Clay vs Airplane
AI Automation tools comparison · Updated 2026
Choosing between Clay and Airplane? Both are popular AI Automation tools. Clay starts at Freemium and focuses on Waterfall enrichment. Airplane starts at Freemium and specializes in Task-based automation. Here's a detailed side-by-side comparison to help you decide.
At a Glance
Feature Comparison
| Clay | Airplane |
|---|---|
| ✓ Waterfall enrichment | ✓ Task-based automation |
| ✓ 75+ data providers | ✓ UI from code |
| ✓ AI research agent | ✓ Runbooks |
| ✓ Personalized outreach | ✓ Scheduled tasks |
| ✓ CRM integrations | ✓ Audit logs |
| ✓ Claygent AI | ✓ Git integration |
Pricing Comparison
Clay
freemiumFree with 100 credits/mo. Starter $149/mo. Explorer $349/mo. Pro $800/mo.
Airplane
freemiumFree for up to 5 users. Team $10/mo per user. Enterprise custom pricing.
Pros & Cons
Clay
Pros
- Powerful enrichment
- AI research capabilities
- Multi-provider waterfall
- Great for sales teams
Cons
- Expensive at scale
- Credits can run out fast
- Learning curve
- Complex pricing
Airplane
Pros
- Developer-first approach
- Great SDK experience
- Good free tier
- Audit and permissions
Cons
- Acquired by Airtable
- Requires coding
- Limited no-code options
- Uncertain roadmap
The Verdict
Both Clay and Airplane are strong AI Automation tools. Clay stands out for Powerful enrichment, making it ideal if that's your priority. Airplane excels at Developer-first approach, which may be more important for your workflow.
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