We have no paid links for either. Both are compared on the same criteria and dates.
Compare · AI training & evaluation · updated 13 Oct 2026DataAnnotation vs Outlier
Quick take
- Outlier pays more per hour in practice: about $36/h at the middle of its realistic range, against $30/h on DataAnnotation.
- DataAnnotation pays sooner: first money from 3 days, against 7 on Outlier.
- Outlier is open in more places (limited: ~50 countries, list unpublished) than DataAnnotation (6 countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland and 2 more).
- Neither costs anything to start.
- DataAnnotation is turbulent with grade B (reliable source); Outlier is turbulent with grade B (reliable source).
Side by side
| DataAnnotation Grade B: Reliable source Grade B means: Reliable source. The grade says how well-sourced this page is, not how good DataAnnotation is. More in the glossary Turbulent status, as of 13 Oct 2026 Checked 4 days ago | Outlier Grade B: Reliable source Grade B means: Reliable source. The grade says how well-sourced this page is, not how good Outlier is. More in the glossary Turbulent status, as of 13 Oct 2026 Checked 4 days ago | |
|---|---|---|
| Realistic pay | ≈ $14–45/h Realistic hourly equivalent | ≈ $12–60/h Realistic hourly equivalent |
| Advertised | $20–150/h what the platform says | $15–150/h what the platform says |
| Median listed rate | — | $20/h aitrainer.work (P. Romeo), 12 Oct 2026 |
| At 10 h/week | ≈ $602–1,935/mo our estimate | ≈ $516–2,580/mo our estimate |
| First money | 3–30 days 1–2 h unpaid Starter Assessment; decision can take days to weeks | 7–30 days Onboarding 30–90 min plus unpaid project qualifications |
| Fees | none | — |
| Cost to start | $0 | $0 |
| Hours | no minimum fully async | no minimum async |
| Where it's open | 6 countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland and 2 more | Limited: ~50 countries, list unpublished |
| Education | bachelor's or equivalent experience (reported) | undergraduate-level typical; graduate preferred for top rates |
| Status | Turbulent as of 13 Oct 2026 | Turbulent as of 13 Oct 2026 |
| Grade | B · Reliable source 6 sourced facts | B · Reliable source 8 sourced facts |
| Checked | 13 Oct 2026 | 13 Oct 2026 |
| The catch | One attempt only, no feedback | Scale AI agreed to a $12.5M settlement of a California wage-and-hour class action (McKinney v. Scale AI) covering contributors from 2020 to 2026; final court approval was pending as of October 2026 |
Pay figures are what platforms advertise or what workers report, each with its date. They are not typical or guaranteed earnings: yours depend on your skills, hours, location and how much work is available. Each figure has its source on the entry's page.
Advertised vs. reality same scale
DataAnnotation
- Advertised$20–150/h
- Realistic range$14–45/h
Outlier
- Advertised$15–150/h
- Median listed$20/haitrainer.work (P. Romeo), 12 Oct 2026
- Realistic range$12–60/h
Who each one suits
DataAnnotation
Pros
- Pays reliably; withdraw on demand via PayPal
- No meetings, no monitoring app
- Higher tracks for coders and STEM
Cons
- One attempt only, no feedback
- Dry spells of weeks
- PayPal only
Outlier
Pros
- No minimum payout; weekly pay
- Broad project mix incl. languages
- Specialist tracks pay well when available
Cons
- Unpaid onboarding and qualification time
- Work dries up without warning
- Community reports of unexplained bans and slow support
More comparisons
Mercor vs OutlierAlignerr vs OutlierHandshake AI Fellowship vs OutlierDataAnnotation vs Mercormicro1 vs OutlierMindrift vs OutlierDataAnnotation vs micro1DataAnnotation vs Handshake AI Fellowship All comparisons All of AI training & evaluation