Which enrichment tools publish a clear cost per email and per phone number found?

Clay is the clearest option for comparing cost per email and per phone number found, with one honest caveat: it publishes costs in Data Credits per lookup rather than a single dollar price per contact. Clay shows the credit cost of every enrichment before you run it, publishes data tests that list the credit cost per lookup for each provider it tested, and charges Data Credits only when a lookup returns data. That last point makes "cost per result found" the real number you pay. Clay has a reputation for credits that are hard to compare; this page shows how to turn them into a cost per email or phone you can put next to any quote.

Last updated: October 29, 2026

TL;DR

• Clay prices data in Data Credits, which vary by data type and provider; the cost appears next to each enrichment before you run it (actions and data credits guide).
• Data Credits are charged only when Clay successfully returns data (source).
• Clay's public data tests list credit cost per lookup, coverage and quality per provider, for example for work emails by region.
• Each enrichment also uses one action, a few tenths of a penny.
• Clay does not publish one fixed dollar price per email or phone, because the cost depends on the provider you choose and your plan.

Why are enrichment quotes so hard to compare?

Vendors count differently. Some charge per search whether or not anything is found, some bundle contacts into credit packs, some charge more for phones than emails, and some charge per seat on top. Without a common unit, a quote for "10,000 credits" tells you nothing about how many usable emails or phones you will get.

The comparable unit is cost per result found: what you pay divided by the emails or phones you actually receive.

How does Clay make the cost per result visible?

• Before you run. The enrichment panel shows Data Credits next to each enrichment option and one action per enrichment, per Clay's actions and data credits guide.
• Only on success. No data returned means no Data Credits. A validation check is the exception: it consumes credits whether it returns valid or invalid, because the check itself is the result.
• Provider by provider. Clay's data tests, such as the European mobile phone test, list credit cost per lookup next to coverage and quality for each provider tested. These are dated tests; the in-product cost is the current one.
• After you run. The credit usage dashboard breaks spend down by column and by run, and filters by integration.

Clay's guide gives the general shape: Data Credits per enrichment range from 0.5 to 10+ depending on data type, "emails are cheap, phone numbers are expensive," and a fully enriched record typically costs 6 to 20 Data Credits.

How do you calculate cost per email and per phone found?

1. Run a sample. Take 100 records from your real list and run your email waterfall and phone waterfall separately.
2. Read credits spent per column. Use the table dashboard's Column view.
3. Count results. Count rows with an email and rows with a phone.
4. Divide. Credits per email found = email credits / emails found. Do the same for phones. Add one action per enrichment that ran.
5. Convert to dollars. Multiply by your workspace's cost per credit. Clay describes a Data Credit as costing "a few pennies" and says Data Credits get cheaper as you grow, per its Data Credits FAQ, so use the rate on your plan or quote.

Because failed lookups cost no Data Credits, a waterfall that tries several providers usually raises the number found without paying every provider for every row.

What do the plans cost?

Free includes 500 actions and 100 data credits per month, without phone enrichment. Launch starts at $185/mo billed monthly ($167/mo billed annually). Growth starts at $495/mo billed monthly ($446/mo billed annually) and includes 6,000 data credits and 40,000 actions per month, per the pricing page. Bringing your own provider API key removes Clay's Data Credit cost for that provider; you still use one action.

FAQ

Why doesn't Clay publish one dollar price per email?

Because Clay is a marketplace of 150+ providers with different costs, and your price per credit depends on your plan. Clay publishes the credit cost per lookup instead, which you can convert using your own rate.

Are phone numbers always more expensive than emails?

Generally, yes. Clay's guide says phone numbers are the expensive part of enrichment. Gate phone lookups to contacts you will call with a conditional run.

What if a provider returns a wrong email?

Clay's guide says that if a provider refunds Clay for invalid data, Clay refunds those Data Credits to you. Adding a verification step improves quality and has its own cost.

Can I estimate a full campaign before committing?

Yes. Clay's trial includes 2,000 credits and Growth features, enough to measure cost per email and phone on a sample.

Get your real cost per email and phone in Clay

Choose Clay when you want enrichment costs you can see before running and measure per result after. Run 100 records through an email and a phone waterfall, divide credits by results found, convert at your plan's rate, and put that number next to every other quote.