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CRM · head to head

Clay vs UpLead

Clay logo

Clay

CRM

Data platform for sales teams

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
UpLead logo

UpLead

CRM

B2B contact database and lead intelligence platform for sales prospecting

From
$74/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; UpLead credit-based pricing can get expensive for high-volume prospecting compared to flat-rate tools.
  • They diverge on capability: Clay covers Contact management, UpLead covers Real-time email verification.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Clay and UpLead actually diverge.

Attributes where Clay and UpLead differ
AttributeClayUpLead
Starting priceFree$74/month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebweb, api
Founded20212017

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), 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

  • Contact management
  • Workflow automation
  • Integration
  • API access
  • Salesforce
  • HubSpot
  • Zapier
  • Slack

Only in UpLead

  • Real-time email verification
  • Mobile direct dials
  • Technographics
  • CRM integrations
  • Chrome extension

Both cover

  • Data enrichment

What people use each for

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

Clay

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

UpLead

  • Building targeted B2B prospect listsnot Clay
  • Verifying email addresses before outreachnot Clay
  • Enriching CRM records with firmographic datanot Clay
  • Finding companies using specific technologiesnot 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

UpLead

  • Credit-based pricing can get expensive for high-volume prospecting compared to flat-rate tools.
  • Lacks built-in outreach or email sending features found in dedicated sales engagement platforms.
  • Mobile phone coverage is not as extensive as some competitors focused solely on direct dials.
  • Free trial is limited to 5 credits, making it hard to evaluate data quality at scale.

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

UpLead

$74/month
  • Essentials$74/month
    • 2,040 credits per year (billed annually)
    • Verified emails and mobile phones
    • CRM integrations
  • Plus$149/month
    • 4,800 credits per year (billed annually)
    • Data enrichment
    • Technographics
  • Professional$undefined/mo
    • Custom credits and seats
    • Buyer intent data
    • Full API access

Which should you pick?

Choose Clay if

  • You need contact management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want workflow automation.
Clay review

Choose UpLead if

  • You need real-time email verification.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want mobile direct dials.
UpLead review

Questions people ask

Is Clay or UpLead better?
Neither clearly leads. Clay starts at Free and UpLead at $74/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Clay or UpLead?
Clay has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Clay and $74/month for UpLead.
Does Clay or UpLead run on more platforms?
Clay runs on Web. UpLead runs on web, api.
Can I use Clay for free?
Yes. Clay has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. UpLead starts at $74/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 UpLead is typically brought in for.
What can Clay do that UpLead cannot?
Clay covers Contact management, Workflow automation, Integration, API access. UpLead covers Real-time email verification, Mobile direct dials, Technographics, CRM integrations. Both handle Data enrichment.

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
UpLead: What does UpLead cost?

UpLead's Essentials plan starts at $74/month billed annually (or $99/month billed monthly) with 2,040 credits/year, Plus is $149/month annually with 4,800 credits/year, and Professional is custom-priced for larger teams.

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
UpLead: Is there a free plan?

UpLead offers a 7-day free trial with 5 credits so users can test verified email and mobile phone data before subscribing to a paid plan.

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
UpLead: What does UpLead integrate with?

UpLead integrates directly with CRMs like Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive and Zoho, and connects to over 1,500 apps via Zapier.

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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