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CRM · head to head

Clay vs Missive

Clay logo

Clay

CRM

Data platform for sales teams

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Missive logo

Missive

Customer Support

Team inbox and chat for productive teams

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
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; Missive each plan caps users rather than only pricing them, at 5 on Starter and 50 on Productive
  • They diverge on capability: Clay covers Data enrichment, Missive covers Shared inbox.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Clay and Missive actually diverge.

Attributes where Clay and Missive differ
AttributeClayMissive
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android, Mac, Windows
CategoryCRMCustomer Support
Founded20212015

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (subscription), free tier (Yes), 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
  • Slack
  • Cloud deployment

Only in Missive

  • Shared inbox
  • Team chat
  • Email
  • Tasks
  • Calendar
  • WhatsApp
  • SMS
  • Asana

Both cover

  • HubSpot
  • Zapier
  • GDPR
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Clay

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

Missive

  • Shared team inbox across email, SMS and social messagesnot Clay
  • Collaborating on customer conversations with internal comments and tasksnot 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

Missive

  • Each plan caps users rather than only pricing them, at 5 on Starter and 50 on Productive
  • Integrations, automation rules and API access all require the Productive plan at $24 per user per month
  • Rules are capped at 1,000 per workspace even on the paid tiers
  • SAML SSO and IP restriction are Business only at $36 per user per month
  • AI features need either Missive AI credits or a bring your own key arrangement rather than being included

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

Missive

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 3 users
    • Basic features
    • Email & chat
  • Starter$14/month
    • Unlimited users
    • Shared inboxes
    • Rules & automation
  • Productive$18/month
    • Starter + Calendars
    • WhatsApp
    • SMS
  • Business$26/month
    • Productive + API
    • SAML SSO
    • Priority 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 Missive if

  • You need shared inbox.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Mac, Windows.
  • You also want team chat.
Missive review

Questions people ask

Is Clay or Missive better?
Neither clearly leads. Clay starts at Free and Missive at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Clay or Missive?
Clay starts at Free and Missive at Free.
Does Clay or Missive run on more platforms?
Clay runs on Web. Missive runs on Web, Ios, Android, Mac, Windows.
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 Missive is typically brought in for.
What can Clay do that Missive cannot?
Clay covers Data enrichment, Contact management, Workflow automation, Integration. Missive covers Shared inbox, Team chat, Email, Tasks. Both handle HubSpot, Zapier, GDPR, 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
Missive: How much does Missive cost per month?

Missive charges $14/user/month for Starter (up to 5 users), $24/user/month for Productive (up to 50 users), and $36/user/month for Business (unlimited users).

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
Missive: Is there a free trial available?

Yes, Missive offers a 30-day free trial with no credit card required to start.

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
Missive: Does Missive offer yearly billing discounts?

Yes, Missive provides a 20% discount for yearly billing compared to monthly pricing on all plans.

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
Missive: Which plan includes SSO authentication?

The Business Plan at $36/user/month includes SAML SSO, IP restriction, and advanced analytics features.

Source
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