Snowball vs Clay
Clay organizes your network. Snowball captures it in the first place.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Snowball | Clay |
|---|---|---|
| Business card scanning | 2-second AI scan | Not available |
| Offline mode | ||
| Voice notes | ||
| LinkedIn sync | Manual import | Chrome extension |
| Relationship insights | Tags, notes, history | Automatic aggregation |
| Mobile-first | Web-first | |
| Follow-up reminders | ||
| CRM integrations | 100+ | Limited |
Different Tools for Different Jobs
Clay is a powerful personal CRM that aggregates your online network—LinkedIn connections, email contacts, calendar events. But it can't help you at a conference. When you meet someone new, you need to capture their info fast. That's where Snowball excels.
Key Differences
Built for In-Person Events
Snowball is designed for conferences, meetups, and networking events. Scan a card in 2 seconds, add voice context, move on. Clay has no card scanning.
Offline When You Need It
Event wifi is unreliable. Snowball works completely offline. Clay requires internet for everything.
Voice Notes for Context
Record what you discussed while the conversation is fresh. "Met at the keynote, interested in partnerships, two kids, runs marathons." Clay has no voice notes.
Mobile-First Design
Snowball is built for your phone—where you are when you meet people. Clay is primarily a web app.
When Clay Makes Sense
- You want to aggregate existing online relationships (LinkedIn, email)
- You prefer automatic contact enrichment over manual capture
- You primarily network online, not at in-person events
- You want Chrome extension for LinkedIn browsing
When to Choose Snowball
- You attend conferences and in-person networking events
- You exchange business cards and need to capture them fast
- You want voice notes to remember conversation context
- You need offline mode for unreliable event wifi
- You want direct CRM integrations (HubSpot, Salesforce)
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use both Snowball and Clay?
Yes. Many users use Snowball for in-person capture and Clay for online network management. Export from Snowball and import to Clay if you want unified data.
Does Snowball have LinkedIn integration?
Snowball can import LinkedIn connections via CSV export. We focus on in-person capture rather than LinkedIn scraping.
Is Clay better for relationship insights?
Clay automatically aggregates data from multiple sources, which is powerful for existing relationships. Snowball excels at capturing new contacts with manual context.
Which is better for teams?
Both offer team features. Snowball is better for sales teams who attend events together. Clay is better for teams who need shared relationship intelligence.