Appen vs Prolific
Side by side from today's live listings and each platform's own documentation.
| Appen | Prolific | |
|---|---|---|
| Live roles | 51 | Behind login |
| Median hourly | $34 (from the 10 of 51 roles that state an hourly rate) | n/a |
| Top rate | $100 | n/a |
| How it pays | Monthly, judging by CrowdGen's fee terms (fees are counted per payment per month). Appen says it charges no fees itself; payment providers do. In the US, one ACH or PayPal payment a month is free, then $0.20 (ACH) or $0.25 (PayPal); PayPal outside the US costs 2%, capped at $20. Methods include PayPal, Payoneer, Airtm, local bank transfer, SWIFT and gift cards, depending on country. | Researchers must pay at least $8 (£6) an hour, and Prolific recommends $12 (£9). Approved earnings can be cashed out to PayPal once your balance reaches $6 or £6; payments arrive within 24 hours. New accounts wait 72 hours between cash outs until they've done four. |
| Hiring | Apply to a CrowdGen project opening. If you're shortlisted, you finish signing up from the welcome email, add your details, sign three agreements (including a Master Services Agreement), set up two-factor authentication, then continue to the project's qualification and choose a payment method. | Sign up as a participant and verify your identity. There is a waitlist, and Prolific says it isn't first come, first served: invites depend on demand for your demographics and expertise. Once in, open studies are first come, first served. |
| Run by | Appen, an AI training data company founded in 1996. Its contributor platform is CrowdGen, which replaced Appen Connect. | Prolific, an online research platform that connects researchers, AI developers and product teams with people who take part in studies. |
Median hourly by field
| Field | Appen | Prolific |
|---|---|---|
| Data & analytics | $17 (2) | n/a |
| Languages & translation | $38 (4) | n/a |
| Voice & audio | $36 (3) | n/a |
Number of hourly listings in brackets.