Directory›Compare›ZoomInfo vs Clay

Pricing Comparison 2026

ZoomInfo vs Clay

Side-by-side pricing breakdown, hidden costs, and negotiation intel for both tools. Verified March 6, 2026.

Enterprise · Sales Intelligence

ZoomInfo

From $3,000/yr

Quote Only · 4 plans

Mid-market / Enterprise · Sales Intelligence

Clay

From $185/mo

Credit-Based · 3 plans

At a glance

	ZoomInfo	Clay
Starting price	$3,000/yr	$185/mo
Pricing model	Quote Only	Credit-Based
Free trial	✓ Yes	✓ Yes
Annual only	⚠ Yes	✓ No
Plans	4 tiers	3 tiers
Hidden costs	6 flagged	3 flagged
Last verified	March 6, 2026	March 11, 2026

Plan breakdown

ZoomInfo

Basic

$3,000

/yr · 1 user, annual contract — cannot add users or credits

Professional

$14,995

/yr · annual contract, 1–3 users

Advanced

$21,995

/yr · annual contract

Elite

$32,995

/yr · annual contract

Clay

Free plan available with 500 actions and 100 data credits/month. Clay uses two separate currencies: actions (for running workflows and waterfall enrichments) and data credits (for pulling contact/company data from providers). Both deplete independently.

Launch

$185

/mo · month-to-month — annual discount available

Growth

$495

/mo · month-to-month — annual discount available

Enterprise

Custom

· custom actions and data credits — contact sales

Hidden costs

ZoomInfo — 6 flagged

Basic is a teaser tier

Basic is designed to get teams into the platform at a low entry point — full data functionality, but no ability to add users or credits. Once you outgrow the 2,000 credits or need a second seat, you move to Professional at $14,995/yr. There is no middle ground.

Credit overages

Credits are only spent when you export a contact — not when you view or search. Each exported contact costs 1 credit regardless of how many data points are included. Still, 2,000–5,000 credits goes fast for active outbound teams.

Intent data requires Advanced tier

Buyer intent signals are not available on Basic or Professional. You need Advanced ($21,995/yr) or Elite to access them — locking out the two lowest tiers.

Global Data add-on

International contact coverage is listed at $9,995/year and not included in any base plan. That said, it is one of the easiest discounts to get — a single ask has yielded as much as 75% off. Always negotiate this separately before signing.

Renewal increases

Users consistently report 10–20% price increases at renewal. Auto-renewal clauses are standard and enforced. They are typically triggered 30–60 days prior to end of term, though this varies by contract. A simple email to your rep immediately after signing saying "This is my notice of non-renewal" covers you if you're not ready to commit long-term.

AI Copilot

AI features require Elite tier or a separate purchase. Not bundled into lower plans.

Clay — 3 flagged

Two separate credit systems

Clay now charges for actions (workflow runs) and data credits (provider lookups) separately. You can exhaust one without touching the other. Budget for both independently.

Data credit cost varies by provider

Not all enrichments cost the same number of data credits. A basic email lookup costs less than a mobile number from a premium provider. Credit burn is unpredictable until you learn the platform.

Steep learning curve

Clay requires significant setup time — users report 2–4 weeks before getting full value. That time cost is real even if it doesn't appear on an invoice.

Negotiation intel

ZoomInfo

ZoomInfo is highly negotiable, especially at end-of-quarter. Discounts of 20–40% on list price are common. Multi-year commits unlock larger discounts. Competing quotes from Seamless or Clay are effective leverage. On the Global Data add-on ($9,995/yr list): a single ask has yielded discounts as high as 75% — always negotiate this separately before signing.

Clay

Clay pricing is fairly fixed on self-serve plans. Enterprise contracts are negotiable with multi-year commits and volume. Competing quotes from ZoomInfo and Seamless are the most effective leverage on enterprise deals — similar price range makes the threat credible.

Which should you choose?

The right choice depends on your team size, workflow, and priorities. A few context-specific scenarios:

If you need flexibility to cancel or adjust, Clay offers month-to-month options — ZoomInfo requires an annual commitment.

Data quality, deliverability, and coverage vary by region and use case — these comparisons are based on pricing structure only. Evaluate both tools on a trial before committing.

Full ZoomInfo pricing →Full Clay pricing →

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ZoomInfo

Clay

Starting price

$3,000/yr

$185/mo

Pricing model

Quote Only

Credit-Based

Free trial

✓ Yes

Annual only

⚠ Yes

✓ No

Plans

4 tiers

3 tiers

Hidden costs

6 flagged

3 flagged

Last verified

March 6, 2026

March 11, 2026

Plan breakdown

ZoomInfo

Basic

$3,000

/yr · 1 user, annual contract — cannot add users or credits

Professional

$14,995

/yr · annual contract, 1–3 users

Advanced

$21,995

/yr · annual contract

Elite

$32,995

/yr · annual contract

Clay

Launch

$185

/mo · month-to-month — annual discount available

Growth

$495

/mo · month-to-month — annual discount available

Enterprise

Custom

· custom actions and data credits — contact sales

Hidden costs

ZoomInfo — 6 flagged

Basic is a teaser tier

Credit overages

Intent data requires Advanced tier

Buyer intent signals are not available on Basic or Professional. You need Advanced ($21,995/yr) or Elite to access them — locking out the two lowest tiers.

Global Data add-on

Renewal increases

AI Copilot

AI features require Elite tier or a separate purchase. Not bundled into lower plans.

Clay — 3 flagged

Two separate credit systems

Clay now charges for actions (workflow runs) and data credits (provider lookups) separately. You can exhaust one without touching the other. Budget for both independently.

Data credit cost varies by provider

Not all enrichments cost the same number of data credits. A basic email lookup costs less than a mobile number from a premium provider. Credit burn is unpredictable until you learn the platform.

Steep learning curve

Clay requires significant setup time — users report 2–4 weeks before getting full value. That time cost is real even if it doesn't appear on an invoice.

Negotiation intel

ZoomInfo

Clay

Which should you choose?

The right choice depends on your team size, workflow, and priorities. A few context-specific scenarios:

If you need flexibility to cancel or adjust, Clay offers month-to-month options — ZoomInfo requires an annual commitment.

Data quality, deliverability, and coverage vary by region and use case — these comparisons are based on pricing structure only. Evaluate both tools on a trial before committing.