# Sites Like Prolific: Paid Studies and AI Training Work

> Sites like Prolific compared: CloudResearch Connect, Respondent and AI training programs such as Mindrift, Outlier and DataAnnotation, with pay and countries.

Canonical: https://origindatapartners.com/guides/prolific-alternatives
By: Origin Data Partners
Status: Published
Published: 2026-11-12
Updated: 2026-11-12
Sources checked: 2026-11-12

## Quick answer

The closest sites like Prolific are research-study platforms: CloudResearch Connect (studies average $10 an hour; US, UK, Canada, Australia, Ireland and New Zealand) and Respondent (most interview sessions pay $50-$250). Amazon Mechanical Turk, often named as an alternative, permanently closed on September 30, 2026. If you mainly do Prolific's AI tasks, AI training programs such as Mindrift ($15-30 entry level), DataAnnotation ($25-$50 general) and Outlier pay by the hour for similar work.

## Key points

- Prolific pays at least £6/$8 an hour and recommends £9/$12; CloudResearch Connect recommends at least $7.50 and reports a $10 average.
- Amazon Mechanical Turk is gone: it permanently closed on September 30, 2026.
- Respondent pays far more per session ($50-$250) but sends most participants only 1-3 invitations a month.

## Sites like Prolific at a glance

Prolific is a platform where researchers post paid studies and surveys, and where some tasks evaluate AI models: participants are asked to "Evaluate machine learning models and consider key questions about AI and human interaction" ([Prolific](https://www.prolific.com/participants)). Sites similar to Prolific fall into two groups: other research-study platforms, and AI training programs that pay by the hour for rating and writing AI answers.

The table lists both groups with what each program published on its own pages on November 12, 2026.

| Program | Who runs it | Kind of work | Who it accepts | Published pay | How and when it pays | Countries |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Prolific | Prolific | Research studies and surveys; some AI evaluation | 18+, living in a supported country; waitlist | At least £6/$8 an hour; £9/$12 recommended | PayPal; cash out from $6/£6 | Most OECD countries, except Turkey, Lithuania, Colombia and Costa Rica |
| CloudResearch Connect | CloudResearch | Research studies and surveys | Not stated on its participant page | Studies average $10/hr; $7.50/hr recommended minimum | PayPal ($5 minimum), bank transfer or Amazon gift card | US, plus Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand and the UK since Dec 2023 |
| Respondent | Respondent | Paid interviews, product studies and focus groups | Matched to studies by background | Most sessions $50-$250 | Through Tremendous, after the session is verified | Panel across "150+ countries" |
| Mindrift | Toloka | Writing prompts, evaluating AI answers; open "All-access" tasks | Anyone can start All-access tasks; specialized projects need qualifications | $15-30/hr entry level; $60-100+/hr domain experts | Twice a month (5th and 20th) via Payoneer or Tipalti (PayPal) | Any country except a published exclusion list |
| DataAnnotation | DataAnnotation | Rating chatbot answers, coding, STEM, professional and language tracks | Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience; one Starter Assessment attempt | $25-$50/hr general; $25-$40 multilingual; $40-$150+ coding; $40-$125+ STEM and professional | PayPal, within a few days of requesting | No country list in its FAQ |
| Outlier | Scale AI | Writing hard prompts, grading rubrics, rating and ranking AI answers | Undergraduate-level expertise at minimum; no AI experience needed | No rate published; you see the rate before each project, and it varies by location | Weekly on Tuesdays via PayPal, Airtm or ACH | "50 Countries" on its homepage; ID from your country of residence |
| clickworker | clickworker | Microtasks via app or desktop | Registered freelancers | Per task; no rate on its homepage | Per task, paid directly by clickworker | Workforce in 136 countries |

Sources for this table: [Prolific: participants, read 12 Nov 2026](https://www.prolific.com/participants); [CloudResearch: Connect for participants, read 12 Nov 2026](https://www.cloudresearch.com/products/connect-for-participants/); [Respondent: for participants, read 12 Nov 2026](https://www.respondent.io/participants); [Mindrift: homepage, read 12 Nov 2026](https://mindrift.ai/); [DataAnnotation: homepage and roles, read 12 Nov 2026](https://www.dataannotation.tech/); [Outlier: homepage, read 12 Nov 2026](https://outlier.ai/); [clickworker: homepage, read 12 Nov 2026](https://www.clickworker.com/).


## Research-study sites similar to Prolific

**Prolific.** A research-study platform co-founded at Oxford University in 2014. Researchers must pay at least £6/$8 an hour, and Prolific recommends £9/$12 or more ([Prolific Help](https://participant-help.prolific.com/en/article/f66985)). You cash out to PayPal once you have $6/£6 ([Prolific](https://www.prolific.com/participants)). It is open to adults in "most OECD countries", except Turkey, Lithuania, Colombia and Costa Rica, and new sign-ups go through a waitlist ([Prolific FAQ](https://www.prolific.com/participants-frequently-asked-questions)). Our review: [Is Prolific legit?](https://origindatapartners.com/guides/is-prolific-legit).

