Mercor gives no feedback on applications and no general time to a decision, so a silent application can stay silent. Apply to a second platform rather than wait. The four below state pay on every role, and each screens a little differently from Mercor. From each platform’s own pages, read between 13 and 17 October 2026.
Why people look beyond Mercor
Mercor screens with one AI interview of about 20 minutes and offers no human interviewer. It allows three retakes in total, across every application on your account. Once those are used, every Mercor role holds the recordings you already have. Our Mercor application guide explains how that works.
Three other points come from Mercor’s own pages:
- It sets no minimum hours. Each contract states a weekly maximum only.
- Stripe holds your first payout for 7 days.
- A role is open only to the countries its posting lists and Mercor supports.
So keep Mercor, and run a second platform alongside it.
Four platforms at a glance
| Platform | How it screens | How it pays |
|---|---|---|
| micro1 | One AI interview of 20 to 40 minutes | Twice a month, in US dollars, through Deel |
| SME Careers | A CV, a recorded AI video interview of about 15 minutes, then a human review | Weekly, through Deel, for approved work |
| Ethos | One profile reviewed by Ethos, sometimes a short AI voice screen | At the hourly rate each posting states |
| AfterQuery | An interview, then a short skills assessment in your field | Weekly, on Fridays, through Stripe |
None of the four promises a set number of hours. A listed rate tells you what a role pays, not how much work reaches you.
micro1 states its review times
micro1 lists 246 open roles on this site, at $6–400 an hour, with a median advertised ceiling of $90. Many of its roles need no prior AI experience.
You apply to a role and sit one interview with micro1’s AI interviewer. micro1 says a recruiter reviews the recording within about 48 hours. A strong result can then wait up to 30 days for a hiring manager. Our micro1 status guide explains each status you may see.
micro1 expects about 15 to 20 hours a week and guarantees none. It pays only for approved work.
SME Careers puts a human review after the interview
SME Careers lists 185 open roles here, with pay of up to $150 an hour. Every SME figure is a maximum, and many roles pay a different maximum in each country.
You apply with a CV, then record an AI video interview of about 15 minutes. SME says grading usually takes one to two business days, and its team then screens you. SME allows one interview per job, plus one retake if it offers one. Our SME Careers interview guide covers it.
Being onboarded does not guarantee work. Many SME postings say there is no immediate project for the role.
Ethos needs one profile, not one application per role
Ethos lists 846 open roles here, at $70–100 an hour. Most of them describe one project, posted once for each profession.
You build a single profile and Ethos matches it to opportunities. Ethos may invite you to a short AI voice screen, which it records and transcribes. Most postings ask for several years at a well-known firm in the field.
Ethos’s terms promise no set amount of work. A project that is cancelled or ends early is generally not paid.
AfterQuery tests you in your own field
AfterQuery lists 232 open roles here, at $15–175 an hour. It asks for an interview, live or recorded, and then a short skills assessment in your domain. Our Mercor vs AfterQuery comparison sets the two routes side by side.
The assessment is unpaid, has no retake, and gives no pass or fail notice. AfterQuery pays through Stripe alone. It cannot pay in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Japan, Monaco or South Korea, so this site does not show its roles there.
How to apply elsewhere without losing your Mercor place
Mercor keeps your completed steps on your account, and they do not expire. So a pause on Mercor costs you nothing you have already done.
- Do not spend a Mercor retake to fix nerves. Mercor asks you to keep retakes for technical problems.
- Pick one platform from the table whose screen suits you.
- Read that platform’s guide before its interview or assessment.
- Keep a note of which interviews you have used on each platform.
Browse every open role, or compare two platforms in detail in micro1 vs Mercor or Mercor vs SME Careers.
How this site is paid
Mercor and all four platforms above pay this site a referral fee if you are hired after applying through a link here. Your pay is unaffected. The order above follows how each platform screens, not what it pays this site.
What these platforms do not publish
- How many hours of work a role offers once you are hired.
- How many applicants each platform accepts.
- Why a particular application was turned down. Mercor says it cannot give feedback.
- What an average expert earns, as opposed to what a posting lists.
This site is not affiliated with Mercor, micro1, SME Careers, Ethos or AfterQuery, and applying is not a promise of work.