Appen Review

Appen is a platform that enables users to find flexible work and part time jobs with ease. The company has been around for over 20 years and offers many projects that you can choose to work on. Appen primarily focuses on providing users with micro tasks such as reviewing ads, labelling images, and transcribing. The data created by these micro tasks helps other companies improve their AI software.
Pros
- Easy to get hired as a micro tasker – simply complete the applcation form and you can join over 1 million other micro taskers on the platform.
- High level of flexibility – you can work remotely for up to 12 hours a day as a full time job or just 1 to 2 hours per day as a side hustle.
- High earnings potential – you can earn up to $20 per hour completing micro tasks online. All you need is a computer and an internet connection.
- Wide range of over 8 different task types – choose from reviewing ads, search results, labelling images, transcribing, translating and many more.
Cons
- Complicated payment process – payments are not automatic and you have to send Appen an invoce each month, which can take up to 30 days to be paid.
- Application process can take long – it can take up to 6 months for the platform to review your application, and you can’t start work until then.
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How Does Appen Work?
Working with Appen, you provide the information (spoken phrases, media evaluations, etc.) that develop the artificial intelligence systems to help them become more human.
While machines are getting smarter, they can still not replace you, because you can help them become better.
For instance, let’s say you’re reading an article. It only takes a few sentences for you to understand what the author has to say, or recognize the tone and emotion. Is it educational, or is it entertainment?
On the other hand, a machine/algorithm perceives blocks of text, but it’s difficult for it to understand how these words relate to one another and what’s the whole purpose of the text.
And that’s where you come into the play. Working for Appen, you simply have to do things humans do to teach them to become more human.
How Much You Can Earn on Appen?
Appen pay rate varies depending on different factors like:
- Project
- Location
- Admission date
However, on average, as an independent contractor, you’ll earn somewhere between $3/hour to $20/hour.
Let’s break the pay down to per hour and per-task basis.
How Much Does Appen Pay per Hour?
This is not a small range, I know, but you’ll actually be informed about the exact pay rate once you’re invited to the qualification exam. So you can make a decision before you waste any of your time.
While lower-tier projects offer around $7 – $9 per hour, you can make your way up to an average of $12 – $20 per hour. But remember, the higher-tier jobs are more difficult to qualify for.
How Much Does Appen Pay per Micro Task?
As micro tasks come from different clients, they also have different requirements.
You’ll often see micro-tasks that pay a rate of less than $0.10 per task. Here are just 2 examples of tasks with their pays:
- You may get paid 1 cent per word or phrase for a transcription task.
- A task that requires you to rate an app may pay you tens of cents per task.
Taking the workload into consideration, you may earn on average $3/hour to $10/hour doing micro-tasks.
Who is Appen Best For?
Appen is for skilled contractors who want to make extra money by providing and improving data for machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) products.
How Do You Qualify for Appen?
To qualify for Appen, you must be at 18 years of age or older and also meet the following requirements:
- Excellent web research skills
- Excellent comprehension and written communication skills
- Access to a high-speed, reliable internet connection
- A personal computer/laptop running Google Chrome browser (version 45 or newer). Some projects may require specific mobile devices – e.g. smartphones, tablets, etc.
- Up-to-date anti-virus and anti-spyware software
Appen Features: What Does Appen Offer?
Access Human Intelligence
Access human intelligence at scale combined with cutting-edge models to create reliable training data that meets your requirements. The platform also allows you to provide the annotations and labels you need.
Quality Control Methods
Appen skilled project managers use multiple quality control methods and mechanisms to meet and exceed quality standards for training data.
Security
Appen provides multiple secure service offerings, including secure, remote contractors, on-site contractors, on-premise solutions, and ISO 27001 / ISO 9001 accredited secure facilities.
Speed
Appen’s platform and solutions are purpose-built to handle large-scale data collection and annotation projects on demand.
Appen Fees: How Much Does Appen Charge?
The company does not require fees to register and therefore won’t ask for any payment for registration.
Appen Payout Terms and Options?
At the end of each month, you need to send Appen an invoice stating all the hours you’ve worked in that month.
The Appen team who’s responsible for independent contractor payouts will review your invoice and release payment within 30 days of receiving a valid invoice from you.
When it comes to payment options, you can get paid either via PayPal, or Payoneer.
Appen Reviews: Is Appen Legit?
