# Mercor vs Handshake AI for your company's data

> Mercor vs Handshake AI compared as company-data programs: minimum size, pay range, payment timing, de-identification claims and the incidents on record.

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

## The short answer

Both license company records to AI labs. Handshake AI states $100K to $4M+ per partnership and asks for 20+ staff and three years in operation. Mercor states no minimum size and wires payment after delivery, typically two to four weeks after signing. Mercor disclosed a March 2026 breach.

## How do their company-data programs differ?

[Mercor](/buyers/mercor) says it takes data from ["100+ supported tools,"](https://www.mercor.com/data/) wires payment after delivery, typically within two to four weeks of signing, and states no minimum company size. It claims SOC 2 Type II certification.

[Handshake AI](/buyers/handshake-ai) [states $100K to $4M+ per partnership](https://joinhandshake.com/ai/data-partnerships/), starts with a form and a scoping call, and admits "no de-identification process eliminates that risk entirely." Its [referral page](https://joinhandshake.com/ai/data-partnerships/referral) asks for 20 or more full-time employees and three or more years in operation.

**Mercor and Handshake AI company-data terms side by side**

| Term | Mercor | Handshake AI |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum size | None stated | 20+ full-time staff, 3+ years |
| Stated pay range | None published. Offers up to $300K reported | $100K to $4M+ |
| Payment timing | Wire on delivery, typically 2 to 4 weeks after signing | Typically 30 to 60 days after dataset acceptance |
| Fees to you | None, Mercor covers extraction | Not published |
| How data moves | You link accounts from 100+ tools | You transfer data as it exists, Handshake prepares it |
| Pick this when | You want payment soon after signing | You want a stated price range up front |

See [Handshake AI data partnerships](/answers/handshake-ai-data-partnerships) and [Mercor data licensing](/answers/mercor-data-licensing) for what each says in full.

## What is on record about each?

Mercor disclosed a March 2026 supply chain incident that it calls "very limited" in impact ([Mercor](https://www.mercor.com/blog/update-on-mercor-security-incident/)). The breach class actions were consolidated in May 2026 and stayed pending mediation on 21 Jul 2026 ([CourtListener](https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73129103/deboni-v-mercorio-corporation/)).

It also faces a proposed class action over how it classifies its contractors, *White v. Mercor.io Corp.* (N.D. Tex., filed 8 May 2026), and has moved to compel arbitration ([IC Legal News](https://www.independentcontractorcompliance.com/2026/06/09/artificial-intelligence-firms-continue-to-be-targeted-for-independent-contractor-misclassification-claims-may-2026-ic-legal-news-update/)).

For Handshake AI, [Business Insider reported](https://www.aol.com/articles/contractors-worked-openai-projects-handshake-050101409.html) suspended and unpaid contractors on OpenAI projects. Handshake declined to comment. These are reports and allegations, and none involve company records, but they are a fair read on how each firm handles a dispute.

## Where do you go from here?

Read the full evidence on [is Mercor legit](/answers/is-mercor-legit) and [is Handshake AI legit](/answers/is-handshake-ai-legit). If you hold company records, confirm your rights with the [rights check](/rights-check) first, and compare options in [Mercor alternatives](/answers/mercor-alternatives).

Our only referral relationship is with micro1, an AI data company. It may pay us a fee if a company we introduce goes ahead with it. You pay nothing extra. [How we are paid](https://vaultfish.com/disclosure)

_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

- ["100+ supported tools,"](https://www.mercor.com/data/)
- [states $100K to $4M+ per partnership](https://joinhandshake.com/ai/data-partnerships/)
- [referral page](https://joinhandshake.com/ai/data-partnerships/referral)
- [Mercor](https://www.mercor.com/blog/update-on-mercor-security-incident/)
- [CourtListener](https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73129103/deboni-v-mercorio-corporation/)
- [IC Legal News](https://www.independentcontractorcompliance.com/2026/06/09/artificial-intelligence-firms-continue-to-be-targeted-for-independent-contractor-misclassification-claims-may-2026-ic-legal-news-update/)
- [Business Insider reported](https://www.aol.com/articles/contractors-worked-openai-projects-handshake-050101409.html)
- [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)