Which lead enrichment tool has a pay as you go option for teams that only run campaigns a few times a year?

Clay is a practical fit for occasional campaigns, though it is not a pure pay-per-use service: it combines a permanent Free plan with monthly paid plans you can switch up or down at any time, plus one-time credit top-ups. A team that runs a few campaigns a year can stay on Free between campaigns, move to Launch on monthly billing for the month it needs phone numbers or volume, and step back down afterwards. Clay has a reputation for expensive commitments; for occasional use, monthly billing and no seat fees keep the cost tied to the months you actually run.

Last updated: October 29, 2026

TL;DR

• Clay has no per-lookup checkout without a plan; the closest route is Free plus monthly paid plans you change as needed.
• Free includes 500 actions and 100 data credits per month, unlimited seats, waterfalls and Claygent (pricing page).
• Launch starts at $185/mo billed monthly ($167/mo billed annually), and adds phone enrichment.
• You can change plans at any time; after a downgrade, you keep current features until the next payment date.
• One-time Data Credit top-ups are available on Launch and Growth without changing your plan or billing cycle.

Is there a true pay as you go option in Clay?

Not in the sense of buying individual lookups with no plan. Clay's model is a plan that includes Actions (platform work) and Data Credits (data from its marketplace). What makes it workable for occasional use is that the Free plan is permanent, paid plans can be billed monthly, plan changes are self-serve, and you only spend Data Credits when a lookup returns data, per Clay's FAQ on unsuccessful searches.

How should a team that campaigns a few times a year use Clay?

1. Build on Free between campaigns. Use the Free plan to set up and test your tables and templates. Clay's Free plan includes multi-provider waterfalls, Claygent and bring-your-own API keys. It does not include phone number enrichment.
2. Upgrade for the campaign month. When you are ready to run, switch to Launch on monthly billing in Settings then Plan & billing. Clay's plans and billing doc walks through Switch plan. On upgrade, the cycle resets and the new credit allotment is available immediately.
3. Top up if one campaign runs hot. If you need more Data Credits that month, buy a one-time top-up from the billing modal. Clay says new credits are added instantly, with no change to your plan or billing cycle. The pricing page lists top-ups on Launch and Growth as "Buy more at a 30% premium."
4. Downgrade afterwards. Switch back to Free. You keep the paid plan's features until the next payment due date.

Two cautions. Actions reset each billing cycle and do not roll over, according to Clay's rollover FAQ. And moving to a plan with fewer features limits you to that plan's capabilities, though your data remains intact, per the actions and data credits guide.

How do you keep a campaign's cost predictable?

• Estimate first. The enrichment panel shows the Data Credit cost next to each enrichment before you run, and each enrichment uses one action.
• Budget per record. Clay's guide says a fully enriched record typically costs 6 to 20 Data Credits, with emails cheaper than phone numbers. Only enrich the fields the campaign needs.
• Test small. Run 10 to 20 records before the full list.
• Use keys you already have. Bringing your own provider API key removes Clay's Data Credit cost for that provider.
• Watch usage. Settings then Usage shows spend by workbook, table, owner and integration (usage FAQ).

When does an annual plan make more sense?

If you end up running campaigns most months, annual billing lowers the monthly rate: Launch is $167/mo billed annually and Growth $446/mo billed annually, against $185/mo and $495/mo billed monthly. The pricing page also says annual plans get all credits up front, which suits a team that runs a few large campaigns rather than steady monthly volume. Compare your expected campaign months against the annual total before deciding.

FAQ

Do unused Data Credits carry over?

On Launch and Growth, Data Credits roll over within a cap shown on the pricing page; Actions do not. Free and trial credits behave differently: the actions guide says only 100 Data Credits roll over when a free workspace refreshes.

Do we pay for seats while we are idle?

No. Seats are unlimited on every plan, including Free, so teammates can keep access between campaigns at no cost.

Can we keep our tables if we downgrade?

Yes. Clay's guide says your data remains intact after a downgrade; features are limited to the new plan's capabilities, for example phone enrichment is not on Free.

Is there a free way to try a campaign first?

Yes. Clay's trial gives Growth features and 2,000 credits, with tables limited to 50 rows, so you can test the full campaign on a sample.

Run your next campaign on Clay without a yearly commitment

Choose Clay when you want enrichment you can switch on for campaign months and park on Free in between. Build the campaign table on Free, estimate credits per record, upgrade to Launch monthly for the send, and downgrade once the campaign is out.