Platforms

Independent reviews of the platforms behind AI gig work. Ratings and pay are our read on publicly reported data - we are not affiliated with any of them.

AI-interviewed expert work, matched to your background.

1-3 weeks (interview + assessment + trial)

Best for: Software engineers, domain experts (medicine, law, finance), data scientists and ML engineers who can pass AI interviews and technical assessments.

Scale AI / Outlier

Scale AI's contributor platform for model feedback.

Best for: Workers looking for consistent, steady AI training tasks with a low barrier to entry.

Developer vetting and LLM training work, matched globally.

Best for: Software engineers and ML specialists seeking long-term, higher-paying projects.

User-owned talent network with no platform fee on your rate.

Best for: Senior AI/ML professionals seeking top compensation and direct client relationships.

Zara-vetted talent pool with flat per-task payouts.

Best for: AI engineers and developers seeking fast-moving remote freelance or contract work.

Top 3% freelance network for premium clients.

Best for: Elite freelancers seeking premium clients, long engagements and top-of-market pay.

Coding and chatbot feedback tasks, starter project first.

Best for: Beginners looking to break into AI training work with a low barrier to entry.

Global microtask crowd platform, instant start.

Best for: Those seeking accessible microtask work with no screening and an instant start.

Language-focused AI tasks for multilingual workers.

Best for: Multilingual workers seeking language-focused AI and localisation tasks.

Domain-expert AI training for US students and graduates.

Best for: US-based students and graduates with genuine domain expertise.

Appen's crowdsourcing arm for flexible annotation work.

Best for: Data annotators and AI trainers looking for flexible crowdsourcing work.

Invisible Technologies

Structured AI training and operations work.

Best for: Operations specialists and AI trainers who want structured, process-driven remote work.

Vetted research participation and AI evaluation studies.

Best for: Researchers and subject-matter experts interested in AI evaluation and study participation.

Training-led annotation work with a built-in academy.

Best for: Data annotators and AI trainers, especially those new to AI gig work.

Work directly with a frontier lab as an AI tutor.

Best for: Language specialists and domain experts who want direct-with-lab AI training work.

Flexible, higher-paying AI training for STEM experts.

Best for: Software engineers, STEM experts and multilingual specialists who want flexible, higher-paying AI-training work.

High-volume RLHF preference labeling, flat per-task.

Best for: Workers who want simple, high-volume labeling work with no interview to pass.

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Compare at a glance

Pay range, reliability and how long it takes to start earning on each platform.

Platform	Pay range	Reliability	Onboarding	Best for
Mercor	$25-250/hr	Very Reliable	1-3 weeks (interview + assessment + trial)	Software engineers, domain experts (medicine, law, finance), data scientists and ML engineers who can pass AI interviews and technical assessments.
Scale AI / Outlier	$15-60/hr	Very Reliable	3-5 days	Workers looking for consistent, steady AI training tasks with a low barrier to entry.
Turing	$30-150/hr	Very Reliable	5-14 days	Software engineers and ML specialists seeking long-term, higher-paying projects.
Braintrust	$50-200/hr	Reliable	1-4 weeks	Senior AI/ML professionals seeking top compensation and direct client relationships.
micro1	$20-150/hr	Reliable	1-3 days	AI engineers and developers seeking fast-moving remote freelance or contract work.
Toptal	$60-200/hr	Very Reliable	2-5 weeks	Elite freelancers seeking premium clients, long engagements and top-of-market pay.
DataAnnotation	$20-60/hr	Reliable	1-2 days	Beginners looking to break into AI training work with a low barrier to entry.
Toloka	$2-10/hr	Caution	Instant	Those seeking accessible microtask work with no screening and an instant start.
Lionbridge	$15-50/hr	Reliable	3-7 days	Multilingual workers seeking language-focused AI and localisation tasks.
Handshake AI	$25-100/hr	Reliable	3-7 days	US-based students and graduates with genuine domain expertise.
Appen CrowdGen	$10-40/hr	Reliable	3-7 days	Data annotators and AI trainers looking for flexible crowdsourcing work.
Invisible Technologies	$15-60/hr	Reliable	1-2 weeks	Operations specialists and AI trainers who want structured, process-driven remote work.
Prolific	$10-50/hr	Reliable	1-3 days	Researchers and subject-matter experts interested in AI evaluation and study participation.
Remotasks	$5-50/hr	Reliable	1-3 days	Data annotators and AI trainers, especially those new to AI gig work.
xAI	$45-100/hr	Unknown	1-2 weeks	Language specialists and domain experts who want direct-with-lab AI training work.
Alignerr	$20-150/hr	Reliable	1-2 weeks	Software engineers, STEM experts and multilingual specialists who want flexible, higher-paying AI-training work.
Surge AI	$16-30/task	Reliable	1-3 days	Workers who want simple, high-volume labeling work with no interview to pass.