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Watcher API Is live! Real-time signals on key people & accounts
Track promotions, job changes, and funding rounds the moment they happen
Watcher API Is live! Real-time signals on key people & accounts
The Best
Clay Alternative
Built for Automated Workflows
The Best
Clay Alternative
Built for
Automated Workflows
The Best
Clay Alternative
Built for
Automated Workflows
Clay is a UI-first platform designed for manually building lead lists in spreadsheets.
Crustdata is an API-first data infrastructure built for automated workflows and AI agents.
Clay is a UI-first platform designed for manually building lead lists in spreadsheets.
Crustdata is an API-first data infrastructure built for automated workflows and AI agents.
If you're building internal GTM tools, custom enrichment engines, scaling autonomous agents, or embedding data into your product, Clay's table-based approach becomes a bottleneck. Here's why technical teams are making the switch.
If you're building internal GTM tools, custom enrichment engines, scaling autonomous agents, or embedding data into your product, Clay's table-based approach becomes a bottleneck. Here's why technical teams are making the switch.
“
“
I really want to rip out Clay entirely from the stack and build my own agent that I could just drop into a customer's environment. The founders would prefer something that wasn't based around a UI.
Technical Growth Consultant for AI Companies
Technical Growth Consultant for AI Companies
Comparison Overview
Clay works well for manual list building and enrichment in spreadsheets. But when teams need to build automated workflows, event-driven systems, or AI agents, Clay's table-based architecture becomes a bottleneck.
Capability
Capability
Clay
Clay
Crustdata
Crustdata
Primary Interface
Primary Interface
Table-based UI
Table-based UI
API-first infrastructure
API-first infrastructure
Data Source
Data Source
Aggregator (sits on top of
100+ providers)
Aggregator (sits on top of
100+ providers)
Primary indexer (direct
from web)
Primary indexer (direct
from web)
Freshness
Freshness
Mostly weeks/months old cached databases based on underlying data provider
Mostly weeks/months old cached databases based on underlying data provider
Real-time web crawling
or data
Real-time web crawling
or data
Best for
Best for
Manual list building by
humans
Manual list building by
humans
Integration into automated workflows & AI agents
Integration into automated workflows & AI agents
Enrichment Quality
Enrichment Quality
30-40% require re-verification*
30-40% require re-verification*
Realtime enrichment and accuracy from 10+ sources
Realtime enrichment and accuracy from 10+ sources
API Access
API Access
Limited webhook support
Limited webhook support
Full REST API with comprehensive endpoints
Full REST API with comprehensive endpoints
*Based on customer reports: "Every time you use their Find People function, you have to also run enrichment. Typically you see 30 or 40% of the people found, don't actually work where they are found"
*Based on customer reports: "Every time you use their Find People function, you have to also run enrichment. Typically you see 30 or 40% of the people found, don't actually work where they are found"
Tables vs APIs: Architecture
Comparison
Clay's table-based interface works for manual workflows, but breaks down when you need to build automated systems, respond to real-time events, or embed enrichment into your product.
Dimension
Dimension
Clay (Table-First)
Clay (Table-First)
Crustdata (API-First)
Crustdata (API-First)
Interface
Interface
Spreadsheet-like UI with columns and rows
Spreadsheet-like UI with columns and rows
REST API returning JSON
REST API returning JSON
Workflow Creation
Workflow Creation
Click through UI and
configure table columns
Click through UI and
configure table columns
Write code with custom
logic
Write code with custom
logic
External
Triggers
External
Triggers
Requires manual input - cannot respond to external events automatically
Requires manual input - cannot respond to external events automatically
Responds to external events (such as CRM actions) automatically
Responds to external events (such as CRM actions) automatically
Conditional
Logic
Conditional
Logic
Limited to pre-defined
table filters
Limited to pre-defined
table filters
Full programmatic control
Full programmatic control
Product Embedding
Product Embedding
Cannot embed tables into your product
Cannot embed tables into your product
Native API integration into any application
Native API integration into any application
Agent Compatibility
Agent Compatibility
AI agents cannot operate spreadsheet UIs
AI agents cannot operate spreadsheet UIs
Built for autonomous agents (JSON inputs and outputs)
Built for autonomous agents (JSON inputs and outputs)
Custom Workflows
Custom Workflows
Constrained by table structure
Constrained by table structure
Unlimited custom logic in your codebase
Unlimited custom logic in your codebase
“
“
I hate interacting with Clay tables. Now with Claude Code, I'd rather just build all this myself. Why ever log into Clay?
