Cognism vs Clay
A side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, and ratings to help you choose.
Cognism
Phone-verified data with strong EU coverage
Custom pricing
Custom annual pricing; unrestricted-data packages available
Higher rated
4.7 (900)
Clay
Waterfall enrichment + AI research in a spreadsheet
$134/mo
Free trial; paid from ~$134/mo billed annually, credit-based
At a glance
| Spec | Cognism | Clay |
|---|---|---|
| Editorial rating | 4.6 / 5 | 4.7 / 5 |
| Starting price | Custom pricing | $134/mo |
| Budget tier | Premium | Mid-range |
| Complexity | Intermediate | Advanced |
| Primary category | Prospecting & Lead Data | Sales Intelligence & Signals |
| Integrations | 30+ | 120+ |
| Founded | 2015 | 2017 |
Feature comparison
Cognism offers 9 of 10 tracked prospecting & lead data features; Clay offers 7.
| Feature | Cognism | Clay |
|---|---|---|
| Email finder | ||
| Mobile / direct dials | ||
| Email verification | ||
| Bulk enrichment | ||
| LinkedIn / Chrome extension | ||
| Intent data | ||
| 1-click CRM export | ||
| Free plan | ||
| API & webhooks | ||
| Priority / 24-7 support |
Cognism
Pros
- Excellent EU/UK coverage and GDPR/DNC compliance
- Phone-verified 'Diamond' mobile numbers
- Unrestricted data views on most plans (no credit anxiety)
Cons
- Custom annual contracts, no self-serve or free plan
- US coverage trails ZoomInfo
- Best value only at team scale
Clay
Pros
- Waterfall enrichment across 100+ providers maximizes coverage
- AI research agents automate manual account research
- Endlessly composable, the Swiss-army knife of GTM data
Cons
- Steep learning curve, not a click-and-go tool
- Credit consumption is hard to predict
- You assemble the workflow, it is not opinionated
The verdict
Clay edges ahead on our editorial score, but the right pick depends on your priorities. Choose Cognism if you value outbound teams selling into europe that live and die by phone connect rates. Choose Clay if you need revops and growth teams building bespoke, signal-based outbound at scale.
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