micro1 vs Alignerr: which should you pick?

Pick micro1 if you want better pay on today's listings and want the best-paid single roles; it's built for STEM and domain experts. Pick Alignerr if you want to be paid more often and want generalist work, which micro1 doesn't list; it's built for math, medical and law experts. Both hire software engineers; micro1's coding listings top out higher ($100 vs $80/hr typical top rate).

micro1

Typical top rate: $90/hrPlatform says $15–135/hr
Highest live top rate: $400/hr
Open jobs: 347

Apply on micro1 Review of micro1

Alignerr

Typical top rate: $75/hrPlatform says $15–150/hr
Highest live top rate: $280/hr
Open jobs: 450

Apply on Alignerr Review of Alignerr

How do micro1 and Alignerr compare?

micro1 is ahead on

Typical pay on live jobs
The highest-paying listing
Getting in
Hires worldwide
Open to India

Alignerr is ahead on

Payout schedule

About the same

Steady work
Payout record

How we mark a row

A tick marks the better of the two only where one is plainly better for anyone: advertised pay, typical pay on live jobs, how easy it is to get in, steady work, the payout record and schedule, and where it hires. Pay rows need a gap of at least 10%, and the live-jobs rate needs 5+ priced listings on both sides (otherwise it's under "Can't compare yet"). The advertised-pay tick goes to the higher advertised top; a single live listing above it is shown as context, not counted. There's no overall score: a better payout record matters more than a payout day, so weigh the rows that matter to you.

"Hires worldwide" and "Open to India" are marked on listings posted in the last 4 weeks, so a pile of months-old posts can't win them. Payout method, time to apply, open jobs, recent posts and red flags are context, never a win. A count of red flags mostly shows how much has been written about a platform, so read the flags themselves below.

micro1 compared with Alignerr, row by row
	micro1	Alignerr
Typical top rate, live jobs	$90/hr, from 339 priced listings (better)	$75/hr, from 450 priced listings
Highest live listing	$400/hr (better)	$280/hr
Platform says (advertised range)	$15–135/hr	$15–150/hr
Getting in	Some screening (better)	Hard to get in
Steady work	Work is patchy	Work is patchy
Payout record	Some delays	Some delays
Payout schedule	Twice a month	Weekly, by Friday for the prior Monday–Sunday (better)
Payout method	micro1 platform wallet (contractor payments)	Stripe or PayPal (depends on country)
Hires worldwide	Yes, 40 open roles take any country (better)	Yes, 22 open roles take any country
Open to India	Yes: 2 open roles name India and 40 are open worldwide; 211 more don't name a country (better)	Yes: 8 open roles name India and 22 are open worldwide; 237 more don't name a country
Time to apply	~30–45 min: profile + AI interview	~1–2 hours of assessments
Open jobs on Rubric	347	450
Posted in the last 4 weeks	252 of 347	429 of 450
Red flags on record	3	2

What kind of work does each one hire for?

micro1

What it is: Recruiting company that vets experts with an AI interviewer (Zara) and staffs them on contract AI-training and evaluation projects for AI labs.
Fields: Coding, Math, Science, Medicine, Law, Finance, Writing, Languages, Video, Images, STEM, Audio
Best for: Software engineers, STEM and domain experts, Applicants outside the US

Red flags

Red flagWeeks of silence after the AI interview
Red flagContracts signed but no onboarding or tasks
Red flagProjects ending or changing scope without notice

Alignerr

What it is: Labelbox's contractor network, which hires generalists and domain experts to label data and write and grade AI training tasks.
Fields: Coding, Math, Science, Medicine, Law, Finance, Writing, Languages, Audio, Generalist, Images, STEM, Video
Best for: Software engineers, Math, medical and law experts, Native speakers of in-demand languages

Red flags

Red flagLong gaps with no project after passing
Red flagWorker reports of delayed or withheld payments on Glassdoor

How do you apply to micro1 and Alignerr?

micro1~30–45 min: profile + AI interview

Sign up and upload your resume
Apply to a specific opportunity
Do the AI interview with Zara on a computer (not a phone)
Take any skill assessment and verify your identity
Wait to be matched to a project and sign the contract

You'll need: Computer with webcam and mic for the AI interview; Relevant degree or work history for expert roles.

Alignerr~1–2 hours of assessments

Apply to a specific role on the Alignerr jobs page
Take the TestGorilla skills assessment (usually one attempt per role)
Verify your identity with Persona
Join the Alignerr Slack community
Set up payouts once you are assigned to a project

You'll need: Valid government photo ID; Degree or professional experience for expert roles; Webcam for proctored assessments on some roles.

Common questions

Which pays more, micro1 or Alignerr?

micro1 says $15–135/hr and Alignerr says $15–150/hr. On current listings the typical top rate is $90/hr on micro1 and $75/hr on Alignerr.

Which is easier to get into, micro1 or Alignerr?

micro1 is easier to get into (“Some screening” vs “hard to get in”).

Can you work on both micro1 and Alignerr?

Yes. Both are contract platforms, and nothing stops you from being on several at once. Many people apply to both and work wherever there are tasks that week.