**CloudResearch Connect.** The nearest like-for-like option. CloudResearch tells researchers that studies pay "on average, $10/hour with a recommended minimum of $7.50/hour" ([Connect FAQs](https://www.cloudresearch.com/cloudresearch-connect-faqs)). You cash out by PayPal (from a $5 balance), bank transfer or Amazon gift card ([Connect for participants](https://www.cloudresearch.com/products/connect-for-participants/)). It opened beyond the US in December 2023, "welcoming participants from Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom" ([CloudResearch](https://www.cloudresearch.com/resources/blog/connect-international-survey-participants/)).

**Respondent.** Paid interviews, studies and focus groups. "Most sessions pay $50-$250 depending on length and seniority", paid through Tremendous once the session is verified, but "Most participants get 1-3 invitations a month" ([Respondent](https://www.respondent.io/participants)). Its panel spans "150+ countries".

**Amazon Mechanical Turk.** Often listed as the first alternative to Prolific, but its site now says it "permanently closed on September 30, 2026" ([Amazon Mechanical Turk](https://www.mturk.com/)). Lists that still recommend it are out of date.

**clickworker.** A microtask platform with a "Workforce located in 136 countries". Clickworkers "are paid per task directly by us"; its homepage gives no rate ([clickworker](https://www.clickworker.com/)).


## Other sites like Prolific for AI tasks

Prolific selects its "AI Taskers" from its top performers ([Prolific: AI Taskers](https://www.prolific.com/ai-taskers)). If AI evaluation is the work you like, these programs offer more of it, usually at higher hourly rates and with stricter screening:

**Mindrift.** Built by Toloka, Mindrift publishes "Entry-level: $15-30 per hour" and "Domain experts: $60-100+/hr" ([Mindrift](https://mindrift.ai/)). Anyone can start on open "All-access" tasks; qualifications unlock better-paid specialized projects. It pays twice a month, on the 5th and 20th, through Payoneer or Tipalti (PayPal), and joining is free ([Mindrift welcome page](https://mindrift.ai/welcome)). Toloka's own tasks have moved there. Our reviews: [Is Mindrift legit?](https://origindatapartners.com/guides/is-mindrift-legit) and [Toloka review](https://origindatapartners.com/guides/toloka-review).

**DataAnnotation.** The most detailed public pay table in this group: general projects start at $25-$50 an hour, multilingual at $25-$40, coding at $40-$150+, and STEM and professional work at $40-$125+. The baseline is "a bachelor's degree or equivalent real-world experience", you get one attempt at the Starter Assessment, and not every applicant gets a reply. It pays through PayPal "within a few days after you request" ([DataAnnotation FAQ](https://www.dataannotation.tech/faq)). Our review: [Is DataAnnotation legit?](https://origindatapartners.com/guides/is-dataannotation-legit).

**Outlier.** Run by Scale AI, Outlier "connects experts with leading AI companies to provide human feedback" ([Outlier](https://outlier.ai/)). It asks for undergraduate-level expertise at minimum and says no AI experience is needed. It publishes no rate table: "Rates vary by expertise, project complexity, and location", and you see the rate before each project. It pays weekly on Tuesdays through PayPal, Airtm or ACH ([Outlier FAQ](https://outlier.ai/faq)). Our review: [Is Outlier AI legit?](https://origindatapartners.com/guides/is-outlier-ai-legit).

For more expert programs, see [Outlier AI alternatives](https://origindatapartners.com/guides/outlier-ai-alternatives) and [DataAnnotation alternatives](https://origindatapartners.com/guides/dataannotation-alternatives).


## Which Prolific alternative fits your background?

Each row uses only the requirements the programs publish.

| Your background | Start with | Why |
| --- | --- | --- |
| No degree | Prolific, CloudResearch Connect, Mindrift All-access tasks, clickworker | Study platforms and Mindrift's All-access tasks publish no degree requirement |
| Degree | DataAnnotation general track, Outlier | DataAnnotation's baseline is a bachelor's degree or equivalent experience, at $25-$50 an hour |
| Licensed professional or senior role | Respondent, DataAnnotation professional track | Respondent says senior B2B roles are paid more; DataAnnotation pays $40-$125+ for licensed credentials |
| Coder | DataAnnotation coding track, Mindrift coding | DataAnnotation coding starts at $40-$150+ an hour |
| Outside the US | Prolific (most OECD countries), Connect (UK, Canada, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand), Mindrift, clickworker | Check each list: Prolific excludes Turkey, Lithuania, Colombia and Costa Rica |


## How to compare sites similar to Prolific

- Compare the hourly floor, not the reward: Prolific (£6/$8) and Connect ($7.50 recommended) both set an hourly minimum for researchers.
- Check the cash-out minimum: $6/£6 on Prolific, $5 to PayPal on Connect.
- Expect a waitlist. Prolific uses one for new participants, so join a second platform while you wait.
- Paid interviews pay more per hour but come less often; Respondent says most people get 1-3 invitations a month.
- Earn from recordings too: see [getting paid to record your voice for AI](https://origindatapartners.com/physical-ai/get-paid-to-record-your-voice-for-ai) and [companies that pay to record work](https://origindatapartners.com/physical-ai/companies-that-pay-to-record-work).


