Choose Apollo
Use one tool for daily outbound.
You need contacts, email follow-up and calling together. Buy the lowest plan that covers the work. Skip upgrades for features your reps will not use.
The CallTeam buying desk / Prospecting and contact data
Apollo vs Clay.Compare prices, phone data and the work involved.
Compare subscription costs, phone data and setup work before you buy. See when Apollo is enough, when Clay earns its cost and when to use both.
Apollo.io · Clay
CallTeam's quick verdict: Start with Apollo for prospecting, email and calls. Buy Clay for research and data work you repeat across several sources. Pay for both only if Clay adds useful contacts or saves enough time.
Prices and features checked 10 November 2026. Official sources are linked with the comparisons.
01 / Choose around the work
Apollo vs Clay:
what can each one do?
Compare how each platform handles prospecting, research and outreach.
| Your task | Apollo | Clay |
|---|---|---|
| Find target buyers | Search Apollo's contact and company database, then save prospects for outreach. | Build prospect lists through Audiences, provider searches and connected data sources. |
| Fill missing emails and phones | Waterfall enrichment can try other providers after Apollo. You choose the sources and their order. | Combine provider lookups in a workflow. Costs depend on the data source and Actions used. |
| Research accounts | AI research and enrichment can add context to records before outreach. | Claygent and workflow steps support custom research, qualification and routing. |
| Send email sequences | Sequencing sits alongside the contact database and rep activity. | Clay has a native email sequencer. Its documented sequences support up to four emails. |
| Make calls | Paid plans include the US dialer with usage charges. Advanced calling is a separate add-on. | Its Sequencer has no dialer or rep task assignment. Calling needs another tool or a calling team. |
| Maintain the setup | Manage seats, data usage, sequences and CRM settings. | Someone must own the tables, provider choices, spending and records sent to other systems. |
Apollo plans ↗ · Apollo waterfall enrichment ↗ · Clay features and plans ↗ · Clay Sequencer capabilities ↗
Test Apollo's waterfall before adding Clay.
If missing contact details are the problem, try Apollo's other data sources first. Apollo-integrated sources use Apollo credits. Providers connected with your own API key bill separately.
For a dedicated email tool, see our cold email software comparison.
02 / Published subscription prices
Apollo vs Clay pricing:
what will you pay?
USD before tax and extra usage. Annual prices are advertised monthly equivalents with an annual commitment. The allowances below apply to the monthly plans.
| Plan and billing unit | Monthly billing | Annual billing / month | Monthly allowance | Main reason to consider it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apollo Basic Per user | $65 | $49 | 2,500 credits per user | Core prospecting and sequences |
| Apollo Professional Per user | $99 | $79 | 4,000 credits per user | More credits, call recording and advanced features |
| Clay Launch Per workspace | $185 | $167 | 2,500 Data Credits + 15,000 Actions | Phone enrichment and prospecting workflows |
| Clay Growth Per workspace | $495 | $446 | 6,000 Data Credits + 40,000 Actions | CRM integrations and broader automation |
Apollo pricing ↗ · Clay pricing ↗
Clay's Free plan and trial exclude phone enrichment. Launch is the starting paid comparison for phone data. Email accounts and domains can add costs on either platform.
Apollo's annual Basic and Professional plans grant 30,000 and 48,000 credits per user upfront. Clay's annual Launch and Growth allowances are 30,000 and 72,000 Data Credits, with 180,000 and 480,000 Actions per year.
What do one, three or five users cost?
Monthly billing for the plans above. Clay includes unlimited users in a workspace; adding people does not increase its included data or Actions.
| Plan | 1 user | 3 users | 5 users |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apollo Basic | $65 | $195 | $325 |
| Apollo Professional | $99 | $297 | $495 |
| Clay Launch | $185 | $185 | $185 |
| Clay Growth | $495 | $495 | $495 |
Apollo does not let you mix Basic and Professional seats. Price the whole team's upgrade, even if only one person needs the extra features.
Clay's CRM connection costs $310 more per month.
CRM integrations and broader automation require Growth at $495/month. Launch starts at $185 on monthly billing.
Skip that upgrade for an occasional list export. Pay the extra $310 only when regular automation saves enough work.
Budget for the calling setup.
Apollo's Advanced Dialer add-on lists an introductory $149/team/month on monthly billing, with usage extra.
For Clay, compare cold calling dialers and their costs to complete the calling setup.
03 / What the allowance actually buys
Phone numbers and credits:
price the finished contact.
Count correct contacts with usable numbers when comparing the cost.
Apollo phone reveals use several credits.
Apollo lists eight credits for a native phone-number reveal. That makes 500 reveals a 4,000-credit phone budget, before other chargeable work.
API enrichment can add a demographic or email credit. Waterfall charges vary by provider and action. Unused credits expire at the end of your billing cycle.
Apollo people-enrichment charges ↗ · Apollo waterfall credit rules ↗
Clay has two separate usage allowances.
