Does Mercor or Braintrust pay more?

Braintrust has a higher earning ceiling at $50–200/hr versus Mercor's $30–150/hr. Braintrust also charges workers zero platform fee — 100% of the client rate goes to you. Mercor's rates are strong but the platform takes a cut from the client side. Both platforms reward specialized AI/ML expertise with higher rates.

How long does vetting take on Mercor vs Braintrust?

Mercor uses an AI-driven review process that takes 3–5 days from application to approval. Braintrust takes longer at 1–2 weeks, involving a combination of automated skills assessments and human review. If you need to start earning quickly, Mercor has a clear time advantage.

Can I work on both Mercor and Braintrust at the same time?

Yes. There are no exclusivity requirements on either platform. Many senior engineers apply to and maintain active accounts on both. Given that vetting on both platforms is fast relative to traditional hiring, there is little reason not to pursue both simultaneously.

Mercor vs Braintrust: Which Is Better in 2026?

Mercor vs Braintrust: Honest Comparison

Mercor and Braintrust both target senior engineers and technical professionals looking for high-value AI and software projects. While they occupy a similar premium tier of the gig market, their business models and client bases differ significantly.

Mercor is purpose-built for AI lab work — its entire platform is oriented around connecting vetted engineers with AI research organizations. Braintrust takes a different approach with its Web3-native, token-based model where the platform itself is community-owned, meaning workers keep 100% of what clients pay with zero platform rake.

Side-by-Side Comparison

MercorVSBraintrust

MercorRecommended

Pay Range

$25-250/hr

Reliability

Very Reliable

Onboarding Time

1-3 weeks (interview + assessment + trial)

Payment Frequency

weekly

Best For

Software engineers, domain experts (medicine, law, finance), data scientists, ML engineers, and language specialists looking for high-paying remote AI gig work. Ideal for experienced professionals who can pass AI interviews and technical assessments.

Pros

High pay rates ($25-250+/hr depending on role)
Weekly payouts via Stripe or Wise
Instant Offers — get hired without applying
Generous referral program (20% of earnings)

Pay Analysis

Mercor advertises pay rates of $30–150/hr, with most active AI lab contracts landing in the $50–100/hr range. Rates depend heavily on your domain (ML research, software engineering, data science) and the specific AI lab client. Onboarding takes 3–5 days via an AI-driven review process, so you can be earning quickly if you pass the initial screen.

Braintrust rates run $50–200/hr, with the ceiling notably higher than Mercor. The key differentiator: Braintrust charges clients a fee and remits 100% of the worker-facing rate to you — there is no platform cut on your earnings. Enterprise clients like Nestlé, Coinbase, and Goldman Sachs use the platform, which supports rates at the top of the range. Vetting is more involved, typically taking 1–2 weeks through a combination of skills assessments and human review.

For raw earning ceiling, Braintrust wins. For speed-to-first-payment, Mercor wins. Workers with strong AI/ML backgrounds should consider applying to both.

Available Job Types

Mercor is specifically designed for AI lab projects: RLHF annotation, AI model evaluation, prompt engineering, and software engineering roles at AI-focused companies. If your goal is to work on cutting-edge AI research tasks, Mercor's client base is hard to beat — it has direct relationships with major AI labs.

Braintrust covers a broader range of technical work: full-stack development, data science, product management, and design alongside AI-focused roles. This gives experienced generalists more options, but it also means AI-specific roles are a subset rather than the platform's core offering.

Who Should Choose Which?

Choose Mercor if you...

You want direct access to AI lab projects (RLHF, model eval, prompt engineering)
You prefer fast onboarding (3–5 days vs 1–2 weeks)
Your background is in ML research, AI engineering, or AI-adjacent data science
You want to build a resume of AI lab client work specifically

Choose Braintrust if you...

You want the highest possible hourly ceiling ($200/hr) with zero platform fee
You have 1–2 weeks to invest in a thorough vetting process
You do broader technical work beyond just AI (full-stack, product, design)
You're interested in the token-based ownership model and community governance

Our Verdict

Bottom Line

Both platforms are legitimate and pay well above industry average. If your background is AI/ML and you want to start earning quickly at a solid rate, Mercor is the faster path. If you have the patience for a more rigorous vetting process and want the absolute highest earning ceiling with no platform cut, Braintrust delivers. Many senior engineers keep active accounts on both. View Mercor → · View Braintrust →

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