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CRM · head to head

Clay vs Hunter

Clay logo

Clay

CRM

Data platform for sales teams

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Hunter logo

Hunter

CRM

Email finding, verification and cold outreach platform for B2B prospecting

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; Hunter free plan is limited to 50 credits per month and a single connected inbox, restricting real usage.
  • They diverge on capability: Clay covers Data enrichment, Hunter covers Domain search.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Clay and Hunter actually diverge.

Attributes where Clay and Hunter differ
AttributeClayHunter
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
PlatformsWebweb, api
Founded20212015

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
  • Workflow automation
  • Integration
  • API access
  • Salesforce
  • HubSpot
  • Zapier

Only in Hunter

  • Domain search
  • Email verifier
  • Campaign sender
  • AI writing assistant
  • Browser extension
  • CRM integrations

What people use each for

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

Clay

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

Hunter

  • Finding verified email addresses for a target companynot Clay
  • Verifying email lists before a campaignnot Clay
  • Running cold outreach sequences from connected inboxesnot Clay
  • Enriching CRM records with contact emailsnot 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

Hunter

  • Free plan is limited to 50 credits per month and a single connected inbox, restricting real usage.
  • Mobile phone or firmographic data is thinner than dedicated sales intelligence platforms.
  • Multichannel outreach (LinkedIn, calls, SMS) is not supported, unlike some competitors.
  • Higher-volume plans require annual billing to get the advertised discounted price.

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

Hunter

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 50 credits per month
    • 1 connected email account
    • Up to 500 recipients per sequence
  • Starter$34/month
    • 2,000 monthly credits (billed yearly)
    • 3 connected email accounts
    • Advanced filters
  • Growth$104/month
    • 10,000 monthly credits (billed yearly)
    • 10 connected email accounts
    • Priority support
  • Scale$209/month
    • 25,000 monthly credits (billed yearly)
    • 20 connected email accounts
    • Account manager included

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 Hunter if

  • You need domain search.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want email verifier.
Hunter review

Questions people ask

Is Clay or Hunter better?
Neither clearly leads. Clay starts at Free and Hunter at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Clay or Hunter?
Clay starts at Free and Hunter at Free.
Does Clay or Hunter run on more platforms?
Clay runs on Web. Hunter runs on web, api.
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 Hunter is typically brought in for.
What can Clay do that Hunter cannot?
Clay covers Data enrichment, Contact management, Workflow automation, Integration. Hunter covers Domain search, Email verifier, Campaign sender, AI writing assistant.

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
Hunter: What does Hunter cost?

Hunter's Free plan gives 50 credits/month. Paid plans (billed yearly) start at $34/month for Starter (2,000 credits), rising to $104/month for Growth and $209/month for Scale, with custom Enterprise pricing above that.

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
Hunter: Is there a free plan, and what are its limits?

Yes, Hunter's Free plan includes 50 monthly credits, basic database filters, one connected email account, and sequences capped at 500 recipients.

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
Hunter: How is usage metered?

Hunter meters usage in credits, consumed once per billing cycle for searches and verifications; credits reset monthly or accumulate annually depending on the billing plan.

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
Hunter: What does Hunter integrate with?

Hunter offers a browser extension, a Google Sheets add-on, CRM connections, and an API, alongside MCP support for AI tool integrations.

Source
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