# Mercor alternatives for licensing company data

> Mercor alternatives and competitors for a company licensing its records: micro1, Handshake AI, Troveo, Replay, Polyshares and SimpleClosure, on their own terms.

By Matt Burns, Vaultfish. Canonical: https://vaultfish.com/answers/mercor-alternatives  
Published: 2026-09-09  
Updated: 2026-10-14

## The short answer

Mercor runs a data arm that licenses company records to AI labs. Alternatives that take the same records are micro1 and Handshake AI, which post payment ranges, Troveo and Replay, which share revenue, Polyshares, which pays per license, and SimpleClosure for startups that are closing. All figures are self-reported.

## Who are Mercor's competitors for company data?

[Mercor](/buyers/mercor)'s data arm licenses records a business already holds, such as Slack, email, tickets and CRM. Its competitors on that side are micro1, Handshake AI, Troveo, Replay, Polyshares and SimpleClosure, each on its own terms.

Mercor's competitors for expert labor, the other half of its business, are a different list, which [Scale AI alternatives](/answers/scale-ai-alternatives) covers.

**Mercor alternatives, side by side**

| Buyer or program | Minimum size | Stated range | Pay model | Payment timing | What you keep |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [micro1](https://vaultfish.com/buyers/micro1) | 30+ employees, US first | Tiers of $100K+, $500K+, $1M+ | Paid under the agreed partnership | Not published | Companies keep ownership |
| [Handshake AI](https://vaultfish.com/buyers/handshake-ai) | 20+ full-time staff, 3+ years | $100K to $4M+ | License fee | 30 to 60 days after dataset acceptance | Not published |
| [Troveo](https://vaultfish.com/buyers/troveo) | None stated, estimator from 20 | Six figures, per its page | Revenue share on each sale | On each sale | You own it, ownership stays |
| [Replay](https://vaultfish.com/buyers/replay) | Bands start at 20 employees | $10K to $1M+ by headcount | Upfront plus revenue share | Upfront, then on each license | License only, nothing transferred |
| [Polyshares](https://vaultfish.com/buyers/polyshares) | None stated | $100K to $2M+ | License fee, no commission | Net 30 to 60 after approval | You keep data, exclusive by default |
| [SimpleClosure Asset Hub](https://vaultfish.com/buyers/simpleclosure) | None stated, closing or operating | $10K to $100K per company, press | A percentage on a sale or license | Not published | Perpetual license to SimpleClosure |

_Every figure is the company's own claim unless marked press. Terms change, so confirm on each company's page._

## How do Mercor alternatives pay compared with Mercor?

Mercor wires one payment on delivery, typically 2 to 4 weeks after signing, and charges no fees ([Mercor](https://www.mercor.com/data/)). Polyshares also pays once per license, net 30 to 60 after approval.

Replay pays upfront plus a revenue share, and Troveo shares revenue on each sale. Handshake AI says payment typically comes 30 to 60 days after it accepts the dataset.

Figure: comparison of Three kinds of Mercor alternative: Direct programs (emphasized: Closest to Mercor's data arm, Paid per deal), Marketplaces (Share of each sale), Shutdown sales (Startup archives). Direct programs pay a business per deal for its own records, which is how Mercor's data arm works.

## Which Mercor alternatives fit a startup that is closing?

SimpleClosure's AssetHub is built for it, with deals reported at $10,000 to $100,000 per company. Mercor itself has approached shuttered startups with offers reported up to $300,000. The two are side by side in [Mercor vs SimpleClosure](/answers/mercor-vs-simpleclosure).

## How does a company pick between Mercor and its competitors?

1. **Start with what you hold** Count your systems and years of records.
2. **Pick how you want to be paid** Per deal, as a revenue share or as part of a shutdown.
3. **Check each firm** Read its terms, its named entity and its published fees.

Our guide to [how to choose an AI data broker](/guides/how-to-choose-an-ai-data-broker) turns that into a checklist. Which tools each firm connects to is in the [connector matrix](/answers/ai-data-company-connectors).

## Do Mercor's competitors name the AI labs that get the data?

Most do not. Their pages say "frontier AI labs" and similar. The [buyer directory](/buyers) and the [deals tracker](/deals) record what is public, and the [rights check](/rights-check) covers what you need to hold before any call.

micro1 may pay us a referral fee if a company we introduce goes ahead with it. [How we are paid](https://vaultfish.com/disclosure)

Have a lawyer read any contract before you sign. They like that.

_Vaultfish helps you run the process. We are not lawyers and this is not legal advice. If you need counsel who knows this area, we can point you to one._

## Sources

- [Mercor](https://www.mercor.com/data/)
- [Mercor security incident update](https://www.mercor.com/blog/update-on-mercor-security-incident/)
- [The Next Web](https://thenextweb.com/news/meta-mercor-breach-ai-training-secrets-risk)
- [Time](https://time.com/article/2026/08/25/google-spirit-airlines-ai-data-RL/)
- [BigGo](https://finance.biggo.com/news/d34746c0-e437-4855-93c5-09c6e850550d)
- [CourtListener docket, Deboni v. Mercor.io Corp.](https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73129103/deboni-v-mercorio-corporation/)