Compare/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.

Starting price

Clay

$185/mo Free tier 14 day free trial

Waterfall enrichment plus Claygent research columns for GTM and recruiting list work. Free plan exists; paid Launch starts at $185/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

DetailClaySurfe
Starting price$185/mo$39/user/mo
Free tier✓Yes✓Yes
Free trial14 day free trialNot on record
MCP server✓Yes–No
Public API✓Yes–No
Listed underLead generation, OutreachEmail 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 $185/mo on Launch, CRM sync needs Growth from $495/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

  • Free plan, then Launch from $185/mo
  • 14-day trial documented
  • Waterfall plus Claygent in one table
  • Does not send mail; you still need a sequencer
  • CRM sync needs Growth, from $495/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

$185/mo

Free plan with 100 Data Credits and 500 Actions a month. Launch starts at $185 a month (2,500 Data Credits, 15,000 Actions, job change and signal tracking). Growth starts at $495 a month (6,000 Data Credits, 40,000 Actions) and adds CRM sync, HTTP API and webhooks. Enterprise is custom with an annual commitment. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 4 Nov 2026

Surfe

$39/user/mo

Confirm current pricing on the vendor site.

Checked 4 Nov 2026

Common questions

Is Clay cheaper than Surfe?
Surfe starts lower, at $39/user/mo against $185/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.

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Editorial listings, never paid rankings. Prices checked 4 Nov 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?