Clay is an innovative B2B prospecting and automation platform, known for its flexible workflows, data enrichment capabilities, and powerful integrations. It enables sales and growth teams to build scalable lead gen systems using a visual canvas. However, for many users, Clay can feel overly complex, API-heavy, or expensive as needs grow. If that sounds like […]
Clay is an innovative B2B prospecting and automation platform, known for its flexible workflows, data enrichment capabilities, and powerful integrations. It enables sales and growth teams to build scalable lead gen systems using a visual canvas. However, for many users, Clay can feel overly complex, API-heavy, or expensive as needs grow.
If that sounds like you, you’re in the right place. This guide will introduce 10 of the best Clay alternatives in 2025 — from no-code options to contact-focused tools and full outreach suites.
10 Top Alternatives to Clay for Sales and Growth Teams
1. Lusha
Lusha is a great Clay alternative if you’re looking for more full-funnel capabilities — from prospecting to outreach. Lusha is a sales streaming platform that grows your pipeline by providing an endless stream of AI-based recommended leads, all matched to your ICP – so you can focus on just selling.
Best Features:
- Verified Data – First-party, proprietary, and fully verified.
- Ease of Use – Plug-and-play setup, no learning curve.
- Fast and friendly support team.
- Smart AI Recommendations – leads matched to ICP automatically.
- Dynamic AI Playlists – Prospect lists that grow and update on their own.
- Hands-Free Outreach – Automate entire outreach sequence.
- Integrations – Works smoothly with Salesforce, HubSpot, Outreach, and more.
- Compliance – Fully certified: GDPR, CCPA, SOC 2, ISO27701.
- Real-Time Buying Signals – Instantly spot high-intent prospects with built-in job changes and intent alerts.
- AI-Powered Alerts – Stay ahead with intent, tech stack, and role change notifications.
- No Hidden Costs – Clear, transparent pricing with everything included.
- Chrome extension for LinkedIn prospecting
Pricing:
Lusha offers a Free plan and multiple paid tiers. Enterprise plans are available with custom pricing and usage limits.
Lusha vs Clay: Who is better?
Lusha is better for teams that need quick, reliable prospecting — without coding or data automation setups. It’s less flexible than Clay, but significantly faster to get results.
2. Apollo.io
Apollo.io is a strong Clay alternative if you want a full-stack outbound platform with prospecting, email automation, and CRM features. It lacks the visual builder of Clay, but offers built-in tools that don’t require external integrations.
Best Features:
- 270M+ contact database
- Email sequencing and dialer
- Lead scoring and task automation
- CRM syncing with major platforms
Pricing:
Free plan available; paid plans scale by feature set and user count. Enterprise pricing available.
Apollo.io vs Clay: Who is better?
Apollo offers better out-of-the-box functionality for outbound teams, while Clay is more modular. For hands-on reps, Apollo is simpler to use — but Lusha remains better for fast, no-fuss prospecting.
3. Clayrun (formerly Clay for Individuals)
Clayrun is a simplified version of Clay focused on freelancers and solo prospectors. It retains the data enrichment power of Clay but removes the more complex backend integrations.
Best Features:
- Contact enrichment from over 50 sources
- Drag-and-drop workflow builder
- Google Sheets and Notion integrations
- Automated email and CRM syncing
Pricing:
Individual plans start at entry-level pricing; Pro and Team tiers available for power users.
Clayrun vs Clay: Who is better?
Clayrun is better for solo users who don’t need API-heavy workflows. It simplifies what Clay offers but still retains core functionality.
4. Cognism
Cognism is a powerful Clay alternative if your priority is compliant, phone-verified contact data — especially in EMEA. It doesn’t offer a no-code builder like Clay, but it shines in high-quality B2B contact discovery and intent signals.
Best Features:
- GDPR-compliant, phone-verified leads
- Intent data via Bombora
- Strong coverage in EMEA
- Salesforce and HubSpot integrations
Pricing:
Custom pricing based on data regions, team size, and features. No free tier.
Cognism vs Clay: Who is better?
Cognism is better for sales teams needing compliant, ready-to-call data — with less technical setup. For global outreach, it’s a solid alternative.
5. PhantomBuster
PhantomBuster is a great alternative to Clay if you want workflow automation tied to social data scraping. It’s best for tech-savvy marketers or salespeople who want to automate outreach starting from LinkedIn, Instagram, or Twitter.
