Appen Review and Earning Guide for Workers (Definitive)

Appen offers a range of beginner-friendly work-from-home opportunities to their crowdworkers — from web research and data entry jobs to transcription and translation tasks — but are they actually worthwhile? Should you apply?

In this Appen review and earning guide, we'll break everything down, including whether or not Appen is legit, who can join, how safe it is, how it works, the earning potential, and more. All backed by first-hand experience, reviews, insights, and data from real Appen Contributors.

What is Appen?

Appen is a publicly-traded data company that helps companies like Microsoft, Amazon, Adobe, ECARX, and many more improve their AI models and train machine learning algorithms.

They’re also a crowdworking platform. They provide an array of micro-jobs and longer-term freelance projects related to data collection and AI training to contributors around the globe. This allows Appen to provide on-demand services to their clients and it creates a variety of job opportunities for those who are interested.

We’ll go into more depth and detail on how all of this works below.

About the Company

• Founded: 1996
• Legal name: Appen Ltd.
• Parent company: N/A
• Located: Level 6/9 Help St Chatswood NSW 2067 Australia (Corporate HQ)
• Founder(s): Julie Vonwiller
• Socials: LinkedIn • Facebook • Instagram • Twitter • Youtube
• Contact details: crowdsupport@appen.com (for general support inquiries) • contact page • +61-2-9468-6300

Legit Check

Conducted on December 23, 2021.

Here are some reasons why we believe Appen is legit:

• They're a publicly traded company.
• They’ve been around for a long time now, they're well known, and it’s easy to find information about the company, founders, and team.
• Social media sentiment for Appen is generally positive. They’re active on their social accounts. Some posts get questions from workers, most are answered, but some aren’t (check customer support quality for more details on this). 
• Appen’s website is professionally made and easy to navigate. 
• No ridiculous earnings claims or crazy sign-up bonuses.
• Privacy policy is easy to find and understand.
• It’s free to become an Appen contributor.
• They pay (proof)

And here are the red flags we found surrounding Appen:

• No terms and conditions/terms of use page. This isn’t legally required but most websites typically have it. Appen does have a range of legal policies, but none of them break down the terms of use.

Is Appen Legit?

Yes, Appen is legit. The fact that they’ve been around for so long, have worked (and continue to work) with a range of high-end clients, and have thousands of contributors around the globe makes it pretty obvious that Appen is not a scam.

That said, as always, just because Appen is legit doesn’t mean it’s perfect or worth your time. Keep on reading for more info on how it works and whether or not it’s a worthwhile opportunity.

Note: Have proof or evidence that we should know about? Leave a comment or contact us.

Appen Payment Proof

To further show that Appen is legit, here are a couple of Payoneer payment proofs from our guide writer:

Who Can Join? (Requirements)

• Age requirement: Must be 18 years or older.
• Country requirements: Worldwide
  • Note: US/UK/China/India often see best offers because of language-specific tasks.
• Device requirements: Android, iOS, Web
• Payout requirements: No strict requirements (more details below).
• Skill requirements: Excellent web research and written communication capabilities. May need to take separate qualification/skill tests for certain projects.
• Other requirements: Chrome browser. Consistent internet. An Android or iOS mobile/Camera/Specific Hardware is required for some tasks.

Safety Inspection

Conducted on December 23, 2021.

• SSL certificate? Yes.
• Privacy policy: Here.
• Terms of Service: N/A.
• Personal data collected from Appen users:
  • Name, email, languages, address, city, zip/postal code, province/state, education, phone number, payment information.
  • Identification may be requested from some users.
• Do they have reasonable data sharing practices? Yes, their privacy policy outlines how they plan to use your personal information and why they collect it. It all seems reasonable. 
• Do they sell user data? No, it doesn’t seem so.
• Can you opt out? Yes, by contacting Appen.
• Do they protect user data? Yes. They have a section in their privacy policy detailing their security practices. “We take steps to hold information securely in electronic or physical form. Our information security policy is supported by a variety of processes and procedures, and we store information in access-controlled premises or electronic databases requiring logins and passwords”
• Can you delete your account and data? Yes, either on your account page or by contacting privacy@appen.com. You can also use that contact email to find out what type of data Appen has collected about you.
• How long is data kept? No exact time frame specified. “We retain the information we collect no longer than is reasonably necessary to fulfil the purposes that such data was originally collected… “
• Have they ever had a data breach? Yes, they had a data breach in 2020 where over 5 million accounts (including names, email and IP addresses, phone numbers) were hacked. This was reported here, though weirdly enough, Appen never acknowledged it.
• Any other safety/health risks? No. Since Appen provides at-home work, there are really no additional risks to your health or physical safety that you take on when working.

