Handshake AI vs Prolific

Side by side from today's live listings and each platform's own documentation. Plenty of people work on both.

	Handshake AI	Prolific
Live roles	242	Behind login
Median hourly	$80	n/a
Top rate	$300	n/a
How it pays	Weekly payouts through Stripe, according to the fellowship page as quoted by third-party guides. Handshake does not publish a rate per project.	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 through the Handshake AI site with a Handshake account. Expert tracks ask for a degree in the field.	Sign up as a participant and verify your identity. There is often a waitlist; once in, studies that match your profile appear on your dashboard first come, first served.
Run by	Handshake, the college careers network, which started an AI training business (the Handshake AI Fellowship) in 2025.	Prolific, a London company that runs an online research panel. Universities and AI companies pay participants to take studies and do AI evaluation tasks.

Median hourly by field

Number of hourly listings in brackets.