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CRM · head to head

Clay vs EspoCRM

Clay logo

Clay

CRM

Data platform for sales teams

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
EspoCRM logo

EspoCRM

CRM

AGPL open source CRM in PHP that you can self-host free or buy as cloud with seat minimums

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Clay two separate meters run at once, actions and data credits, and a plan can exhaust either independently; EspoCRM the AGPLv3 licence obliges you to publish source modifications if you make the modified software available over a network, which blocks resellers who want to offer a customised hosted version without opening their code.
  • They diverge on capability: Clay covers Data enrichment, EspoCRM covers Entity manager.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Clay and EspoCRM actually diverge.

Attributes where Clay and EspoCRM differ
AttributeClayEspoCRM
Pricing modelsubscriptionPer user per month
PlatformsWebWeb, Linux, Docker, iOS, Android
Founded2021Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (CRM).

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
  • Integration
  • API access
  • Salesforce
  • HubSpot
  • Zapier
  • Slack

Only in EspoCRM

  • Entity manager
  • Dynamic logic
  • Email integration
  • Sales pipeline
  • Case management
  • Reports and dashboards
  • REST API

Both cover

  • Workflow automation

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Clay

  • Data enrichment and intelligencenot EspoCRM
  • Growth campaign automationnot EspoCRM
  • CRM workflow integrationnot EspoCRM

EspoCRM

  • A small business that wants a CRM on its own hosting with no per-seat fee and no vendor holding its customer datanot Clay
  • A public sector or healthcare team with data residency rules that rule out US-hosted commercial CRMnot Clay
  • A developer or agency needing a CRM whose data model can be extended into a bespoke entity structure through configurationnot Clay
  • An organisation with many light users, where self-hosting avoids paying seat prices for people who open the CRM twice a monthnot 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

EspoCRM

  • The AGPLv3 licence obliges you to publish source modifications if you make the modified software available over a network, which blocks resellers who want to offer a customised hosted version without opening their code.
  • Cloud plans carry seat minimums of three, five and ten users, so a two-person consultancy pays for three seats and a small team wanting the Ultimate features pays for ten.
  • Record ceilings are real on the cheaper cloud tiers, with Basic capped at 100,000 records, and hitting the cap means a tier upgrade rather than a small overage charge.
  • Marketing automation, sequences and native telephony are thin compared with HubSpot or Zoho, so most deployments end up wiring in a separate mailing tool and a separate dialler.
  • Self-hosting shifts the entire cost to your own team: PHP version upgrades, database backups and security patching are yours, and a neglected instance becomes an internet-facing liability holding your customer list.

Pricing, plan by plan

Clay

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 500 actions per month
    • 100 data credits per month
    • Unlimited seats
  • Launch$167/month
    • 15000 actions per month
    • 3000 data credits per month
    • Phone enrichment
  • Growth$446/month
    • 40000 actions per month
    • 6000 data credits per month
    • CRM sync
  • Enterprise$null/custom
    • Unlimited capabilities across most features
    • SSO
    • Role-based access control

EspoCRM

Free
  • Self-hostedFree
    • AGPLv3 licence, no fee
    • Runs on PHP with MySQL or MariaDB
    • Advanced Pack, Sales Pack and other extensions sold separately as one-off purchases
  • Cloud Basic$15/month
    • Three-user minimum
    • 3GB storage per user
    • Up to 100,000 records
  • Cloud Enterprise$25/month
    • Five-user minimum
    • 10GB storage per user
    • Up to 10 million records, extendable for a fee
  • Cloud Ultimate$69/month
    • Ten-user minimum
    • 400GB total storage
    • Unlimited records

Which should you pick?

Choose Clay if

  • You need data enrichment.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want contact management.
Clay review

Choose EspoCRM if

  • You need entity manager.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Linux, Docker, iOS, Android.
  • You also want dynamic logic.
EspoCRM review

Questions people ask

Is Clay or EspoCRM better?
Neither clearly leads. Clay starts at Free and EspoCRM at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Clay or EspoCRM?
Clay starts at Free and EspoCRM at Free.
Does Clay or EspoCRM run on more platforms?
Clay runs on Web. EspoCRM runs on Web, Linux, Docker, iOS, Android.
Can I use Clay for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Clay best used for?
Clay is most often used for data enrichment and intelligence, growth campaign automation, crm workflow integration. Of those, data enrichment and intelligence and growth campaign automation are not what EspoCRM is typically brought in for.
What can Clay do that EspoCRM cannot?
Clay covers Data enrichment, Contact management, Integration, API access. EspoCRM covers Entity manager, Dynamic logic, Email integration, Sales pipeline. Both handle Workflow automation.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Clay: Can I use Clay for free?

Yes, Clay's free plan includes 500 actions and 100 data credits per month with unlimited seats and tables (200 rows max per table).

Source
EspoCRM: Is the self-hosted version really full featured?

The core CRM is, but several paid extension packs including Advanced Pack for reports and BPM are sold separately as one-off purchases and are not in the free download.

Clay: How much can I save with Clay's annual billing?

Clay offers significant annual discounts: Launch tier drops from $167/month to $54/month, and Growth tier drops from $446/month to $185/month when billed yearly.

Source
EspoCRM: What are the cloud seat minimums?

Three users on Basic, five on Enterprise and ten on Ultimate, so the advertised per-user rate is not the smallest bill you can pay.

Clay: What happens when I exceed my monthly actions or data credits on Clay?

Actions and data credits cost less than $0.01 each when purchased at scale, with unused data credits rolling over up to 2x monthly allocation on paid plans. Customers can bring their own API keys to avoid data credit costs.

Source
EspoCRM: What does it need to run?

PHP, MySQL or MariaDB and a web server. It installs on ordinary shared hosting or a small VPS, which is unusual for a modern CRM.

Clay: Does the Growth plan limit the number of users or team members?

No, Clay's Growth plan supports unlimited seats with 40000 monthly actions, 6000 data credits, and CRM sync, designed for teams with CRM-based workflows and growth campaigns.

Source
EspoCRM: Can I move from cloud to self-hosted later?

Yes. EspoCRM states customers own their database and data files, so an export and reinstall is possible, though you take on all maintenance when you do.

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