Clutch vs Sortlist for agencies: a US-based directory or a Europe-focused marketplace
By Jean Luc Poitier, SEO and growth marketing strategist · Clutch Reviews · Updated September 28, 2026 · Published plans and terms; Trustpilot data pulled September 27, 2026
Disclosure: this site reviews Clutch and earns a commission if you sign up for it through our links. We say below where Sortlist is the better pick.
Clutch and Sortlist reach different buyers. Clutch is based in Washington, DC, and its Pay Per Lead page describes US- and UK-based leads; Sortlist, based in Belgium, says its marketing focuses on the Benelux, French, and Spanish markets.
Sortlist+ costs €129 a month paid annually or €189 paid monthly, with an annual commitment either way, and opportunities cost extra credits, up to €650 each. Clutch Verified is $499 for the year, paid upfront. On Trustpilot reviews that arrived on their own, Clutch leads: 3.49 from 135 against Sortlist's 2.26 from 38. Pick Sortlist if your clients are in the Benelux, France, or Spain, or if you want to pay monthly and choose which opportunities to pay for; pick Clutch for US and UK buyers and a cheaper paid listing.
Clutch vs Sortlist at a glance
| Compared on | Clutch | Sortlist |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Directory with checked reviews and rankings; buyers can also post a project brief | Matching marketplace (buyers post a brief and get a shortlist) plus a directory |
| Buyer markets | Pay Per Lead page describes US- and UK-based leads | Marketing focused on the Benelux, French, and Spanish markets |
| Free profile | Basic profile, free; competitors can appear on it | Free profile, freelancers allowed; competitors shown on it |
| Paid tier | Verified: $499 a year, billed upfront | Sortlist+: €129 a month paid annually, or €189 a month paid monthly |
| Commitment | 12 months, no early cancellation, renews automatically | Annual commitment on either payment plan |
| Lead model | Pay Per Lead: bids from $25 a lead, $1,000 monthly minimum, Verified or ad plan required | Pay-as-you-go credits: from 20 credits per opportunity, up to €650 for one; refunds come back as credits, requested within 90 days |
| Paid visibility | Sponsorship: price not published; 12-month agreement, billed monthly | Pay per click from 1 credit, priced by page; annual Sortlist+ payers get €500 of visibility credits for 30 days |
| Review checks (as each describes them) | Sign-in with LinkedIn, Google, or a company email; an editor reads every review | Clients confirm by clicking a button in an email; agencies can import Google, Trustpilot, or Facebook reviews |
| Trustpilot overall | 3.9 from 289 reviews | 3.0 from 842 reviews |
| Trustpilot, organic reviews (like for like) | 3.49 from 135 (200 visible, May 2023 to Sep 2026) | 2.26 from 38 (100 most recent, Dec 2023 to Aug 2026) |
| Trustpilot, via the company's review link | 5.00 from 65 | 4.71 from 62 |
| Replies to negative Trustpilot reviews | Replied to 100% (Trustpilot's label) | Hasn't replied (Trustpilot's label) |
| G2 | 3.0 from 29 reviews (Feb 2026) | No verified figure |
| Company and HQ | Clutch Co, LLC, Washington, DC; independent by its own account | Sortlist SA, Wavre, Belgium; founded in Brussels in 2014; €11M Series B in 2021 |
Figures checked against each company's published pages and review-platform listings as of 2026-09-28. “Not published” means the company does not publish that figure.
Where Clutch and Sortlist find buyers
Sortlist is a matching marketplace with a directory attached. Buyers post a brief and get a shortlist, and agencies spend credits to apply for those opportunities. Sortlist's help center says its marketing is focused on the Benelux, French, and Spanish markets. The company is Sortlist SA of Wavre, Belgium, founded in Brussels in 2014, and it raised an €11 million Series B in 2021.
Clutch is a directory first. Buyers search listings, read reviews, post a project, and contact providers for free, and a project brief returns up to nine matched providers. Clutch is based in Washington, DC, and its Pay Per Lead page describes the leads it sells as US- and UK-based. Reviewers of both sites complain about leads or traffic from outside the markets they sell to.
“After posting my project in a few days I had 4 potential suppliers.”Bart D., Sortlist review on Trustpilot, October 2024
“most of the leads coming to us through Sortlist were OUTSIDE of our prospecting area”CT, Sortlist review on Trustpilot, July 2024
“I have looked through our web traffic reports and clutch.co is referring traffic from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and more”Steven P., Clutch review on Trustpilot, June 2024
What Sortlist+ and its credits cost next to Clutch's plans
Sortlist+ costs €129 a month if you pay annually or €189 a month if you pay monthly, and both require an annual commitment. Annual payers get €500 of visibility credits, valid for 30 days. Sortlist+ also removes competitors from your profile; free Sortlist profiles show them, and free Clutch profiles can too.
Credits are billed on top, pay as you go. Visibility starts at 1 credit per click, with prices that vary by page, and opportunities start at 20 credits each. Sortlist says one opportunity can cost up to €650. Refunds for opportunities come back as credits to your opportunity balance, and you have to ask within 90 days of applying.
