CRM & Sales · head to head
Clay vs Clearbit
The short version
- Only Clearbit has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Clay two separate meters run at once, actions and data credits, and a plan can exhaust either independently; Clearbit pricing can be expensive at scale with usage-based model
- They diverge on capability: Clay covers Data enrichment, Clearbit covers Company enrichment.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Clay and Clearbit actually diverge.
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (CRM & Sales).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Clay
- Data enrichment
- Contact management
- Workflow automation
- Integration
- API access
- Slack
- GDPR
- Cloud deployment
Only in Clearbit
- Company enrichment
- Contact enrichment
- Lead scoring
- Reveal (website visitors)
- Forms shortening
- Marketo
- Segment
- SOC 2 Type II
Both cover
- Salesforce
- HubSpot
- Zapier
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Clay
- Enriching prospect lists from multiple data providers in one tablenot Clearbit
- Building automated outbound research and outreach workflowsnot Clearbit
Clearbit
- Lead enrichmentnot Clay
- Account targetingnot Clay
- Personalizationnot Clay
- Lead scoringnot Clay
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Clay
- Two separate meters run at once, actions and data credits, and a plan can exhaust either independently
- Data credit overage is sold at a 30% premium over the plan rate, so exceeding the allowance costs more per unit than planning for it
- The free plan allows 500 actions, 100 data credits and 200 rows per table
- The entry paid plan starts at $167 a month, and both paid prices are starting figures rather than fixed
- The free plan cannot buy overage at all, so hitting the limit stops work rather than billing for it
Clearbit
- Pricing can be expensive at scale with usage-based model
- Batch enrichment has per-row cost that adds up quickly for large datasets
- Limited data for smaller or private companies
- Now integrated into HubSpot as Breeze Intelligence, may affect standalone availability
Pricing, plan by plan
Clay
On request- Pricing upon request$undefined/month
- Data enrichment
- Integration
- Support
Clearbit
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Clearbit review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Clearbit if
- You need company enrichment.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, API.
- You also want contact enrichment.
Questions people ask
- Is Clay or Clearbit better?
- Neither clearly leads. Clay starts at On request and Clearbit at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Clay or Clearbit?
- Clearbit has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Clay and Free for Clearbit.
- Does Clay or Clearbit run on more platforms?
- Clay runs on Web. Clearbit runs on Web, API.
- Can I use Clearbit for free?
- Yes. Clearbit has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Clay starts at On request.
- What is Clay best used for?
- Clay is most often used for enriching prospect lists from multiple data providers in one table, building automated outbound research and outreach workflows. Of those, enriching prospect lists from multiple data providers in one table and building automated outbound research and outreach workflows are not what Clearbit is typically brought in for.
- What can Clay do that Clearbit cannot?
- Clay covers Data enrichment, Contact management, Workflow automation, Integration. Clearbit covers Company enrichment, Contact enrichment, Lead scoring, Reveal (website visitors). Both handle Salesforce, HubSpot, Zapier, Web support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Clearbit: Does Clearbit offer a free tier?
Yes. The first 50 real-time lookups are free. After that, usage-based pricing applies with 500 free credits included in subscription plans.
SourceClearbit: How does Clearbit batch enrichment pricing work?
Batch enrichment costs $0.30 USD per row, with totals rounded to $5 increments. Bulk batch discounts are not available, but large volumes can negotiate lower rates through monthly/annual subscription to the Enrichment API.
SourceClearbit: What data does Clearbit provide?
Clearbit maintains information on over 20 million companies with over 100 rich attributes including demographic and technographic data, industry classification, and company size information.
SourceClearbit: Is there an API available?
Yes. Clearbit offers REST APIs for real-time enrichment and bulk batch processing, allowing direct integration into applications and workflows.
Source