Softwr

CRM · head to head

Twenty vs Clay

Twenty logo

Twenty

CRM

Open-source CRM platform for technical teams at AI speed

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Clay logo

Clay

CRM

Data platform for sales teams

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Twenty requires technical expertise to customize and maintain compared to no-code CRM platforms; Clay two separate meters run at once, actions and data credits, and a plan can exhaust either independently
  • They diverge on capability: Twenty covers Open-Source Framework, Clay covers Data enrichment.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Twenty and Clay actually diverge.

Attributes where Twenty and Clay differ
AttributeTwentyClay
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
PlatformsWeb, Self-hostedWeb
FoundedUnknown2021

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Twenty

  • Open-Source Framework
  • Custom Database Objects
  • Multiple View Types
  • AI Integration
  • Workflow Engine
  • Data Migration
  • API Access
  • Multi-Language Support

Only in Clay

  • Data enrichment
  • Contact management
  • Workflow automation
  • Integration
  • API access
  • Salesforce
  • HubSpot
  • Zapier

What people use each for

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

Twenty

  • Building custom CRM solutions for complex business processesnot Clay
  • Migrating from Salesforce or HubSpot while maintaining data ownershipnot Clay
  • Technical teams needing TypeScript-based customizationnot Clay
  • Organizations requiring self-hosted or air-gapped deploymentsnot Clay
  • Enterprises combining CRM with AI-powered workflowsnot Clay

Clay

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

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Twenty

  • Requires technical expertise to customize and maintain compared to no-code CRM platforms
  • Self-hosting increases operational overhead and infrastructure costs
  • Limited ecosystem of pre-built integrations compared to Salesforce
  • Smaller community and third-party extension library than established CRMs
  • Enterprise plan requires custom negotiation with no transparent pricing

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

Pricing, plan by plan

Twenty

Free
  • Pro$9/month
    • Full customization
    • Custom apps
    • AI Agents
  • Organization$19/month
    • Everything in Pro
    • Row-level permissions
    • SAML and OIDC SSO
  • Enterprise$null/year
    • Everything in Organization
    • Single-tenant isolation
    • IP allow-listing

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Twenty if

  • You need open-source framework.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Self-hosted.
  • You also want custom database objects.
Twenty review

Choose Clay if

  • You need data enrichment.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want contact management.
Clay review

Questions people ask

Is Twenty or Clay better?
Neither clearly leads. Twenty starts at Free and Clay at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Twenty or Clay?
Twenty starts at Free and Clay at Free.
Does Twenty or Clay run on more platforms?
Twenty runs on Web, Self-hosted. Clay runs on Web.
Can I use Twenty for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Twenty best used for?
Twenty is most often used for building custom crm solutions for complex business processes, migrating from salesforce or hubspot while maintaining data ownership, technical teams needing typescript-based customization, organizations requiring self-hosted or air-gapped deployments. Of those, building custom crm solutions for complex business processes and migrating from salesforce or hubspot while maintaining data ownership are not what Clay is typically brought in for.
What can Twenty do that Clay cannot?
Twenty covers Open-Source Framework, Custom Database Objects, Multiple View Types, AI Integration. Clay covers Data enrichment, Contact management, Workflow automation, Integration.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Twenty: Is Twenty free or paid?

Twenty offers a 30-day free trial without credit card. Cloud plans start at $9 per user per month (Pro) when billed annually, with Organization plan at $19 per user per month.

Source
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
Twenty: Can I migrate data from Salesforce or HubSpot?

Yes, Twenty supports CSV and API-based migration from Salesforce and HubSpot, with support for 50,000+ records.

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
Twenty: What programming languages does Twenty support?

Twenty is built with TypeScript and provides a TypeScript-based Apps framework for creating custom extensions.

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
Twenty: How long does enterprise deployment take?

Enterprise deployment typically takes 1-2 weeks with Onboarding Packs or certified partners.

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
Share

Related pages

More on Twenty

More on Clay

Keep looking

Other head to heads