## Next step

Our [Is Prolific legit?](https://origindatapartners.com/guides/is-prolific-legit) review covers Prolific itself. For a primer on the work behind AI tasks, read [what AI training data is](https://origindatapartners.com/guides/what-is-ai-training-data).

[Tell us what you do](https://origindatapartners.com/experts#inquiry). We'll send you the paid AI work that fits your field, wherever you live. It's free.

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](https://origindatapartners.com/referral-disclosure)).


## Questions and answers

### What are some sites like Prolific?

CloudResearch Connect and Respondent are the closest research-study platforms. For AI evaluation tasks, Mindrift, DataAnnotation and Outlier pay by the hour for similar work. clickworker offers microtasks. Amazon Mechanical Turk closed on September 30, 2026.

### What sites are similar to Prolific but pay more?

Respondent says most sessions pay $50-$250, though invitations are less frequent (1-3 a month for most participants). AI training programs publish higher hourly rates: DataAnnotation starts at $25-$50 an hour for general work and Mindrift at $15-30, with $60-100+ for domain experts.

### Is CloudResearch Connect like Prolific?

Yes. Both host paid research studies. Connect reports an average of $10 an hour with a recommended minimum of $7.50, and pays by PayPal, bank transfer or Amazon gift card. It accepts participants in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Ireland and New Zealand.

### Is Amazon Mechanical Turk still an alternative to Prolific?

No. Amazon Mechanical Turk's site says it permanently closed on September 30, 2026.

### Which sites like Prolific accept people outside the US and UK?

Prolific itself covers most OECD countries except Turkey, Lithuania, Colombia and Costa Rica. Connect adds Canada, Australia, Ireland and New Zealand. Mindrift accepts most countries outside a published exclusion list, and clickworker says its workforce spans 136 countries.

## Sources

- [Prolific: participants](https://www.prolific.com/participants)
- [Prolific: participant FAQs](https://www.prolific.com/participants-frequently-asked-questions)
- [Prolific Participant Help: underpaying studies and minimum rate](https://participant-help.prolific.com/en/article/f66985)
- [Prolific: AI Taskers](https://www.prolific.com/ai-taskers)
- [CloudResearch: Connect FAQs](https://www.cloudresearch.com/cloudresearch-connect-faqs)
- [CloudResearch: Connect expands to international participants (Dec 2023)](https://www.cloudresearch.com/resources/blog/connect-international-survey-participants/)
- [CloudResearch: Connect for participants](https://www.cloudresearch.com/products/connect-for-participants/)
- [Respondent: for participants](https://www.respondent.io/participants)
- [Amazon Mechanical Turk: closure notice](https://www.mturk.com/)
- [clickworker: homepage](https://www.clickworker.com/)
- [Mindrift: homepage](https://mindrift.ai/)
- [Mindrift: welcome page for Toloka users](https://mindrift.ai/welcome)
- [DataAnnotation: homepage and roles](https://www.dataannotation.tech/)
- [DataAnnotation: FAQ](https://www.dataannotation.tech/faq)
- [Outlier: homepage](https://outlier.ai/)
- [Outlier: FAQ](https://outlier.ai/faq)

## Related reading

- [/experts](https://origindatapartners.com/experts)
- [Is Prolific Legit? Pay, Reviews and What to Check (2026)](https://origindatapartners.com/guides/is-prolific-legit)
- [DataAnnotation Alternatives: Sites That Pay for AI Training](https://origindatapartners.com/guides/dataannotation-alternatives)
- [Outlier AI Alternatives: 8 Sites With Published Pay (2026)](https://origindatapartners.com/guides/outlier-ai-alternatives)
- [What is AI training data? Types, sources and prices](https://origindatapartners.com/guides/what-is-ai-training-data)
- [Get paid to record your voice for AI: which programs pay, and what you give away](https://origindatapartners.com/physical-ai/get-paid-to-record-your-voice-for-ai)
- [Is Mindrift Legit? Pay, Reviews and What to Check (2026)](https://origindatapartners.com/guides/is-mindrift-legit)
- [Is DataAnnotation Legit? Pay, Reviews and Checks (2026)](https://origindatapartners.com/guides/is-dataannotation-legit)