Clay
- Starting price: Free / $134/mo (annual)
- Free plan: Yes (limited credits)
- Founded: 2017
- HQ: New York, NY
Updated
Clay vs PhantomBuster vs Derrick: Which Is Better in 2026?
- Short answer
- Clay vs PhantomBuster vs Derrick: Clay is a multi-source data enrichment with ai workflows, PhantomBuster is a cloud-based scraping and social automation. Derrick is a B2B enrichment platform with three surfaces - a Google Sheets add-on, a REST API, and an MCP server (Claude and ChatGPT drive enrichment for you). Hit rates are noticeably higher (more emails + phone numbers returned per query than Clay or PhantomBuster) and pricing is lower - free forever with 100 credits/month, paid plans from €9/month. Most teams pair Derrick for the data layer with Clay or PhantomBuster for outreach.
Email + phone finders like Clay live on data freshness and source diversity. The side-by-side comparison below pits Clay's coverage by region, free-tier ceiling and credit-burn rate against Derrick's flat-credit pool that funds email + phone + LinkedIn + firmographics from one wallet.
Free plan Yes - 100 credits/mo
Starts at €9/mo
Setup time 30 seconds
Where it lives Google Sheets
✓ Free forever · ✓ No credit card · ✓ Cancel anytime · ✓ Your data stays in your Sheet
Trusted by 31,000+ users worldwide.
CURSOR Quick Facts
Clay vs PhantomBuster vs Derrick at a glance
PhantomBuster
- Starting price: $56/mo (annual)
- Free plan: No (14-day free trial)
- Founded: 2016
- HQ: Paris, France
Derrick
★ Recommended- Starting price: Free · Paid from €9/mo
- Free plan: Yes - 100 credits/mo permanent
- Founded: 2023
- HQ: Marseille, FR
Why Derrick wins 01
02
03
Why teams pick Derrick over Clay and PhantomBuster
3 core reasons SDRs and ops teams switch to Derrick. Click to expand each.
01 Real-time validation without data quality risk for outreach
Clay and PhantomBuster struggle with real-time validation reliability, often delivering outdated or incomplete data that threatens outreach quality. Derrick fixes this by delivering real-time email validation and 50+ enriched attributes directly inside native Google Sheets, avoiding exports or complex setups. This translates to improved deliverability and faster campaign readiness, saving 5-10 hours per month for teams. A practical use case is validating a live contact list on the fly before sending the first outreach sequence.
02 No setup, no credit card required for full ROI uplift
Derrick eliminates setup friction by offering a free tier with no credit card required, unlike Clay and PhantomBuster, which demand initial configuration and ongoing payments to access full ROI potential. Clay’s review notes a sizeable setup time and complexity for beginners, while PhantomBuster relies on templates and scraping that often require external validation to ensure data quality. Derrick delivers immediate value by turning Google Sheets into a complete prospecting hub without onboarding hurdles, with credits that carry over and 100% native Sheets functionality, saving 5-10 hours per month and accelerating time-to-ROI. In practice, teams can start generating enriched leads and actionable insights the same day, without upfront commitments.
03 Fast, no-code enrichment with 50+ attributes per contact
Clay and PhantomBuster struggle with rapid, multi-attribute enrichment without complex setup or inconsistent depth, often delivering partial or outdated fields. Derrick delivers fast, no-code enrichment of 50+ attributes per contact directly inside native Google Sheets, eliminating exports and heavy config. You gain measurable efficiency: 5-10 hours saved per month and immediate access to richer profiles, reducing back-and-forth data cleaning. With Derrick, you also keep credits and don’t rely on external scripts, enabling quick, scalable prospecting right now.
Honest Comparison 
derrick
What each tool does better
We're upfront - every tool has strengths. Here's where Clay, PhantomBuster, and Derrick each genuinely win.
