GTM Playbooks
Get it built
Prospecting and enrichmentLast reviewed

Apollo vs Clay for prospecting and enrichment

Apollo is a contact and company database with sequences, a dialer, and a Chrome extension built in. Clay is a workspace that pulls data from many providers, researches accounts with AI, and pushes results into your other tools. They overlap on finding emails and enriching records, and plenty of teams run Apollo as one of the providers inside Clay.

Disclosure: some vendor links on this page may be affiliate links. If you buy through one, we may earn a commission. Commissions do not decide our verdicts. Read the disclosure

At a glance

Apollo

Best for

Reps and small teams who want to search a database and start sequences in one tool

Apollo combines its own B2B contact and company database with a Chrome extension, email sequences, a dialer, waterfall enrichment, and Salesforce and HubSpot sync.

Visit ApolloSee current pricing

Clay

Best for

RevOps and GTM engineers building enrichment, research, and routing workflows across many sources

Clay runs tables and workflows that call 150+ data providers, chain them into waterfalls, research accounts with Claygent (its AI web agent), and send results to your CRM, sequencer, or ad platforms.

Visit ClaySee current pricing

Feature comparison

Based on each vendor's own pricing and product pages. Plan contents change, so confirm the tier that includes a feature before you buy.

Where the data comes fromApolloApollo's own contact and company databaseClay150+ third-party providers through one account, or your own API keys
Waterfall enrichmentApolloWaterfall enrichment listed as a featureClayMulti-provider waterfalls on every plan, including free
AI researchApolloAI assistant and AI-researched data fields that use creditsClayClaygent web research and AI columns, with fixed or token-based pricing per model
OutreachApolloBuilt-in email sequences, dialer, and meeting schedulingClayClay's own sequencer, or push to Instantly, Smartlead, and other sequencers
CRMApolloSalesforce and HubSpot integrationsClayCRM auto-sync and enrichment on higher tiers
Who usually builds in itApolloReps working their own listsClayOps and GTM engineers building shared workflows
SetupApolloSearch, save, and sequence in one interfaceClayTables, formulas, APIs, and prompts, so plan for setup time
Pricing basisApolloPer seat, with a pooled monthly credit allowanceClayActions and Data Credits, with unlimited seats

Pricing model

We do not publish prices because they change. Each card links to the vendor's pricing page with the current numbers.

How Apollo charges

Per-seat plans, with every seat on the account on the same plan, and a credit pool shared by the team each billing cycle. Credits pay for emails, phone numbers, and other data and do not roll over. A free plan is listed. Check API access for your plan before building automations on it.

See current Apollo pricing

How Clay charges

Usage-based. Actions measure platform work (each enrichment, AI call, or export) and Data Credits pay for data bought through Clay's marketplace. Seats and tables are unlimited. Using your own provider API keys skips Data Credits. CRM sync, HTTP API calls, and webhook triggers sit on higher tiers, and a free plan is listed.

See current Clay pricing

Apollo costs scale mostly with seats; Clay costs scale with how much enrichment and AI work you run. Price your real monthly volume and headcount on both pricing pages before deciding.

Playbooks that fit each tool

Step-by-step workflows from this site that name the tool or map cleanly onto it.

Apollo

Clay

Verdict

Pick Apollo if

  • Reps find their own contacts and start sequences without a second tool
  • You want a Chrome extension that pulls contact data while browsing LinkedIn and company sites
  • Your team wants a dialer and email sequences next to the data
  • You want a free plan to start, then pay per seat as reps join
Visit Apollo

Pick Clay if

  • You want waterfalls across several providers instead of relying on one database
  • You need AI research on accounts, such as tech stack, hiring, or news, written into fields
  • You are building automated workflows like inbound routing, CRM hygiene, or job change tracking
  • Several people build workflows and you do not want to pay per seat
Visit Clay

Bottom line

If reps prospect by hand and need data, sequences, and calling in one place, start with Apollo. If you are building automated enrichment and research workflows that several people maintain, start with Clay. Many teams end up with both: Apollo for rep-facing search and sequences, Clay for enrichment and automation, with Apollo as one provider in the waterfall.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use Apollo inside Clay?
Yes. Apollo is one of the data providers Clay can call, so it can be the first step in a waterfall with other providers as fallbacks. Several playbooks on this site use that setup.
Does Clay replace Apollo?
Clay can replace the data and enrichment side when you run waterfalls across providers. It does not replace Apollo's rep-facing search, Chrome extension, and dialer unless you add other tools for those jobs.
Which is cheaper, Apollo or Clay?
It depends on volume and headcount. Apollo charges per seat with a shared credit pool; Clay charges for usage with unlimited seats. See current pricing on both vendors' pricing pages and price your actual monthly volume.
Do I need both Apollo and Clay?
Not to start. Pick Apollo if reps prospect by hand, or Clay if you are building automated workflows. Add the other when the first one stops covering a job, for example when Apollo alone misses too many emails or reps need a dialer.

More tool comparisons

Want the workflow built, not just the tool picked?

Our team builds custom Clay workflows and AI automations for revenue teams, on whichever tools you choose.

Get it built for you