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CRM · head to head

Clay vs Really Simple Systems

Clay logo

Clay

CRM

Data platform for sales teams

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
R

Really Simple Systems

CRM

Easy CRM for small businesses

From
$15/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; Really Simple Systems the vendor's own pricing page as captured by the Internet Archive on 22 October 2019 listed four CRM tiers billed annually: Free at $0 for up to 2 users, Starter at $14 per user per month, Professional at $30 per user per month, and Enterprise at $46 per user per month (each roughly 7 to 10 percent higher if billed monthly); the Marketing add-on was $22 per month for up to 5,000 emails and Advanced Marketing scaled to 50,000 emails per month, though this capture is over five years old
  • They diverge on capability: Clay covers Data enrichment, Really Simple Systems covers Sales pipeline.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Clay and Really Simple Systems actually diverge.

Attributes where Clay and Really Simple Systems differ
AttributeClayReally Simple Systems
Starting priceFree$15/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
  • Slack

Only in Really Simple Systems

  • Sales pipeline
  • Task management
  • Email integration
  • Reporting
  • Google Workspace

Both cover

  • Contact management
  • Zapier
  • 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 Really Simple Systems
  • Growth campaign automationnot Really Simple Systems
  • CRM workflow integrationnot Really Simple Systems

Really Simple Systems

  • Sales managementnot Clay
  • Contact trackingnot 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

Really Simple Systems

  • The vendor's own pricing page as captured by the Internet Archive on 22 October 2019 listed four CRM tiers billed annually: Free at $0 for up to 2 users, Starter at $14 per user per month, Professional at $30 per user per month, and Enterprise at $46 per user per month (each roughly 7 to 10 percent higher if billed monthly); the Marketing add-on was $22 per month for up to 5,000 emails and Advanced Marketing scaled to 50,000 emails per month, though this capture is over five years old

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

Really Simple Systems

$15/month
  • Essential$15/month
    • Contact management
    • Task tracking
  • Professional$25/month
    • Everything in Essential
    • Sales pipeline
    • Reporting
  • Professional Plus$35/month
    • Everything in Professional
    • Advanced customization

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 Really Simple Systems if

  • You need sales pipeline.
  • You also want task management.
Really Simple Systems review

Questions people ask

Is Clay or Really Simple Systems better?
Neither clearly leads. Clay starts at Free and Really Simple Systems at $15/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Clay or Really Simple Systems?
Clay has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Clay and $15/month for Really Simple Systems.
Does Clay or Really Simple Systems 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. Really Simple Systems starts at $15/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 Really Simple Systems is typically brought in for.
What can Clay do that Really Simple Systems cannot?
Clay covers Data enrichment, Workflow automation, Integration, API access. Really Simple Systems covers Sales pipeline, Task management, Email integration, Reporting. Both handle Contact management, Zapier, GDPR, Cloud deployment.

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
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
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
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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