Clay Pricing Guide: How Much Do Clay Credits Cost?

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You’ve probably heard about Clay, maybe from a friend in sales or someone on LinkedIn raving about automated workflows. And now you’re wondering: how much does it cost to use it? That’s a fair question, especially since the platform runs on something called “credits,” and not all features are priced the same way.

If you’ve peeked at the pricing page and felt a little lost, you’re not alone. Between clay credits, tiered clay plans, and feature-based differences, it’s easy to over- or under-estimate what you’ll end up paying. 

Whether you're using it to enrich leads, scrape data, or run AI automated workflows, knowing how the system works is key to avoiding surprises.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through everything, from how clay.com pricing plans are structured to what each feature really costs in credits. We’ll go over real examples, who each plan is best suited for, and what to expect if you're switching from other tools. Let’s make pricing Clay simple to understand.

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TL;DR 

• Clay offers usage-based pricing, where you pay based on credits used for workflows, enrichments, and AI actions.
• Free and Starter plans are great for individuals; Pro and Team plans work better for agencies and scaling teams.
• Clay credits are the core currency; each action or integration consumes a certain number.
• Optimize Clay cost by tracking usage, avoiding overkill plans, and scaling only when needed.
• CloudEagle.ai helps streamline Clay purchasing, with visibility into usage, pricing benchmarks, and renewal tracking.

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What is Clay?

Clay is a no-code platform built to streamline sales and marketing workflows by automating lead enrichment and personalized outreach. It serves as a central workspace, integrating with CRM software and data sources to help users find, enrich, and engage leads, visually and without code. 

In short, it enables teams to automate and scale outreach efforts using AI and real-time data, making prospecting faster, smarter, and more efficient.

Instead of jumping between multiple tools, Clay lets you build workflows visually. You can ask it to find decision-makers, enrich them with LinkedIn data, verify their email, and even score the lead, all in one place. 

Every action you take, though, uses clay credits. And that’s where clay pricing comes into play.

It’s a tool built for teams who don’t want to spend hours researching leads manually. If you’re running outreach, sales, or hiring campaigns, Clay helps you do more with less effort, just be ready to plan your credit usage.

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Is Clay Worth Paying For?

Yes, Clay can be worth paying for if your needs align with what it does best. It’s built to automate lead generation and enrichment, making it especially useful for sales and marketing teams. 

But it’s not a CRM, and since it runs on a credit-based pricing model, it’s important to match your usage to your budget.

• Experimenting with basic enrichment features
• Running personal projects or building one-off lists
• Exploring how Clay fits into your current workflow

But once you start using Clay regularly, whether that’s pulling long lead lists, running daily automations, or collaborating with teammates, you’ll run out of credits quickly. That’s when upgrading to a paid clay plan makes a real difference.

With a paid plan, you unlock:

• More monthly clay credits
• Access to AI-powered enrichment and summarization tools
• Priority processing (faster workflows)
• Integration options with CRMs and outbound platforms
• Better support and usage tracking

So yes, if you're doing more than just testing things out, paying for Clay is worth it. The time you save on manual research, the accuracy of the data, and the speed of your outreach all justify the clay cost, especially if outbound is part of your growth strategy.

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Clay Pricing Overview 

Clay runs on a credit-based system. Each plan gives you a monthly allotment of clay credits, and you use those credits to run enrichments, AI summaries, LinkedIn scraping, and more. The more you automate, the more credits you’ll need.

Here’s a breakdown of the current clay pricing plans, who they’re best for, and what you get with each:

Clay Free

• Cost: $0/month
• Best For: Individuals testing Clay or using it for light workflows
• Credits: 100–250 clay credits per month (limited)
• Features: Basic enrichment, simple workflows, intro to UI
• Drawbacks: No AI tools, very limited usage, credit cap hits quickly

Clay Starter

• Cost: ~$149/month (estimated, subject to change)
• Best For: Solo founders, consultants, or small teams with moderate needs
• Credits: ~5,000–10,000 clay credits/month
• Features: Access to more enrichment types, some AI tools
• Drawbacks: Not suitable for scaling large outbound campaigns

