# Arcads vs Clay

> Arcads: Generate UGC-style video ads with AI actors without hiring creators or filming
> Clay: Enrich leads with 150+ data sources and AI research agents to run go-to-market plays

- Arcads profile: https://finderatlas.com/tools/arcads
- Clay profile: https://finderatlas.com/tools/clay
- Comparison page: https://finderatlas.com/compare/arcads-vs-clay
- Last reviewed: October 2026

## Verdict

Arcads is listed under Video AI and Clay under AI Agents. Clay scores higher in FinderAtlas's editorial review (7.9 vs 7.6 out of 10), led by feature depth and value for money. Only Clay has a free plan or trial. Only Clay is available on CLI.

### Choose Arcads if

- You want a tool built for producing many UGC-style ad variants for paid social testing without creators or filming.
- Large library of more than 1,000 AI actors, plus custom actor creation.
- Covers the full ad workflow: generation, captions, translation and editing in one tool.

### Choose Clay if

- You want a tool built for Multi-provider lead enrichment, AI-assisted account research, building custom outbound and inbound workflows.
- Access to 150+ data providers with waterfall enrichment in a single workspace.
- Claygent applies AI web research to custom questions about each lead or account.

## Pricing

| | Arcads | Clay |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pricing model | Free trial | Freemium |
| Free plan or trial | No | Yes |
| Starting price | $29 | $0 |

## Features

| Feature | Arcads | Clay |
| --- | --- | --- |
| AI Actor Library | Yes | Not listed |
| Lip-Sync and Emotion Control | Yes | Not listed |
| Multi-Model Generation | Yes | Not listed |
| Localization | Yes | Not listed |
| Video Editing Tools | Yes | Not listed |
| Ad Presets | Yes | Not listed |
| Workflow Canvas | Yes | Not listed |
| AI Video and Lip Sync APIs | Yes | Not listed |
| Claygent | Not listed | Yes |
| Waterfall Enrichment | Not listed | Yes |
| Data Marketplace | Not listed | Yes |
| Workflow Tables | Not listed | Yes |
| Audiences and Signals | Not listed | Yes |
| Email Sequencing | Not listed | Yes |
| Ads Audience Sync | Not listed | Yes |
| CRM and Warehouse Sync | Not listed | Yes |
| Credit Budgeting | Not listed | Yes |

## Platforms

| Platform | Arcads | Clay |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | No | No |
| macOS | No | No |
| iOS | No | No |
| Android | No | No |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Browser Extension | No | No |
| CLI | No | Yes |

## Arcads strengths

- Large library of more than 1,000 AI actors, plus custom actor creation.
- Covers the full ad workflow: generation, captions, translation and editing in one tool.
- Access to several video and image models from a single account.
- Localization into 30+ languages helps test the same ad across markets.
- API and MCP options exist for teams that want to automate creative production.

## Arcads limitations

- Credit-based pricing is hard to predict; a talking-actor minute reportedly costs 800 credits, and runtime is rounded up to the minute.
- Paid plans start at $29 for a limited tier and $110 for talking actors at list price, with no permanent free plan confirmed.
- Captions, API access, custom actor cloning and credit rollover reportedly sit on higher tiers.
- No public pricing page was reachable and no native mobile app was found.

## Clay strengths

- Access to 150+ data providers with waterfall enrichment in a single workspace.
- Claygent applies AI web research to custom questions about each lead or account.
- Free plan with unlimited seats and tables for testing workflows.
- Outputs reach email, LinkedIn/Meta/Google ads and CRMs without extra tooling.
- Frequent product updates, with weekly changelog roundups.

## Clay limitations

- Credit-based pricing with two credit types is harder to forecast than flat per-seat pricing.
- Free plan is limited to 500 actions, 100 data credits and 200 rows per table, with no phone enrichment or signals.
- CRM sync, warehouse sync and API access require Growth ($446/mo list) or higher.
- Pricing page figures are inconsistent between headline prices and FAQ text.

## FAQ

**Is Arcads better than Clay?**

It depends on your workflow. Arcads is built for producing many UGC-style ad variants for paid social testing without creators or filming. Clay is built for Multi-provider lead enrichment, AI-assisted account research, building custom outbound and inbound workflows.

**What are the key feature differences between Arcads and Clay?**

Arcads: Generate UGC-style video ads with AI actors without hiring creators or filming. Clay: Enrich leads with 150+ data sources and AI research agents to run go-to-market plays. Arcads is rated 4.0/5 from 1 user review.

**Does Arcads or Clay have a free plan?**

Clay has a free plan or trial; Arcads is paid only.

**Which is cheaper, Arcads or Clay?**

Arcads starts at $29 and Clay starts at $0. See the pricing table above for what each tier includes.