Comparison

Clay alternatives

Prices read 17 October 2026 · Last updated 17 October 2026

Clay, the personal CRM at clay.earth, is now called Mesh: the team renamed it on 26 March 2026, and clay.earth now opens me.sh. The main alternatives are Dex, the most complete paid option at USD 12 to 20 a month; Monica, which is open source and USD 9 a month hosted; and Habitus Mind, which is free for up to 25 contacts and built for the people you meet in person. Clay.com, the sales data tool, is a different company.

We make Habitus Mind, so weigh our view of it accordingly. Every fact about another product comes from that product's own pages, listed under Sources and read on 17 October 2026. Prices are in US dollars as those pages show them, before tax; they change, so check before you buy.

1. Why people look for a Clay alternative

Mesh keeps what Clay had: a free Personal plan for up to 1,000 contacts, imports from email, calendar, LinkedIn and more, and updates when the people you know change jobs or cities. The free plan asks for a card at sign-up, and unlimited contacts or CSV import need Pro at USD 20 a month, or USD 10 billed yearly. People who look elsewhere usually want no card, data they host themselves, an Android app (Mesh lists web, iOS, macOS and Windows), or a tool for the people they meet face to face.

2. Compared side by side

FeatureMesh (formerly Clay)DexMonicaHabitus Mind
Free planPersonal: free up to 1,000 contacts; a card is needed at sign-up. Pro has a 14-day trial.None. Premium and Professional start with a 6-day free trial; a card is needed to start it.Free to self-host (open source, on your own server). Hosted Monica has a 30-day trial with no card.Free: up to 25 contacts, 5 new a day, no card. 10 AI Credits when you confirm your email.
Paid price (USD)Pro 20 a month, or 10 a month billed yearly. Team 49 per seat a month, or 40 billed yearly.Premium 20 a month, or 12 a month billed yearly. Professional 34, or 20 billed yearly. Team 40 per user a month.Hosted 9 a month, or 90 a year.No paid plan on sale while we test. AI features (card scan, voice notes, research) use AI Credits.
PlatformsWeb, iOS, macOS and Windows. Android is not listed.Web, mobile, desktop and a browser extension.Web app that works in a phone browser. Native iOS and Android apps are planned after version 3.Web app that works in a phone browser, in English and Chinese. No native app or extension.
Getting contacts inEmail, calendar, X, LinkedIn, Facebook and iMessage on the free plan; CSV and spreadsheet import on Pro.LinkedIn sync (up to 2,500 connections on Premium, 9,000 on Professional), email and calendar integrations, two-way contact sync, contact import.vCard and CSV files, with duplicates shown before any merge.CSV and vCard import (exports from Google Contacts, Outlook, a phone, Dex or Mesh), with people already saved flagged first. Or add by hand, or scan a business card, which AI reads into the fields.
Getting your data outCSV, sent to you by email.CSV of contacts and timeline entries.Full export at any time.CSV of your contacts, from the contacts list.
RemindersReconnect, reminders and birthday notifications.Reminders, and a keep-in-touch frequency per contact.Reminders.No per-contact reminders yet; a weekly in-app nudge to plan your network.
Best fitA big free start, with life updates on the people you know.Large online networks, LinkedIn first.People who want to own their data and can run a server, or want a low flat price.People you meet in person, at events in Malaysia, that you want to remember.

Prices in USD, read on 17 October 2026 from each product's own pricing page.

3. Which one to choose

  • Mesh (formerly Clay): A big free start, with life updates on the people you know.
  • Dex: Large online networks, LinkedIn first.
  • Monica: People who want to own their data and can run a server, or want a low flat price.
  • Habitus Mind: People you meet in person, at events in Malaysia, that you want to remember.

4. What Habitus Mind does, and does not do

Habitus Mind's Network Tracker is built for the moment you meet someone. Quick Add takes a business card photo, which AI reads into name, title, company, phone and email (about 1 AI Credit; how to digitize business cards), or a voice or typed note, or a photo of what you want to remember about them. Event Mode logs everyone from one event together. Each meeting is kept as an encounter with where you met and what you talked about, and Recall finds a person from a description when the name is gone. It runs in English and Chinese, on Malaysia time.

What it does not do, today: it does not sync with LinkedIn, email, calendar or your phone (it imports CSV and vCard files instead); it has no per-contact reminders (a weekly in-app nudge only); it has no native app, though it works in a phone browser; and the free plan holds 25 contacts. Your contacts leave the same way they would anywhere: Export CSV on the contacts list.

Create a free account to try it, with no card, or see pricing for what the free plan includes. New to the idea? Start with what a personal CRM is.

5. Moving from Mesh (Clay) to Habitus Mind

  1. In Mesh, open the app menu, then Settings, and under General choose Export my Data. The CSV arrives by email. Keep it: it is your backup, whatever you move to.
  2. In Habitus Mind, open Contacts, choose Import and pick that file. It reads names, companies, titles, phones, emails and notes, flags anyone already saved, and lets you untick the rest. The free plan holds 25 contacts and adds 5 new a day, so start with the people you actually see.
  3. Log your next meeting with each of them as an encounter: where you met and what you talked about. That context is what Recall searches later.
  4. When you want your data out, use Export CSV on the contacts list.

Moving to Dex instead: Dex lists contact import and LinkedIn sync on every paid plan. Moving to Monica: it imports CSV and vCard files and shows duplicates before it merges anything.

FAQ

Is Clay the same as Mesh?

Yes. The team behind Clay renamed it Mesh on 26 March 2026, and clay.earth now redirects to me.sh. It is not related to Clay.com, a sales data company.

Is there a free alternative to Clay?

Mesh itself is still free for up to 1,000 contacts. Monica is free if you host it yourself, and Habitus Mind is free for up to 25 contacts with no card.

Can I import my Clay or Mesh contacts into Habitus Mind?

Yes. Import the CSV Mesh emails you from the Habitus Mind contacts list; people already saved are flagged first. The free plan holds 25 contacts and adds 5 new a day.

Sources

Other comparisons: Dex alternatives, Monica CRM alternatives, Best personal CRM for networking.