Best Clay Alternatives for SDR Teams in 2026: 7 Tools Compared
Clay has built a powerful data enrichment platform with 75+ providers, AI-powered research agents, and a flexible credit system. But it's not the right fit for every team.
Common reasons teams look for Clay alternatives:
- Credit costs escalate quickly — A 5-person SDR team can easily burn $800+/month on enrichment alone
- No execution tools — Clay enriches data but doesn't include a dialer, visitor ID, or playbook
- Steep learning curve — Sculptor and Claygent require RevOps expertise most SDR teams don't have
- You need a complete stack, not another data layer — Adding Clay means managing yet another tool on top of SalesLoft, Outreach, or HubSpot
Here are 7 alternatives worth evaluating, organized by what they do better than Clay.
1. MarketBetter — Best All-in-One SDR Platform
Why teams switch from Clay: MarketBetter replaces Clay, your sales engagement platform, and your visitor ID tool with a single platform.
What makes it different:
- Daily SDR Playbook — Prioritized task list based on real buying signals, not static lead lists
- Website Visitor Identification — Know which companies are on your site and what they're looking at
- Smart Dialer — Built-in, warm-calling-optimized dialer (no $7,500/yr add-on)
- AI Chatbot — Engages every visitor automatically
- Email Sequences — Hyper-personalized, intent-driven outbound
Pricing: Transparent pricing on website. Everything included — no credits, no add-ons.
Best for: SDR teams of 5-50 who want one platform that tells reps what to do, not just who to target.
2. Apollo.io — Best Budget Alternative with Built-In Outreach
Why teams consider Apollo over Clay: Apollo includes a 270M+ contact database AND email sequencing AND a dialer in one platform, starting at $49/user/month.
What makes it different:
- Per-seat pricing instead of per-credit (more predictable)
- Built-in email sequences and dialer (Clay requires separate tools)
- Buyer intent signals and job change alerts
- Free plan with 600 email credits/month
Where it falls short vs Clay:
- Less enrichment depth (single database vs. 75+ providers)
- No AI workflow builder like Sculptor
- Data accuracy varies (phone numbers are a common complaint)
Pricing: Free, Basic ($49/user/mo), Professional ($79/user/mo), Organization ($119/user/mo)
Best for: Budget-conscious teams who want data + outreach in one tool without managing credits.
3. ZoomInfo — Best for Enterprise Data Quality
Why teams consider ZoomInfo over Clay: When data accuracy is non-negotiable, ZoomInfo's verified database and intent data are industry-leading.
What makes it different:
- Largest verified B2B database with human-verified data
- Streaming intent data from Bombora partnership
- Engage product includes cadences, dialer, and chat
- Org charts and buying committee mapping
Where it falls short vs Clay:
- Pricing starts at $15,000+/year (significantly more expensive)
- Annual contracts with auto-renewal
- No AI workflow builder or credit-based flexibility
- Over-featured for small teams
Pricing: SalesOS starts ~$15,000/year. Typical mid-market deals run $25,000-60,000/year.
Best for: Enterprise teams (100+ employees) where data quality directly impacts close rates.
4. Cognism — Best for European and International Data
Why teams consider Cognism over Clay: Cognism specializes in phone-verified mobile numbers and GDPR-compliant data, particularly for European markets.
What makes it different:
- 98% mobile phone number accuracy (phone-verified by humans)
- GDPR and CCPA compliant by design
- Intent data powered by Bombora
- Chrome extension for LinkedIn prospecting
Where it falls short vs Clay:
- Higher price point (typically $15,000-30,000/year)
- Less customizable workflows
- Smaller total database than Apollo or ZoomInfo
- Limited AI automation compared to Clay's Sculptor
Pricing: Quote-based. Typically $1,000-2,500/user/month for teams of 5+.
Best for: Teams selling into European markets where GDPR compliance and mobile number accuracy are critical.
5. Clearbit (now HubSpot Breeze Intelligence) — Best for HubSpot-Native Enrichment
Why teams consider Clearbit over Clay: If you're already on HubSpot, Breeze Intelligence provides native enrichment without another platform to manage.
What makes it different:
- Native HubSpot integration (no data sync issues)
- Company and contact enrichment directly in your CRM
- Buyer intent scoring based on fit and engagement
- Form shortening for higher conversion rates
Where it falls short vs Clay:
- Only works with HubSpot (vendor lock-in)
- Fewer data providers than Clay's marketplace
- No AI workflow builder
- Limited to enrichment — no outbound tools
Pricing: Included in HubSpot's higher tiers or available as Breeze Intelligence credits ($0.01-0.03/credit).
Best for: HubSpot-heavy teams who want enrichment without adding another platform.
6. Lusha — Best for Quick Contact Lookup
Why teams consider Lusha over Clay: Lusha is simpler and cheaper for teams that just need accurate contact data without complex workflows.
What makes it different:
- Chrome extension for instant LinkedIn contact lookup
- Direct dial and email finder with high accuracy
- Simple per-credit pricing starting at $49/month
- Fast setup (minutes, not days)
Where it falls short vs Clay:
- No AI research agents or workflow automation
- Smaller database than Clay's 75+ provider marketplace
- Limited intent data
- No enrichment waterfall
Pricing: Free (50 credits/month), Pro ($49/user/mo), Premium ($79/user/mo), Scale (custom).
Best for: Individual SDRs or small teams who need quick, accurate contact data without workflow complexity.
7. 6sense — Best for Enterprise Intent Data
Why teams consider 6sense over Clay: 6sense's AI-powered account identification and intent data platform is purpose-built for ABM and enterprise GTM.
What makes it different:
- AI-predicted buying stage for accounts
- Anonymous visitor identification (company-level)
- Orchestration across ads, email, and sales
- Deep Salesforce and HubSpot integrations
Where it falls short vs Clay:
- Enterprise pricing only ($60,000-120,000+/year)
- Complex implementation (3-6 months)
- Overkill for outbound-focused SDR teams
- Dashboard-heavy (data presentation, not action guidance)
Pricing: Custom, typically $60,000-120,000+/year.
Best for: Large enterprises running account-based marketing programs with $100K+ tool budgets.
Quick Comparison Table
| Tool | Starting Price | Enrichment | Dialer | Visitor ID | Playbook | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clay | $149/mo | ✅ 75+ providers | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | RevOps teams building custom workflows |
| MarketBetter | See website | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | SDR teams needing all-in-one platform |
| Apollo | $49/user/mo | ✅ Single DB | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | Budget-conscious teams |
| ZoomInfo | ~$15K/yr | ✅ Verified | ✅ (Engage) | ✅ | ❌ | Enterprise data quality |
| Cognism | Custom | ✅ Phone-verified | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | European market data |
| Clearbit | HubSpot tiers | ✅ Native | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | HubSpot-centric teams |
| Lusha | $49/user/mo | ✅ Basic | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | Quick contact lookup |
| 6sense | ~$60K/yr | ✅ Intent | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | Enterprise ABM |
How to Choose
If you need data + action in one platform: MarketBetter or Apollo
If you need maximum enrichment customization: Stay with Clay
If you need enterprise-grade verified data: ZoomInfo or Cognism
If you need intent-driven ABM: 6sense
If you're on HubSpot and want native enrichment: Clearbit/Breeze Intelligence
If you just need contact lookup: Lusha
The best Clay alternative depends on whether your bottleneck is data quality (stay with Clay or move to ZoomInfo) or SDR productivity (consider MarketBetter or Apollo).
Book a demo to see how MarketBetter replaces your data + outreach stack →