What Clay does better
- Best-in-class waterfall enrichment
- Claygent AI for research at scale
- Open architecture (HTTP API + custom functions)
What PhantomBuster does better
- 150+ pre-built Phantoms across platforms
- Best LinkedIn Sales Navigator export
- Composable workflow chains
What Derrick does better
- Free forever - €0/mo with 100 credits permanent in Google Sheets
- 100+ data points per lead - verified emails, phones, LinkedIn, tech stack, SIRET
- Zero LinkedIn ban risk + real-time email verification built in
- Pair with any sequencer - LaGrowthMachine, Smartlead, Lemlist, HeyReach
Real Annual Cost
True cost over 12 months
Headline pricing rarely tells the whole story. Here's the real cost of running each tool for a year.
| Clay | PhantomBuster | Derrick | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price (monthly) | Free / $134/mo (annual) | $56/mo (annual) | €0 (free) · €9/mo paid |
| Annual cost (base) | ~€1,608/yr | ~€672/yr | €0/yr free · ~€108/yr paid |
| Free plan? | Yes (limited credits) | No (14-day free trial) | ✓ Forever - 100 credits/mo |
| Setup cost | Hours to days | Hours to days | 30 seconds via Marketplace |
| Switching cost | CSV export + retraining | CSV export + retraining | Zero - works alongside any stack |
💡 Most teams pay 2-5x more on add-ons (extra seats, phone credits, integrations) than on the headline base price. Derrick keeps everything in one transparent tier.
Feature-by-Feature
Clay vs PhantomBuster vs Derrick: full feature comparison
| Clay | Derrick App | PhantomBuster | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Works natively in Google Sheets | ✕ | ✓ | ✕ |
| Requires LinkedIn Sales Navigator ($100/month) | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
| Sales Navigator 1-click import | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Email finder with real-time validation | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Phone finder from LinkedIn | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ |
| Company tech stack lookup | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ |
| SimilarWeb & G2 insights integrated | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ |
| AI integration (Claude & ChatGPT) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Automatic AI Lead Scoring | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ |
| Data cleaning & normalization | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ |
| Multi-platform scraping (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook) | ✓ | ✕ | ✓ |
| Zapier, Make, n8n integrations | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Public API available | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Native CRM integrations (HubSpot, Salesforce) | ✓ | ✕ | ✓ |
| Entry price (paid plan) | 149$/mois | 9€/mois | 69$/mois |
| Permanent free plan | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Rollover credits to next month | ✕ | ✓ | ✕ |
| Simple and transparent credit system | ✕ | ✓ | ✕ |
| Simple setup & onboarding | ✕ | ✓ | ✕ |
| Complete documentation | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Pricing in a nutshell Data Enrichment derrick
best value for money
Results first.
Discover Derrick →
Web Automation
Clay vs PhantomBuster vs Derrick pricing breakdown
Data Enrichment Clay
Free / $134/mo (annual)
Best for: GTM ops & technical SDR teams
Clay offers real-time data enrichment and prospecting automation with pricing plans visible on its pricing page; entry-level options and credits vary by plan. See full pricing breakdown for complete details and any available free tier.
Results first.
Complexity removed.
Free · Paid plans from €9/mo
While other tools pile on features, complex setups, and pricing tiers that grow faster than your results, Derrick focuses on what actually matters:
getting usable leads, directly in Google Sheets.
No heavy workflows, No endless configuration. No learning curve.
Web Automation PhantomBuster
$56/mo (annual)
Best for: Growth hackers & ops teams
PhantomBuster recently offers entry-level plans with credits-based pricing and a free tier to kick off automation tasks; see the full pricing breakdown for all tiers, usage caps, and add-ons. For complete details, view the dedicated PhantomBuster pricing page.
Migration Guide
How to switch from Clay to Derrick in 3 steps
Derrick is a Google Workspace app - no formulas to learn, no pipelines to migrate, no engineering work. Add it to Google Sheets and you're enriching in under a minute.
