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Clay vs Apollo.io
Both sit in lead generation. Here is how they differ on the things you can actually check.
On price: Apollo.io starts $118 a month cheaper than Clay ($49 against $167, 71% less) on its Basic tier. Both figures were read from the vendors' own pricing pages on the dates shown below.
Clay
clay.com
Row-by-row enrichment waterfall — pull a list, then chain data providers and AI research to fill in the fields, then push to your outbound tool.
Free planLead Generation
Visit ClayApollo.io
apollo.io
A very large B2B contact database bundled with sequencing, dialling and a light CRM — one subscription covers finding prospects and emailing them.
Free planLead Generation
Visit Apollo.io| Clay | Apollo.io | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | $167/mo | $49/mo |
| Entry plan | Launch | Basic |
| Paid annually | — | $49/mo |
| Price checked | 21 Sept 2026 | 25 Aug 2026 |
| Pricing model | Free plan | Free plan |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Category | Lead Generation | Lead Generation |
| Around since | 2017 | 2015 |
Every price here was read from the vendor's own pricing page, most recently on 21 Sept 2026. Entry tier only — vendors change pricing without notice.
Clay vs Apollo.io, answered
- Is Clay cheaper than Apollo.io?
- No — Apollo.io is the cheaper entry point, at $49 a month against Clay's $167, 71% less. Apollo.io's figure is its annual rate — the vendor publishes no month-to-month price we could read.
- Do Clay or Apollo.io have a free plan?
- Both do. Clay and Apollo.io each publish an ongoing free tier rather than a time-limited trial.
- What is the difference between Clay and Apollo.io?
- Clay: Row-by-row enrichment waterfall — pull a list, then chain data providers and AI research to fill in the fields, then push to your outbound tool. Apollo.io: A very large B2B contact database bundled with sequencing, dialling and a light CRM — one subscription covers finding prospects and emailing them.