We have no paid links for either. Both are compared on the same criteria and dates.

Compare · AI training & evaluation · updated 13 Oct 2026

Handshake AI Fellowship vs Outlier

Quick take

Handshake AI Fellowship pays more per hour in practice: about $78/h at the middle of its realistic range, against $36/h on Outlier.
Outlier pays sooner: first money from 7 days, against 14 on Handshake AI Fellowship.
Outlier is open in more places (limited: ~50 countries, list unpublished) than Handshake AI Fellowship (uS only (needs US work authorization)).
Neither costs anything to start.
Handshake AI Fellowship is turbulent with grade B (reliable source); Outlier is turbulent with grade B (reliable source).

Side by side

Handshake AI Fellowship and Outlier compared on the same fields and dates
	Handshake AI Fellowship Grade B: Reliable source Grade B means: Reliable source. The grade says how well-sourced this page is, not how good Handshake AI Fellowship 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	≈ $30–125/h Realistic hourly equivalent	≈ $12–60/h Realistic hourly equivalent
Advertised	$40–125/h what the platform says	$15–150/h what the platform says
Median listed rate	$80/h aitrainer.work, 1 Oct 2026	$20/h aitrainer.work (P. Romeo), 12 Oct 2026
At 10 h/week	≈ $1,290–5,375/mo our estimate	≈ $516–2,580/mo our estimate
First money	14–45 days	7–30 days Onboarding 30–90 min plus unpaid project qualifications
Cost to start	$0	$0
Hours	no minimum async; some weekly hour caps	no minimum async
Where it's open	US only (needs US work authorization)	Limited: ~50 countries, list unpublished
Education	current students, graduates, PhD candidates	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 3 sourced facts	B · Reliable source 8 sourced facts
Checked	13 Oct 2026	13 Oct 2026
The catch	Proposed class action (filed 2026-07-20, N.D. Cal.) alleging misclassification, unpaid onboarding and hour caps; allegations only, not decided	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.