Clay Free Plan 2026: What's Included & What's Not
Honest breakdown of the free tier limits and features
Clay pricing varies by team size and features, ranging from $0 to $720 per month in 2026. Your actual cost depends on the tier you choose, contract length, and negotiated discounts.
Use the interactive pricing calculator to estimate your exact cost based on team size and requirements.
- Free tier: No free tier available
- Billing: Monthly and annual (save 15-20%)
- Hidden costs: Add ~35% for implementation, support, and training
Clay's free plan is available indefinitely with no time limit.
What's Included in the Free Plan
- 100 credits per month
- Unlimited users
- Up to 5,000 people and company searches
- AI/Claygent access
- Access to 100+ data integration providers
- Clay Chrome extension
- Basic waterfall enrichment
- Spreadsheet-like interface
- Pre-built templates
- Credit rollover (up to 2x monthly allocation)
- Community support
What's NOT Included (Paid Only)
- 2,000 credits per month (24,000/year on annual)
- All Free features included
- Phone number enrichments
- Use your own API keys (BYOK)
- Waterfall enrichment across multiple providers
- AI-powered research with Claygent
- Email support
Free Plan Limits
| Limit | Free Plan | Paid Plans |
|---|---|---|
| credits | 100/month | Unlimited/Higher |
| searches | Up to 5,000 people/company searches | Unlimited/Higher |
You'll Need to Upgrade When...
- You exceed the user limit
- You need features like 2,000 credits per month (24,000/year on annual) or All Free features included
- You require premium support or SLA guarantees
- You need to remove branding or watermarks
- You need advanced integrations or API access
Hidden Restrictions on Free Plan
- Clay branding may appear on your content or communications
- Support is limited to community forums or email with longer response times
- Export options may be restricted or include watermarks
- API access is typically limited or not available
- Advanced reporting and analytics require paid plans
Free vs Paid: Which Do You Need?
Free Plan is Enough If...
- You're an individual or very small team
- You need only basic features
- You don't mind usage limits
- Branding on output is acceptable
- Community support is sufficient
You Need Paid If...
- Your team is growing beyond limits
- You need advanced features
- Professional branding is required
- You need priority support
- Integrations/API access is critical
Free vs Starter Plan Comparison
| Free $0 | Starter $149/month | |
|---|---|---|
| Features | 11 included | 10+ included |
| Support | Community/Email | Priority Support |
| Branding | Clay branding | Your branding |
| Best For | Individuals and small teams evaluating Clay's data enrichment capabilities before committing to a paid plan | Small teams and individual SDRs starting with data enrichment who need phone numbers and basic enrichment workflows |
Frequently Asked Questions
01 Is Clay free?
Yes, Clay offers a forever free plan with 11 core features included. However, there are limits on credits, searches that may require upgrading.
02 What's included in Clay's free plan?
Clay's free plan includes: 100 credits per month, Unlimited users, Up to 5,000 people and company searches, AI/Claygent access, Access to 100+ data integration providers, and 6 more features. Key limits include credits: 100/month, searches: Up to 5,000 people/company searches.
03 What's NOT included in Clay's free plan?
The free plan excludes: 2,000 credits per month (24,000/year on annual), All Free features included, Phone number enrichments, Use your own API keys (BYOK), Waterfall enrichment across multiple providers. You'll also have Clay branding and limited support options.
04 When should I upgrade from Clay's free plan?
Consider upgrading when: you hit user or storage limits, need features like 2,000 credits per month (24,000/year on annual) or All Free features included, require premium support, or want to remove branding. The cheapest paid plan starts at $149/month.
05 Is Clay's free plan really free forever?
Yes, Clay's free plan is available indefinitely with no time limit. However, feature and usage limits may restrict what you can do without upgrading to a paid plan.
Get Clay pricing updates
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