kitio.aiCrunchbase vs Clay
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. Crunchbase has the lower starting price: about $99 a month, against $185 for Clay.
At a glance
Best for
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- Company and funding data
- AI growth predictions
- Saved list alerts
- Contact data
- API access
- Waterfall enrichment
- Claygent research agent
- Signal-based tables
- CRM and sequencer sync
- AI message writing
| Feature | Crunchbase | Clay |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Private company data with AI growth and funding predictions | Data enrichment and AI research for outbound GTM workflows |
| Category | Sales | Sales |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium |
| Starting price | $99/mo | $185/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Made by | Crunchbase | Clay |
| Based in | United States | United States |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
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Pricing compared
Crunchbase has the lower starting price: about $99 a month, against $185 for Clay.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
4 plans
Free
Free
- Limited company search
- Basic company profiles
Pro
$99/mo
- Private company search
- AI summaries and heat scores
- 2,000 export rows per month
Business
From $199/mo billed yearly
- For teams
- Bought through sales
Custom Data Solutions
Custom
- API access
- Data licensing
3 plans
Free
Free
- Try enrichment workflows
- No phone number enrichment
Launch
$185/mo
- From 15K actions per month
- From 2.5K data credits per month
- Phone enrichment and signals
Growth
$495/mo
- From 40K actions per month
- From 6K data credits per month
- CRM and warehouse auto-sync
- Any HTTP API integration
Prices in USD, checked Oct 28, 2026 or later. Plans change often, so confirm on each tool's site before you buy.
Pros and cons
Crunchbase
- Best-known startup database
- Useful funding signals
- Free tier
- Contact data is thinner than specialists
- Exports need paid plans
Clay
- Huge range of data sources
- Very flexible workflows
- Strong community templates
- Steep learning curve
- Credit costs are hard to predict
Which one should you choose?
Choose Crunchbase if you want:
- Best-known startup database
- Useful funding signals
- Free tier
Watch out: contact data is thinner than specialists.
Choose Clay if you want:
- Huge range of data sources
- Very flexible workflows
- Strong community templates
Watch out: steep learning curve.
Crunchbase vs Clay FAQ
What is the difference between Crunchbase and Clay?
Crunchbase: Private company data with AI growth and funding predictions. Clay: Data enrichment and AI research for outbound GTM workflows. Both are sales tools.
Is Crunchbase or Clay cheaper?
Crunchbase has the lower starting price: about $99 a month, against $185 for Clay.
Do Crunchbase and Clay have free plans?
Crunchbase: Yes. Clay: Yes.
Who makes Crunchbase?
Crunchbase is made by Crunchbase, based in United States.
Who makes Clay?
Clay is made by Clay, based in United States.
Which should I choose, Crunchbase or Clay?
Choose Crunchbase if you value best-known startup database and useful funding signals. Choose Clay if you value huge range of data sources and very flexible workflows.