Founder of a Government Analytics Platform
Suitability for Agentic Workflows
AI agents need real-time data, programmatic control, and consistent schemas to operate autonomously. Clay's human-first design creates fundamental limitations for agent-based workflows.
Dimension
Dimension
What Agents Need
What Agents Need
Clay
Clay
Crustdata
Crustdata
Data Format
Data Format
JSON via APIs (not spreadsheets)
JSON via APIs (not spreadsheets)
Table-based UI
Table-based UI
Native REST APIs returning JSON
Native REST APIs returning JSON
Realtime vs Cached
React to what changed now, not weeks ago
React to what changed now, not weeks ago
Cached databases from providers
Cached databases from providers
Real-time web crawling + optional cached database
Real-time web crawling + optional cached database
API-Native
API-Native
Programmatic inputs, no UI
Programmatic inputs, no UI
Optimized for humans in UI
Optimized for humans in UI
Built API-first for programmatic access
Built API-first for programmatic access
Rate Limits & Infrastructure
Rate Limits & Infrastructure
High limits for large scale agentic workflows
High limits for large scale agentic workflows
Dependent on underlying providers
Dependent on underlying providers
Internal handling of infrastructure and rate limits
Internal handling of infrastructure and rate limits
Pricing Model
Pricing Model
Predictable API costs that scale with usage
Predictable API costs that scale with usage
Credit-based with variable provider costs
Credit-based with variable provider costs
Predictable, direct per-call pricing
Predictable, direct per-call pricing
Data Consistency
Data Consistency
Single normalized schema agents can rely on
Single normalized schema agents can rely on
Varies by provider being called
Varies by provider being called
Unified schema across all endpoints
Unified schema across all endpoints
Coverage Model
Coverage Model
Access any profile on-demand
Access any profile on-demand
Fixed database coverage from providers
Fixed database coverage from providers
On-demand discovery (any public profile)
On-demand discovery (any public profile)
Autonomous Operation
Autonomous Operation
Can operate without human intervention
Can operate without human intervention
Requires human to manage tables
Requires human to manage tables
Fully autonomous via code
Fully autonomous via code
Data Quality & Freshness Comparison
Clay aggregates from 100+ providers that may contain stale cached databases.
Crustdata is a Clay alternative that crawls verified sources directly in real-time, ensuring you get current, accurate data every time.
Dimension
Dimension
Clay
Clay
Crustdata
Crustdata
Data Source Model
Data Source Model
Aggregator (sits on top of 50+ providers)
Aggregator (sits on top of 50+ providers)
Primary indexer (scrapes sources directly)
Primary indexer (scrapes sources directly)
Data Collection
Data Collection
Buys from data vendors who maintain databases
Buys from data vendors who maintain databases
Owns scraping infrastructure, collects firsthand
Owns scraping infrastructure, collects firsthand
Freshness
Freshness
Cached databases refreshed on provider schedules (weeks/months old)
Cached databases refreshed on provider schedules (weeks/months old)
Real-time scraping at moment of query (seconds old)
Real-time scraping at moment of query (seconds old)
Accuracy Issues
Accuracy Issues
30-40% of "Find People" results need re-verification
30-40% of "Find People" results need re-verification
Realtime enrichment and accuracy
Realtime enrichment and accuracy
Data Coverage
Data Coverage
Limited to pre-indexed databases from providers
Limited to pre-indexed databases from providers
On-demand discovery (can pull any profile from the web in real-time)
On-demand discovery (can pull any profile from the web in real-time)
Schema Consistency
Schema Consistency
Varies based on underlying provider used
Varies based on underlying provider used
Unified, normalized schema across all endpoints
Unified, normalized schema across all endpoints
Pricing Comparison
Clay aggregates data from 100+ providers, each with different credit costs, making it difficult to forecast your monthly spend.
Crustdata charges a flat rate per API call allowing you to calculate your costs with simple math: calls × price per credit.
