Apollo AI vs Clay
Which AI sales & outreach should you pick in 2026? Pricing, agents, plans and use cases, side by side.
FSReviewed May 23, 2026 by Faisal Saleem · no paid placementsPick Apollo AI if budget is the priority. The other tool wins on specific features, see the side-by-side below.
- You want the lower entry price: $59/mo vs $149/mo.
- You need 275M+ contacts or AI email writer, which Clay doesn't offer.
- You mostly do prospecting or cold email.
- You need 75+ data providers or Claygent, which Apollo AI doesn't offer.
- You mostly do lead enrichment or account research.
By the numbers
Side by side
| SPEC | ||
|---|---|---|
| Starts at | $59/moCHEAPER | $149/mo |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium |
| AI agent | Yes | Yes |
| Editor's Pick | No | No |
| Key features | 275M+ contactsAI email writerSequencesLead scoring | 75+ data providersClaygentAI personalizationWaterfall enrichment |
| Best for | ProspectingCold emailLead scoringSales engagement | Lead enrichmentAccount researchOutbound personalizationGTM ops |
| Works with | #sales#outreach#crm | #enrichment#outbound#rev-ops |
Plan by plan
- 50 credits/month
- 5 mobile credits
- Basic sequence automations
- 500 actions/month
- 100 data credits/month
- Unlimited seats & tables
- Unlimited email credits
- Sequence automations
- A/B testing
- 15,000 actions/month
- 2,500 data credits/month
- Enrich phone numbers
- Unlimited sending limits
- Dialer with call recording
- Plays automation
- 40,000 actions/month
- 6,000 data credits/month
- Auto-sync CRM
- Customizable reporting
- International dialing
- SSO/SAML
- Custom actions and credits
- Data warehouse syncing
- Single sign-on (SSO)
What each is best for
| USE CASE | ||
|---|---|---|
| Prospecting | ||
| Cold email | ||
| Lead scoring | ||
| Sales engagement | ||
| Lead enrichment | ||
| Account research | ||
| Outbound personalization | ||
| GTM ops |
Strengths and trade-offs
- Free tier available; paid plans from $59/mo
- Includes an autonomous AI agent for multi-step tasks
- 275M+ contacts
- AI email writer
- Sequences
- Competition is strong in this space, see Clay for comparison
- Free tier available; paid plans from $149/mo
- Includes an autonomous AI agent for multi-step tasks
- 75+ data providers
- Claygent
- AI personalization
- Competition is strong in this space, see Apollo AI for comparison
Apollo AI vs Clay FAQ
Short answers to what people ask most before choosing between these two.
Is Apollo AI better than Clay?
It depends on your workflow. Apollo AI ships with autonomous-agent capability, while Clay also includes an AI agent. Neither is currently our Editor's Pick, both are credible options. See the side-by-side table above for specifics.
Is Apollo AI cheaper than Clay?
Apollo AI is cheaper. Apollo AI starts at $59/mo and Clay starts at $149/mo, a difference of roughly $90.00 per month at the entry tier.
Does Apollo AI have an AI agent?
Yes, Apollo AI ships with autonomous-agent capability (it can plan and execute multi-step tasks, not just answer a single prompt).
Does Clay have an AI agent?
Yes, Clay includes autonomous-agent capability.
What's the difference between Apollo AI and Clay?
Both are sales & outreach tools. The key differences come down to pricing (Apollo AI: Freemium, from $59/mo; Clay: Freemium, from $149/mo), agent capability (Apollo AI: yes, Clay: yes), and feature focus. Use the comparison table above to weigh which axis matters most for your work.
What's a good alternative to Apollo AI and Clay?
Beyond Apollo AI and Clay, the strongest alternatives in Sales & Outreach depend on whether you prioritise price, agent capability, or specific features. See our "Apollo AI alternatives" and "Clay alternatives" pages for a hand-picked ranking of each.