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CRM · head to head

Clay vs Zoho Desk

Clay logo

Clay

CRM

Data platform for sales teams

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Zoho Desk logo

Zoho Desk

Customer Support

Context-aware help desk software

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; Zoho Desk free plan caps at three user licenses; paid plans (Express, Standard, Professional, Enterprise) are billed annually to get the listed rate, with monthly billing costing more, and light user seats are priced separately from full agent seats
  • They diverge on capability: Clay covers Data enrichment, Zoho Desk covers Ticket management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Clay and Zoho Desk actually diverge.

Attributes where Clay and Zoho Desk differ
AttributeClayZoho Desk
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android
CategoryCRMCustomer Support
Founded20211996

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
  • HubSpot
  • Zapier
  • Cloud deployment

Only in Zoho Desk

  • Ticket management
  • Multi-channel support
  • AI assistant
  • Automation
  • Knowledge base
  • Reporting
  • Zoho CRM
  • G Suite

Both cover

  • Salesforce
  • Slack
  • GDPR
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Clay

  • Data enrichment and intelligencenot Zoho Desk
  • Growth campaign automationnot Zoho Desk
  • CRM workflow integrationnot Zoho Desk

Zoho Desk

  • Multi-channel supportnot Clay
  • IT help desknot Clay
  • Customer servicenot 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

Zoho Desk

  • Free plan caps at three user licenses; paid plans (Express, Standard, Professional, Enterprise) are billed annually to get the listed rate, with monthly billing costing more, and light user seats are priced separately from full agent seats

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

Zoho Desk

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 3 agents
    • Email ticketing
    • Help center
  • Standard$14/month
    • Social channels
    • Workflow automation
    • Customer happiness ratings
  • Professional$23/month
    • Multi-department
    • Round-robin assignment
    • Custom fields
  • Enterprise$40/month
    • AI Zia
    • Multi-brand help center
    • Advanced analytics

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 Zoho Desk if

  • You need ticket management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want multi-channel support.
Zoho Desk review

Questions people ask

Is Clay or Zoho Desk better?
Neither clearly leads. Clay starts at Free and Zoho Desk at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Clay or Zoho Desk?
Clay starts at Free and Zoho Desk at Free.
Does Clay or Zoho Desk run on more platforms?
Clay runs on Web. Zoho Desk runs on Web, Ios, Android.
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 Zoho Desk is typically brought in for.
What can Clay do that Zoho Desk cannot?
Clay covers Data enrichment, Contact management, Workflow automation, Integration. Zoho Desk covers Ticket management, Multi-channel support, AI assistant, Automation. Both handle Salesforce, Slack, 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
Zoho Desk: What is the starting price and trial period?

Zoho Desk offers a free forever plan with 3 user licenses, plus paid tiers starting from ₹420 per user per month when billed annually. A 15-day free trial is available without requiring a credit card.

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
Zoho Desk: Are there lock-ins or hidden costs?

No lock-ins and no hidden costs. Once your 15-day free trial ends, your plan automatically downgrades to the free 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
Zoho Desk: What payment methods are accepted?

Zoho Desk accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and PayPal. Bank transfer or check transfer is accepted for yearly subscriptions.

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
Zoho Desk: Are there discounts for annual commitments?

Yes, Zoho Desk offers discounts on upfront annual commitments, with savings up to 34% off monthly rates.

Source
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