Compare/Head to head

Clera vs Wellfound

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

Starting price

Clera

Success fee on hire

Clera is an AI talent agent for startups that finds candidates who fit, asks them first, and introduces you only to the ones who say yes. You pay nothing until you hire, then 15% of first-year base salary, which undercuts the 20 to 30% agency rate but adds up fast on senior roles.

Where Clera fits

  • VC-backed startups hiring engineers, sales or ops
  • Founders hiring without an in-house recruiter
  • Teams that want to pay only on a hire
  • Companies seeing fake applicants

Wellfound

$135/seat/mo Free tier

Startup and tech jobs, formerly AngelList. Free job posts, with paid ads from $200.

Where Wellfound fits

  • Startups hiring technical people
  • Teams that still recruit early-stage on Wellfound
  • Companies on Greenhouse, Lever, Ashby or Workable
  • Recruiters who want a free post before paying

At a glance

DetailCleraWellfound
Starting priceSuccess fee on hire$135/seat/mo
Free tier–No✓Yes
MCP server✓Yes–No
Public API–No–No
Listed underSourcing, Candidate fraud & AI detectionJob boards
CapterraNot enough reviews4.7 from 35 reviews

Where they pull apart

Clera

Stands out: Every intro is double opt-in: candidates have already told Clera the stage, pace and dealbreakers they want, and agreed to meet you. It also ships a first-party hiring MCP server, so you can search its network, check whether an applicant is a known fake and request intros from Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor or Grok.

Watch out: The fee scales with salary, so a $200,000 hire costs $30,000, far more than a flat sourcing subscription if you hire often. The network leans to startup engineering, sales and ops roles in SF, NYC, London, Berlin, Munich, Stockholm and remote, and MCP access is free only during the beta.

Not the right fit for

  • High-volume or hourly hiring
  • Teams hiring many roles a year on a tight budget
  • Roles outside startup tech hubs

Wellfound

Stands out: A free job post on a board early-stage candidates actually browse.

Watch out: Weak outside early-stage tech, and the paid tiers are a different product from the free post.

Not the right fit for

  • Enterprise hourly hiring
  • Brand campaigns outside the startup world

Pros and cons

Clera

  • No cost until a hire is made
  • Candidates have opted in before you meet
  • First-party MCP server for AI assistants
  • 15% of base gets expensive on senior roles
  • Candidate pool centred on startup tech hubs
  • MCP pricing after beta not yet published

Wellfound

  • Free job posts
  • Startup audience is the product
  • Connects to the major modern trackers
  • Weak outside early-stage tech
  • No API or MCP
  • Paid tiers are a separate product

What each one costs

Clera

Success fee on hire

Clera charges companies a success fee of 15% of the hire's first-year base salary, and nothing before that: no job post fees, no platform or seat fees, no subscription and no retainer. On a $160,000 role that is $24,000. For contract and fractional hires the fee is 15% of total pay across the first 12 months. If a candidate Clera introduces is already in your ATS or an active conversation, the fee is dropped with proof. The MCP server is free to connect for early-access companies during beta. Candidates never pay. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 8 Nov 2026

Wellfound

$135/seat/mo

Job posts are free with unlimited listings, and Job Ads for top placement cost from $200 per ad. Wellfound Reach, the AI sourcing product, has a free Explore tier, Starter at $135 per seat a month, Growth at $199 per seat a month and custom Scale pricing. Autopilot, a dedicated recruiter, is $500 a month per open role plus a 10% placement fee on hire. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 4 Nov 2026

Common questions

Can you try Clera or Wellfound for free?
Wellfound carries a free tier on our listing.
Does Clera or Wellfound have an MCP server?
Clera 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 8 Nov 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?