Clay vs Instantly
Both sit in lead generation. Here is how they differ on the things you can actually check.
On price: Instantly starts $120 a month cheaper than Clay ($47 against $167, 72% less) on its Growth tier. Paying annually takes Instantly to $37.6/mo (20% off). 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.
Instantly
instantly.ai
Unlimited mailbox connections, automatic warm-up and campaign rotation, built specifically for high-volume cold outbound and agency use.
| Clay | Instantly | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | $167/mo | $47/mo |
| Entry plan | Launch | Growth |
| Paid annually | — | $37.6/mosave 20% |
| Price checked | 21 Sept 2026 | 21 Sept 2026 |
| Pricing model | Free plan | Free trial |
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Category | Lead Generation | Lead Generation |
| Around since | 2017 | 2021 |
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 Instantly, answered
- Is Clay cheaper than Instantly?
- No — Instantly is the cheaper entry point, at $47 a month against Clay's $167, 72% less.
- Do Clay or Instantly have a free plan?
- Clay publishes an ongoing free plan; Instantly does not.
- What is the difference between Clay and Instantly?
- 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. Instantly: Unlimited mailbox connections, automatic warm-up and campaign rotation, built specifically for high-volume cold outbound and agency use.
- Which one is cheaper paid annually?
- Instantly, at $37.60 a month against Clay's $167. Clay publishes no annual discount we could read, so it stays at $167, while Instantly drops to $37.60 a month paid yearly (20% off).
