step processes that agents commonly need
- Real-time data: Live feeds, monitoring, alerts, and notifications
- Domain-specific tools: Industry-specific data sources or specialized functionality
Success Strategy:
- Start with what you know: Build in domains where you have expertise
- Check our MCP Analytics: Review which tools are most requested but underserved. Look out for ideas in our ideas section.
- Solve your own problem: Build tools you'd want to use in your own AI workflows
- Think agent-first: Design for dynamic discovery and mid-conversation usage
The key is building tools that agents can discover and use autonomously, not just human-operated APIs wrapped in MCP.
Our MCP marketplace operates on a transparent, developer-friendly model:
Revenue Model:
- Commission-based: We only earn when you earn
- Pay-per-event pricing: You set your rates, charge per run/API call/custom events
- Monthly payouts: Reliable payment schedule with detailed usage analytics
- No upfront fees: Zero cost to publish and maintain your MCP servers
Technical Requirements:
- MCP protocol compliance with proper tool discovery support
- Production-ready performance and error handling
- Clear documentation and usage examples
- Adherence to Apify platform guidelines
Usage Rights:
- You retain full ownership of your code and intellectual property
- Standard marketplace listing and promotional rights for Apify
- Right to distribute your tools through our partner network
Support & Infrastructure:
- Free auto-scaling infrastructure and global CDN
- Technical support and community access included
- MCP protocol updates and compatibility are maintained by Apify