Crowtado
Best alternatives

The 5 best Outlier alternatives for contributors

Honest list. Crowtado is at #1 because we wrote this page, but the other four are real platforms with real contributors. Pick the one that matches your modality, geo, and pay expectations.

  1. 01

    Crowtado

    Phone-first, modality-tiered, $10 payout requests

    Crowtado pays contributors to record short voice clips, videos, and photos on their phones. The data trains AI models. Up to $40/hr, payout requests start at $10, 15 supported languages. The most direct fix for contributors leaving Outlier because of slow payouts, opaque bans, or limited modality coverage.

    Median pay
    $18–$40/hr
    Payout
    Within a few days
    Best for
    Phone-first contributors, multilingual speakers, contributors leaving platforms with opaque ban policies
    Enlist with Crowtado →
  2. 02

    DataAnnotation

    Get paid to make AI smarter.

    DataAnnotation is Surge AI's contributor-facing brand. It owns the unbranded category term 'data annotation' on Google and pays well per task — but acceptance windows are long, the waitlist is unpredictable, and bans land with no explanation.

    Median pay
    $20–$40/hr
    Payout
    7 days
    Best for
    US-based, English-fluent contributors who can wait out the application queue
  3. 03

    Prolific

    Get paid for academic research studies.

    Prolific is a UK-based platform for paid online research studies. It's the gold standard for academic researchers running surveys and behavioral experiments — but it's not really an AI training platform. Studies are short, predictable, and pay in low double digits per hour.

    Median pay
    $8–$15/hr
    Payout
    1–2 weeks
    Best for
    Research participants, academic-curious contributors
  4. 04

    Remotasks

    Work from anywhere, get paid weekly.

    Remotasks is Scale AI's older contributor brand. Onboarding was historically friendly — but in 2024 the company shut down or restricted contributors in Kenya, Nigeria, Pakistan, and several other emerging markets. Trustpilot rating is now 2.1 and active contributor sentiment is hostile.

    Median pay
    $5–$15/hr
    Payout
    7 days
    Best for
    Currently nothing recommended — most former Remotasks contributors do better on alternatives.
  5. 05

    Appen

    Where the world's best minds train AI.

    Appen is one of the oldest names in AI training data, founded in 1996 in Australia. The contributor experience is fragmented across three domains (appen.com, crowdgen.com, crowd.appen.com) and the company has had multiple rounds of layoffs and revenue decline since 2023. Pay is modest and the UX feels its age.

    Median pay
    $8–$15/hr
    Payout
    1–2 weeks
    Best for
    Search evaluator and ad-rating work specifically

FAQ

Best Outlier alternatives — what to know first.

  • What is the best Outlier alternative?

    For contributors leaving Outlier because of account suspended without a written reason; support replies with a templated message., Crowtado is the most direct replacement. It pays up to $40/hr, payout requests start at $10, and account decisions come with a written reason — addressing the most common Outlier pain points.

  • Are there free Outlier alternatives?

    All the platforms on this list are free to join — they pay you, not the other way around. Watch out for any "AI side hustle" platform that asks for money upfront; that's not how legitimate data labeling works.

  • Which Outlier alternative pays the most?

    Per-hour rates depend heavily on modality and your qualification tier. Crowtado's range is $18–$40/hr across audio, video, and photo briefs. DataAnnotation can match or exceed for specific expert categories.

Done waiting on Outlier?

Two minutes to enlist. Up to $40/hr. Payout requests from $10.

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