The main alternatives to Handshake AI for paid AI training work are Mercor, micro1, Scale AI's Outlier, DataAnnotation, Alignerr (run by Labelbox), Mindrift (run by Toloka) and Turing. They matter most if you are outside the US, because Handshake AI's fellowship is built for US-based people and says international participation is currently invite-only. Mercor hires in the countries on its published list and pays weekly; micro1 recruits worldwide and pays twice a month; Outlier works in 50 countries and pays weekly on Tuesdays.
- Handshake AI posts rates of up to $17 to $300 an hour, but it requires a US base and supported work authorization; outside the US it is invite-only.
- Mercor and micro1 are the closest like-for-like sites: both hire professionals for expert AI work, and both screen with an AI interview.
- Outlier, DataAnnotation and Mindrift publish entry-level as well as expert work, so they suit generalists and students too.
- Pay schedules differ: weekly at Handshake, Mercor and Outlier, twice a month at micro1, monthly at Turing.
Handshake competitors: sites like Handshake AI
Handshake AI runs a fellowship that pays students, graduates and professionals to train AI models. Its fellowship page lists roles from "AI Evaluation Specialist Up to $17/hr" to "Software Engineer Up to $150/hr" (Handshake AI), and its role pages go up to $180 an hour for some clinicians. Full pay by field is on our Handshake AI jobs page.
Websites like Handshake AI do the same work for the same AI labs. The table compares them on what matters to an applicant: who they accept, what they publish about pay and how they pay. Everything was read on each program's own page on 12 November 2026.
| Program | Who it accepts | Published pay | How it pays | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Handshake AI | US-based with supported work authorization; other countries by invite | Up to $17 to $300/hr by role | Weekly, sent by Wednesday | Handshake AI |
| Mercor | Professionals across fields; listings name any region limit | $50 to $160/hr on open roles; $90/hr average contracted rate | Weekly, Wednesdays, USD via Stripe or Wise | Mercor |
| micro1 | Experts worldwide who pass the Zara AI interview | $15 to $200+/hr by type of work | Twice a month, USD via Deel | micro1 |
| Outlier (Scale AI) | Contributors in 50 countries | Hourly or per task; details given before each project | Weekly on Tuesdays via PayPal, AirTM or ACH | Outlier |
| DataAnnotation | Applicants who pass a one-time Starter Assessment | Up to $50/hr generalist; up to $150+/hr software | Through PayPal | DataAnnotation |
| Alignerr (Labelbox) | PhDs, researchers and professionals across fields | $80/hr average pay; roles from $30 to $120/hr | Not stated on its homepage | Alignerr |
| Mindrift (Toloka) | Generalists and domain experts in 90+ domains | $15 to $30/hr entry level; $60 to $100+/hr experts | Not stated on its homepage | Mindrift |
| Turing | Independent contractors | Not published on its jobs page | Monthly, by the 5th business day | Turing |
| Prolific | Research participants, by waitlist | Per study; real money, no gift cards | Not stated on its participants page | Prolific |
Sources for this table: Handshake AI: fellowship program, read 12 Nov 2026; Mercor: open roles (Explore), read 12 Nov 2026; DataAnnotation: homepage, read 12 Nov 2026; Alignerr: homepage (powered by Labelbox), read 12 Nov 2026; Mindrift (built by Toloka): homepage, read 12 Nov 2026; Prolific: for participants, read 12 Nov 2026.
Why people look for Handshake AI alternatives
The most common reason is location. Handshake says "you must be based in the U.S. and have a valid work authorization that can be supported by Handshake" (Handshake AI), and "For International Fellows: Participation is currently invite-only" (Handshake AI Help Center). STEM OPT, J-1, H-1B and TN holders are listed as unsupported.
The second is waiting. Handshake says "there is no fixed timeline for receiving a project invitation" (Handshake AI Help Center). The third is pay disputes: Business Insider reported in 2026 that some contractors were denied pay after being accused of breaking rules, and Handshake has since added a dispute process. Both are covered in our Is Handshake AI legit? review.
