Clay starts at $149/month (Starter) and Apollo starts at $49/user/month (Basic), so Apollo is cheaper for straightforward contact data and email outreach. Clay costs more because it's a data orchestration platform that aggregates 100+ enrichment sources, while Apollo bundles its own B2B database with a built-in sales engagement engine. Your best choice depends on whether you need raw automation flexibility or an all-in-one outreach tool.
Clay and Apollo solve different problems
Most teams compare these two like they're the same product. They aren't. Apollo is a sales intelligence and engagement platform — it owns a database of roughly 275 million contacts, lets you build lead lists, and sends sequences directly from the app. Clay is a spreadsheet-style automation tool that pulls data from dozens of providers (including Apollo as one of its sources), then enriches and routes it into your workflows.
Put simply: Apollo is the destination. Clay is the engine that feeds multiple destinations. If you just want to find prospects and email them, Apollo does that out of the box. If you want to chain together waterfalls of enrichment, AI scoring, and custom signals, Clay is built for that.
Apollo pricing breakdown
Apollo uses per-seat pricing with credit allocations for contact reveals (mobile numbers and verified emails). As of recent pricing:
- Free: $0 — limited credits, basic sequences, good for testing.
- Basic: ~$49/user/month — more credits, A/B testing, advanced filters.
- Professional: ~$79/user/month — adds dialer, plays, and deeper analytics.
- Organization: ~$119/user/month (5-seat minimum) — call transcripts, advanced security.
Apollo's strength is that one subscription covers data, email sending, and a built-in dialer. For a small team running standard sequences, you can run a full outbound motion for under $100 per rep. Check the Apollo pricing page for current credit limits, since they adjust these periodically.
Clay pricing breakdown
Clay charges by plan tier plus credits. Credits get consumed every time you run an enrichment or call an external provider. Recent tiers:
- Free: $0 — 100 credits/month, no credit card.
- Starter: ~$149/month — 2,000 credits, integrations, basic AI.
- Explorer: ~$349/month — 10,000 credits, more features.
- Pro: ~$800/month — 50,000 credits, advanced AI and CRM integrations.
- Enterprise: custom pricing.
The catch with Clay is that credits burn fast when you stack multiple data sources in a single waterfall. Enriching one contact through five providers can cost several credits. Teams that don't plan their credit budget get surprised by overage. See the Clay pricing page for current credit math.
Direct cost comparison
| Factor | Clay | Apollo |
|---|---|---|
| Entry paid plan |
