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CRM & Sales · head to head

Clay vs Xero

Clay logo

Clay

CRM & Sales

Data platform for sales teams

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Xero logo

Xero

All industries

Beautiful accounting software

From
$13/month
Rated
-
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; Xero the Early plan caps you at 20 invoices and 5 bills per month, and the invoice limit counts both approving and sending
  • They diverge on capability: Clay covers Data enrichment, Xero covers Bank reconciliation.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Clay and Xero actually diverge.

Attributes where Clay and Xero differ
AttributeClayXero
Starting priceOn request$13/month
Pricing modelquotesubscription
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android, Api
CategoryCRM & SalesAll industries
Founded20212006

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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
  • Zapier
  • Slack

Only in Xero

  • Bank reconciliation
  • Invoicing
  • Bill payment
  • Expense claims
  • Financial reporting
  • Inventory tracking
  • Project tracking
  • Mobile apps

Both cover

  • HubSpot

What people use each for

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

Clay

  • Enriching prospect lists from multiple data providers in one tablenot Xero
  • Building automated outbound research and outreach workflowsnot Xero

Xero

  • Small business bookkeeping, invoicing and bank reconciliationnot Clay
  • Bill payment and purchase order managementnot Clay
  • Sharing books with an accountant or bookkeepernot 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

Xero

  • The Early plan caps you at 20 invoices and 5 bills per month, and the invoice limit counts both approving and sending
  • Invoices created by connected app partners count against the Early plan invoice limit
  • Multiple currencies, project time and cost tracking, employee expense and mileage claims and industry benchmarking are restricted to the top Established plan at $90 per month
  • Cash flow forecasting is capped at 30 days on Early and 60 days on Growing, with 180 days only on Established
  • Payroll is not included in any plan and costs an extra $36 a month plus $6 per employee or contractor through Gusto
  • Inventory Plus is a paid optional add-on rather than part of any plan
  • The advertised 90% off applies only to the first 6 months, after which the regular $25, $55 or $90 monthly price auto-renews
  • The introductory discount excludes add-ons, usage charges and payment fees
  • Payment fees apply to online invoice payments and to bill payments other than standard domestic ACH, and are billed on top of the subscription
  • Subscriptions are billed monthly with no annual payment option, and after upgrading you must wait one month before downgrading to a cheaper plan
  • Xero states subscription prices are increasing from October 1, 2026

Pricing, plan by plan

Clay

On request
  • Pricing upon request$undefined/month
    • Data enrichment
    • Integration
    • Support

Xero

$13/month
  • Early$13/month
    • Send 20 invoices
    • Enter 5 bills
    • Reconcile bank transactions
  • Growing$37/month
    • Unlimited invoices & bills
    • Bulk reconcile transactions
    • Short-term cash flow
  • Established$70/month
    • Everything in Growing
    • Use multiple currencies
    • Track projects

Which should you pick?

Choose Clay if

  • You need data enrichment.
  • You also want contact management.
Clay review

Choose Xero if

  • You need bank reconciliation.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want invoicing.
Xero review

Questions people ask

Is Clay or Xero better?
Neither clearly leads. Clay starts at On request and Xero at $13/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Clay or Xero?
Clay starts at On request and Xero at $13/month.
Does Clay or Xero run on more platforms?
Clay runs on Web. Xero runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
What is Clay best used for?
Clay is most often used for enriching prospect lists from multiple data providers in one table, building automated outbound research and outreach workflows. Of those, enriching prospect lists from multiple data providers in one table and building automated outbound research and outreach workflows are not what Xero is typically brought in for.
What can Clay do that Xero cannot?
Clay covers Data enrichment, Contact management, Workflow automation, Integration. Xero covers Bank reconciliation, Invoicing, Bill payment, Expense claims. Both handle HubSpot.
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