Clay vs Zapier
Someone typing this wants to automate outbound sales or general workflows between apps, and is deciding between a data-enrichment tool built for research-heavy outbound at scale and a general-purpose automation platform.
The difference that matters
Clay's free tier gives 500 actions/month and 100 data credits/month, stepping up dramatically to $167/mo (Launch, 15,000 actions/month), built for research-heavy outbound at scale, and it's the wrong tool for anyone sending fewer than a few hundred emails a month. Zapier keeps a real, much cheaper free tier (100 tasks/month, unlimited Zap workflows, Tables, and Forms, two-step Zap workflows, basic AI access), with its entry paid tier at $29.99/mo, built around automating repetitive work between apps you already use broadly, not specifically enriching outbound sales data.
Side by side
| Clay | Zapier | |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | Free (500 actions/mo, 100 data credits/mo) | 100 tasks/mo, unlimited Zap workflows/Tables/Forms, two-step Zap workflows, basic AI (Agents/Chatbots/MCP) access |
| Entry paid plan | $167/mo (Launch, 15,000 actions/mo) | $29.99/mo |
| Bills in | Data credits from $0.05 each, actions under $0.01 each | tasks |
Choose Clay if
You're doing research-heavy outbound sales at real volume and need deep data enrichment, and can absorb Clay's much higher price once you're past the free tier.
Choose Zapier if
You want general-purpose automation between apps you already use, at a far lower entry price than Clay.
Our verdict
Clay wins decisively for data-enrichment-heavy outbound sales work, at a steep price. Zapier wins for general automation at roughly a sixth of Clay's entry cost, though it doesn't do Clay's deep data enrichment.
What to watch out for
Clay's free tier (500 actions/month, 100 data credits/month) and $167/mo Launch tier (15,000 actions/month) are confirmed on its own pricing page. Zapier's free tier (100 tasks/month, two-step Zaps) and $29.99/mo entry paid tier are confirmed on its own pricing page.
Compare against the rest
Both of these sit in the full Marketing & SEO directory, which covers 6 tools.
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