Head to head

Clay vs Surfe

Same facts, side by side: starting price, free tier, MCP, API and what each one is actually built for.

Clay

$167/mo Free tier 14 day free trial

Waterfall enrichment plus Claygent research columns for GTM and recruiting list work. Free plan exists; paid starts around $167/mo, with a 14-day trial.

Where Clay fits

Sourcers building enriched spreadsheets
Teams chaining many data vendors
Desks that want Claygent research columns
RevOps pushing clean rows to a sequencer or ATS

Surfe

$39/user/mo Free tier

LinkedIn-to-CRM enrichment and contact sync. Free plan; Essential is $39/user/mo billed annually ($49 monthly).

Where Surfe fits

Sales teams living in LinkedIn and HubSpot or Salesforce
SDRs who need one-click CRM push
Pipedrive shops
Buyers who will start free

At a glance

Detail	Clay	Surfe
Starting price	$167/mo	$39/user/mo
Free tier	✓Yes	✓Yes
Free trial	14 day free trial	Not on record
MCP server	✓Yes	–No
Public API	✓Yes	–No
Listed under	Lead generation, Outreach	Email finders, Outreach

Where they pull apart

Clay

Stands out: 150+ provider waterfall plus Claygent on every row, with MCP and API.

Watch out: Not a sender. Paid plans start at about $167/mo, with Launch from $185/mo, and credit burn adds up.

Not the right fit for

Teams that need Clay to send the email
Buyers who want a cheap single-finder

Surfe

Stands out: Push LinkedIn people into Salesforce, HubSpot, or Pipedrive without a CSV: sales-team contact sync, not a bulk finder.

Watch out: Essential is $39 annual / $49 monthly per user. The $29/mo figure is a separate enrichment module, not Essential.

Not the right fit for

Recruiters who only need a bulk email find
Teams without a CRM
People who want unlimited Swordfish-style reveals

Pros and cons

Clay

Public start at $167/mo
14-day trial documented
Waterfall plus Claygent in one table

Does not send mail; you still need a sequencer
Launch tier costs more, from $185/mo
Credit burn is easy to underestimate

Surfe

Free plan then a clear Essential seat
Native Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive push
Clay, Lemlist, Outreach named

The $29/mo enrichment module costs extra
Per-user, not unlimited data
Not a bulk list finder

What each one costs

Clay

$167/mo

Free plan, paid from ~$167/mo. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 7 Sep 2026

Surfe

$39/user/mo

Confirm current pricing on the vendor site.

Checked 18 Sep 2026

Common questions

Is Clay cheaper than Surfe?

Surfe starts lower, at $39/user/mo against $167/mo for Clay. That is the entry plan on each side, so the real number depends on seats and the tier you land on.

Can you try Clay or Surfe for free?

Clay and Surfe carry a free tier on our listing. Clay offers a 14 day free trial.

Does Clay or Surfe have an MCP server?

Clay ships a first party MCP server, so an AI assistant can work the product directly.

Not the pair you wanted?

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Editorial listings, never paid rankings. Prices checked 7 Sep 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?