B2B contact database plus sales engagement and AI prospecting platform.
Clay vs lemlist
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 lemlist is best for multichannel outreach combining email, LinkedIn, calls and WhatsApp in one sequence. Clay has a high learning curve, compared with medium for lemlist. Clay has a free plan, while lemlist offers a free trial.
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
- You want a free plan (lemlist only has a trial)
- Higher match rates by combining many data sources
Choose lemlist if…
- You need multichannel outreach combining email, LinkedIn, calls and WhatsApp in one sequence
- You're one of: sdr teams running multichannel cadences, founders doing outbound, agencies combining linkedin and email
- You want something quicker to learn
- Strong LinkedIn automation within sequences
At a glance
| Clay | lemlist | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | GTM and RevOps teams building custom enrichment and research workflows for outbound | Multichannel outreach combining email, LinkedIn, calls and WhatsApp in one sequence |
| Free plan | Yes | Trial only |
| Starting price | From $149/mo | From $55/mo |
| Learning curve | High | Medium |
| Platforms | Web, Chrome extension, API | Web, Chrome extension, API |
| Ideal for | RevOps and growth teams, Outbound agencies, Technical founders building lead lists | SDR teams running multichannel cadences, Founders doing outbound, Agencies combining LinkedIn and email |
Feature comparison
| Clay | lemlist | |
|---|---|---|
| B2B contact database | Via 100+ data providers | 650M+ leads |
| Email sequences | Yes | Yes |
| Email warm-up | — | Yes |
| Unlimited sending accounts | — | Email plan (unlimited senders) |
| LinkedIn steps | — | Multichannel plan |
| Built-in CRM | No | — |
| AI personalization | Yes | Yes |
| Dialer / calling | No | Multichannel plan |
| Email verification | Via integrated providers | Yes |
IncludedLimited / higher plansNot available— Not confirmed
Security & enterprise
| Clay | lemlist | |
|---|---|---|
| Business / enterprise plan | Yes | Yes |
| SSO (SAML / OIDC) | Enterprise plan | Select plans (SAML) |
| SCIM user provisioning | — | — |
| SOC 2 | Type II | Type II |
| ISO 27001 | — | — |
| HIPAA (BAA available) | — | — |
| GDPR DPA | Yes | Yes |
| Data residency options | — | EU (France, default) |
| No training on your data | — | — |
| Audit logs | — | — |
| Admin controls | Enterprise plan | — |
| 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
lemlist
lemlist is a cold outreach platform for building personalized sequences across email, LinkedIn, calls, SMS and WhatsApp. It includes a large lead database with email and phone finding, lemwarm warm-up, and lemAgent AI agents for signals, enrichment and messaging. It is used by SDR teams, founders and agencies that want multichannel cadences without stitching tools together.
Key features- Multichannel sequences with email, LinkedIn, calls, SMS and WhatsApp
- 650M+ lead database with email and phone finder
- lemwarm email warm-up and deliverability hub
- lemAgent AI agents for signals, enrichment and messaging
- Built-in dialer on the Multichannel plan
- Image and video personalization in emails
Pricing
Clay
Free plan: yes (limited credits). Paid from ~$149/mo
lemlist
14-day free trial; paid from $55/mo billed annually ($69 monthly) Email plan
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.
lemlist
Strengths- Strong LinkedIn automation within sequences
- Lead database and warm-up included
- Unlimited senders on the Email plan
- Personalization options beyond plain text
- LinkedIn, WhatsApp and calling require the pricier per-user Multichannel plan
- Enrichment and intent signals are paid add-ons
- More options mean a longer setup than simple senders
- No free plan, only a trial
Not ideal for: Teams that only send cold email at very high volume may find Instantly or Smartlead simpler and cheaper per email.
Integrations
Clay
lemlist
FAQ
What is the main difference between Clay and lemlist?
Clay is built for gTM and RevOps teams building custom enrichment and research workflows for outbound; lemlist is built for multichannel outreach combining email, LinkedIn, calls and WhatsApp in one sequence.
Is Clay or lemlist cheaper?
Clay starts from $149/mo and lemlist starts from $55/mo (as of September 2026). On entry price, lemlist is cheaper — but compare what each plan includes, since limits differ. Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site.
Do Clay and lemlist have free plans?
Clay has a free plan, while lemlist offers a free trial.
Which is easier to use, Clay or lemlist?
lemlist is generally quicker to learn (Clay: high, lemlist: medium learning curve).
What are good alternatives to Clay and lemlist?
Other sales & outreach tools worth comparing include Apollo.io, Instantly.ai and HubSpot.
