CLAY ALTERNATIVE

A Clay (now Mesh) Alternative That Stays on Your iPhone

Clay, the personal CRM, was acquired by Automattic in 2025 and renamed Mesh in March 2026. If the change has you looking around, here is how Starrise Contacts works differently: no account, no cloud database, just the address book you already have.

Updated October 2026

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What happened to Clay

Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com, acquired Clay in 2025. In March 2026 the app was renamed Mesh; it is the same service under a new name. Mesh is a cloud service with an account, and it keeps your contacts in a database of its own.

The short answer

If you want to remember people without handing your network to a cloud service, Starrise Contacts is the simpler choice. It works on the contacts already on your iPhone, iPad and Mac, needs no account, and Pro costs $0.99 per month or $5.99 per year.

Side by side

	Starrise Contacts	Mesh (formerly Clay)
Account	None needed	Required
Where your data lives	Your device and your own iCloud	Mesh’s cloud
Works on your iPhone address book	Yes, directly	Own database; imports your address book
Reminders to reconnect	Yes (Pro)	Yes
Free version	Core features, free	Up to 1,000 contacts
Paid plan	$0.99/month or $5.99/year	Pro $10/month (website); $19.99/month in the App Store

Mesh facts from me.sh and its App Store listing on 11 October 2026; US prices.

Where Starrise Contacts goes further

Notes you write yourself: as many dated notes per person as you like, searchable across all contacts. More on contact notes.
Birthdays and anniversaries with a reminder at the time you choose, free.
Gift ideas, file attachments and a map of everyone’s address.
Keep in Touch reminders (Pro): pick a rhythm for each person, and Starrise counts from the last time you were in touch. See Keep in Touch reminders.
Name days and Moments (Pro): name days from your country’s calendar, and reminders for plans you mention in your notes.

Getting started

Starrise reads the contacts in your iPhone address book, including iCloud, Google and Exchange. Every contact saved there shows up the moment you open the app; there is nothing to import and nothing to sign up for.

Sources

Facts about other apps were checked on 11 October 2026 on the pages below.

All comparisons →

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Clay still available?

Clay was acquired by Automattic in 2025 and renamed Mesh in March 2026. The app continues under the name Mesh.

Is there a Clay alternative without an account?

Yes. Starrise Contacts needs no account and works directly on the contacts on your iPhone, iPad or Mac. Your contacts are never sent to us.

Does Starrise Contacts remind me to reconnect with people?

Yes. With Keep in Touch reminders (Pro), you choose how often you want to catch up with someone, and Starrise reminds you when it’s time. Pro costs $0.99 per month or $5.99 per year.

GET STARRISE CONTACTS

Try Starrise Contacts for free

Starrise Contacts works on the contacts already on your iPhone, iPad and Mac. No account, nothing to import. Free to download, with an optional Pro subscription.