Cleanlist vs Clearbit
Clearbit now requires HubSpot ($75/mo minimum). Cleanlist delivers 98% email accuracy via 15+ providers with zero CRM lock-in — starting free →
If you live inside HubSpot and want enrichment that just shows up in your CRM records, Clearbit (now Breeze Intelligence) is the path of least resistance. Everyone else should move to a stack-agnostic alternative — Clearbit's standalone product is being absorbed and the migration risk is real.
Bottom line: Clearbit was acquired by HubSpot in 2023 and now requires a paid HubSpot subscription. Cleanlist offers superior email verification (98% vs 94%) with 15+ provider waterfall enrichment — no CRM lock-in required, and credits don't expire monthly.
Decision Matrix: Which One to Pick
Honest, side-by-side guidance — no “always pick us” spin.
Choose Cleanlist if
- You don't run HubSpot as your CRM
- You're worried about the Clearbit -> Breeze Intelligence transition timeline
- You need waterfall enrichment from multiple providers, not just Clearbit's first-party data
- You want flat monthly pricing instead of HubSpot seat-tied billing
- You need triple email verification and catch-all detection built in
Choose Clearbit if
- HubSpot is your source of truth and you want enrichment to land directly on records
- You already have a HubSpot Enterprise tier with credits to use
- You only need company-level firmographic data, not deep contact enrichment
- Your team is comfortable with the Breeze Intelligence roadmap
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
How Cleanlist and Clearbit stack up across key capabilities.
| Feature | Clearbit | CleanlistWinner |
|---|---|---|
| Email verification accuracy | 94% deliverability | 98% (triple verification + catch-all detection) |
| Data providers | Single source (50M+ company records) | 15+ provider waterfall |
| Waterfall enrichment | ||
| Catch-all email detection | ||
| IP Reveal (visitor identification) | ||
| Phone number finder | ||
| CRM lock-in required | Yes (HubSpot subscription mandatory) | No (works with any CRM) |
| Credit rollover | No (credits expire monthly) | Credits don't expire |
| LinkedIn Sales Nav scraping | Native bulk extraction | |
| ICP scoring | Via HubSpot lead scoring | Custom rule-based scoring |
| Free tier | 30 emails + 3 phones/mo | |
| Starting paid price | $45/mo + HubSpot subscription | $29/mo (standalone) |
The Number That Matters
One proprietary data point we measured ourselves.
Clearbit enriches from its own proprietary database. Cleanlist's waterfall queries 15+ providers in cascade, falling through to the next source whenever one returns no match. In our internal tests on hard-to-find SMB contacts, the waterfall returns a verified email roughly 30% more often than a single-source lookup.
Pricing Comparison
See how plans and pricing compare between the two platforms.
Clearbit Pricing
- -100 credits/mo
- -Credits expire monthly
- -Requires HubSpot subscription
- -Basic enrichment
- -1,000 credits/mo
- -Credits expire monthly
- -Requires HubSpot subscription
- -Company + person enrichment
- -10,000 credits/mo
- -Enterprise volume
- -IP Reveal included
- -Custom pricing required
Cleanlist Pricing
- 30 email credits/mo
- 3 phone credits/mo
- Waterfall enrichment
- LinkedIn integration
- 500 email credits/mo
- 50 phone credits/mo
- CSV import + CRM sync
- All enrichment features
- 2,000 email credits/mo
- 200 phone credits/mo
- Smart Agents + ICP Scoring
- Priority support
- 10,000 email credits/mo
- 1,000 phone credits/mo
- Dedicated success manager
- Custom integrations
Honest Strengths
Where Clearbit Wins
- Real-time enrichment with 100+ data points per contact
- IP Reveal identifies anonymous website visitors
- Seamless native HubSpot integration
- Strong firmographic and technographic data for ABM
- 4-layer verification process with human review
- Established data infrastructure (acquired for HubSpot's ecosystem)
Where Cleanlist Wins
- 98% email accuracy vs Clearbit's 94%
- No HubSpot subscription required — works independently
- Credits don't expire monthly (Clearbit's do)
- 15+ provider waterfall vs Clearbit's single source
- Phone number enrichment included (Clearbit doesn't offer this)
- Native LinkedIn Sales Navigator bulk extraction
- 5x cheaper entry point ($29/mo vs $45/mo + HubSpot)
- Catch-all email detection (Clearbit doesn't offer this)
Who Should Use Which?
The right tool depends on your workflow and priorities.
Choose Clearbit if you...
- HubSpot-first companies wanting native enrichment
- Marketing teams needing IP Reveal for visitor identification
- Enterprise ABM teams with existing HubSpot contracts
- Companies prioritizing firmographic data depth
Choose Cleanlist if you...
- Teams using any CRM (not locked into HubSpot)
- Companies frustrated with Clearbit's expiring credits
- Anyone needing phone number enrichment
- Teams wanting higher email accuracy (98% vs 94%)
- Budget-conscious teams avoiding HubSpot lock-in costs
- Companies needing waterfall enrichment from 15+ sources
See how Cleanlist compares to Clearbit
Try FreeLooking for more options?
See the top-rated Clearbit alternatives ranked and compared.
What Review Sites Say
Independent ratings from trusted software review platforms.
“Clearbit was the gold standard for API-first enrichment before the HubSpot acquisition. Now it's being absorbed into Breeze Intelligence, and the standalone product is increasingly uncertain. HubSpot-native teams benefit from tight integration, but everyone else should evaluate alternatives before locking into a platform in transition.”
References & Sources
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Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need HubSpot to use Clearbit?
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Yes. Since HubSpot acquired Clearbit in 2023, it now operates as 'Breeze Intelligence' and requires a paid HubSpot subscription. Cleanlist works independently with any CRM — HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, and 10+ others.
Is Cleanlist more accurate than Clearbit?
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Yes. Cleanlist achieves 98% email verification accuracy through triple verification and catch-all detection, compared to Clearbit's 94% deliverability rate. Cleanlist also enriches from 15+ providers vs Clearbit's single source.
Does Clearbit have phone numbers like Cleanlist?
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No. Clearbit focuses on company and person enrichment data but doesn't provide phone numbers. Cleanlist includes phone number enrichment across all plans, starting with 3 free phone credits per month.
Why are people switching from Clearbit to Cleanlist?
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The top reasons are: (1) Clearbit now requires a HubSpot subscription, (2) credits expire monthly with no rollover, (3) no phone number enrichment, (4) lower email accuracy (94% vs Cleanlist's 98%), and (5) lack of waterfall enrichment.
Key Terms
Understanding these concepts will help you evaluate Clearbit and alternatives more effectively.
Related Reading
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