Clay vs Close: Cross-Category Comparison
Compare Clay (data enrichment tool) and Close (crm platform) side by side. Understand how these tools fit different stages of your sales workflow.
Clay is a data enrichment tool starting at free that finds and verifies B2B contact information through 150+ provider integrations, while Close is a CRM platform starting at $19/month that manages sales pipelines with built-in calling, SMS, and email sequencing. They serve different workflow stages—Clay handles lead sourcing and data enrichment, Close manages pipeline tracking and customer relationships—making them complementary rather than competitive.
Key takeaways
- Clay offers 150+ data provider integrations and starts with a free plan providing 100 credits per month, while Close starts at $19/month for its base CRM plan.
- Clay's Starter plan costs $149/month for 2,000 credits, Explorer costs $349/month for 10,000 credits, and Pro costs $800/month for 50,000 credits.
- Close includes built-in calling with Power Dialer, native SMS messaging, and predictive dialing as core CRM features across its pricing tiers.
- Both tools integrate with HubSpot, enabling teams to connect Clay's enrichment capabilities with Close's CRM functionality in a unified workflow.
- Clay provides unlimited users on all plans and credit rollover, while Close offers role-based access and permissions starting at the Professional tier.
Reviewed and updated February 6, 2026
Clay vs Close: Cross-Category Comparison
Teams building a B2B sales stack often face a choice between investing in B2B lead data and contact enrichment (Clay) or customer relationship management (Close). This comparison helps you understand what each tool does, where they overlap, and how they fit into your workflow.
Why Compare These Two Tools?
Data enrichment tools find and verify contact information, while CRMs organize and track those contacts through the sales process. Teams evaluate whether their CRM's built-in data features are sufficient or if a dedicated enrichment tool delivers better data quality.
Clay is a data enrichment tool focused on B2B lead data and contact enrichment. Data enrichment and workflow automation platform with 150+ integrations and AI-powered enrichment (Claygent).
Close is a crm platform focused on customer relationship management. A CRM built specifically for inside sales teams, with built-in calling, SMS, and email functionality. Close focuses on reducing manual data entry and increasing sales velocity with features like Power Dialer, predictive dialing, and workflow automation.
Where Each Tool Fits in Your Workflow
| Aspect | Clay | Close |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Data Enrichment Tool | CRM Platform |
| Workflow Stage | Lead sourcing and data | Pipeline and deal tracking |
| Primary Focus | B2B lead data and contact enrichment | Customer relationship management |
| Starting Price | Free | $19/mo |
| Features Listed | 9 | 8 |
| Integrations | 14 | 8 |
Pricing Comparison
Clay Pricing (as of February 2026)
| Plan | Price | Contacts | Emails |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | 100 credits/month | N/A |
| Starter | $149/mo | 2,000 credits/month | N/A |
| Explorer | $349/mo | 10,000 credits/month | N/A |
| Pro | $800/mo | 50,000 credits/month | N/A |
Source: Clay Pricing
Close Pricing (as of February 2026)
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Base | $19/mo |
| Startup | $49/mo |
| Professional | $99/mo |
| Enterprise | $139/mo |
Source: Close Pricing
Pricing Context
These tools serve different purposes, so a direct price comparison requires context. Clay starts at $0/mo for B2B lead data and contact enrichment, while Close starts at $19/mo for customer relationship management. Many teams end up paying for both since they address different workflow stages.
Feature Highlights
Clay Key Capabilities (Data Enrichment Tool)
- 150+ data provider integrations
- AI-powered enrichment (Claygent)
- Unlimited users on all plans
- Credit rollover
- Workflow automation
- Data waterfall enrichment
- Custom API key support
- HTTP API integration
- Webhooks
Close Key Capabilities (CRM Platform)
- Built-in calling with Power Dialer
- Native SMS messaging
- Email sequences and templates
- Automated workflows
- Predictive dialing
- AI Email Assistant
- Pipeline and activity reporting
- Role-based access and permissions
Feature Overlap
These tools have minimal feature overlap, which makes sense given their different categories. They are more complementary than competitive.