Clay Explorer

• Cost: ~$349/month (varies)
• Best For: Small teams running weekly enrichment workflows
• Credits: 15,000+ clay credits/month
• Features: More integrations, access to AI enrichments
• Drawbacks: Still limited for agency-level or multi-user ops

Clay Pro

• Cost: ~$699/month
• Best For: Growth teams, SDR managers, high-volume users
• Credits: 50,000+ clay credits/month
• Features: Full AI access, faster processing, team sharing, CRM sync
• Drawbacks: Higher clay cost, requires efficient workflow design to avoid overuse

Clay Team

• Cost: Custom pricing
• Best For: Mid-sized teams running campaigns at scale
• Credits: 100,000+ clay credits/month
• Features: Advanced permissions, collaboration tools, faster runs
• Drawbacks: Requires usage monitoring, cost scales fast with usage

Clay Enterprise

• Cost: Negotiated (custom contract)
• Best For: Agencies, enterprise sales ops, or multi-department teams
• Credits: Fully customizable; 250,000+ clay credits possible
• Features: API access, SSO, onboarding support, security reviews
• Drawbacks: Requires sales engagement, implementation time, and training

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How Clay Credits Work and What They Cost

Clay credits are the platform’s internal currency, used to pay for actions like data enrichment, scraping, or finding contact details. Most actions cost 1–2 credits, but more advanced tasks, like finding a mobile number, can range from 2 to 25 credits depending on the provider, as per Clay’s website.

What Exactly Are Clay Credits?

Clay credits are what you “spend” every time you:

• Enrich data (like job titles, emails, or company info)
• Scrape social platforms
• Run AI-powered summaries or GPT-based enrichment
• Connect workflows with CRMs or outbound tools

Each task has a different credit value based on how complex it is.

Typical Credit Costs

Here’s a ballpark idea of how your clay credits might be used:

• Simple lookups: 1–3 credits (e.g., company domain, name match)
• Standard enrichments: 4–10 credits (e.g., email + job title + LinkedIn)
• AI/GPT workflows: 10–25 credits (e.g., summarization, persona mapping)
• Multi-step automations: 30+ credits depending on logic and tools used

So, your clay cost goes up the more powerful your automation becomes. But you also save more time and manual effort.

How to Keep Your Clay Cost Under Control

If you’re not careful, you’ll burn through your clay credits fast, especially on lower-tier plans. Here are smart ways to manage it:

• Use filters early in your workflow to narrow down targets
• Test workflows on small batches before going full-scale
• Avoid layering too many AI steps unless necessary
• Track your credit usage weekly to stay ahead of limits

Some users unknowingly spend 1,000+ credits on a single automation just because of an unchecked loop or logic block. Monitoring your workflow saves both credits and budget.

Why Credits Are Better Than Flat Pricing (Sometimes)

This model gives you flexibility. You’re not locked into a flat plan; your clay pricing scales with your usage. If you’re running light one month, you save. If you’re scaling a new campaign, you pay for what you use.

This approach makes pricing Clay fair, especially for startups and scrappy teams that want to control their spend without committing to a heavy enterprise contract.

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Clay AI Pricing: The Automation Side of Things

Clay also offers built-in AI tools to help you go even faster. These include:

• Summarizing LinkedIn profiles
• Writing custom first lines for outreach
• Extracting decision-makers
• Parsing messy job titles

These tools fall under Clay AI  pricing and usually cost more credits per task. But the trade-off is speed. AI summaries and auto-generated insights save you hours of manual work, which makes the extra credit usage worth it for many users.

Just keep in mind that heavy AI use can affect your total monthly spend. So always monitor how your clay credits are being allocated in AI workflows.

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Clay Pricing Plans: Which One Is Right for You?

Clay offers five pricing plans: Free, Starter, Explorer, Pro, and Enterprise. The right plan depends on how much you use the platform and what you’re using it for. Free is great for testing. Starter suits solo users or small teams. 

