B2B contact database plus sales engagement and AI prospecting platform.
Clay vs Reply.io
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 Reply.io is best for sales teams wanting multichannel sequences plus an optional autonomous AI SDR. Only Reply.io offers dialer / calling. Clay has a high learning curve, compared with medium for Reply.io. Clay has a free plan, while Reply.io 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 (Reply.io only has a trial)
- Higher match rates by combining many data sources
Choose Reply.io if…
- You need sales teams wanting multichannel sequences plus an optional autonomous AI SDR
- Dialer / calling matters to you
- You're one of: sdr and bdr teams, sales agencies, companies testing ai sdr automation
- You want something quicker to learn
At a glance
| Clay | Reply.io | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | GTM and RevOps teams building custom enrichment and research workflows for outbound | Sales teams wanting multichannel sequences plus an optional autonomous AI SDR |
| Free plan | Yes | Trial only |
| Starting price | From $149/mo | From $49 |
| 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 and BDR teams, Sales agencies, Companies testing AI SDR automation |
Feature comparison
| Clay | Reply.io | |
|---|---|---|
| B2B contact database | Via 100+ data providers | 1B+ contacts |
| Email sequences | Yes | Yes |
| Email warm-up | — | Yes |
| Unlimited sending accounts | — | AI SDR plans |
| LinkedIn steps | — | Yes |
| Built-in CRM | No | — |
| AI personalization | Yes | Yes |
| Dialer / calling | No | Yes |
| Email verification | Via integrated providers | Yes |
IncludedLimited / higher plansNot available— Not confirmed
Security & enterprise
| Clay | Reply.io | |
|---|---|---|
| Business / enterprise plan | Yes | Yes |
| SSO (SAML / OIDC) | Enterprise plan | — |
| SCIM user provisioning | — | — |
| SOC 2 | Type II | Type I |
| ISO 27001 | — | — |
| HIPAA (BAA available) | — | — |
| GDPR DPA | Yes | Yes |
| Data residency options | — | — |
| 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
Reply.io
Reply.io is a sales engagement platform with sequences across email, LinkedIn, calls, SMS and WhatsApp, an embedded B2B contact database, and deliverability tools. Its Jason AI SDR agent can prospect, personalize, follow up and handle replies. It is used by SDR teams and agencies that want outreach and AI automation in one subscription.
Key features- Multichannel sequences: email, LinkedIn, calls, SMS and WhatsApp
- Reply Data B2B database with 1B+ contacts
- Jason AI SDR for prospecting, follow-ups and replies
- Email warm-up for connected mailboxes
- Built-in calling from sequences
- Two-way sync with Salesforce, HubSpot and Pipedrive
Pricing
Clay
Free plan: yes (limited credits). Paid from ~$149/mo
Reply.io
Free trial; paid from ~$49-59/user/mo annual (Email Volume); AI SDR from $500/mo
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.
Reply.io
Strengths- Covers many channels in one sequence
- Large contact database built in
- AI SDR option for teams wanting more automation
- Deep two-way CRM integrations
- Per-user pricing adds up for larger teams
- AI SDR plans are sold separately and cost much more
- Interface has more settings to learn than simple senders
- No free plan, only a trial
Not ideal for: Solo founders sending only cold email may get a simpler, cheaper setup from Instantly or Smartlead.
Integrations
Clay
Reply.io
FAQ
What is the main difference between Clay and Reply.io?
Clay is built for gTM and RevOps teams building custom enrichment and research workflows for outbound; Reply.io is built for sales teams wanting multichannel sequences plus an optional autonomous AI SDR. Key differences: Reply.io offers dialer / calling.
Is Clay or Reply.io cheaper?
Clay starts from $149/mo and Reply.io starts from $49 (as of September 2026). On entry price, Reply.io is cheaper — but compare what each plan includes, since limits differ. Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site.
Do Clay and Reply.io have free plans?
Clay has a free plan, while Reply.io offers a free trial.
Which is easier to use, Clay or Reply.io?
Reply.io is generally quicker to learn (Clay: high, Reply.io: medium learning curve).
What are good alternatives to Clay and Reply.io?
Other sales & outreach tools worth comparing include Apollo.io, Instantly.ai and HubSpot.