Clutch Verified is $499 for the year, in one upfront payment, on a 12-month term with no early cancellation. Pay Per Lead adds bids from $25 a lead with a $1,000 monthly minimum, and Clutch doesn't publish its sponsorship prices.
“During that time we have tried a wide variety of marketing channels to gain new customers and I can honestly say that Sortlist has been the most effective.”Nick R., Sortlist review on Trustpilot, January 2025
“Poorly qualified leads priced at hundreds of euros, on top of, unsurprisingly, a subscription-based model with a fixed fee.”Nicolas L., Sortlist review on Trustpilot, July 2026
“To make matters worse, they refuse to let us end the contract, holding us financially hostage with no option but to keep paying.”Gino F., Clutch review on Trustpilot, November 2024
How Clutch and Sortlist check reviews, and how each is rated
Sortlist says clients confirm a review by clicking a button in an email, and agencies can import reviews from Google, Trustpilot, or Facebook. Clutch says reviewers sign in with LinkedIn, Google, or a company email and a human editor reads every review before it's published. Agencies can't preview or approve Clutch reviews, and only verified reviews count toward a firm's Ability to Deliver score.
On Trustpilot, Clutch leads like for like. Its 135 reviews that arrived on their own average 3.49 (May 2023 to September 2026), against 2.26 for the 38 among Sortlist's 100 most recent (December 2023 to August 2026). Reviews that came through each company's own review link score high on both: 5.00 from 65 for Clutch and 4.71 from 62 for Sortlist. Trustpilot's page says Clutch has replied to all of its negative reviews and that Sortlist hasn't replied to negative reviews.
Clutch's own recent record is weaker than its average: its 27 organic reviews from the last 12 months average 2.89. The critical Sortlist reviews describe paid opportunities that never respond, refunds paid only as platform credit, charges for meetings that didn't happen, and paid placement in Top 10 lists. Our Clutch Trustpilot reviews page has Clutch's full set.
“The reviews are thoughtful and real.”Diego M., Clutch review on Trustpilot, June 2023
“One of my clients wanted to go through the review process and used my customised link to submit a review and got rejected - I have no idea why.”Mita S., Clutch review on Trustpilot, August 2026
“I found fake reviews using my name and my company's name on their site.”Carlton H., Sortlist review on Trustpilot, April 2024
Where Sortlist wins
- European buyers: its marketing focuses on the Benelux, French, and Spanish markets, while Clutch's Pay Per Lead page describes US- and UK-based leads.
- A monthly payment option: Sortlist+ at €189 a month, still on an annual commitment. Clutch Verified is one upfront payment for the year.
- Pay per opportunity: you spend credits on the opportunities you apply for, from 20 credits each, where Clutch's Pay Per Lead needs a $1,000 minimum monthly budget.
Who should pick Clutch over Sortlist
Clutch fits an agency that sells to US or UK clients and wants the cheaper paid listing: $499 a year for Verified, against Sortlist+ at €129 a month or more before credits. Its organic Trustpilot reviews are also better than Sortlist's, 3.49 against 2.26. Verified is paid upfront for 12 months with no early exit, so start with the free Basic profile and read our Clutch free vs paid breakdown before you pay.
If you already list on Sortlist and want to move, our Sortlist alternatives page covers other directories.
See Clutch pricingHow we sourced this: prices and terms come from each company's own pages (live or archived copies), checked September 27 and 28, 2026. Trustpilot figures come from each company's public Trustpilot page, pulled September 27, 2026: the 200 Clutch reviews visible without logging in and Sortlist's 100 most recent. Organic reviews arrived on their own; link reviews came through a review link the company shares, which Trustpilot also labels "Unprompted". Quotes are verbatim, including the reviewers' spelling.
Clutch vs Sortlist FAQ
Is Clutch or Sortlist cheaper for agencies?+
For the paid listing, Clutch is. Clutch Verified costs $499 a year, paid upfront. Sortlist+ costs €129 a month paid annually or €189 a month paid monthly, with an annual commitment either way, and opportunities cost extra credits, up to €650 each. Both offer a free profile.
Does Sortlist refund leads?+
Sortlist pays refunds for opportunities as credits to your opportunity balance, and you have to request one within 90 days of applying. Two of its recent Trustpilot reviewers complain that refunds come only as platform credit.
Is Sortlist better than Clutch for agencies in Europe?+
It can be. Sortlist is based in Belgium and says its marketing focuses on the Benelux, French, and Spanish markets, while Clutch's Pay Per Lead page describes US- and UK-based leads. Check the reviews either way: Sortlist's organic Trustpilot reviews average 2.26 from 38, against Clutch's 3.49 from 135.
How do Clutch and Sortlist compare on Trustpilot?+
Clutch shows 3.9 from 289 reviews and Sortlist 3.0 from 842. Counting only reviews that arrived on their own, Clutch averages 3.49 from 135 and Sortlist 2.26 from 38 of its 100 most recent, as of September 27, 2026. Reviews that came through each company's own review link average 5.00 for Clutch (65) and 4.71 for Sortlist (62).