Head to head · the tale of the tape
GumshoevsClay
Clay hands you a workbench and 100+ providers. Gumshoe hands you a closed case. One API call, one verdict, evidence attached.
Gumshoe
AGENTIC COMPANY RESEARCH API
$99/mo for 2,000 cases. One meter. One case = one company = one credit. You know the cost before you run it.
Clay
SPREADSHEET ENRICHMENT PLATFORM
Launch $185/mo, Growth $495/mo. Two separate meters (Actions + Data Credits). Real cost often ~3x the sticker once credits burn.
Round by round
| GUMSHOE | CLAY | |
|---|---|---|
| WHAT YOU OPERATE | One API endpoint. Send a brief, get JSON. | A spreadsheet IDE with waterfalls to build |
| TIME TO FIRST RESULT | One request. The agency writes the prompt. | 2 to 4 weeks to real proficiency |
| PRICING MODEL | One credit per company. Fixed. Forecastable. | Two meters, credits that burn unpredictably |
| FAILED LOOKUPS | Duplicates and undelivered rows never billed | Data credits still spent |
| PROOF | Citations + timestamped screenshot exhibits | Source links in cells |
| BUILDING A LIST FROM SCRATCH | One sweep call: discovered, deduped, qualified | You wire the sources yourself |
PICK GUMSHOE IF
Clay's most-cited complaint is credit burn you can't forecast: 42% of negative reviews mention it, users report burning $800 in a week just learning, and failed enrichments still get billed. Add a 2-to-4-week learning curve and a $1,000/mo operator, and the sticker price is the small number.
PICK CLAY IF
If you live in tables, have a RevOps operator, and want to orchestrate 100+ providers in complex waterfalls, Clay is genuinely powerful. Stay there.
Settle it yourself
100 free cases a month, no card. Run the same company through both and compare what comes back.
Open your first caseOther matchups