Why look elsewhere? Users often leave Mercor because of Long wait times, selective screening, and frequent rejections. Below are platforms that solve this specific pain point.
Our own listing data backs this up: contract length on Mercor ranges from 3 to 23.5 weeks depending on domain, based on 121 extracted listings.
Mercor requires an interview on 98% of listings we've checked (n=143).
Mercor is exclusive by design, but that exclusivity is brutal if you don't make the cut. Long screening waits, rejection after rejection, and uncertainty can drain you fast. If you're done waiting for Mercor to call, or you've been rejected multiple times, here are specialist platforms hiring developers now, with no long gatekeeping queue.
Mercor has the most open roles we track, and Ethos the highest median rate
Mercor ranks 2nd of 5 on median hourly pay and 1st of 5 on open roles we track among the platforms on this page.
| Platform | Open roles we track | Median hourly listing | Pays |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercor | 1,404 | $75 | Weekly |
| Micro1 | 393 | $70 | Not published |
| SME Careers | 261 | $50 | Weekly |
| Ethos | 260 | $80 | Not published |
| Mindrift | 305 | $45 | Not published |
Roles and rates as listed by each platform, from our dataset on October 4, 2026. Some platforms post only part of their work as public listings, so a low count can undercount available work. Medians cover hourly listings only and need at least 10 of them. "Not tracked" means we don't collect that platform's listings.
Pick the alternative that fits where you are with Mercor
If you are waiting on a Mercor match, keep that application open and apply elsewhere at the same time. Mercor matches you after an AI interview, and the wait depends on client demand in your field. Micro1 and Ethos both start with an AI interview too, and Micro1's results can arrive the next day. Our Mercor AI interview guide covers the step you may still be waiting on.
If you live outside the US, UK or Canada, about a quarter of Mercor roles name one of those countries. SME Careers works in any country Deel supports, and Micro1, Mindrift and Ethos hire globally, though Ethos needs local licensing for some specialist roles.
If Mercor's time tracking is the problem, check how each platform counts paid time before you start. Our guide to Mercor's Insightful tracking explains what it records. Pay timing differs too: SME Careers pays weekly like Mercor, Micro1 and Mindrift twice a month, and Ethos on terms set per project.
Micro1 vets professionals once with its AI interviewer, Zara, then matches them to projects that train and evaluate AI models. Engineering is one track among many: legal, healthcare, STEM, business and language roles make up most of the board. Listed hourly rates have a $67.50 median, legal and healthcare roles post the highest, and pay runs through Deel in USD twice a month.
We track 393 open Micro1 roles with a $70 median hourly listing, against 1,404 and $75 on Mercor.
💬 Real User Feedback
"Everything was good. Only after the interview it asked me to upload my CV but suddenly the screen changed before I could upload it. Minor hiccup aside, the AI interview process was smooth and professional."
– Hassan • Jan 22
"The entire interview setup was incredibly exemplary. I barely found any hitch or difficulties while answering the questions. The AI interviewer was responsive and the process felt natural."
– Arham • Jan 22
"Zara often interrupted my answers to give her own responses. She did not allow time for me to consider an answer to a question before trying to move on. Otherwise, it was a unique experience and an interesting way to conduct interviews."
– Suzanne Fisher • Jan 21
- ✓ One AI interview covers future role matches
- ✓ Paid in USD twice a month through Deel
Interview runs on camera with screen share
Current Openings
3 latest listings from Micro1
Simulation Expert — Real-to-Sim 3D Environments & Assets
Investment Banking Associate
Korean Language Expert
SME Careers is SuperAnnotate's network for subject matter experts who train and evaluate AI models. You apply with a CV and take a recorded AI interview, some roles add a qualification exam or a call, and a human makes the final hiring decision. Contracts and weekly payouts run through Deel, in any country Deel supports. Listings publish a maximum rate only, so expect typical pay below the figure shown.
We track 261 open SME Careers roles with a $50 median hourly listing, against 1,404 and $75 on Mercor. It pays on the same schedule: weekly.
💬 Real User Feedback
"The people here are awesome—both the SuperAnnotate team and the high-quality colleagues I worked with. This was my first time, and despite some early snags, the team was incredibly supportive. The work is meaningful and the payment is reliable."
– Tina S. • Nov 2
"SuperAnnotate is a great company. The work has been pretty steady, and the leaders are excellent."
– Michael N. • Nov 2
- ✓ Weekly payouts through Deel
- ✓ Open in any country Deel supports
Includes a recorded AI interview
Current Openings
4 latest listings from SME Careers
Workforce Experience Specialists
Legal & Compliance Specialist
Finance & Accounting Specialist
Healthcare Specialist
Ethos is a London expert network that onboards you with an AI voice interview instead of a form, then routes inbound matches across AI training work, paid expert calls, market research and fractional or full-time roles. Listings we track pay $35 to $225 an hour with an $80 median, mostly in business and professional-services fields. Each project confirms its rate and payment terms in writing before you start, and you invoice when it closes.
We track 260 open Ethos roles with a $80 median hourly listing, against 1,404 and $75 on Mercor.
💬 Real User Feedback
"Do not go ahead with the AI interviews for this company. They are unethically training there AI model with everything you say in your interview... I applied recently & have heard nothing back since. A similar pattern for a lot of others. They are also now leaving fake positive reviews to mask this. Be warned."
– Declan • May 16
"There are no jobs. There is a reason they are so pushy asking you to do their AI interview-- they are harvesting your expertise. They are using long AI interviews to train their AI models for free using experts who think they are interviewing for paid work. Several of my friends and colleagues who are also experts in the field did the interviews and none of us got any paid work. I did a search and many are mentioning the same fraudulent scam on Reddit"
– Del Blanc • May 26
"I have been in several job interviews by the AI. I didn't think much about it, but now I got a new opportunity and the responses by the AI were now absolutely clear: they are taking time of you to train their AI with your experience mimicking a job interview. The questions are always a little different by the AI from one to the next interview. The last interview I took the AIs reaction was so clear - I was giving my advice for free!"