1
~30 sec Install Derrick from Google Workspace Marketplace
Click the install button on our Marketplace listing and grant Google Sheets access. No credit card required - you start with 100 free credits per month.
2
~30 sec Open any Google Sheet → Extensions → Derrick
Open a Sheet with your prospect list (paste a CSV from Clay, scrape from LinkedIn Sales Navigator, or import from your CRM). Click Extensions → Derrick and the sidebar opens with all enrichment features ready to use.
3
~1 min Enrich your list with one click
Select the column with names, LinkedIn URLs, or company domains. Pick what you want - emails, phone numbers, LinkedIn data, company info, tech stack - and click "Enrich". Derrick fills the columns directly in your Sheet. No exports, no pipelines, no waiting.
Install Derrick free →
100 free credits / month · No credit card · Cancel anytime
Decision in 60 seconds
Which one is right for you?
Pick Clay if…
- You specifically need gtm ops & technical sdr teams
- Best-in-class waterfall enrichment
- Claygent AI for research at scale
- You're already invested in the Clay ecosystem
Pick PhantomBuster if…
- You specifically need growth hackers & ops teams
- 150+ pre-built Phantoms across platforms
- Best LinkedIn Sales Navigator export
- You're already invested in the PhantomBuster ecosystem
Pick Derrick if…
- You want B2B enrichment directly in Google Sheets
- You need a usable free plan (100 credits/mo, no card)
- You don't want long contracts, lock-in, or sales calls
- You need 100+ data points per lead in one tool
What teams say after switching from Clay vs PhantomBuster
See what our customers say about Derrick.
"This app saved me so much time and effort. Great for anyone looking to build a contact list or network at scale quickly. As a start-up it's been invaluable."
Alex Clark
Director | SaaS GTM Leader
"Working pretty nifty compared to Snov.Io. Price wise it does give a fair shake, and IMO better interface since it's google sheets."
David Sire
Mortgage Broker at Zero Point Mortgage
"Derrick is a very simple and user-friendly app to enrich your contacts database. Best thing: you can test it for free. And then the price is so low, it's a no brainer."
Etienne Grange
CEO Form'actions
"Super easy to enrich linkedin urls using this tool. Both personal and company url data can be easily enriched with a click of a button."
Zaid Bilal
RevOps Professional
"Amazing Tool, I would like to advocate this to my colleagues. So that you can get more users. Keep it Up. 5 Stars!"
Asif Hanzala
Lead Generation Specialist at IdeaPeel
"This app is fantastic. Brilliantly created to help small and mid sized businesses."
Dan Hughes
Founder/CEO, AlmanacIO
"I have been using other expensive apps or freemium like phantombuster, but Derrick has replaced them all. I love the simplicity of the Google sheet add-in, but what is best is the efficiency it delivers."
Julien Walon Cohen
CEO & Co-founder @ Diffly | B2B Sales Advisor
"The LinkedIn scraping and email finder combo is incredibly powerful. I can build a complete prospect list with contact info in under an hour. Absolute must-have for outbound."
Michael Kim
SDR Team Lead at CloudScale
"Have tested over 10+ LI scraper apps, Derrick beats them all. Simple to use, accurate data, and affordable price."
AJ Alexander
Opportunity Prospector
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Derrick compare to Clay for data enrichment?
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Derrick provides a more streamlined approach to data enrichment compared to Clay by operating 100% natively within Google Sheets, eliminating the need for complex workflow setup or CSV exports that Clay requires. While Clay excels at aggregating multiple data sources and automation, it demands significant configuration time and technical expertise. Derrick delivers 50+ enrichment attributes per contact with real-time email validation, integrated AI scoring via Claude and ChatGPT, and rollover credits with no credit card required for the free tier. For teams prioritizing speed, simplicity, and direct spreadsheet enrichment without learning curves, Derrick offers faster deployment and lower operational overhead than Clay's more complex platform.