Is Appen Safe?

The main safety concern surrounding Appen is with your personal information. There’s been a data breach in the past and Appen collects some sensitive data like your address, phone number, email, and even potentially a photo of your ID. The chances of this info being stolen and used maliciously are probably low, and the consequences, if that were to happen, most likely wouldn’t be drastic. Still, it’s something to be aware of.

Tip: As always, make sure to use a unique password for your Appen account. Using an email address separate from your primary one is a good idea too.

Another thing to be aware of is the increase in scammers targeting potential Appen contributors. Remember that Appen will only ever contact you from an @appen email address and you should never provide any sensitive personal information to anyone outside the Appen job dashboards.

Note: To see how actual users feel about Appen's safety, read our 12 Appen user reviews.

Obligatory disclaimer: Nothing on the internet is 100% safe or private. The above are opinions based on our independent research. Please take caution and do your own due diligence.

Appen Support Quality

On their crowd code of ethics, Appen says that “We believe in helpful, transparent, and responsive lines of communication with our crowd.”

Here are the support experiences we gathered from the 12 Appen workers we've surveyed:

To be sincere they have a very terrible contact support that responds whenever they feel like.

u/Fabulous-Budget-5636

I contacted Appen support because my payment was delayed. I got assistance.

Anonymous

So, only two users we surveyed needed support, and each had opposite experiences. One was good, the other terrible.

Here are some other insights on Appen's support quality that we found during our research:

• Multiple workers can be found on Appen’s Facebook page claiming slow customer support in regard to support tickets. Many of these comments go unanswered (while other comments are answered).
• The majority of Appen's Trustpilot reviews related to support quality are negative, with users calling the support team “slow” “non-existant” “rude and unhelpful” “poor” and “catastrophic”. Not all support reviews were negative, but still, not a great sign.
• Appen doesn't seem to respond to reviews on third-party sites (or not often anyway).

Note: Have you had experience with Appen support? Leave a review below.

How Does Appen Work?

Appen provides training data for artificial intelligence and machine learning models through its Contributors (independent contractors) who work on various sub-platforms, including: 

1. Appen Connect
2. Appen Annotate (aka Figure Eight)
3. Appen 9 (China)

Appen uses these platforms to train and distribute work to freelancers. Each platform offers a variety of projects related to data collection, search evaluation, transcription, translation, web research, and more.

We’ll go into more detail on each platform and some of the individual opportunities below.

Clients across a range of industries (e.g. tech, automotive, finance, and healthcare) pay Appen to access their platforms, crowdworkers, and expertise, and that’s how Appen is able to supply a consistent stream of work and payments to so many workers around the globe.

As an Appen Contributor, once you earn some money, Appen will pay you cash via Payoneer or PayPal. The payment option and minimum payout threshold required will vary depending on the platform you're working on. 

Keep reading for more details on:

• Appen’s overall earning potential
• Ways to make money on Appen
• How to cash out your Appen earnings
• Additional features
• How to get started
• And more!

Appen Earning Potential

Appen doesn't list an average or expected pay rate for contributors. However, they do say this:

Our goal is to pay our crowd above minimum wage in every market around the world where we operate.

Appen Crowd Code of Ethics

They also mention that their work opportunities are for those who “enjoy competitive pay”.

