Softwr

CRM · head to head

Clay vs Ontraport

Clay logo

Clay

CRM

Data platform for sales teams

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Ontraport logo

Ontraport

CRM

All-in-one CRM and marketing automation

From
$24/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; Ontraport no plan name, monthly price, contact band, user count or email send limit is published on the pricing page
  • They diverge on capability: Clay covers Data enrichment, Ontraport covers Sales pipeline.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Clay and Ontraport actually diverge.

Attributes where Clay and Ontraport differ
AttributeClayOntraport
Starting priceFree$24/month
Free tierYesNo
Founded20212009

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), platforms (Web), 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
  • Workflow automation
  • Integration
  • API access
  • Salesforce
  • HubSpot

Only in Ontraport

  • Sales pipeline
  • Email marketing
  • Marketing automation
  • Automation
  • Reporting
  • Landing pages
  • Stripe

Both cover

  • Contact management
  • Zapier
  • Slack
  • GDPR
  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support
  • English language support

What people use each for

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

Clay

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

Ontraport

  • CRM with marketing automation and campaign buildingnot Clay
  • Managing contacts, pages and email sequences in one platformnot 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

Ontraport

  • No plan name, monthly price, contact band, user count or email send limit is published on the pricing page
  • Reaching a figure requires a trial signup or a sales conversation
  • The two months free saving requires annual billing

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

Ontraport

$24/month
  • Plus$24/month
    • Contact management
    • Email marketing
  • Pro$79/month
    • Everything in Plus
    • Automation
    • CRM
  • Pro+$149/month
    • Everything in Pro
    • Advanced features
    • API access

Which should you pick?

Choose Clay if

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

Choose Ontraport if

  • You need sales pipeline.
  • You also want email marketing.
Ontraport review

Questions people ask

Is Clay or Ontraport better?
Neither clearly leads. Clay starts at Free and Ontraport at $24/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Clay or Ontraport?
Clay has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Clay and $24/month for Ontraport.
Does Clay or Ontraport 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. Ontraport starts at $24/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 Ontraport is typically brought in for.
What can Clay do that Ontraport cannot?
Clay covers Data enrichment, Workflow automation, Integration, API access. Ontraport covers Sales pipeline, Email marketing, Marketing automation, Automation. Both handle Contact management, Zapier, 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
Ontraport: How much does Ontraport cost?

Ontraport does not publish specific pricing online. The company offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card required, and users must contact sales or start a trial to learn pricing details.

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
Ontraport: What payment options does Ontraport offer?

Ontraport offers flexible subscription options with monthly or annual billing available. Annual subscriptions include two months free compared to monthly rates.

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
Ontraport: Are there long-term contracts required?

Ontraport emphasizes month-to-month commitment availability with no long-term contracts required. Users can upgrade or downgrade plans as needed.

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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