The Clay Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Clay in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Clay
The Insider’s Guide
Data enrichment tables that query 150+ data providers in one place
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among lead and email finders, read from Clay’s own pages.
Made by Clay Labs Inc. · checked Oct 17, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Clay’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Clay’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 17, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.8
GPA, above 13 of the 19 other lead and email finders we grade
Clay is a table-based workspace for building and enriching lead lists. Each row is a company or person, and columns call data from more than 150 providers in turn until one finds an email, phone number or company detail, or run Claygent, an AI agent that researches the web. Finished lists can be synced to a CRM, pushed to ad platforms or sent into email campaigns.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Clay, taken from its own pages and our grades.
No App Store rating on record, and this is a web app where the work is building the table itself.
- 1
Best for building custom lead lists from many data sources
But there's real setup, and two meters to watch.
- 2
Paid plans start at $167 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $167 per month for 2,500 data credits, billed annually.
- 3
There is a free plan
100 data credits and 500 actions a month, unlimited seats and tables, up to 200 rows per table, waterfalls and Claygent. No phone number enrichment.
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Waterfall enrichment
A column asks one data provider after another until a value is found, drawing on more than 150 providers. A lookup that returns nothing costs nothing.
- 6
Claygent
An AI agent with web research that fills in custom data points a provider does not sell. It is included on every plan, the free one too.
- 7
Audiences and search
Build lists of companies and people from Clay's search and imports. Paid plans add unlimited search and CSV uploads.
- 8
A 2.8 GPA, above 13 of 19
That is against the other lead and email finders we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Clay you would be making connections to other products, each kept working as those products change. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Clay at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $167 per month for 2,500 data credits, billed annually
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- 14-day trial of paid plans
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Clay Labs Inc., since 2017
- Category
- Lead & Email Finders
- Our grade
- 2.8 GPA, good
The report card
Best for building custom lead lists from many data sources
Clay is a spreadsheet that fills itself in: each column asks one data provider after another, from 150-plus, until one finds the email or number, and an AI agent researches the gaps. Seats are unlimited, so five people share Launch at $167 a month billed yearly. But there's real setup, and two meters to watch.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B | Launch is $167 a month billed yearly with unlimited seats, about $33.40 a head for five, just inside this category's cheaper quarter ($34). It buys 2,500 data credits and 15,000 actions a month. On your own, the whole $167 is yours to pay. |
| Free plan and trial | C | A free plan with 100 data credits and 500 actions a month, unlimited seats, waterfalls and Claygent, plus a 14-day trial. But tables stop at 200 rows and there's no phone enrichment. |
| Features | A | Waterfalls across 150-plus providers, where a lookup that finds nothing costs nothing, plus Claygent for web research, job-change signals, its own sequencer and CRM and warehouse sync. No rival here draws on so many sources. |
| Ease of use | C | No App Store rating on record, and this is a web app where the work is building the table itself. If spreadsheet formulas make you nervous, expect a learning curve. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web only, but with HubSpot, Pipedrive, Attio, Outreach, Instantly, lemlist, Apollo.io and Snowflake on the list, and webhooks from Growth. No desktop or phone apps. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Clay is for
- Great if you build lists with odd criteria no single database sells
- Handy when you want several data providers behind one bill
- A treat if you like spreadsheet-style workflows and tinkering with them
Who it is not for
- Pricey if you're on your own, as the first paid plan is $167 a month
- Tight if you need phone numbers for free, since the free plan has no phone enrichment
- Skip it if you just want to look someone up, as it's built for building workflows
Good to know
Good for
- Growth and operations teams building custom lead lists
- Teams that want several data providers behind one bill
- People comfortable setting up spreadsheet-style workflows
Worth knowing
- Two meters apply: data credits pay providers for data, and actions count each enrichment or export. Both are sized separately on paid plans.
- Data credits start at $0.05 each; extra credits cost 30% more than plan credits on Launch and Growth.
- Actions reset each billing cycle; data credits roll over up to twice the monthly amount on Launch and Growth.
- The free plan has no phone number enrichment and stops at 200 rows per table.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$167
A month to start. There is a free plan too
Clay has a free plan. Paid plans start at $167 per month for 2,500 data credits, billed annually.
Free
$0
100 data credits and 500 actions a month, unlimited seats, 200 rows per table, waterfalls, Claygent and your own API keys.
Launch
$167
per month for 2,500 data credits, billed annually ($185 monthly)
Plus 15,000 actions a month, phone enrichment, job-change signals and email sending. Data credits alone are $414 a month at 10,000 a month, billed annually.
Growth
$446
per month for 6,000 data credits, billed annually ($495 monthly)
Plus 40,000 actions a month, CRM auto-sync, HTTP API and webhook automation, web intent signals, ad audiences and priority support.
Enterprise
Custom
Annual commitment, 100,000+ data credits, Clay API access, SSO, SCIM, role-based access and a dedicated growth strategist.
The free plan
100 data credits and 500 actions a month, unlimited seats and tables, up to 200 rows per table, waterfalls and Claygent. No phone number enrichment.
Trying it first
14-day trial of paid plans
Read from clay.com on Oct 17, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
Save 10% with annual billing
Clay's pricing page marks annual billing as a 10% saving: Launch starts at $167 a month billed yearly against $185 billed monthly.
Stated on clay.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Data enrichment tables that query 150+ data providers in one place. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, AI features, workflow automation, email campaigns.
Web only, but with HubSpot, Pipedrive, Attio, Outreach, Instantly, lemlist, Apollo.io and Snowflake on the list, and webhooks from Growth.
