B2B contact database plus sales engagement and AI prospecting platform.
Clay vs HubSpot
Features, pricing, strengths and trade-offs — and which one fits your situation.
The verdict
Summary
Clay is best for gTM and RevOps teams building custom enrichment and research workflows for outbound, while HubSpot is best for companies that want CRM, sales sequences and marketing on one connected platform. Only HubSpot offers built-in CRM and dialer / calling. Clay has a high learning curve, compared with medium for HubSpot. Both Clay and HubSpot offer a free plan, so you can try each before paying.
Which should you choose?
Choose Clay if…
- You need gTM and RevOps teams building custom enrichment and research workflows for outbound
- You're one of: revops and growth teams, outbound agencies, technical founders building lead lists
- Higher match rates by combining many data sources
Choose HubSpot if…
- You need companies that want CRM, sales sequences and marketing on one connected platform
- Built-in CRM matters to you
- Dialer / calling matters to you
- You're one of: smb and mid-market sales teams, companies consolidating marketing and sales, teams needing a crm of record
- You want something quicker to learn
At a glance
| Clay | HubSpot | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | GTM and RevOps teams building custom enrichment and research workflows for outbound | Companies that want CRM, sales sequences and marketing on one connected platform |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Starting price | From $149/mo | From $15/seat/mo |
| Learning curve | High | Medium |
| Platforms | Web, Chrome extension, API | Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Chrome extension, API |
| Ideal for | RevOps and growth teams, Outbound agencies, Technical founders building lead lists | SMB and mid-market sales teams, Companies consolidating marketing and sales, Teams needing a CRM of record |
Feature comparison
| Clay | HubSpot | |
|---|---|---|
| B2B contact database | Via 100+ data providers | Limited |
| Email sequences | Yes | Starter plan and above |
| Email warm-up | — | No |
| Unlimited sending accounts | — | No |
| LinkedIn steps | — | Requires Sales Navigator |
| Built-in CRM | No | Yes |
| AI personalization | Yes | Yes |
| Dialer / calling | No | Yes |
| Email verification | Via integrated providers | — |
IncludedLimited / higher plansNot available— Not confirmed
Security & enterprise
| Clay | HubSpot | |
|---|---|---|
| Business / enterprise plan | Yes | Yes |
| SSO (SAML / OIDC) | Enterprise plan | Enterprise plan |
| SCIM user provisioning | — | Via Okta |
| SOC 2 | Type II | Type II |
| ISO 27001 | — | — |
| HIPAA (BAA available) | — | — |
| GDPR DPA | Yes | Yes |
| Data residency options | — | US, EU, Canada, Australia |
| No training on your data | — | — |
| Audit logs | — | Enterprise plan |
| Admin controls | Enterprise plan | Yes |
| Deployment | Cloud | Cloud |
From each vendor's security documentation. "—" = not confirmed. What to ask vendors · Compare all tools
What each tool does
Clay
Clay is a spreadsheet-style data enrichment platform that pulls from 100+ data providers using waterfall enrichment and uses its Claygent AI agent to research companies and leads on the web. Enriched data can be scored, used to write personalized messages, and pushed to CRMs or sending tools, or sent through Clay's own Sequencer. It is used by growth teams, RevOps and outbound agencies.
Key features- Waterfall enrichment across 100+ data providers
- Claygent AI agent for web research and data extraction
- Spreadsheet-style tables with formulas and AI columns
- Built-in Sequencer for multi-step email campaigns
- Native pushes to Smartlead, Instantly, Outreach and HubSpot
- CRM sync back to Salesforce and HubSpot on Growth plan and up
HubSpot
HubSpot is a CRM platform with Sales, Marketing and Service Hubs, and Breeze AI features including a copilot and agents. Sales Hub adds sequences, calling, meeting scheduling and deal pipelines, with a Prospecting Agent on higher tiers. It is used by small to large businesses that want outreach and customer records in the same system.
Key features- Free CRM with contacts, companies and deal pipelines
- Sales sequences with email and task steps
- Built-in calling with minutes included on paid plans
- Breeze AI copilot and Prospecting Agent (Professional and up)
- Breeze Intelligence data enrichment using credits
- Sales Navigator integration for LinkedIn activity
Pricing
Clay
Free plan: yes (limited credits). Paid from ~$149/mo
HubSpot
Free plan: yes (free CRM + limited Breeze). Paid from ~$15/seat/mo billed annually (Starter)
Prices last checked September 2026. Plans change often — confirm on each vendor's site.
Pros and cons
Clay
Strengths- Higher match rates by combining many data sources
- Very flexible for custom research and scoring
- Connects to most sending tools and CRMs
- Free plan to learn the product
- Steep learning curve for non-technical users
- Credit-based usage can become expensive at scale
- No built-in dialer or CRM
- Deliverability tooling is lighter than dedicated cold email senders
Not ideal for: Reps who want a simple point-and-click prospecting database should start with Apollo.io or Hunter.io.
HubSpot
Strengths- Full CRM included, with a usable free tier
- Outreach, marketing and support data in one place
- Large app marketplace
- Reporting and pipeline management are mature
- Not built for high-volume cold email; no warm-up or inbox rotation
- Prospecting Agent and advanced automation need Professional or higher
- Costs rise quickly as seats and hubs are added
- LinkedIn actions require a separate Sales Navigator subscription
Not ideal for: Lead-gen agencies running cold email at scale across many mailboxes should use a dedicated sender like Instantly or Smartlead.
Integrations
Clay
HubSpot
FAQ
What is the main difference between Clay and HubSpot?
Clay is built for gTM and RevOps teams building custom enrichment and research workflows for outbound; HubSpot is built for companies that want CRM, sales sequences and marketing on one connected platform. Key differences: HubSpot offers built-in CRM and dialer / calling.
Is Clay or HubSpot cheaper?
Clay starts from $149/mo and HubSpot starts from $15/seat/mo (as of September 2026). On entry price, HubSpot is cheaper — but compare what each plan includes, since limits differ. Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site.
Do Clay and HubSpot have free plans?
Both Clay and HubSpot offer a free plan, so you can try each before paying.
Which is easier to use, Clay or HubSpot?
HubSpot is generally quicker to learn (Clay: high, HubSpot: medium learning curve).
What are good alternatives to Clay and HubSpot?
Other sales & outreach tools worth comparing include Apollo.io, Instantly.ai and lemlist.