Appen is an established and legitimate data collection company that focuses on machine learning and AI products.
What’s more, Appen was founded in 1996 and is a publicly-traded company that’s listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) under the code APX. And no company that has any flaws in terms of legitimacy can become publicly traded.
Moreover, Appen has been accredited by the Better Business Bureau and holds an A+ rating.
While 70% of people who have worked for Appen recommend the company, it has an overall score of 3.7 out of 5-star rating on Glassdoor.
It’s obvious that the Appen reviews aren’t something the company can boast about. For example, Appen has a review score of 1.7 out of 5 stars on TrustPilot and 1 out of 5-star rating on the BBB, with most negative reviewers complaining about the lack of communication or even miscommunication with the company.
Otherwise, positive reviewers were pleased with the company’s support and the way they responded to queries.
What are the Appen Pros & Cons?
Appen Pros
- Easy to be hired
- Flexible schedule
- Good pay rate (up to $20/hour)
- Lots of different and interesting jobs are available
Appen Cons
- Lack of communication with support
- No raises are available
Appen Review Verdict: Is Appen Worth it?
Overall, if you’re a tech-savvy person who’s interested in machine learning and looking for a work-from-home opportunity, Appen is definitely worth testing out.
Appen jobs may or may not be for you, but Appen is legit. With Appen, you can make up to an average of $12 – $20 per hour. They hire, give you work, communicate with you, and pay when they say they are going to.
How to Start Freelancing with Appen?
Appen uses a specific platform called Appen Connect to manage all of its project-related information, including recruiting and onboarding.
So once you select a job type that you’re most interested in, you’ll be redirected to an Appen Connect page where you’ll have to fill out your contact and personal information.
Don’t let this information overwhelm you though, the Appen application process is actually pretty simple and straightforward. Let’s go through it step-by-step:
Step 1: Choose the Job Type
If you’re ready to apply to Appen, the very first thing you have to do is choose the job type, because there are slightly different application procedures for each type.
Step 2: Create an Account
Once you decide which job type to apply to, you should click the “apply” button to create your account.
Note that the application process is slightly different for micro tasks and you should create an account on Appen Contributor Portal.
Step 3: Fill Out Required Information
After you’ve successfully created your account using your email, Appen will require you to fill out your contact and demographic information. This information will later be used to match you to relevant jobs.
Step 4: Wait for Approval
Next, the Appen team will review your application and notify you when you’re accepted. This may take some time, so keep patient.
Step 5: Browse Available Projects & Apply
Finally, when you get approval from the Appen recruiting team, you’ll have access to available projects. You can apply to jobs or tasks that you find interesting.
Just note that each project may have different requirements you must meet to get accepted.
Step 5: Pass Exams (if applicable)
Some jobs, such as search engine evaluator, require you to pass skill-specific exams to understand whether you’re really fit for the job or not.
How Long Does it Take to Get Hired at Appen?
It may take anywhere from a few days to a few months (even up to 6 months). If you don’t hear back from Appen after 6 months have passed, you can re-apply again.
Appen Review: Working With Appen
As one of the best freelance websites, Appen acquires a workforce who works as independent agents with 6-month contracts. Depending on your performance, Appen may or may not renew your contract automatically for another similar period.
Now that you know a little about Appen’s work structure, you’re probably wondering what jobs the company offers.
Let’s review different jobs at Appen:
Job Title | Internet Analyst | Language Jobs | Micro Tasks | Corporate Jobs |
---|---|---|---|---|
Job Type | Flexible, part-time | Flexible | Can be completed in an hour | Full-time position |
Appen Internet Analyst
An Internet analyst job at Appen is a flexible, part-time, work-at-home opportunity that requires you to use a computer and/or a mobile device. You’ll also come along to these jobs under the label of “rater jobs”.
As a rater/internet analyst, you may be assigned to 2 types of jobs:
- Search Engine Evaluator
- Social Media Evaluator
Language Jobs
As someone being assigned to language jobs, you’ll have a flexible schedule to manage tasks related to transcription, translation, and linguistics.
Micro Tasks
Micro tasks are simple data collection or data-entry tasks that you can complete in about an hour.
Corporate Jobs
Corporate jobs refer to full-time positions in Appen’s global offices focused on finances, marketing, sales, and engineering.
Appen Employee vs. Appen Independent Contractor
Many people ask whether it’s better to start working at Appen as a corporate employee or as an independent contractor.