Dimension
Dimension
Clay
Clay
Crustdata
Crustdata
Pricing Model
Pricing Model
Credit-based consumption across multiple providers
Credit-based consumption across multiple providers
Simple per-call API pricing
Simple per-call API pricing
Credit Variability
Credit Variability
Different providers charge different credit amounts
Different providers charge different credit amounts
Flat rate per endpoint type
Flat rate per endpoint type
Predictability
Predictability
Unpredictable costs - varies by which data providers are used
Unpredictable costs - varies by which data providers are used
Predictable costs - simple calculation (number of calls × fixed price/credit)
Predictable costs - simple calculation (number of calls × fixed price/credit)
When Should I Use Crustdata Instead of Clay
Clay and Crustdata serve different workflows. Clay is a good fit for manual enrichment and list building for teams who need a visual, no-code interface.
Crustdata is ideal for teams building automated systems, AI agents, and workflows that need to operate without human intervention.
Here's how to decide:
Scenario / Need
Scenario / Need
Clay
Clay
Crustdata
Crustdata
Fully autonomous
agents doing outbound
Fully autonomous
agents doing outbound
Limited (UI bottleneck, manual
steps)
Limited (UI bottleneck, manual
steps)
Best fit (API-first, built for agents)
Best fit (API-first, built for agents)
SDRs manually building and reviewing lead lists
SDRs manually building and reviewing lead lists
Best fit (spreadsheet-like UI, enrichment)
Best fit (spreadsheet-like UI, enrichment)
As an underlying data source if you need extra signals
As an underlying data source if you need extra signals
Non-technical teams
running campaigns
Non-technical teams
running campaigns
Ideal (no-code, visual workflows)
Ideal (no-code, visual workflows)
Indirectly, via tools that call the API
Indirectly, via tools that call the API
Always-on monitoring for
triggers and events
Always-on monitoring for
triggers and events
Not designed for continuous polling
Not designed for continuous polling
Best fit (real-time triggers, webhooks)
Best fit (real-time triggers, webhooks)
Product / platform
embedding data directly
Product / platform
embedding data directly
Possible but not native focus
Possible but not native focus
Best fit (APIs, webhooks, infra handled)
Best fit (APIs, webhooks, infra handled)
Needing one UI to coordinate
many tools
Needing one UI to coordinate
many tools
Strong fit
Strong fit
Complementary as a data source behind Clay
Complementary as a data source behind Clay
Building custom workflows
with conditional logic
Building custom workflows
with conditional logic
Limited by table structure
Limited by table structure
Best fit (full programmatic control)
Best fit (full programmatic control)
Real-time data for
decision-making
Real-time data for
decision-making
Not ideal. Depends on underlying data provider
Not ideal. Depends on underlying data provider
Best fit (live web crawling)
Best fit (live web crawling)
Need large scale
enrichments
Need large scale
enrichments
Gets expensive + labor intensive (table management, re-verification, exports)
Gets expensive + labor intensive (table management, re-verification, exports)
Predictable costs + automation scales without adding headcount
Predictable costs + automation scales without adding headcount
Can I use Crustdata if I'm not a developer?
Can I use Crustdata if I'm not a developer?
Can I use Crustdata if I'm not a developer?
Do you offer a database download like Clay?
Do you offer a database download like Clay?
Do you offer a database download like Clay?
What if I need historical data, not just current?
What if I need historical data, not just current?
What if I need historical data, not just current?
Do you verify emails?
Do you verify emails?
Do you verify emails?
How fast is real-time enrichment?
How fast is real-time enrichment?
How fast is real-time enrichment?
Can I use both Clay and Crustdata?
Can I use both Clay and Crustdata?
Can I use both Clay and Crustdata?
What if I only need 100 enrichments per month?
What if I only need 100 enrichments per month?
What if I only need 100 enrichments per month?
What is a good substitute for Clay?
What is a good substitute for Clay?
What is a good substitute for Clay?
Products
Popular Use Cases
95 Third Street, 2nd Floor, San Francisco,
California 94103, United States of America
© 2026 Crustdata Inc.
Products
Popular Use Cases
95 Third Street, 2nd Floor, San Francisco,
California 94103, United States of America
© 2025 CrustData Inc.
Products
Popular Use Cases
95 Third Street, 2nd Floor, San Francisco,
California 94103, United States of America
© 2025 CrustData Inc.