Apify score factors
Editorial quality82
Practical utility88
Trust & transparency85
Freshness88
Engagement quality0
Momentum50
Decision guide · Reviewed Sep 8, 2026 · AI Automation & Workflows, AI Web Scraping & Data Extraction
Apify
76.2
Clay
78.7Choose Apify when you need developers and AI engineers needing managed web scraping, scheduled data collection pipelines, and MCP-ready tools for AI agents. Choose Clay when you need growth and sales operations teams building custom enrichment and outbound pipelines with AI research.
At a glance
The practical differences
| Decision factor | Apify | Clay |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | developers and AI engineers needing managed web scraping, scheduled data collection pipelines, and MCP-ready tools for AI agents | growth and sales operations teams building custom enrichment and outbound pipelines with AI research |
| Not ideal for | non-technical users looking for simple one-off visual screen scrapers without credit-based compute management | individual sellers who want a simple contact database and sequencing in one tool |
| Pricing | At the review date on 2026-09-08, Apify offers a free plan with $5 in monthly platform credits, followed by Starter ($19/mo), Scale ($199/mo), and Business ($999/mo) with pay-as-you-go overage. Costs depend on compute units, storage, and proxies used. Please verify current rates on the official pricing page. | A free plan includes a small monthly credit allowance; Starter, Explorer, Pro, and Enterprise plans add credits and features at the review date, with data providers consuming credits per lookup. Verify current terms on the official pricing page. |
| Key difference | Unlike basic point-and-click scraping extensions, Apify combines a massive store of 69,000+ pre-built Actors with dedicated developer infrastructure, Crawlee open-source libraries, native proxy rotation, anti-blocking mechanisms, and native MCP server support for AI agent execution. | Waterfall enrichment across many providers plus per-row AI research, giving teams programmable prospecting without engineering. |
| Overall rank | #140 | #53 |
| Review verdict | Apify is an excellent choice for developers, data engineers, and AI teams needing reliable, scalable web scraping pipelines with proxy management and MCP support. It is less suited for non-technical users seeking pure visual no-code extraction without dealing with compute credits or proxy configurations. | Excellent for teams that want control over data quality and personalisation at scale. Credit costs and the learning curve mean casual users should start with simpler prospecting tools. |
Clay score factors
Editorial quality84
Practical utility86
Trust & transparency80
Freshness88
Engagement quality3
Momentum100
Apify strengths
- Marketplace with over 69,000 ready-to-run scrapers for major web platforms
- Built-in anti-blocking, unblockers, and residential/datacenter proxy pools
- Direct MCP support allowing LLM agents and clients to call scraping tools
- Robust open-source ecosystem powered by Crawlee with JS and Python templates
Clay strengths
- Unmatched provider coverage
- Powerful AI per-row research
- Flexible integrations
- Free plan to learn
Frequently asked
Apify vs Clay
Should I choose Apify or Clay?+
Choose Apify when you need developers and AI engineers needing managed web scraping, scheduled data collection pipelines, and MCP-ready tools for AI agents. Choose Clay when you need growth and sales operations teams building custom enrichment and outbound pipelines with AI research. ToolsRank scores Apify 76.2 and Clay 78.7; the gap reflects editorial quality, utility, trust, and freshness, not popularity or payment.
Is Apify cheaper than Clay?+
Apify: At the review date on 2026-09-08, Apify offers a free plan with $5 in monthly platform credits, followed by Starter ($19/mo), Scale ($199/mo), and Business ($999/mo) with pay-as-you-go overage. Costs depend on compute units, storage, and proxies used. Please verify current rates on the official pricing page. Clay: A free plan includes a small monthly credit allowance; Starter, Explorer, Pro, and Enterprise plans add credits and features at the review date, with data providers consuming credits per lookup. Verify current terms on the official pricing page. Compare the plan you would actually use and verify current prices on each vendor's pricing page before purchasing.
Which is better for ai automation & workflows?+
Clay currently scores higher for ai automation & workflows work. Apify remains the stronger pick when your priority is developers and AI engineers needing managed web scraping, scheduled data collection pipelines, and MCP-ready tools for AI agents. Avoid Clay if you are individual sellers who want a simple contact database and sequencing in one tool.
Can I use Apify and Clay together?+
Yes. Apify stands out for unlike basic point-and-click scraping extensions, Apify combines a massive store of 69,000+ pre-built Actors with dedicated developer infrastructure, Crawlee open-source libraries, native proxy rotation, anti-blocking mechanisms, and native MCP server support for AI agent execution. Clay stands out for waterfall enrichment across many providers plus per-row AI research, giving teams programmable prospecting without engineering. Pairing them makes sense when one workflow needs both strengths; otherwise pick the tool that matches your primary job.