Explorer works well for regular outbound workflows. Pro is built for agencies or teams with heavy usage. Enterprise is tailored for large teams needing custom features and higher limits.

Free Plan

If you just want to explore the platform or run a few tests, the free tier gives you a taste of how Clay works.

• Ideal For: Beginners testing workflows
• Pros: No cost, core features included
• Cons: Very limited credits, no AI or team access

Starter Plan

A flexible entry point for those who need more credits but aren’t running large workflows yet.

• Ideal For: Solo builders or freelancers
• Pros: Affordable, more credits, automation support
• Cons: No advanced filters or team features

Explorer Plan

This is where things open up for small teams or growing use cases.

• Ideal For: Small teams scaling outreach
• Pros: Multi-user access, higher credit limit
• Cons: Limited advanced AI and logic tools

Pro Plan

Built for power users who automate heavily and rely on Clay daily.

• Ideal For: Heavy users running complex workflows
• Pros: Advanced AI tools, high credit volume
• Cons: Higher clay cost, not beginner-friendly

Team / Enterprise Plans

For companies that rely on Clay as part of their core operations.

• Ideal For: Large teams with custom needs
• Pros: Admin controls, bulk credits, priority support
• Cons: Requires a sales contact, pricing varies

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Clay Pricing Guide: How to Streamline Clay Purchasing with CloudEagle.ai

Tips to Negotiate Clay Pricing

If you're paying for Clay, or planning to, it’s worth knowing how to negotiate smarter. Whether you're on a team or managing multiple tools. Here are some proven negotiation strategies to help ensure you’re securing the most value-driven cost for Clay:

• Focus on Value, Not Just Price:
  Don’t just chase discounts on your clay pricing plan. Instead, focus on securing value, like more clay credits, extended trials, or access to features that actually help your workflow scale.
• Ask for Strategic Add-Ons:
  Rather than asking for a lower clay cost, negotiate for meaningful add-ons. Think: onboarding support, extra team seats, or flexible usage tiers that grow with your needs.
• Frame the Business Case Clearly:
  Show how your usage benefits Clay long term, especially if you’re driving usage across departments. You’re not just a buyer; you’re a partner they want to retain.
• Leverage Timing and Market Options:
  Plan negotiations around your renewal cycle or end-of-quarter budgets. Use competitive options (like alternatives to Clay) to open up conversations about more flexible clay plans.

How Much Do Companies Actually Pay for Clay?

There’s no fixed price for everyone. Depending on your usage, most teams pay somewhere between $30–$90 per month per user.
With CloudEagle.ai, you can price benchmark what similar companies pay for their clay pricing plans, helping you negotiate from a position of strength, not guesswork.

Breaking Down the Data

CloudEagle shows you exactly:

• How many Clay seats did you purchase
• Which teams actually use them
• Where licenses or clay credits are going unused

You can track contract timelines, flag unused seats, and avoid rolling into expensive auto-renewals without a plan.

Importance of This Benchmarking Data

Without knowing what others pay, you’re flying blind. CloudEagle.ai analyzes $3B+ in SaaS spend data to tell you whether your current clay pricing is fair or needs a closer look.

If your team’s paying above average, you’ll know. And if you're below, you can focus on optimizing usage instead of chasing discounts.

Premium Negotiation Insights

CloudEagle.ai  gives you real strategies others have used when buying Clay, like:

• Requesting bundled clay credits
• Negotiating seat flexibility across departments
• Asking for onboarding help or usage-based billing instead of flat tiers

It’s not just pricing visibility, it’s purchasing power.

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Who Does Clay Pricing Suit Best

Clay pricing, with its tiered credit-based system, works best for teams that rely heavily on data enrichment and outbound campaigns. It’s a strong fit for freelancers and marketing agencies running cold outreach, in-house growth teams managing lead pipelines, and larger enterprises building data-driven go-to-market strategies.

Individuals and Freelancers

Stick with Free or Starter. Run light workflows. Focus on mastering how to use credits wisely. Great for freelancers or career coaches experimenting with lead generation.

