# Clay vs Apollo.io (2026) - Verdict

**Verdict:** both live and price-verified as of Jul 21, 2026. Choose Clay if you lean toward the more recent build, from 2017. Choose Apollo.io if it starts cheaper, at $49/mo against $185/mo.

Category: AI Cold Outreach & Sales · Verified: Jul 21, 2026

## Choose Clay if

- you lean toward the more recent build, from 2017.
- it is built for SMB & enterprise teams.

Link: https://verdict.tools/go/clay (rel="sponsored nofollow")

## Choose Apollo.io if

- it starts cheaper, at $49/mo against $185/mo.
- a longer track record matters to you; it has run since 2015.

Link: https://verdict.tools/go/apollo-io (rel="sponsored nofollow")

## What each one is

**Clay.** Clay is a data-enrichment and outbound platform built around a spreadsheet interface: teams assemble tables of accounts or people, then enrich each row by drawing from a marketplace of 150-plus data providers. Its defining mechanic is the waterfall, which queries providers in sequence until one returns a match and so lifts fill rates beyond what any single source gives. The product also runs an AI research agent, Claygent, to scan websites and summarize findings, and it suits technical GTM and RevOps operators comfortable with conditional logic rather than reps wanting a turnkey tool. Pricing is credit-based, splitting "data credits" for sourced records from "actions" for platform and workflow runs.
Sources: Clay pricing page (https://www.clay.com/pricing) · Clay homepage (https://www.clay.com/) · Clay blog: Data Enrichment (https://www.clay.com/blog/data-enrichment) · First Round Review: Clay's Path to Product-Market Fit (https://review.firstround.com/clays-path-to-product-market-fit/)

**Apollo.io.** The platform pairs a B2B contact database (Apollo cites 230M+ contacts and 30M+ companies) with the outreach tooling to act on it: prospecting filters, multi-step email and call sequences, a built-in dialer, and enrichment that syncs to Salesforce and HubSpot. What sets it apart from standalone data vendors or standalone sequencers is that both sit in one workspace, letting a rep move from finding a contact to messaging them without exporting elsewhere. Access to that data is metered by credits (email, mobile, export, and data pools) that reset each billing cycle, so export volume tends to drive cost more than seat count. It fits SDRs, account executives, and revenue teams from individual users to larger organizations, with a free plan and paid tiers starting at $49 per user per month billed annually.
Sources: Apollo.io homepage (https://www.apollo.io/) · Apollo.io pricing page (https://www.apollo.io/pricing) · Salesmotion - Apollo.io Pricing Breakdown 2026 (https://salesmotion.io/blog/apollo-pricing)

## Side by side

| Metric | Clay | Apollo.io |
|---|---|---|
| From $/mo | $185 | $49 |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Founded | 2017 | 2015 |
| Best for | SMB & enterprise | solo & SMB & enterprise |
| Status | Live | Live |

All figures = lowest paid monthly plan · verified Jul 21, 2026.

## Where they differ

**Price.** Apollo.io is the cheaper entry at $49/mo, versus $185/mo for Clay.

**Free access.** Both Clay and Apollo.io offer a permanent free tier.

**Track record.** Apollo.io has been operating since 2015; Clay since 2017. A longer survival record matters.

## FAQ

### Clay or Apollo.io - which is better in 2026?
Both are live and price-verified as of Jul 21, 2026. Choose Clay if you lean toward the more recent build, from 2017. Choose Apollo.io if it starts cheaper, at $49/mo against $185/mo.

### Is Clay cheaper than Apollo.io?
Apollo.io has the lower entry price - from $49/mo vs $185/mo (verified Jul 21, 2026).

### Does Clay or Apollo.io have a free tier?
Both Clay and Apollo.io offer a permanent free tier.

### Are Clay and Apollo.io still maintained?
Yes - both are live as of Jul 21, 2026, with no official sunset announced for either.

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