The answer to this question isn’t biased and which one you should choose comes down to your preferences.
So ask yourself this: do you prefer to work a flexible schedule and earn money based on how much effort you’ve put in, or do you want to have a stable corporate job with a guaranteed salary each month?
Another thing you should consider is that as an independent contractor, you won’t have corporate benefits such as insurance.
Sites Like Appen
Company | Appen | JobGet | FlexJobs | ZipRecruiter |
---|---|---|---|---|
Logo | ||||
Fees | None | None | $14.953 for one month / $29.951 for 3 months / $49.95 for a year | None |
Potential Earnings | Average of $12 – $20 per hour | Depends on the job | Depends on the job | Depends on the job |
Appen vs. JobGet
JobGet is an online recruitment platform that makes it easy for job seekers to find jobs, apply for them, and ultimately land jobs. Compared to Appen, which focuses on jobs that contribute to machine learning, JobGet job targets retail, restaurant, and hospitality seekers looking for hourly positions.
More so, your earnings on JobGet vary depending on the job compared to Appen which pays an average of $12 – $20 per hour. Otherwise, like Appen, JobGet is completely free for job seekers to register and create a profile.
Appen vs. Flexjobs
FlexJobs is one of the leading recruitment platforms where you can find remote jobs in various fields. On the other hand, Appen is focused on jobs that contribute to machine learning and AI development. What’s more, while Appen is free to apply, FlexJobs has 1-month membership-$14.95, 3 months membership – $29.95 and 1-year membership – $49.95.
Appen vs. Ziprecruiter
ZipRecruiter is one of the largest online recruitment platforms, Ziprecruiter allows you to browse through opportunities and send your resume. Like Appen, ZipRecruiter provides you with a chance to work online.
While ZipRecruiter focuses on jobs such as Work from home jobs, remote jobs, online jobs, and work from home jobs, Appen’s jobs revolve around jobs that contribute to machine learning and AI development. As for earnings, you can make an average of $12 – $20 per hour compared to ZipRecruiter whose earnings depend on the job.
Appen vs. LiveOps
Just like Appen, LiveOps recruits independent contractors to work from home. But the difference between these companies is their focus – they acquire call center agents, while Appen is all about machine learning and AI development. So if you’re looking for a job that doesn’t require you to talk to clients, Appen is a better option for you.
Appen vs. TTEC
Similar to Appen, TTEC offers work-at-home opportunities globally. However, the scope of the two companies differs a lot. Unlike Appen, the scope of TTEC is to help businesses deliver excellent customer experiences using advanced technology solutions.
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Appen Freelance Platform FAQ
What is Appen?
Appen is a fintech company that provides or improves data for machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) products. To improve search and social media engines, Appen works on the following types of data:
- Speech and natural language data
- Image and video data
- Text and alphanumeric data
- Relevance data
On the flip side, Appen offers you flexible side jobs. The company has recruited a global crowd of over 1 million skilled contractors from over 70,000 locations and 130 countries, speaking 180 languages and dialects.
The data Appen provides is then used by leading companies in different industries, including:
- Technology
- Automotive
- Financial services
- Retail
- Healthcare
- Governments
In 2021, Appen was named the 7th largest language service provider in the world in The 2021 Nimdzi 100 Ranking.
What experience do I need to work for Appen?
Generally speaking, Appen doesn’t require you to have any official experience. However, you’ll need to have at least basic skills to use the computer properly.
Is the work easy or difficult?
The answer to this question depends on the project scope and your skills. For example, there are micro tasks as easy as rating an app. On the other hand, some projects may require you to perform web research and analyze the data, which may seem difficult if you don’t possess computer or research skills.
How long does my contract with Appen last?
In the beginning, you’ll get a 6-month contract, which may or may not get extended based on your performance.
How many hours of tasks can I get per week with Appen?
You can work a total of 35 hours per week for Appen.
Who are Appen clients?
Appen partners with clients from world-class technology companies, including:
- Microsoft
- Amazon Web Services (AWS)
- IBM
- Algorithmia
- And more.
In which countries is Appen available?
Appen is available globally, operating in over 130 countries around the world supporting 180 different languages. In fact, you can create an Appen account from anywhere in the world, but different jobs and projects may be location- or language-specific.
Note that these are just general requirements. Each job/project may have specific requirements that you must meet to start working on it.