- Waterfall enrichment
- A column asks one data provider after another until a value is found, drawing on more than 150 providers. A lookup that returns nothing costs nothing.
- Claygent
- An AI agent with web research that fills in custom data points a provider does not sell. It is included on every plan, the free one too.
- Audiences and search
- Build lists of companies and people from Clay's search and imports. Paid plans add unlimited search and CSV uploads.
- Signals
- Track job changes, promotions, new hires, company news and social posts from Launch, and website intent from Growth.
- Sequencer and integrations
- Send email from Clay's own sequencer or push leads to Instantly, lemlist, Outreach and HubSpot sequences.
- CRM and warehouse sync
- Growth syncs and enriches CRM records automatically and connects to Snowflake, BigQuery, Databricks and Postgres.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- HubSpot
- Pipedrive
- Attio
- Outreach
- Instantly
- lemlist
- Apollo.io
- Snowflake
Clay is made by Clay Labs Inc., and has been around since 2017.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
13/19
Other lead and email finders it is graded above
Clay's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 13 of the 19 other lead and email finders we grade, and level with 6.
It stands best on features (A, above 18 of 19) and worst on ease of use (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $167 a month, against a middle price of $39 for the category: 14 of the 14 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.0 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 20 lead and email finders we grade, cut by the letter each got. Clay’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 11 of 19
- CFree plan and trialAbove 2 of 19
- AFeaturesAbove 18 of 19
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 19
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 1 of 19
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 15 lead and email finders. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Clay is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Clay you would be making connections to other products, each kept working as those products change. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 2.8 is higher than 13 of the 19 other lead and email finders we grade. It costs $2,004 a year.
What you could not
- Connections to other products, each kept working as those products change.
- Newsletters sent to thousands of people that still reach the inbox.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- The depth: we grade its features A, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Clay’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Apollo.io, PhantomBuster, ZoomInfo, Findymail and Prospeo
The 5 tools Clay is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.4GPA
Apollo.io
Free plan · from $49/mo
B2B contact database with built-in email sequences and a dialer.
- Only Apollo.io lists a browser extension.
- Clay also covers workflow automation.
- Apollo.io also covers web clipper and sales pipeline.
- 2.6GPA
PhantomBuster
Free plan · from $56/mo
Cloud automations that collect and enrich leads from LinkedIn.
- Only PhantomBuster lists a browser extension.
- Clay also covers email campaigns.
- 2.8GPA
ZoomInfo
Free plan
B2B contact and company data platform with AI sales tools.
- Only ZoomInfo lists an iOS app.
- Only ZoomInfo lists a browser extension.
- Clay also covers email campaigns.
- 2.2GPA
Findymail
Free trial
Verified email and phone finder with plain-language company search.
- Clay has a free plan. Findymail does not, though it has a free trial.
- Clay also covers workflow automation and email campaigns.
- 2.4GPA
Prospeo
Free plan · from $37/mo
B2B lead database with verified emails and mobile numbers.
- Only Prospeo lists a browser extension.
- Clay also covers workflow automation and email campaigns.
- Prospeo also covers web clipper.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
15
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Clay free?
Clay has a free plan. 100 data credits and 500 actions a month, unlimited seats and tables, up to 200 rows per table, waterfalls and Claygent.
How much does Clay cost?
Clay lists 4 plans. Free: $0.
What platforms does Clay work on?
Clay is available on Web.
Does Clay offer any discounts?
Clay publicly lists the following: Save 10% with annual billing.
Does Clay have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. Clay is listed for Web.
Does Clay have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. Clay is listed for Web.
Is Clay open source?
Clay is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 17, 2026.
Does Clay have an API?
Yes. Clay offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Clay integrate with?
Clay's listing names HubSpot, Pipedrive, Attio, Outreach, Instantly, lemlist, Apollo.io and Snowflake.
Does Clay have a free trial?
Yes. 14-day trial of paid plans.
Who makes Clay?
Clay is made by Clay Labs Inc. It dates from 2017.
What are the alternatives to Clay?
The closest alternatives to Clay in our directory are Apollo.io, PhantomBuster, ZoomInfo, Findymail and Prospeo.
How does Clay compare with other lead and email finders?
Clay's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 13 of the 19 other lead and email finders we grade, and level with 6.
Is Clay good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Clay B for value for money. Its paid plans start at $167 a month, against a middle price of $39 for the category: 14 of the 14 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Clay?
To replace Clay you would be making connections to other products, each kept working as those products change.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Clay’s own pages on Oct 17, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 17, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Clay's own pages on 17 October 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Clay Labs Inc. Prices change, so check clay.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
1,880
Tools graded, in 47 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
ToolGPA is free to read. It may earn a commission from affiliate links and it works with sponsors, but anything paid for is labelled and no one can pay for a grade. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
1,880
tools graded
47
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Clay, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/clay
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Clay: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 17, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/clay
Know someone choosing between lead and email finders?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/clay/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded lead and email finders after Clay, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Lead & Email Finders Insider's GuideEvery one of the 20 lead and email finders we grade, compared
- GetProspect Insider's GuideEmail finder and B2B database with a LinkedIn extension2.8 GPA
- Hunter Insider's GuideEmail finder and verifier with cold email sequences built in2.8 GPA
- Skrapp Insider's GuideEmail finder for LinkedIn, company websites and lead lists2.8 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Clay’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. ToolGPA uses affiliate links and may earn a commission from them, and it works with sponsors; anything paid for is labelled, and no one can pay for a grade. Clay is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Clay Labs Inc. Prices and plans change: check clay.com before you buy.