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CRM · head to head

Clay vs Freshsales

Clay logo

Clay

CRM

Data platform for sales teams

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Freshsales logo

Freshsales

CRM

Smart CRM for growing businesses

From
$19/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Clay 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; Freshsales contact scoring, sales sequences and territory management require the Pro plan at $39 per user per month, more than four times the Growth price
  • They diverge on capability: Clay covers Data enrichment, Freshsales covers Lead scoring.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Clay and Freshsales actually diverge.

Attributes where Clay and Freshsales differ
AttributeClayFreshsales
Starting priceFree$19/month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android
Founded20212010

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), 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
  • Integration
  • API access
  • Salesforce
  • HubSpot
  • Zapier
  • English language support

Only in Freshsales

  • Lead scoring
  • Sales pipeline
  • Activity tracking
  • Email sync
  • AI insights
  • Gmail
  • Outlook
  • Shopify

Both cover

  • Contact management
  • Workflow automation
  • Slack
  • GDPR
  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Clay

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

Freshsales

  • Sales CRM with built in email, phone and chatnot Clay
  • Managing deals, pipelines and sales sequencesnot 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

Freshsales

  • Contact scoring, sales sequences and territory management require the Pro plan at $39 per user per month, more than four times the Growth price
  • Forecasting insights, custom modules, sandbox and audit logs are Enterprise only at $59 per user per month
  • Every published price requires annual billing
  • The Freddy AI agent is billed separately at $49 per 100 sessions
  • Branded documents are a further $19 per user add on
  • No contact limits are stated for any tier on the pricing page

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

Freshsales

$19/month
  • Starter$19/month
    • Contact & account management
    • Pipeline management
  • Growth$39/month
    • Everything in Starter
    • Sales automation
    • Territory management
  • Pro$65/month
    • Everything in Growth
    • Forecasting
    • Advanced customization

Which should you pick?

Choose Clay if

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

Choose Freshsales if

  • You need lead scoring.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want sales pipeline.
Freshsales review

Questions people ask

Is Clay or Freshsales better?
Neither clearly leads. Clay starts at Free and Freshsales at $19/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Clay or Freshsales?
Clay has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Clay and $19/month for Freshsales.
Does Clay or Freshsales run on more platforms?
Clay runs on Web. Freshsales runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Clay for free?
Yes. Clay has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Freshsales starts at $19/month.
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 Freshsales is typically brought in for.
What can Clay do that Freshsales cannot?
Clay covers Data enrichment, Integration, API access, Salesforce. Freshsales covers Lead scoring, Sales pipeline, Activity tracking, Email sync. Both handle Contact management, Workflow automation, Slack, GDPR.

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
Freshsales: Is there a free trial for Freshsales?

Yes, Freshsales offers a 21-day free trial with no credit card required and no strings attached.

Source
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
Freshsales: How do I learn pricing for Freshsales?

Pricing is not listed on the main product pages. The site directs users to request a demo or sign up for the free trial to discuss pricing with the sales team.

Source
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
Freshsales: Is a demo required to see pricing?

The site prominently features demo and trial signup options, suggesting that pricing is discussed during the sales consultation process rather than published as standard tiers.

Source
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
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