Based on 12 Appen Contributors that we've surveyed so far, here are the stats we gathered on Appen's pay rate:

• Avg. $/hour: $4.35
• Median $/hour: $4.25
• Highest $/hour: $10
• Lowest $/hour: $1
• Avg. $/month: $46.36
• Median $/month: $30
• Highest $/month: $50
• Lowest $/month: $10

Now, I'm not sure if the users we've surveyed so far just have low earnings, but those definitely are not above minimum wage rates.

Note: These numbers are updated regularly as we survey more users. Sign up here to stay up to date + receive exclusive content. If you freelance for Appen, help us gather more accurate data by contacting us!

How Often Is Work Available?

In terms of work availability, Appen says that “You will have the flexibility to schedule your hours to fit your lifestyle and to work around your career and family demands. You have the freedom to choose when and how much you would like to work.”

They don't actually indicate how much work is available though.

Based on our findings, while you may be able to work as little as you like, you won't be able to work as much as you like as there's a limited, unpredictable quantity of work available at any given time. The amount of work you'll receive from Appen will also vary depending on your skills, prior experience, and demographics.

That said, if you land a good project with a high workload, you could potentially have 10-25+ hours of work each week from that single project.

We asked 12 Appen Contributors, “How often is worthwhile work available on Appen?”

Here are their responses:

• 25% said less than a few times a month
• 50% said a few times a month
• 8.3% said a few times a week
• 8.3% said a few times a day
• 8.3% said almost always
• 0% said always

Read the full user reviews below for more details behind these numbers.

• Bottom line? Appen is a flexible opportunity and can occasionally provide long-term work, but shortages of work don't seem all that uncommon either. I wouldn't rely on Appen too heavily as a consistent income source.
• Want to share your experience? Leave a comment!

Appen Review and Rating Breakdown

How to Make Money With Appen

There are a large variety of ways to make money with Appen, with a range of different projects and tasks available. Here's a breakdown of some of the most common opportunities (and where they're found):

1. Voice Recording Projects (Appen Connect)

Voice recording projects have the aim of collecting voice recordings from workers to train AI models. 

To complete these tasks, you’ll need to download Appen’s mobile app. This is available from their website (you’ll receive a link for it when you apply to a project that requires it).

• Pay rate: Listed pay rates are around $20-$40 per hour. Each task typically pays $0.02-$7 and can take anywhere from a few seconds to 15 minutes.
• Availability: Appen always has plenty of these tasks for over 30 different languages on its platform Appen Connect. The majority of tasks are for English and Hindi Speakers. Also, I've explicitly seen many projects demand a female voice for data training but never seen a project ask for a male voice specifically. So, being a female might help you qualify for more of these tasks.

Tip: Take half a second pause after pressing the record button, and don’t end the audio recording too quickly.

2. Data Collection (Appen Connect)

The Data to be collected in these projects can be anything from user surveys/data to images or videos captured using specific mobile/models. This means that sometimes you need to have eligible gear in order to participate. Some projects also require you to be of a specific age, gender, or racial background.

• Pay rate: I’ve seen projects here with listed pay rates of $5-$50/hour. Since this category encompasses a huge variety of ways data can be collected, the time required for a task can range from a couple of seconds to an hour, with the pay per task pay ranging from $0.02-$25+.
• Availability: It’s a hit or miss really. More often than not, you should find something every few days. English speakers, people from European Countries, and people who own Apple Devices have the highest chance to find projects.

Tip: Having both Apple and Android devices can make you eligible for more projects. However, it's most likely not worth investing in a new expensive device just for the sake of qualifying for more Appen projects.

3. Search/Social Media Evaluation (Appen Connect)

Search evaluation jobs involve things like improving search results on engines like Google, moderating social media posts, annotating data from the web, and more.

• Pay rate: Average listed pay rate seems to be around $12.50-$13.50/hour.
• Availability: Part-time (10-20 hours/week) seems to be common for these opportunities.

3. Translation/Transcription Jobs (Appen Connect)

If you are interested in transcription jobs (converting audio into text) or you're bilingual, this category of jobs will be right up your alley.

• Pay rate: $1-$5 per task or around $10-$30/hour.
• Availability: Work is plenty. Those who are bilingual/trilingual have a huge edge when it comes to the translation jobs.

