Directory / Comparisons / Clay vs Apollo.io

Clay vs Apollo.io

Often mentioned together, but they solve different problems. Clay is a workflow builder that waterfalls enrichment across 100+ data providers with its Claygent AI agent. Apollo is one contact database with outreach tools built in.

	Clay	Apollo.io
What it is	Data enrichment and GTM workflow builder with waterfall enrichment across 100+ providers and the Claygent AI agent.	B2B contact database with enrichment, sequencing, inbound routing and CRM enrichment.
Pricing	Free plan; Launch $167/mo; Growth $446/mo (recommended); usage add-ons from $54/mo; Enterprise: contact	Free $0; paid plans $49, $79 and $119 per seat/mo (top tier min. 3 seats); Inbound add-on from $119/team/mo
Pricing model	Public pricing	Public pricing
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Free trial	Yes	Yes
HubSpot	Yes	Yes
Salesforce	Yes	Yes
Last checked	2026-10-17	2026-10-17
Source	clay.com	apollo.io

Prices as shown on each vendor's site on 2026-10-17. Vendors change prices often, so confirm before you buy.

Which one should you pick?

Pick Clay if…

you want to combine many data sources, build custom enrichment and research workflows, and have someone who enjoys building tables.

Pick Apollo.io if…

you want one database plus sequencing in a per-seat tool your reps can use on day one.

Build it in n8n instead?Clay: Usually buy. Clay is already the 'build' option for enrichment; recreating waterfall enrichment in n8n means managing many API contracts yourself.

Apollo.io: Buy the data. You can't DIY a contact database; you can DIY the CRM-enrichment workflow around Apollo's API.

Read the full build-vs-buy guide for Lead Routing & Enrichment →

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FAQ

Does Clay or Apollo.io publish its pricing?

Clay: yes. Free plan; Launch $167/mo; Growth $446/mo (recommended); usage add-ons from $54/mo; Enterprise: contact. Apollo.io: yes. Free $0; paid plans $49, $79 and $119 per seat/mo (top tier min. 3 seats); Inbound add-on from $119/team/mo. Checked 2026-10-17 on the vendors' pricing pages.

Do Clay and Apollo.io work with HubSpot and Salesforce?

Clay: HubSpot yes, Salesforce yes. Apollo.io: HubSpot yes, Salesforce yes. "Unknown" means we could not confirm it on the vendor's site.

Is there a free plan for Clay or Apollo.io?

Clay: Yes. Apollo.io: Yes.

Should I build this in n8n instead of buying Clay or Apollo.io?

Clay: Usually buy. Clay is already the 'build' option for enrichment; recreating waterfall enrichment in n8n means managing many API contracts yourself. Apollo.io: Buy the data. You can't DIY a contact database; you can DIY the CRM-enrichment workflow around Apollo's API.