Is Derrick a good alternative to Clay?
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Yes, Derrick is an excellent alternative to Clay, particularly if you prioritize simplicity and speed over complex workflow configuration. While Clay excels at building sophisticated multi-step automation sequences, it requires significant setup time and technical knowledge. Derrick streamlines the entire process by operating natively within Google Sheets, eliminating CSV exports and complex integrations. You get real-time email validation, fifty-plus enrichment attributes, and integrated AI scoring with Claude and ChatGPT-all without leaving your spreadsheet. Plus, Derrick's rollover credits and no credit card requirement for the free tier offer more flexibility than Clay's rigid monthly allocations, making it ideal for teams seeking faster deployment and lower operational overhead.
Which is better Derrick vs PhantomBuster overall?
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Choosing between Derrick and PhantomBuster depends on your primary needs. PhantomBuster excels at web scraping and automation workflows across social platforms, making it ideal for large-scale data extraction. However, Derrick offers a more streamlined approach with native Google Sheets integration, eliminating CSV exports and complex setup. Derrick provides real-time email validation, rollover credits, and integrated AI scoring without requiring external tools, while PhantomBuster's enrichment capabilities require supplementary solutions for deeper intelligence. For teams prioritizing simplicity, speed, and built-in enrichment depth within their existing workflow, Derrick delivers superior efficiency and lower operational overhead.
Derrick vs Clay vs PhantomBuster: which is best for pros?
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For pros evaluating Derrick vs Clay vs PhantomBuster, Derrick stands out for native Google Sheets enrichment and ease of use: no CSV exports, no complex setup, credits roll over, and real-time email validation with 50+ enrichments per contact. Clay excels in multi-source data and automated workflows but requires more configuration and can struggle with data accuracy at scale; PhantomBuster shines in rapid web automation and templates but may need external tools for deeper validation. Derrick offers a streamlined, cost-flexible alternative with AI scoring and broad integrations.
Does Clay offer better pricing than PhantomBuster?
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Clay and PhantomBuster offer different pricing models, making direct comparison challenging. Clay operates on a credit-based system with monthly subscriptions, while PhantomBuster charges per automation execution, scaling aggressively with volume. Neither offers rollover credits like Derrick does, meaning unused budget expires monthly. For teams seeking predictable, flexible pricing without technical complexity, Derrick's credit rollover and no credit card requirement for the free tier provide greater cost efficiency and accessibility than both Clay and PhantomBuster, especially for variable prospecting workflows.
Can Derrick replace both Clay and PhantomBuster?
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Derrick cannot literally replace both Clay and PhantomBuster in every scenario, but it can cover many core needs more simply and cost-effectively for many B2B teams. Derrick is 100% native to Google Sheets with no export CSV or complex setup, offering real-time email validation, 50+ enrichment attributes, and AI-powered scoring and segmentation, all within familiar Sheets workflows. Clay excels at multi-source data enrichment and flexible automation, while PhantomBuster shines in rapid web scraping and pre-built templates. Derrick provides a streamlined alternative for teams prioritizing speed, ease of use, and predictable pricing, while relying on external tools for highly specialized enrichment or advanced multi-source scraping. If your use case centers on quick prospect enrichment inside Sheets and scalable credit-based pricing, Derrick can replace or reduce the need for Clay or PhantomBuster; for deep data integrity, niche enrichment, or extensive automation templates, you may still benefit from their dedicated capabilities or complementary tools.
One-on-one
Clay vs Derrick - solo duel
Drop the third-party context and see how Clay compares to Derrick alone.
Open the head-to-head → One-on-onePhantomBuster vs Derrick - solo duel
Drop the third-party context and see how PhantomBuster compares to Derrick alone.
Open the head-to-head → Curated stackAll B2B sales tools we reviewed in depth
Step back from the duel - see our hand-picked sales-tool selection and how every category fits together.
See the full curation → Keep Exploring
