clay alternative
Know what a lead costs before you run it.
Clay bills credits per enrichment step across providers you configure. Clinqu is a flat plan with a CRM included from $39.
What we recommend
Switch if you are a small team who wants leads, not a pipeline to build.
Clay is a workflow tool, and it rewards someone who owns the build. If nobody on your team wants that job, its depth is a cost rather than a feature.
Don't use Clinqu if: you have someone who thinks in enrichment waterfalls and wants that control. Clay is the better tool for them, and it is not close.
the difference that decides it
Two things actually differ.
Both find you leads. What differs is who assembles the machine, and what a run costs.
| Clay | Clinqu | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of a run | Credits per step, per provider | Flat plan, credits shown upfront |
| Who builds it | You, per workflow | Nobody. It ships assembled |
| CRM | From about $446/mo | Included from $39/mo |
moving across
Three steps to switch.
Nothing to rebuild. The searches you care about are one form each.
-
Describe who you sell to
In a sentence, in your own words. No table to configure and no providers to pick.
no build step -
Get audited businesses back
Each one arrives scored, with the evidence behind it and a suggested opening.
leads, not enriched rows -
Work them in the CRM you already have
It is included, so there is no second tool and no second bill.
one place, one price
on credits
A price you can quote a client.
The recurring complaint about credit systems is not the price, it is not knowing the price until after the run. Clinqu shows the cost before you start and does not multiply it across providers, which is what makes it quotable in a retainer.
clay alternative: questions
FAQs, answered plainly.
Is Clinqu cheaper than Clay?
Clinqu's Starter plan is $39/month with a built-in CRM included. Clay's cheapest paid plan is $185/month, with CRM integration requiring the ~$495/month Growth tier. For a small agency running Clay + a separate CRM, Clinqu replaces both from $39/month.
What is Clay's credit system and why do users complain about it?
Clay meters usage in credits, charged per enrichment run. A widely reported pain point is being charged for enrichment attempts even when no usable result returns, so costs vary month to month. Clinqu shows the credit cost of each action before you run it.
Does Clinqu have a CRM built in?
Yes, from the $39/month Starter plan. Pipeline stages, follow-up reminders, and automatic stage updates when a monitored lead changes. Clay isn't a CRM; CRM integrations are gated behind higher tiers.
What is Clinqu better at than Clay for local lead generation?
Clay's Maps provider retrieves one geography per query, so multi-city campaigns mean many separate paid queries. Clinqu searches multiple regions in one flow, then audits each result.
Can I migrate my Clay tables to Clinqu?
Yes. Export your Clay table as CSV and import it into Clinqu. Each company is re-audited live and monitored going forward, so a one-time enrichment snapshot becomes a living list.
When would Clay still be the better choice?
If you run complex custom enrichment workflows across many providers: waterfalling enrichers, GTM engineering automations. Clay's depth there is real and Clinqu doesn't replicate it. Clinqu fits when you want found → audited → pipelined leads without building the workflow yourself.
Credits you can quote a client.
Flat plans, the cost shown before a run, and the CRM included from $39.
Find leads free