Connections vs Clay in 2026

Q: Does Clay log emails automatically?

Clay's pages say Mesh automatically captures emails. The same page says Mesh provides reminders for moments that matter. If automatic capture is what you want, check the page's own description of how it works and what it covers before you decide.

Compare Connections and Clay for managing personal and professional contacts: what each tool does, pricing, getting started, and how to choose.

By Uncommon Comforts · 2026-10-26

Uncommon Comforts is published by the team behind Connections, whose products are compared here alongside other tools.

Clay's pages describe Mesh as a tool that automatically captures emails, meetings and connections. ^[1] Connections is a contact book of the people in your life, with core contacts kept free on every plan. ^[2] ^[2] ^[2]

Option	Free option	Paid plans
Clay	Free to get started ^[1]	Clay's Teams version: price not published on the Clay page cited ^[1]
Connections	Connections Free costs $0; going over a limit stops the feature rather than billing you ^[2]	Connections Pro is $39.99 a month, and Connections Business is $99.99 a month ^[2] ^[2]

The short answer

Clay's pages describe Mesh as a tool that automatically captures emails, meetings and connections. ^[1] It also sets reminders for moments that matter. ^[1] Connections lets you keep a contact book of the people in your life, and you can organize each contact with folders, tags, five-star ratings and follow-up flags. ^[2] ^[2] You can also log every meeting or conversation on a contact, so you can see when you last spoke. ^[2]

Which one meets your needs depends on whether you want a tool to gather your email and meetings for you, or whether you want to keep your own contact book and log. Clay's pages say its Teams version shows who knows whom and helps surface warm intros. ^[1] Connections Free costs $0, and going over a limit stops the feature rather than billing you. ^[2]

What Clay is built for

Clay's own pages describe Mesh and say it is available free to get started on macOS, Windows, Web, Android and iOS. ^[1] According to the page, Mesh captures it all automatically. ^[1] Mesh also provides reminders for moments that matter. ^[1]

The page names an AI feature called Nexus. ^[1] The page also makes its own claim that over 100 million relationships have been entrusted to Mesh. ^[1]

What Connections is built for

Connections is made by the team that publishes this site, Uncommon Comforts. For a person who runs things, Connections is a contact book for the people you deal with, and the core contacts stay free on every plan. ^[2]

You can organize each contact with folders, tags, five-star ratings and follow-up flags. ^[2] Each meeting or conversation can be logged on a contact, and the log shows when you last spoke. ^[2] You can get a relationship follow-up digest outside the app. ^[2]

You can bring contacts in from Google, Apple or a CSV file. ^[2] The app reads business cards, flyers and documents for you. ^[2] Paste or screenshot a note, and it files the details to a contact. ^[2] Paste free text, and AI turns it into structured contact and relationship details. ^[2]

You can make a public digital business card page with a QR code and a vCard download. ^[2] Two people can tap phones or scan a QR code to swap contact cards in person. ^[2] You can share one contact's name, phone, email and photo with one tap. ^[2] Connections runs on the web and on phones. ^[2]

Pricing and fees

Clay's pages say Mesh is available free to get started. ^[1] Clay's price for its Teams version and for any paid option is not published here, so check Clay's current pricing before you decide. ^[1]

Connections Free costs $0, and going over a limit stops the feature rather than billing you. ^[2] Connections Pro, the first paid plan, is $39.99 a month and includes premium across every Connections product. ^[2] Connections Business is $99.99 a month, with higher limits across every Connections product. ^[2]

The table below sets out only what is published for each.

Getting started

For Clay, its pages say Mesh is available free to get started on macOS, Windows, Web, Android and iOS. ^[1] The sign-up steps are not described here, so look at the first screens to see what it asks for.

To start with Connections, bring in your contacts from Google, Apple or a CSV file. ^[2] Then you can scan a business card, and the app reads it for you. ^[2] Or paste a note, and it files the details to a contact. ^[2] The sign-up steps for Connections are not covered here, so check the first screens before you commit.

Things to check before you choose

Ask whether you want a tool to gather emails and meetings for you. Clay's Mesh captures emails and meetings without you lifting a finger, so decide whether that is what you want. ^[1] Connections lets you log every meeting on a contact, so ask whether you are happy to add each one yourself. ^[2]

Ask whether edits need to flow back to your phone or Google account after you change a contact. Ask which devices you use and whether they are covered. Clay's Mesh is listed for macOS, Windows, Web, Android and iOS. ^[1] Connections runs on the web and on phones. ^[2]

Ask whether you need to see who knows whom across your contacts. Clay's Teams version shows who knows whom. ^[1] Ask whether you need to share your details. Connections offers a public card page and one-tap sharing of a contact. ^[2] ^[2] Ask for the current prices of both before you commit, because paid prices are not published here.

How to choose

If you want a tool to capture emails, meetings and connections on its own, Clay's pages say Mesh does that. ^[1] If you want reminders for moments that matter, Clay's pages list that too. ^[1]

If you want to keep your own contact book, with tags, ratings, follow-up flags and a log of meetings you add, Connections is built for that. ^[2] ^[2] If you want to see who knows whom, check whether Clay's Teams version provides that.

If you want to swap cards in person or share a public card page, Connections has those features. ^[2] ^[2] If you want to start free, Connections Free costs $0. ^[2] Clay is also free to get started. ^[1]

Frequently asked questions

Is Clay free to use?

Clay's pages say Mesh is available free to get started on macOS, Windows, Web, Android and iOS. ^[1] Check that your own devices are on that list before you sign up. Clay's price for its Teams version and for any paid option is not published here, so check Clay's current pricing before you decide. ^[1]

Is Connections free for personal contacts?

Connections Free costs $0, and the core contacts stay free on every plan. ^[2] ^[2] Going over a limit stops the feature rather than billing you. ^[2] Connections Pro, the first paid plan, is $39.99 a month and includes premium across every Connections product. ^[2] Connections Business is $99.99 a month, with higher limits across every Connections product. ^[2]

Does Clay show who knows whom?

The price of that version is not published here, so check it before you choose. Whether a team view matters depends on who you need to see and how many people will use it, and only you can judge that.

Can Connections import contacts from Google or Apple?

Connections can bring contacts in from Google, Apple or a CSV file. ^[2] Once they are in, you can organize each one with folders, tags, five-star ratings and follow-up flags. ^[2] Before you move everything over, ask whether edits need to flow back to your phone or Google account, since that is a separate question from getting contacts in.

Does Clay log emails automatically?

Clay's pages say Mesh automatically captures emails. ^[1] The same page says Mesh provides reminders for moments that matter. ^[1] If automatic capture is what you want, check the page's own description of how it works and what it covers before you decide.

Connections Free costs $0, and going over a limit stops the feature rather than billing you. ^[2] Connections Pro, the first paid plan, is $39.99 a month and adds premium features across every Connections product. ^[2]

Try Connections