You’ll get just enough clay credits to experiment without worrying about the clay cost. Upgrade only when your daily limits start to bottleneck your flow.

Startups and Small Teams

Explorer is your sweet spot. Enough clay credits for weekly outreach and AI tools to personalize it. Keep workflows efficient to manage clay costs better.

As your team grows, you’ll likely need to monitor how quickly credits burn; this is where clay pricing visibility starts to matter.

Agencies and Consultants

Pro or Team plans make sense here. You’re handling large lists, multiple clients, and detailed workflows. The higher credit volume and fast processing are worth the investment.

If you juggle multiple accounts or personas, these clay pricing plans give you room to scale without constant credit upgrades.

Enterprise Teams

Go custom. If you’re running full-scale enrichment across sales, marketing, and ops, pricing Clay with Enterprise support will give you the flexibility and scale needed.

You’ll also unlock premium features, usage insights, and better contract control, crucial when clay cost impacts several departments.

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What Tools Compete with Clay?

Several tools compete with Clay in the sales intelligence and data enrichment space, especially when it comes to lead gen, enrichment, and automation. Popular alternatives include Apollo.io, ZoomInfo, Lusha, Seamless.ai, Cognism, and Instantly.ai. 

Apollo.io

Great for lead enrichment and outbound workflows, but lacks visual builder flexibility.

• Flat pricing structure, but not as customizable as Clay
• Less intuitive for complex, multi-step logic
• If you’re evaluating based on clay cost, Apollo may seem cheaper, but it trades off flexibility

ZoomInfo

A heavyweight for data, but it comes with an enterprise-level price tag.

• Rich contact database, especially for sales orgs
• Limited in automation, very little visual building
• When comparing pricing, Clay vs ZoomInfo, Clay usually wins for agility and setup ease

PhantomBuster

Strong for scrapers, social workflows, and niche automation. But setup takes work.

• More developer-friendly, but steeper learning curve
• Works well for LinkedIn scraping, but lacks AI-driven steps
• If low-code automation matters more than scrapers, Clay delivers more value per credit

Clearbit

Known for clean data and strong enrichment APIs, but not a workflow builder.

• Pairs well with tools like Segment or HubSpot
• Doesn’t let you build dynamic, multi-source flows like Clay
• You might still use both, but pricing Clay as your main automation hub gives you more control

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To Sum Up 

Clay gives you control, flexibility, and speed, but that comes with a usage-based pricing model. Once you understand how clay pricing works and align your workflows to the right clay plan, you’ll avoid overpaying and make every credit count.

Don’t default to the biggest plan. Instead, monitor your clay credit usage, streamline what you automate, and only scale up when the ROI is clear. Whether you’re freelancing or managing an entire outbound team, smart planning keeps your clay cost efficient and sustainable.

That’s exactly where CloudEagle.ai helps, by showing usage patterns, benchmarking real-time clay pricing, and helping you negotiate the best value from your plan.

Book a free demo with CloudEagle.ai to take control of your Clay spend today.

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Frequently Asked Questions 

1. Why is Clay so expensive?
Clay pricing reflects its advanced enrichment, AI workflows, and integrations. You're paying for automation flexibility and credit-based usage.

2. How much is the Clay app?
Clay plans start at $0 for Free and go up to $749/month for Team. Custom pricing is available for enterprise users.

3. Is Clay better than Apollo?
Clay is better for automation and AI workflows. Apollo is more focused on lead databases. It depends on your use case.

4. Is there a free version of Clay?
Yes, Clay offers a Free plan with limited credits, ideal for testing and light usage.

5. What are the different Clay pricing plans?
Clay plans include Free, Starter ($149/mo), Explorer ($349/mo), Pro ($549/mo), Team ($749/mo), and custom Enterprise options.

6. How much is Clay per month?
Monthly clay cost ranges from $149 to $749, depending on the plan. Custom pricing is available at the enterprise level.

7. How much do Clay credits cost?
Clay credits are included per plan tier. If you run out, you can buy more, but the costs vary based on usage type and plan.

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