Clay
Cappy’s Quick Take
| At a glance | Details |
|---|---|
| What it is | A data enrichment and prospecting platform that pulls data from many providers and automates research with AI |
| Pricing | Freemium · Launch $167/month · Growth $446/month (annual billing) · Enterprise custom |
| Free plan | Yes, 100 Data Credits and 500 Actions a month |
| Works with | HubSpot and Salesforce (CRM sync on Growth), plus many data providers |
| Best for | Teams building custom, data-driven prospecting workflows |
| Cappy Score | 4.3/5 |
What is Clay?
Clay is a data enrichment and prospecting platform. It works like a powerful spreadsheet that can pull information about people and companies from many data providers, then combine it into one table.
Its AI research agent, Claygent, can visit websites and answer questions about each prospect, and waterfall enrichment tries several providers in turn until it finds an email or phone number.
Since March 2026, Clay uses two meters: Data Credits pay for data, and Actions pay for using the platform. Every plan includes unlimited seats, so the cost depends on usage, not team size.
Key features
- Waterfall enrichment: try multiple data providers until one finds the data.
- Claygent: an AI agent that researches prospects on the web.
- Tables: build and automate prospect lists like a spreadsheet.
- Signals: track changes such as job moves and company news.
- Sequencer: send outreach directly from Clay.
- CRM sync: keep HubSpot or Salesforce updated (Growth).
Pricing plans
| Plan | Price | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Testing, with 100 Data Credits, 500 Actions and 200 rows per table |
| Launch | $167/month billed annually, or $185 billed monthly | Small teams, with 2,500 Data Credits and 15,000 Actions |
| Growth | $446/month billed annually, or $495 billed monthly | Active teams, with 6,000 Data Credits, 40,000 Actions and CRM sync |
| Enterprise | Custom (annual) | Large organizations |
Which plan should you pick? Use Free to build and test a workflow. Launch fits smaller prospecting volumes. Choose Growth if you need CRM sync, webhooks or higher volume.
Clay free plan: what you get
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Data Credits | 100 a month |
| Actions | 500 a month |
| Table size | 200 rows |
| Phone enrichment | Paid plans only |
The catch: 100 Data Credits only cover a handful of fully enriched contacts, and Clay has a steep learning curve. Older guides describe the retired Starter, Explorer and Pro plans.
Who is Clay for?
- Growth teams: build custom prospect lists from many sources.
- RevOps: enrich and clean CRM data.
- Agencies: run outbound research for clients.
- Founders: find highly targeted leads.
Consider something else if you want a simple contact database, or you don’t have time to learn a flexible but complex tool.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Data from 100+ providers in one place
- Powerful AI research with Claygent
- Unlimited seats on every plan
- Very flexible workflows
Cons
- Steep learning curve
- Paid plans start high
- Usage-based costs can be hard to predict
- CRM sync only on Growth
Clay alternatives
| Tool | Why consider it |
|---|---|
| Apollo.io | Contact database and outreach in one tool |
| Instantly.ai | High-volume cold email sending |
| lemlist | Personalized multichannel outreach |
| Lavender | AI coaching for better sales emails |
How to get started with Clay
- Sign up free at clay.com.
- Create a table from a list of companies or people.
- Add enrichments like emails, job titles and Claygent research.
- Export or send the results to your outreach tool.
Tip: Start with one small table of your best-fit accounts to learn how many credits each enrichment uses before upgrading.
Frequently asked questions
Is Clay free?
Yes. Clay’s free plan includes 100 Data Credits and 500 Actions a month, unlimited seats and tables up to 200 rows.
How much does Clay cost?
Launch starts at $185 a month and Growth at $495 a month, or $167 and $446 a month billed annually. Prices rise with more credits.
What are Clay Data Credits and Actions?
Data Credits pay for data from Clay’s providers. Actions pay for using the platform, such as enrichment steps, AI calls and exports.
Does Clay charge per user?
No. Every Clay plan includes unlimited seats, so you pay for usage rather than team size.