Integration Ecosystem
Clay Integrations
Clay connects with: Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive, Close, Apollo.io, Clearbit, ZoomInfo, Lemlist, Instantly, Smartlead, OpenAI, Google Sheets, Airtable, Notion.
Close Integrations
Close connects with: Zapier, Slack, Gmail, Microsoft Outlook, Zoom, HubSpot, Segment, Calendly.
Shared Integrations
Both tools integrate with: HubSpot. This shared ecosystem means they can work together in your tech stack.
When to Choose Clay
- Your biggest gap is in lead sourcing and data
- You already have a solid crm platform and need specialized B2B lead data and contact enrichment capabilities
- You want an affordable entry point ($0/mo)
- Your team's primary bottleneck is B2B lead data and contact enrichment
When to Choose Close
- Your biggest gap is in pipeline and deal tracking
- You already have a data enrichment tool and need better customer relationship management
- You want an affordable entry point ($19/mo)
- Your team's primary bottleneck is customer relationship management
Using Both Together
Many sales teams use both a data enrichment tool and a crm platform as part of their complete workflow. Clay handles lead sourcing and data while Close covers pipeline and deal tracking.
Since both tools integrate with HubSpot, connecting them in your workflow is straightforward.
Decision Framework
- Map your workflow gaps. Which stage needs the most improvement: lead sourcing and data or pipeline and deal tracking?
- Check your existing stack. Do you already have a tool covering one of these categories?
- Consider your budget. Can you invest in both, or do you need to prioritize one?
- Trial both. Sign up for free trials to evaluate each tool in your actual workflow.
- Measure ROI separately. Track the impact of each tool on its specific workflow stage.
Related Reading
- Best Clay Alternatives in 2026
- Best Close Alternatives in 2026
- Apollo vs Clay: Choosing the Right Data Enrichment Tool for B2B Sales
- Clay vs ZoomInfo: Data Enrichment Tool Comparison
- Close vs Salesforce: CRM Platform Comparison
Pricing and features verified as of February 2026. Visit Clay and Close for current information.
Frequently asked questions.
Frequently asked questions- Should I use Clay or Close for my sales team?
- The choice depends on your workflow gap. Choose Clay if your bottleneck is finding and verifying contact data, as it specializes in lead sourcing with 150+ data provider integrations starting at free. Choose Close if you need to manage pipelines and customer relationships, as it provides CRM functionality with built-in calling and email sequences starting at $19/month. Many teams use both since they address different stages of the sales process.
- Can Clay and Close work together in the same tech stack?
- Yes, Clay and Close are designed to complement each other rather than compete. Clay handles lead sourcing and data enrichment at the top of your funnel, while Close manages pipeline tracking and customer relationships downstream. Both tools integrate with HubSpot, making it straightforward to connect them in your workflow and pass enriched lead data from Clay into Close for relationship management.
- How much does it cost to use both Clay and Close?
- The minimum combined cost is $19/month if you use Clay's free plan (100 credits/month) and Close's Base plan. A typical small team setup might cost $168/month combining Clay's Starter plan ($149/month for 2,000 credits) with Close's Base plan ($19/month). Costs scale based on your data enrichment volume needs in Clay and CRM user count in Close.
- What features do Clay and Close have in common?
- Clay and Close have minimal feature overlap because they serve different purposes. Both offer workflow automation and integrate with HubSpot, but Clay focuses on data enrichment capabilities like AI-powered contact finding and waterfall enrichment, while Close focuses on CRM features like pipeline management, built-in calling, and email sequences. Their complementary nature makes them more suitable as partners than alternatives.
About the author.
Tim Carden is CMO / CTO at RevenueFlow, which builds and operates outbound revenue engines for B2B companies. Studied at McGill University.
Tim Carden · CMO / CTO
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