Best Features:
- 100+ prebuilt social data scrapers (“Phantoms”)
- LinkedIn, Twitter, and Sales Navigator workflows
- Google Sheets and webhook integration
- Cloud execution and scheduling
Pricing:
Multiple pricing tiers based on execution time and automation limits. Free trial available.
PhantomBuster vs Clay: Who is better?
PhantomBuster is great for social-first automations but lacks the visual builder and enrichment power of Clay. For LinkedIn scraping, it’s a solid choice.
6. Instantly.ai
Instantly is a smart Clay competitor if you’re focused on cold email outreach at scale. It offers warm-up, campaign management, and inbox rotation — all in one place, without external enrichment.
Best Features:
- Cold email campaign builder
- Auto warm-up of inboxes
- Multi-inbox rotation for scale
- Campaign analytics and A/B testing
Pricing:
Pricing based on inbox count and monthly campaigns. No free tier; trial available.
Instantly vs Clay: Who is better?
Instantly is better for cold email execution. Clay gives you the data and logic, while Instantly sends it.
7. UpLead
UpLead is a straightforward alternative to Clay for teams focused on accurate prospecting without API dependencies. It prioritizes verified data and ease of use over workflow flexibility.
Best Features:
- Email verification before download
- Technographics and firmographics
- CRM and Zapier integrations
- Clean UI for list building
Pricing:
Plans are based on monthly contact credit limits. Free trial available.
UpLead vs Clay: Who is better?
UpLead is easier to use and doesn’t require any integrations or logic-building. If you want a no-code lead list generator, UpLead or Lusha are simpler than Clay.
8. LeadFuze
LeadFuze is another no-code alternative to Clay for prospecting. It allows users to build lead lists based on roles, tech stack, and industry — without managing APIs or workflows.
Best Features:
- Lead search by persona or role
- Built-in email finder
- List deduplication and filters
- Integrates with CRMs and outreach tools
Pricing:
Pricing tiers based on contact credits. Unlimited plans available for agencies and teams.
LeadFuze vs Clay: Who is better?
LeadFuze is a lighter, lead-gen-only solution. Clay gives you more logic and control, but LeadFuze is faster if you just need leads.
9. Skrapp
Skrapp is a lightweight Clay alternative that focuses exclusively on email finding for LinkedIn and company domains. It’s best for users who want clean, fast enrichment without workflows or CRM syncing.
Best Features:
- Email finder by domain or LinkedIn
- Email verification tool
- Bulk upload and export
- Chrome extension for prospecting
Pricing:
Free plan available; paid plans scale based on monthly email credits.
Skrapp vs Clay: Who is better?
Skrapp is much more focused and easier to use but lacks Clay’s customization. If your only goal is to get valid emails fast, it’s a simple and cost-effective option.
10. Hexomatic
Hexomatic is a visual automation platform similar to Clay in design, with strong scraping and enrichment capabilities. It’s great for teams that want drag-and-drop workflows without learning code.
Best Features:
- Drag-and-drop automation builder
- Web scraping and enrichment tools
- Prebuilt workflow templates
- Third-party API integration support
Pricing:
Tiered pricing based on workflow runs. Lifetime and annual plans available.
Hexomatic vs Clay: Who is better?
Hexomatic is more accessible for non-technical users and offers broader scraping options. However, Clay has deeper data enrichment and sales integrations.
Clay Alternatives FAQs
What is the best Clay alternative?
Lusha is the best Clay alternative for most sales teams looking for fast, verified contact data without complex setups or automations.
Why do businesses look for Clay alternatives?
Common reasons include Clay’s technical complexity, reliance on APIs, pricing, and the need for faster or simpler tools for prospecting and enrichment.
What criteria should I consider when choosing a Clay alternative?
Think about your technical expertise, the need for visual automation, CRM compatibility, contact accuracy, and whether you need outreach, enrichment, or both.
Which Clay alternative is best for startups and small teams?
Lusha, Apollo.io, and UpLead are excellent for startups due to their simplicity, affordable pricing, and out-of-the-box functionality.
Why is Lusha better than Clay?
Lusha delivers verified contact data in seconds, without requiring complex workflows, integrations, or automation logic. It’s perfect for outbound sales teams that want results fast.
How flexible is Clay for non-technical users?
While Clay offers a visual interface, it still requires understanding workflows, APIs, and logic — which can be a barrier for smaller or non-technical teams.
What should I consider before switching from Clay?
Review what you’re using Clay for. If you’re not utilizing its full workflow or API functionality, switching to a simpler tool like Lusha or UpLead can reduce complexity and cost.