4. UHRS Projects

UHRS (Universal Human Relevance System) is a separate crowdwork platform run by Microsoft that can be accessed through Appen. You might've already used it through other micro-tasking sites like Clickworker, Datamime, Oneforma, Quadrant Resource, Lionbridge, or Teemwork.ai.

Note: It's recommended to only access UHRS through a single vendor. If you're already using UHRS through another platform (like the ones mentioned above), either deactivate it before joining through Appen or keep things as is.

These include jobs like search engine evaluation, image tagging, and many more. If you like doing these tasks, you’ll almost always have something to work on here.

• Pay rate: On average, between $0.01-$0.20 per task. Earning potential comes out to be about $3-$6/hour.
• Availability: Lots of work available here.

Tip: Take proper breaks as the tasks are often repetitive, and cause eye/mental strain.

5. Micro Tasks (Appen Annotate)

This is essentially Appen’s version of UHRS. It's separate from Appen Connect and is called Appen Annotate or Figure Eight.

Tasks you'll find here include things like transcription, social media categorization, content moderation, data annotation, and more.

• Pay rate: $0.01-$0.50/task. This works out to be about $2-$5/hour.
• Availability: Like many similar platforms, work is plenty, but boring. 

How to Cash Out on Appen

Getting paid works a bit differently on Appen Connect vs. Appen Annotate.

Here’s the breakdown:

Appen Connect

For Appen Connect, you’ll be paid via Payoneer.

• Minimum payout: $0.01
• Fees: Payoneer charges $3/transaction, and for people outside the USA, an additional 2%  currency conversion fee.
• Speed: Payments are sent within 30 days after invoice submission. Payments take 7-15 days on average.

To get paid, you'll need to submit invoices for each project you've completed work on. Some jobs have automatic invoice generation at the end of the month, but in most cases, you’ll have to generate your own. Don’t worry, this is easier and less scary than it sounds.

To manually generate an Invoice at the end of each month, head over to the “My Invoices” section of your Appen dashboard and create an invoice for each project you worked on that month. Make sure all the details are correct and you’ll have no problems getting paid on time.

Appen Annotate

Appen Annotate pays via PayPal, and the process is much more straightforward. Once you hit the minimum payout, you can simply request a withdrawal at any time.

• Minimum payout: $10
• Fees: None (though currency conversion fees and bank transfer fees may apply later)
• Speed: 15-30 Days.

Additional Appen Features

1. Appen 9 (Appen China)

Appen also operates a separate platform called Appen 9 for China. It supports additional payment methods, with work geared towards those living in China who can read, speak and write Mandarin. Learn more here.

2. Appen Mobile

The Appen Mobile app is available on both iOS and Android. It's required for some tasks and also lets you earn on the go with jobs related to voice recording, taking photos, recording videos, and more.

Appen Reviews From Workers

We've currently gathered a total of 12 Appen reviews from users who gave Appen an average rating of 3.13/5.

Each reviewer was given a small incentive for providing their unbiased thoughts and feedback.

See more reviews in the comments or leave your own!

Appen Pros and Cons

Is Appen Worth It?

Appen is an interesting opportunity and it’s worth checking out if you’re looking for an easy way to make money or start working from home. There are a large variety of different opportunities on the platform, getting started is pretty easy and quick, and you might learn some new skills along the way. You could even land a long-term project doing something you enjoy, and this can result in a steady stream of income.

That said, don’t set your expectations too high. Appen is not a perfect opportunity and if you’re expecting to easily find full-time work or make a ton of money here, that’s not going to happen.

How to Get Started on Appen

Getting started on Appen is quite easy but the exact process will vary depending on which platform you decide to sign up for. We’d recommend signing up and checking out both platforms in order to get a feel for the type of work you enjoy.

To help you get started on either Appen Connect or Appen Annotate, we wrote easy step-by-step guides below:

• Get started on Appen Connect
• Get started on Appen Annotate

Note: On both platforms, if you get disqualified enough times from tasks, you may stop seeing any new work on your dashboard. My theory is they have an internal algorithm to phase out dishonest workers, so be aware of that. Always prioritize accuracy when working on any projects or tasks. Aim for >95% accuracy for all the tasks.