The closest alternatives to Handshake AI
Mercor. Mercor hires professionals for project contracts. On 12 November 2026 its open roles paid from $50 to $160 an hour, and "Mercor pays hourly contractors every Wednesday around 12:00 PM PST" (Mercor). It hires only in the countries on its list: "Mercor cannot onboard experts or issue contracts in any of these locations, or in any location that does not appear on this page" (Mercor). See Mercor jobs.
micro1. micro1 recruits experts worldwide through an AI interview with Zara and publishes typical pay from $15 to $40 an hour for general annotation up to $100 to $200+ for frontier expert projects (micro1). It says "Certified experts are typically updated on their application status within 30 days." See micro1 jobs.
Outlier. Run by Scale AI, Outlier reports contributors in "50 Countries" (Outlier) and says "we process payments weekly via PayPal, AirTM, or ACH bank transfer" (Outlier). See our Scale AI review.
More websites like Handshake AI
DataAnnotation advertises "expert rates of up to $75-$125+/hr", with listings such as "Generalist General Up to $50 / hr" and "Software Engineer Coding Up to $150+ / hr" (DataAnnotation). It "processes payments through PayPal", and "Workers typically receive approval notification within a few days after completing the Starter Assessment"; "You can only take the Starter Assessment once" (DataAnnotation).
Alignerr is "Powered by Labelbox" and shows "$80/hr Average pay" and "$1M Paid weekly" on its homepage (Alignerr). Mindrift "is built by Toloka" and publishes "Entry-level: $15-30 per hour" and "Domain experts: $60-100+/hr" (Mindrift).
Turing pays contractors monthly: hours "are processed and scheduled to be completed by the 5th business day of the following month" (Turing); see our Is Turing legit? review. Prolific is different: it pays people to "take studies" rather than train models, and says "We always reward you with real money, no gift cards or cashback" (Prolific).
How to choose a Handshake AI alternative
- Start with eligibility: check the country list or location line before you spend time on an interview.
- Match your field: specialists earn the most on programs that post roles in their field. Generalists have more options at Outlier, DataAnnotation and Mindrift.
- Compare the pay schedule you need: weekly (Handshake, Mercor, Outlier), twice a month (micro1) or monthly (Turing).
- Read the pay model: hourly time caps and per-task review can change what you take home.
- Apply to more than one. None of these programs promises a project, and matching depends on demand.
Next step
For other starting points, see Scale AI competitors and micro1 alternatives.
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Origin Data Partners is independent of the programs on this page. A program may pay Origin when Origin introduces someone who joins it, which never changes what you are paid (how Origin is paid).
Common questions
What are the best alternatives to Handshake AI?
Mercor and micro1 are the closest: both hire professionals for expert AI training work and screen with an AI interview. Outlier, DataAnnotation, Alignerr and Mindrift also recruit for similar work, including entry-level roles.
Who are Handshake's competitors in AI training?
Mercor, micro1, Scale AI (through Outlier), Labelbox (through Alignerr), Toloka (through Mindrift), Turing, Surge AI and Invisible Technologies all recruit people to train AI models for the same labs.
Are there sites like Handshake AI outside the US?
Yes. Mercor hires in the countries on its published list, micro1 recruits worldwide, and Outlier reports contributors in 50 countries. Handshake AI itself says international participation is currently invite-only.
Which Handshake AI alternative pays the most?
Published ranges top out around $200 to $300 an hour: Handshake AI lists a medical professional role at up to $300, Mercor listed $200 an hour for an infectious disease physician, micro1 publishes $100 to $200+ for frontier expert projects, and DataAnnotation lists software roles at up to $150+ an hour. Your rate depends on the role.
Which AI training site pays fastest?
Handshake AI, Mercor and Outlier all pay weekly; Outlier on Tuesdays and Mercor on Wednesdays. micro1 pays twice a month and Turing monthly.
Sources and further reading
- Handshake AI: fellowship program
- Handshake AI Help Center: fellowship work authorization eligibility
- Handshake AI Help Center: from application to first project
- Mercor: open roles (Explore)
- Mercor talent docs: payments
- Mercor talent docs: supported countries for payment
- micro1: complete guide to AI training jobs
- Outlier: homepage (operated by Scale AI)
- Outlier: FAQ
- DataAnnotation: homepage
- DataAnnotation: FAQ
- Alignerr: homepage (powered by Labelbox)
- Mindrift (built by Toloka): homepage
- Turing Knowledge Base: project onboarding and payouts
- Prolific: for participants