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Which AI training platform should you try first?

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Start with the platform that hires the most in your field and accepts people from your country. For most finance professionals that is Mercor (opens in a new tab), plus one or two others that fit their field. Work on a single platform comes and goes, so many people join two or three.

Some links on this page are referral links. If you join through one, the platform may pay us a fee. It costs you nothing, and it does not influence our recommendations. Disclosure

Which platform fits your field?

Your field Start with Why
Accounting, audit and tax Mercor (opens in a new tab), micro1 (opens in a new tab) Both have roles open outside the US, for IFRS and US GAAP. Many tax roles are US only and ask for a US license.
Investment Mercor, AfterQuery (opens in a new tab) The most investment banking, private equity and equity research roles, and the highest listed rates.
Corporate finance and FP&A Mercor, micro1 The most roles for financial analysts and FP&A.
Economics and other finance roles Ethos (opens in a new tab) (askethos.com), Mercor Ethos has many economics and venture capital roles.
Personal finance and financial planning micro1, Outlier (opens in a new tab) micro1 has roles for the UK and Canada, Outlier for the US.

Alignerr (opens in a new tab), DataAnnotation (opens in a new tab) and Handshake AI (opens in a new tab) also hire finance experts, with fewer roles or for fewer countries. Compare all 8 on our Companies page, or read our Mercor review.

Which platforms accept people from your country?

Where you live Platforms you can apply to
United States All 8
United Kingdom, Canada Mercor, micro1, Ethos, AfterQuery, Alignerr, DataAnnotation, Outlier
EU countries Mercor, micro1, Ethos, AfterQuery, Alignerr, Outlier
Australia, New Zealand Mercor, micro1, Ethos, AfterQuery, Alignerr, DataAnnotation
Most other countries Mercor, micro1, Ethos, Alignerr, and AfterQuery where Stripe pays out

Check the country list of the platform or of the specific role before you apply.

What else should you compare?

Are you OK with screen monitoring?

Mercor, micro1, Outlier and Handshake AI use time trackers on hourly work. They do this to check that you do the work yourself, without AI tools, and that the hours you bill are real working hours, not time spent on YouTube, for example. You start and stop the timer yourself, and the tracker only records while it is running. Some trackers take screenshots now and then or record which apps you use.

Hourly or per task?

Most platforms pay by the hour. micro1, Alignerr and some Mercor projects also pay per task, and Ethos pays per project. Hourly pay is more predictable. Per-task pay can work out well if you are fast, and badly if you are not.

Can you retake the interview or test?

It depends on the platform. Mercor lets you retake its AI interview up to three times, and in our experience Outlier lets you retake its skill screenings after 30 days. AfterQuery and DataAnnotation give you only one attempt. If the platform that fits you best is one of those, practise first. Mercor (opens in a new tab)'s practice interview is free and you can take it as often as you like, and micro1 (opens in a new tab) has a free Interview Prep tool.

Frequently asked questions

Can I join several platforms?

Yes. None of the platforms we cover forbids working elsewhere. Keep each project's work confidential and never reuse task content on another platform.

Which platform pays the most?

AfterQuery and Mercor list the highest typical rates for finance roles, and a few micro1 roles go higher. What you earn depends just as much on how many hours a project offers. See Pay rates for finance.

Your next step

Step 5: Apply and start your first project

Sources (accessed 20 October 2026 unless noted)