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CRM · head to head

Clay vs ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus

Clay logo

Clay

CRM

Data platform for sales teams

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus logo

ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus

Customer Support

IT help desk and ITSM software

From
Free
Free plan
Yes

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; ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus pricing structure based on per-technician model can become expensive for large teams
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Clay and ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus actually diverge.

Attributes where Clay and ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus differ
AttributeClayManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus
CategoryCRMCustomer Support
Founded2021Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (subscription), free tier (Yes), 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 ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus

Nothing recorded that Clay does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Clay

  • Data enrichment and intelligencenot ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus
  • Growth campaign automationnot ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus
  • CRM workflow integrationnot ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus

ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus

  • IT service desk for small to enterprise organizationsnot Clay
  • IT asset management and change managementnot 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

ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus

  • Pricing structure based on per-technician model can become expensive for large teams
  • Asset management requires Professional tier or above, increasing costs for enterprises needing full inventory control
  • No explicit limit published for number of technicians, making cost projections difficult for scaling teams

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

ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus

Free
  • Standard$13/monthly
    • IT help desk functionality
    • Per technician or administrator pricing
    • Unlimited IT end users
  • Professional$27/monthly
    • IT help desk
    • Asset management
    • Per technician pricing
  • Enterprise$67/monthly
    • IT help desk
    • Asset management
    • Change management

Which should you pick?

Choose Clay if

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

Choose ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus if

  • You want to start without paying.

Questions people ask

Is Clay or ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus better?
Neither clearly leads. Clay starts at Free and ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Clay or ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus?
Clay starts at Free and ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus at Free.
Does Clay or ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
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 ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus is typically brought in for.
What can Clay do that ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus cannot?
Clay covers Data enrichment, Contact management, Workflow automation, Integration.

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
ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus: How is pricing calculated for ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus?

Pricing is based on the number of administrators and technicians using the platform. There is no restriction on the number of IT end users. If you use IT asset management, you pay for the number of IT assets managed.

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
ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus: Is there a free tier available?

Yes, the Standard edition is available free for up to 5 technicians. Free tier includes 250 IT assets managed and basic IT help desk features.

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
ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus: What are the billing options?

ManageEngine offers both monthly and yearly billing options. Annual billing provides discounted rates compared to monthly. You can deploy on-premises or use cloud-based SaaS deployment.

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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