Softwr

CRM · head to head

Clay vs Lever

Clay logo

Clay

CRM

Data platform for sales teams

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Lever logo

Lever

Recruitment

Talent acquisition suite built for collaboration

From
On request
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; Lever customized pricing requires sales contact, no public pricing
  • They diverge on capability: Clay covers Data enrichment, Lever covers Applicant Tracking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Clay and Lever actually diverge.

Attributes where Clay and Lever differ
AttributeClayLever
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
Free tierYesNo
CategoryCRMRecruitment
Founded20212012

Identical on both: platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Lever

  • Applicant Tracking
  • Candidate CRM
  • Sourcing
  • Interview Management
  • Analytics
  • Offer Management
  • LinkedIn
  • Indeed

Both cover

  • Slack
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Clay

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

Lever

  • Applicant tracking from sourcing through offernot Clay
  • Building and nurturing talent pipelines of passive candidatesnot Clay
  • Automating interview scheduling, follow-ups and offer lettersnot Clay
  • Reporting on hiring performance across sourcesnot Clay
  • Screening at volume with AI ranking and recommendationsnot 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

Lever

  • Customized pricing requires sales contact, no public pricing
  • Premium features like advanced CRM functionality require additional fees
  • Implementation requires some technical configuration

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

Lever

On request
  • LeverTRM$undefined/month
    • ATS
    • CRM
    • Sourcing
  • LeverTRM for Enterprise$undefined/month
    • All LeverTRM features
    • Advanced Security
    • Dedicated Support

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 Lever if

  • You need applicant tracking.
  • You also want candidate crm.
Lever review

Questions people ask

Is Clay or Lever better?
Neither clearly leads. Clay starts at Free and Lever at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Clay or Lever?
Clay has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Clay and On request for Lever.
Does Clay or Lever run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Clay for free?
Yes. Clay has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Lever starts at On request.
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 Lever is typically brought in for.
What can Clay do that Lever cannot?
Clay covers Data enrichment, Contact management, Workflow automation, Integration. Lever covers Applicant Tracking, Candidate CRM, Sourcing, Interview Management. Both handle Slack, Web support.

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
Lever: What is Lever used for?

Lever is modern recruiting software that centralizes recruiting into a single system for sourcing candidates, managing applications, scheduling interviews, collaborating with hiring managers, automating workflows, and measuring hiring performance.

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
Lever: Does Lever include both ATS and CRM?

Yes. Lever integrates comprehensive Applicant Tracking System (ATS) and Candidate Relationship Management (CRM) functionalities within a single offering called LeverTRM, with features like AI-powered screening and interview transcripts.

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
Lever: What integrations does Lever support?

Lever integrates with 300+ tools including Slack for notifications, Zoom for interviews, calendar applications for scheduling, background check services, job boards, and leading HRIS platforms for talent management workflows.

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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