Getting Started on Appen Connect

Step 1. Create Your Account

Head over to Appen Connect to sign up. 

Note: If you already have an Appen Annotate account, you can log in to the Appen Connect platform with the same email and password. 

To create a new account, you’ll need to provide your email, password, first and last name, and country of residence.

After creating your account, you'll be asked to verify your email. Then, log in.

Step 2. Setup Your Profile

After logging in to your new account, you'll be asked to set up your language and language region.

Next, you’ll be brought to a screen with two options:

1. Continue Setting Up Profile 
2. Browse Jobs

It's recommended to pick option #1 (setting up your Profile completely before browsing for jobs). This will unlock more projects on Appen, giving you more work (and better opportunities) to choose from.

The profile setup involves providing:

• Basic information (first name, last name, email, contributor type)
• Languages (you can add additional languages you speak here)
• Location (street address, city, country, province/state, postal/zip code, residency history)
• Education (highest level of education, qualification)
• Prior experience
• Phone number

Fill in as much info as you can/are comfortable with. Make sure it's accurate. You can preview your information afterward to ensure it’s all correct and complete. 

After setting up your profile, you’ll be redirected to your dashboard where you'll be asked to provide additional information about your devices.

Depending on where you live, you may also be asked for documents to confirm your identity. For example, our guide writer in India was asked to provide a PAN Card/Passport for ID verification. However, I'm in Canada and I wasn't asked to provide any ID verification.

Next, you'll be asked to sign a confidentiality agreement. This is to protect Appen's clients as you may be working on projects with sensitive information.

Step 3. Start Applying and Working

Ok, you’re now ready to start working on projects! From the Appen Connect dashboard, you can see a project’s details, type, pay rate, and workload. 

Read the project description carefully before applying. Some projects require you to be from a certain country, speak a certain language, have a specific phone, etc. so make sure you qualify before applying. Certain jobs will also require you to take an unpaid qualification test before being able to get started with paid work.

Note: You typically only get one chance to pass a qualification test, so do your best and pay attention!

Once you land a project and earn some money, follow the steps above and link your Payoneer account to Appen to get paid.

Getting Started on Appen Annotate

Step 1. Create Your Account

Head over to Appen Annotate to create your account.

Note: If you already have an Appen Connect account (or you just created one following the steps above) you can log in to the Appen Annotate platform with the same email and password.

Step 2. Fill Your Profile

Setting up your profile on Appen Annotate is easier and faster than Appen Connect. 

Fill in your email, password, and first and last name to set up your profile. Then, verify your email and log in. Next, link your PayPal.

Step 3. Take the Qualification Test

Appen will give you a single, paid qualification test. Take it to get your first Badge and unlock more work.

Step 4. Start Working

Now you’re ready to start working on tasks! With better accuracy and internal ratings, you’ll collect better badges and get access to better jobs as well.

Appen Alternatives

If you enjoy the type of opportunities Appen provides, you might also like these Appen alternatives:

1. Lionbridge
2. Amazon MTurk
3. Clickworker
4. Remotasks
5. Teemwork.ai
6. Neevo.ai
7. Yandex Toloka
8. Prolfiic
9. Respondent
10. UserTesting

For a full list of alternatives, check out our guide to the top micro-job sites and apps.

For similar opportunities, check out the Hustle Finder, or one of these guides:

• Transcription Jobs from Home No Experience
• Sites That Will Pay You to Test Websites and Apps
• Best Survey Sites & Apps (Ultimate Paid Surveys Guide)
• Best GPT Sites (Get Paid To Sites) and Apps + Tips and FAQs
• How to Start Working From Home

Final Thoughts

Hope you found this review of Appen helpful! If you did, please consider sharing it to spread the word — one share helps more than you know!

• Are you an Appen worker? Click here to leave your own short Appen review below.
• Have questions or feedback? Leave a comment or contact us.