– Sandra Beecken • Jul 15
"Horrible .. horrible .. horrible ... where do i start? they announce that you are a match for an expert opportunity in 24 hrs ... and in that 24 hrs, you have to pass a "screener" ... with a score of 80% ... and you are given an hour to pass!!!! they treat you like kids in school ... "go pass the screener" ... "first 5000 people will be accepted" ... "you have a deadline of UTC xyz" .... no explanations, no clear directions ... you are on your own ...."
– AE • Aug 18
"During the interview, I engaged in a detailed back-and-forth with an AI system that asked questions closely aligned to my expertise. After completing it, I was informed that I was not successful... it felt less like a traditional evaluation for a specific role and more like a structured interaction designed to gather knowledge or responses... I also requested that my data be deleted and not used further, but I have since received additional emails inviting me to continue engaging with their AI system, which was unexpected. Based on my experience, I would advise others to approach with caution."
– HD • Apr 15
"I discovered AskEthos through a LinkedIn post and decided to apply. From the beginning, the experience stood out from what I expected from a typical hiring process. The first stage involved an AI interview, which genuinely surprised me. It was able to comprehend my responses well and engage in thoughtful, in-depth conversation rather than feeling scripted or superficial. After that, a member of the Ethos team reached out personally and arranged a meeting... Once accepted, onboarding was quick, organised, and seamless. The team was friendly, transparent, and incredibly welcoming from the start."
– Sebastiaan van Wyk • Jun 3
"Have been working with them as a Management Consultant on contract, and the experience has been good. They partner with frontier AI orgs to help improve their models. People from different areas of expertise get onboarded and work on different campaigns. The pay is good, the support and guidance is even better. Special thanks to Juan Pablo Arizpe, he has been very helpful through out the process."
– Pushpak Roy • Aug 18
"Working with AskEthos has been a wonderful experience from start to finish. The campaigns were well-structured, engaging, and provided an excellent opportunity to contribute to meaningful AI projects while continuously learning and improving my skills. One of the biggest strengths of AskEthos is its incredibly supportive team... Another standout aspect is the compensation. The pay rates are among the best in the market, and payments have always been prompt and reliable."
– matthew vikram • Jul 7
"I've had a positive experience working with AskEthos on freelance presentation and document conversion projects. The team is professional, communicates clearly, and provides constructive feedback throughout the workflow. Tasks are well organized, expectations are usually clear, and payments have been timely in my experience."
– Rahul Kashyap • May 23
"Ethos is the closest thing to a perfect workplace because of the following. 1. It offers flexibility i.e. one can work when they want with no minimum or maximum hours required. 2. The hourly rates are good and the pay comes on time as communicated. 3. For the tasks being done, if one is finding a task too difficult one can always choose another task instead."
– Lawrence Mulamba • Aug 14
- ✓ Listings we track pay $35 to $225 an hour, median $80
- ✓ One voice interview builds your profile, then matches come to you
Match volume depends on client demand in your field
Current Openings
3 latest listings from Ethos
Pitch Deck Specialist Expert
Enterprise Account Executive (B2B) Expert
People Ops / Recruiting Generalist Expert
Mindrift is Toloka's platform for AI trainers, open worldwide except 17 sanctioned countries and about 35 unsupported territories. It states $15 to $30 an hour for entry-level work and $60 to $100+ for domain experts, and open listings have a $46 median. Specialised projects ask for a CV, an assessment and ID verification, and pay goes out on the 5th and 20th of each month through Payoneer or PayPal. Task availability varies by domain and language.
We track 305 open Mindrift roles with a $45 median hourly listing, against 1,404 and $75 on Mercor.
💬 Real User Feedback
"Working on Mindrift has been a genuinely rewarding experience. Collaborating with experts from different domains has sharpened my problem-solving, improved my feedback clarity, and helped me understand AI training from multiple perspectives."
– Mujahid Munawar • Jan 15
"I never expected this platform and its projects to be so interesting, and even less that there would be a regular supply of tasks. Of course, availability depends on your domain, but overall the platform delivers engaging work consistently."
– Anastasia A. • Nov 4
"I made it to the testing stage and got the test link via email. But when I log in, the task pane says 'In Progress' with no test tasks available. The onboarding process could use some technical improvements."
– Syed H. • Dec 16
- ✓ States $15-$30/hr entry-level and $60-$100+/hr for experts
- ✓ Open worldwide except sanctioned countries
Task availability varies by domain and language
Current Openings
3 latest listings from Mindrift
Freelance Web Designer
Freelance Web Designer
Freelance Graphic Designer
A Mercor rejection does not mean you are not skilled. It means you do not fit their current client pipeline. Micro1 and SME Careers hire across many of the same fields, so keep one of them running next to your Mercor profile.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best Mercor alternatives?
Micro1, SME Careers, Ethos and Mindrift hire the same specialists as Mercor. Micro1 and Ethos screen with an AI interview. SME Careers and Mindrift hire in most countries.
Is there a site like Mercor that is easier to get into?
Micro1 is the closest match. It also screens with an AI interview and hires developers and domain experts, and its results can arrive the next day.
Which Mercor alternative pays weekly?
SME Careers pays weekly through Deel, like Mercor. Micro1 and Mindrift pay twice a month, and Ethos sets payment terms per project.
Should I stop applying on Mercor?
No, an open Mercor profile costs nothing to keep. Mercor lists more open roles than any other platform we track, so keep applying there while you earn elsewhere.