Clay vs Apollo.io: $149 vs $59/mo (2026)

Clay vs Apollo.io

AI Sales pricing comparison · 2026

Clay pricing ranges from $0–$800/month, while Apollo.io ranges from $0–$149/user/month. Apollo.io is typically 72% more affordable, though your actual cost depends on tier and team size.

AI Sales

Clay

$0–$800
/month
5 plans · Free tier
Full pricing breakdown →
VS
AI Sales

Apollo.io

$0–$149
/user/month
5 plans · Free tier
Full pricing breakdown →

Comparing Clay and Apollo.io for AI Sales solutions in 2026. This comparison covers pricing tiers, features, and value for different business sizes.

Plan-by-Plan Pricing

Plan Clay Apollo.io
Free Free /month Free /month
Starter $149 /month $59 /month
Explorer $349 /month $99 /month
Pro $800 /month $149 /month
Enterprise Custom Custom

Cost at Scale

Total cost of ownership — licenses, implementation, and hidden costs included.

Clay

3 scenarios
$149
Solo SDR or Small Team (Basic Enrichment)
$200/month - Starter plan at $149/month ($134 annually) provides 2,000 credits, sufficient for approximately 165-250 fully enriched contacts per month (at 8-12 credits per contact). Budget an additional $30-50/month for credit top-ups during busy periods. Total annual cost: $1,600-$2,400. Best paired with a separate outreach tool like Instantly or Lemlist ($30-97/month).
$349
Growing GTM Team (High-Volume Enrichment)
$500/month - Explorer plan at $349/month ($314 annually) provides 10,000 credits, sufficient for approximately 830-1,250 enriched contacts per month. Webhook and email sequencing integrations enable automated workflows. Budget 20-30% additional for credit overages ($70-$105/month). Total annual cost: $4,200-$6,000. Note: CRM integration requires upgrading to Pro.
$800
Scaled RevOps Operation (Full Platform)
$1,200/month - Pro plan at $800/month ($720 annually) provides 50,000 credits with native Salesforce/HubSpot CRM integration and the best per-credit economics ($0.016/credit). Supports approximately 4,150-6,250 fully enriched contacts per month. Budget 20-30% for overages and external API costs. Total annual cost: $8,640-$14,400+. Enterprise contracts (median $30,400/year per Vendr) add SSO, Snowflake, and dedicated support.

Apollo.io

3 scenarios
$0/month (free tier with basic features)
Solo / Getting Started
$99/month
Growing Business
Custom pricing — typically negotiated annually, contact sales for quote
Enterprise (100+ users)

Market Intelligence

Clay

Median annual cost
$1,000
Based on
175 deals

Apollo.io

Median annual cost
$684
Based on
14 deals

Our Verdict

Choose Clay if their feature set aligns better with your use case. Choose Apollo.io if their platform better fits your specific requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

01 Which is cheaper: Clay or Apollo.io?

Both platforms offer custom pricing that varies based on company size, features needed, and contract terms. Request quotes from both vendors to compare at your specific usage level.

02 How does Clay pricing compare to Apollo.io?

Clay offers 5 pricing tiers starting with Free, while Apollo.io has 5 tiers beginning with Free. Clay's median price is around $314 while Apollo.io's is $74.

03 Which is better for small businesses: Clay or Apollo.io?

Both platforms typically target mid-market and enterprise customers with custom pricing. Small businesses should request quotes from both and compare feature-to-price ratios based on their specific needs.