Data Credits pay for purchased data and supported AI work. Actions cover the workflow steps. A single contact can need several lookups, research steps and exports.
Using your own provider account can remove Clay's Data Credit charge for that lookup. The provider's bill and Clay Actions still apply.
Data Credit top-ups carry a 30% premium. Extra Actions require a capacity upgrade. Avoid paying more to repeat low-value steps.
Failed lookups can still cost money.
Charges and refunds depend on the provider and action. A result that flags an email as invalid can still cost credits. Repeat runs can add charges too.
Check the billing log after a small test. Remove low-value steps before buying more credits.
04 / The CallTeam verdict
Which should you buy
and when should you use both?
Choose Clay
Buy it for research you repeat.
You regularly combine sources or research accounts. Assign someone to maintain the workflow and watch the bill. Skip Clay if you only need an occasional contact list.
Use both
Make the second subscription earn its place.
Keep both when Clay adds useful contacts or saves enough research time to cover its cost. Reject the second subscription if it just repeats Apollo lookups.
Skip the extra tool
Put a ready list to work.
Your list already has suitable contacts. Put the budget into calls and follow-up. More enrichment will not fix missed callbacks.
Three Apollo Professional users plus Clay Launch: $482/month.
That is $297 for Apollo and $185 for Clay on monthly billing. Choosing Clay Growth takes the base total to $792/month. Provider accounts, calling and extra usage can add to it.
Clay's Apollo integration can find and enrich people, then add existing Apollo contacts to sequences. You need an Apollo account with the required API access.
Test one batch before scaling. Check duplicate records, ownership, phone fields and credit charges on both sides.
Already have a list worth calling? CallTeam can make the calls, handle follow-up and book qualified meetings alongside your email campaign.
Talk to CallTeam ↗05 / A useful buying test
Compare the same 25 contacts
before buying more capacity.
Use real prospects from the roles and locations you sell to.
Check the person and number.
Match the name, current employer and role. Record missing data, duplicates and wrong numbers. An unanswered call belongs in its own category.
Record the complete cost.
Note credits, Actions, provider charges and time spent fixing the output. Use the finished records your team can work when comparing value.
Send the records into the calling queue.
Check phone fields, account ownership and follow-up notes. If someone must repair every export, include that work in the buying decision.
Prepare your opening with our free cold calling scripts and script checker. Record call outcomes so each follow-up builds on the conversation.
06 / Free buying resource
Five questions before you buy or renew.
Copy these questions for your next purchase, plan change or renewal.
1. What does a sample of the same 25 target contacts add to our existing calling list? Count useful new numbers and missing or incorrect records. 2. What did the complete sample use in credits, Actions and paid provider accounts, including failed lookups and reruns? 3. What is the monthly bill for the required users, data allowance, CRM connection and calling setup? 4. Who will maintain the workflow, check duplicates and fix records that arrive incorrectly? 5. Does the extra useful data or time saved justify keeping this subscription? What would make us cancel it?
07 / Direct answers
Apollo vs Clay:
frequently asked questions.
Is Clay better than Apollo for lead generation?
Choose Clay for recurring research across data sources. Choose Apollo for finding prospects and running email and phone outreach in one place.
Can Clay replace Apollo?
Clay covers prospect research, enrichment and email campaigns. To replace Apollo completely, budget for a separate calling tool and a way to manage rep follow-up.
Can Apollo replace Clay?
Yes, when Apollo covers your contact searches, enrichment and outreach. Test any custom research or routing you still need before cancelling Clay.
Is Apollo cheaper than Clay?
Apollo Basic starts cheaper for one user. Its seat cost grows with your team. Clay charges by workspace plan and usage. Compare the required features and data volume with the subscription price.
Do I need an Apollo account to use Clay?
No. Clay supports many data providers. You need an Apollo account and the required API access only when using its Apollo integration.
Can I use Apollo and Clay together?
Yes. Clay can find and enrich people through Apollo and add existing Apollo contacts to sequences. Test the connection, credit charges and records with a small batch.
Which has more accurate phone numbers, Apollo or Clay?
Test the same buyers with the providers you plan to use. Count correct contacts and working numbers. Keep unanswered calls separate from wrong numbers.
Can CallTeam call leads from Apollo or Clay?
Yes. Book a free call to discuss your list, target market, offer and meeting requirements. We can handle the calling and follow-up.
Put your leads to work
You have the contacts.
Let CallTeam make the calls.
Bring your Apollo list or Clay output. CallTeam can run the calling campaign, qualify interest, handle follow-up and book meetings.
Making the calls yourself?
Use a free script and check your opening before you dial.
Free script library
Find words for your next call.
Choose a B2B script by industry or situation. Adapt the opening, questions and replies to your buyer.
Browse free cold calling scripts → Free script checkerCheck your opening before you dial.
Paste your draft, review the wording and edit an opening you can practise. No email required.
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