Clay vs Closely: Data Enrichment Tool vs Sales Engagement Platform Comparison

Clay vs Closely: Data Enrichment Tool vs Sales Engagement Platform Comparison

Clay is a data enrichment tool; Closely is a sales engagement platform. Whether you need one, the other, or both depends on which part of the workflow you are buying for: B2B lead data and contact enrichment on one side, multi-channel sales outreach and engagement tracking on the other. This guide lays out what each vendor publishes.

The Quick Answer

Clay is a data enrichment tool for B2B lead data and contact enrichment; Closely is a sales engagement platform for multi-channel sales outreach and engagement tracking. By each vendor's own wording, Clay lists 150+ data provider integrations and ai-powered enrichment (claygent), and Closely lists multichannel campaigns across linkedin and email and conditional sequence builder.

Closely offers a lower entry point at $49/mo compared to Clay at $185/mo.

If your priority is finding accurate contact data for target accounts, Clay is the one built for it; for coordinating outreach across email, phone, and social channels, that is Closely. Many teams run one of each.

Understanding the Core Difference

Clay is Data enrichment and workflow automation platform with 150+ integrations and AI-powered enrichment (Claygent).

Closely is Outbound platform that runs automated campaigns across LinkedIn and email from a shared sender, with a conditional sequence builder, unified inbox, contact enrichment and AI personalization agents.

The two platforms take different approaches to solving the same core challenge.

Pricing Comparison

$185/moClay entry plan

Launch

$49/moClosely entry plan

Starter

Clay Pricing (as of September 2026)

Source: Clay Pricing

Closely Pricing (as of September 2026)

Source: Closely Pricing

Pricing Analysis

Closely offers the lower entry point ($49/mo vs $185/mo). Teams watching their budget will appreciate the savings, especially when starting out.

Closely offers 4 pricing tiers compared to Clay's 3, giving you more granularity as you scale.

Features Breakdown

Clay lists

• 150+ data provider integrations
• AI-powered enrichment (Claygent)
• Unlimited users on all plans
• Credit rollover
• Workflow automation
• Data waterfall enrichment
• and 3 more listed below

Closely lists

• Multichannel campaigns across LinkedIn and email
• Conditional sequence builder
• Smart Inbox unifying LinkedIn and email replies
• LinkedIn account warmup
• Dedicated residential IP for each LinkedIn account
• OAuth Gmail and Outlook connection plus custom SMTP
• and 4 more listed below

Clay Key Features

• 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

Closely Key Features

• Multichannel campaigns across LinkedIn and email
• Conditional sequence builder
• Smart Inbox unifying LinkedIn and email replies
• LinkedIn account warmup
• Dedicated residential IP for each LinkedIn account
• OAuth Gmail and Outlook connection plus custom SMTP
• Email finder with a multi-step fallback process
• Phone number finder
• AI lead scoring and personalization agents
• Export from Sales Navigator, LinkedIn posts and events

The two lists below are a diff of each vendor's own feature list by exact wording, so a capability both tools offer can appear on either side under a different name.

Listed only by Clay

• 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

Listed only by Closely

• Multichannel campaigns across LinkedIn and email
• Conditional sequence builder
• Smart Inbox unifying LinkedIn and email replies
• LinkedIn account warmup
• Dedicated residential IP for each LinkedIn account
• OAuth Gmail and Outlook connection plus custom SMTP
• Email finder with a multi-step fallback process
• Phone number finder
• AI lead scoring and personalization agents
• Export from Sales Navigator, LinkedIn posts and events

Integration Ecosystem

Clay Integrations

Clay connects with: Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive, Close, Apollo.io, Clearbit, ZoomInfo, Lemlist, Instantly, Smartlead, OpenAI, Google Sheets, Airtable, Notion.

Closely Integrations

Closely connects with: Salesforce, Pipedrive, HubSpot, GoHighLevel, Gmail, Microsoft Outlook, SMTP, Webhooks.

Shared Integrations

Both tools integrate with: Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive.

Integrations listed only by Clay: Close, Apollo.io, Clearbit, ZoomInfo, Lemlist, Instantly, Smartlead, OpenAI, Google Sheets, Airtable, Notion.

Integrations listed only by Closely: GoHighLevel, Gmail, Microsoft Outlook, SMTP, Webhooks.

Use Case Recommendations

Best Fit for Clay

• Mid-market to enterprise teams with established B2B lead data and contact enrichment budgets
• Organizations with complex tech stacks needing broad integration support (14 integrations)
• Enterprise buyers who prefer custom pricing and dedicated support

Best Fit for Closely

• Budget-conscious teams looking for an affordable sales engagement platform
• Teams that need a wide feature set (10 capabilities listed)
• Enterprise buyers who prefer custom pricing and dedicated support

Feature Comparison Summary

Getting Started Checklist

1. Define your B2B lead data and contact enrichment and multi-channel sales outreach and engagement tracking requirements and monthly budget
2. Estimate your expected data credits or contact lookups and sequences and engagement actions to find the right tier
3. List the integrations your team currently relies on
4. Sign up for free trials or demos of both platforms
5. Run a small test with each tool before making a commitment
6. Evaluate the onboarding experience and support quality

Final Thoughts

Clay serves the B2B lead data and contact enrichment side of an outbound stack and Closely the multi-channel sales outreach and engagement tracking side. Closely offers a more accessible entry point at $49/mo, while Clay starts at $185/mo. Your decision should weigh pricing against the specific features that matter most for your workflow.

Start with a trial of each to see which platform fits your team's daily process. The best tool is the one your team actually uses consistently.

Pricing and features verified as of September 2026. Visit Clay and Closely for current information.