Sites Like Handshake AI

Mercor or Handshake AI?

Mercor is the better option for anyone based outside the US. It operates in 107 countries, minus Kenya, Pakistan, China and Russia, though roughly a quarter of its current listings are US-only. Here you pick listings yourself and apply with a résumé plus a 20-minute AI interview, and most roles sit at expert level. Handshake remains the fit for US students and graduates who prefer having projects matched to them.

• Median advertised pay is $80/hr.
• 297 open roles on our board today, while Handshake AI has none listed.
• Who can apply: Most countries (Handshake AI: US only).
• First payment in about 6 days, faster than Handshake AI's 7.

micro1 or Handshake AI?

micro1 recruits worldwide, with 21 excluded countries and regions, so it covers experts shut out by Handshake's US-only rule. The screening step is a spoken, recorded Zara AI interview running 20 to 40 minutes, and most roles ask for English at B2 or C1. Its listings concentrate on software, science, law and medicine. Handshake works better for US students who want to skip interviews and collect weekly pay.

• Median advertised pay is $65/hr.
• 294 open roles on our board today, while Handshake AI has none listed.
• Who can apply: Most countries (Handshake AI: US only).
• First payment in about 5 days, faster than Handshake AI's 7.

Alignerr or Handshake AI?

Alignerr accepts applicants from most countries and reverses the matching model: you browse individual jobs, each with its rate displayed, instead of waiting for Handshake to assign you a project. Its board currently leans toward voice and transcription work for speakers of Korean, Dutch, German and other languages. A US-based student with no second language will likely feel more at home with Handshake's assigned projects.

• Median advertised pay is $26/hr.
• 15 open roles on our board today, while Handshake AI has none listed.
• Who can apply: Worldwide (Handshake AI: US only).
• First payment in about 5 days, faster than Handshake AI's 7.

DataAnnotation or Handshake AI?

Worker reports indicate DataAnnotation takes strong English writers from the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand alongside the US. A single Starter Assessment gets you in, and afterward you select projects from your dashboard rather than waiting for a match; coding and STEM specialists follow their own tracks. Handshake suits US students who want weekly Stripe deposits, since DataAnnotation pays via PayPal only.

• Who can apply: Australia, Canada, New Zealand +2 more (Handshake AI: US only).