Top 5 RLHF Platforms: Guide & Features Comparison ['25]

As AI adoption grows, with 65%¹ of organizations now regularly using generative AI, selecting the right tools for optimizing AI models has become more crucial than ever.

Reinforcement learning from human feedback (RLHF) platforms have emerged as key players in this process. Whether you’re seeking custom AI data solutions, feedback systems, or advanced annotation services, compare the top five RLHF platforms to help you make an informed choice:

Vendor		Best for
1.	Clickworker	custom data training with AI
2.	Appen	search relevance services
3.	Prolific	small to medium-scale projects
4.	Surge AI	data annotation services
5.	Toloka AI	access to a global pool of talent for human feedback

1.

Clickworker

custom data training with AI

2.

Appen

search relevance services

3.

Prolific

small to medium-scale projects

4.

Surge AI

data annotation services

5.

Toloka AI

access to a global pool of talent for human feedback

Comparison of top 5 RLHF services

Based on market presence criteria

Average rating was gathered from leading B2B review platforms. Company related information (number of employees and date founded) was obtained from LinkedIn.

Based on capabilities criteria

• Inclusion: The companies selected in this comparison were based on the relevance of their services. We considered all platforms that offered reinforcement learning from human feedback as a service.
• All service providers offer API integration capabilities.
• Sorting: The platforms are ranked based on the number of reviews criterion, except our sponsor at the top.

Here is the criteria we used to compare the companies.

Detailed analysis of the RLHF platforms

Clickworker

Clickworker is a crowdsourcing platform specializing in micro-tasking and data labeling, connecting companies requiring data enrichment with a global workforce.

It leverages both technology and human insight to help companies refine their AI models through the RLHF approach:

The company facilitates custom AI training data solutions and offers a wide range of RLHF services. Other services include AI data collection and annotation:

• Data for all types of models, including natural language processing (NLP) models, generative AI models, large language models (LLMs), machine learning models, computer vision (CV) models, etc.

Pros

• Clickworker provides a diverse range of tasks including data collection, annotation, transcription, and UHRS tasks, requiring no technical knowledge.
• The platform offers a simple registration process, a secure two-factor authentication system, and a recently updated user interface.

Cons

• The platform’s pricing is criticized and users suggest improved quality metrics for progress tracking.
• Users report certain tasks can’t be completed on some devices, indicating device compatibility issues.

Appen

Appen is a company focused on providing high-quality training data for machine learning and AI projects.

Known for its reliability and scalability, it offers tailored solutions to meet the specific needs of each project, assisting companies in their venture into artificial intelligence. Services include:

• RLHF for model improvement.
• AI data collection and annotation.

For more on Appen, check out in-depth Appen evaluation and Appen alternatives.

Pros

• Appen offers a variety of tasks and projects and provides a user-friendly web interface.
• The platform includes integration capabilities with payment systems like Payoneer, ensuring easy transfer of earnings.

Cons

• Technical issues such as server crashes and problematic mobile apps affect the user experience and delay project completion.
• The platform’s customer service is not highly responsive and the payment process is described as complex with limited options.

Prolific

Prolific is a platform dedicated to providing RLHF and AI data services. It offers services through a crowdsourcing platform.

Prolific provides RLHF and AI data collection services for academic research data.

Surge AI

Surge AI offers RLHF and data solutions, including services in NLP and computer vision, to support machine learning model development. It’s also based on a crowdsourcing model.

Toloka AI

Toloka AI is a platform focused on data annotation and human feedback, utilizing a global workforce to provide insights for refining AI models.

Its crowdsourcing platform offers scalable services for AI development projects.

RLHF services comparison criteria

We used the following criteria to narrow down the platforms on the market and divided the criteria into two categories.

Market presence and experience

1. User ratings

An RLHF platform’s reputation is an important factor to consider. This can be measured through the user rating score from B2B review platforms such as G2 and Trustradius. 

2. Number of reviews

Before committing, ensure the RLHF platform has enough reviews, showcasing its ability to cater to different AI program needs.

More reviews on B2B review platforms indicate the company has a large user/customer base, and you can get a better understanding of the customer’s perspective of the company’s performance. 

Platform capabilities

3. Mobile application availability

In an increasingly mobile world, having a mobile application for the RLHF platform can significantly ease the feedback process and provide a seamless experience for both the developers and human evaluators.

4. API integration

API integration facilitates the smooth interchange of data between the RLHF platform and other systems, ensuring a streamlined workflow and quicker iterations in the learning process.

5. ISO certification

ISO certification reflects a platform’s adherence to international standards of quality and security, which is paramount in dealing with sensitive data and ensuring robust machine learning models.

6. Code of conduct

A well-defined code of conduct ensures ethical practices in data labeling and feedback provision, safeguarding the interests of all stakeholders involved. We considered if all platforms had a detailed code of conduct page on their websites.

Here is a comparison of the crowd size of all the RLHF platforms discussed in this article:

Figure 1: Crowd size comparison of the RLHF service providers.

Notes:

• The data is based on vendor claims.
• Only the platforms with available crowd size data were included in this comparison.
• The platforms are ranked by size.

7. Crowd size

The larger the network of workers, the better. A large global network of workers allows for diverse and scalable solutions, helping RLHF service providers deliver on large-scale projects quickly.

Further reading

• AI Data Collection: Guide, Challenges & Methods
• Top 7 Generative AI Services & Vendors

External Links

• 1. The State of AI: Global survey | McKinsey. McKinsey & Company