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

Compare · AI training & evaluation · updated 13 Oct 2026

micro1 vs Outlier

Quick take

micro1 pays more per hour in practice: about $88/h at the middle of its realistic range, against $36/h on Outlier.
Outlier pays sooner: first money from 7 days, against 14 on micro1.
micro1 is open in more places (most countries, not China, Russia, Iran, Venezuela and 5 more) than Outlier (limited: ~50 countries, list unpublished).
Neither costs anything to start.
micro1 is open with grade B (reliable source); Outlier is turbulent with grade B (reliable source).

Side by side

micro1 and Outlier compared on the same fields and dates
	micro1 Grade B: Reliable source Grade B means: Reliable source. The grade says how well-sourced this page is, not how good micro1 is. More in the glossary Open 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	≈ $25–150/h Realistic hourly equivalent	≈ $12–60/h Realistic hourly equivalent
Advertised	—	$15–150/h what the platform says
Median listed rate	$65/h aitrainer.work, 12 Oct 2026	$20/h aitrainer.work (P. Romeo), 12 Oct 2026
At 10 h/week	≈ $1,075–6,450/mo our estimate	≈ $516–2,580/mo our estimate
First money	14–60 days Interview + up to 30 days pool review	7–30 days Onboarding 30–90 min plus unpaid project qualifications
Cost to start	$0	$0
Hours	no minimum async	no minimum async
Where it's open	Most countries, not China, Russia, Iran, Venezuela and 5 more	Limited: ~50 countries, list unpublished
Education	varies; specialist roles need proven expertise	undergraduate-level typical; graduate preferred for top rates
Status	Open 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	One interview attempt counts	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.