Apollo.io vs Clay
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
AI tool · Freemium
A B2B sales platform with a contact database, sequencing and AI research and email writing.
AI tool · Freemium
A data enrichment and outbound platform that combines many data providers with AI research agents in a spreadsheet.
The short answer
Choose Apollo.io if you need…
- Outbound prospecting
- Startup sales teams
Choose Clay if you need…
- Growth teams building lead lists
- Custom enrichment
Side-by-side
| Apollo.io | Clay | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Business & finance · Sales | Business & finance · Sales |
| Price | Freemium | Freemium |
| Platforms | Web, Chrome | Web |
| Works with | Salesforce, HubSpot, Chrome | HubSpot, Salesforce, Slack |
| Hands-on tested by us | Not yet | Not yet |
| Last checked | 2026-10-29 | 2026-10-29 |
What each one is
Apollo.io
A B2B sales platform with a contact database, sequencing and AI research and email writing. Huge database at a low price. Data accuracy varies, so verify before sending.
Clay
A data enrichment and outbound platform that combines many data providers with AI research agents in a spreadsheet. Extremely powerful for GTM engineers. Credit costs and complexity are high.
Best for
Apollo.io
- Outbound prospecting
- Startup sales teams
Clay
- Growth teams building lead lists
- Custom enrichment
Strengths
Apollo.io
- B2B contact database
- Email sequences
- AI research and writing
- Chrome extension
Clay
- Waterfall enrichment from many providers
- AI research agent
- Spreadsheet workflows
- CRM sync
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Apollo.io and Clay?
Apollo.io: A B2B sales platform with a contact database, sequencing and AI research and email writing. Clay: A data enrichment and outbound platform that combines many data providers with AI research agents in a spreadsheet. Apollo.io suits outbound prospecting, while Clay suits growth teams building lead lists.
Are Apollo.io and Clay free?
Apollo.io: Freemium. Clay: Freemium.
What are other alternatives to Apollo.io and Clay?
Other options people compare them with include Gong, Salesforce Agentforce, Zendesk.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.