micro1 vs Terac
micro1 vs Terac in October 2026: open roles, listed pay per hour or per study, countries, how you get in and which suits which type of person.
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micro1
Teracmicro1 is a recruiting platform with a long list of project roles, and most of them show an hourly range. Terac is an expert marketplace that posts short paid studies and expert evaluations, and it writes the rate in the text of each study, often as a one-off amount. Today this site lists 269 micro1 roles and 57 Terac postings.
micro1 suits a person who wants to compare hourly ranges across many fields before applying. Terac suits a professional who prefers short, defined studies and is happy to check the market each one names, since many are aimed at the United States.
What the open roles look like today
micro1: 261 of 269 roles show an hourly range, 7 show a per task amount and 1 show no rate. The median low end of the hourly ranges is $50 and the median high end is $90. By field the roles split as generalist 52, law 52, coding 36, STEM 33, medicine 33, languages 23, writing 14, finance 14, robotics 9, trades 3.
Terac: 55 of 57 postings show a rate in the posting text, 34 as a one-off amount for the study and 21 per hour. 2 postings show no readable rate. For the hourly ones, the median low end is $90 and the median high end is $90. By field: generalist 18, coding 10, finance 9, medicine 8, STEM 6, writing 3, law 1, robotics 1, trades 1.
By country, the largest groups at Terac are United States 43, Brazil 4, India 3, United Kingdom 2, across 8 countries in all. Listed pay is what the platform shows. It is not guaranteed pay and it is not an acceptance, so a one-off study amount and an hourly range answer different questions and should not be set side by side without working out the hours.
Side by side
| Point | micro1 | Terac |
|---|---|---|
| Type of work | Project roles across law, software, languages, robotics, science, finance and medicine | Short studies and expert evaluations, for example code review or clinical output review |
| Open roles listed here | 269 | 57 contract postings (feed) |
| Listed pay | 261 roles show an hourly range; typical range $50 to $90 per hour (the median low and the median high of the listed ranges) | 55 of 57 show a rate in the posting text: 34 per study, 21 per hour |
| Countries | Set per role | Largest groups: United States 43, Brazil 4, India 3, United Kingdom 2 |
| Payment | US dollars twice a month through Deel, around the 5th and the 20th (payroll policy) | Terms defined upfront, paid once the project is completed (terac.com, read October 2026) |
| Getting in | Recorded AI interview, ID check, background check | Background and a short AI assessment, then matching to projects (terac.com, read October 2026) |
How the work and the pay work
At micro1 your contract names one of three pay structures: hourly on hours you track in Hubstaff and the project team approves, per task at your hourly rate times a Project Payout Multiple, or a flat fee per approved task. Pay is in US dollars twice a month through Deel, and you move the money out of Deel to a bank, Wise, PayPal, Payoneer, Revolut, Coinbase or stablecoins. You work as an independent contractor and handle your own taxes.
Terac describes itself as an expert marketplace that connects verified experts with paid remote work from market research companies and human data companies, including AI labs. Its home page says pay depends on expertise, project complexity and demand for the role, that payment terms are defined upfront, and that you are paid once the project is completed. Its public pages do not state the cash-out method or any tax requirement, so ask before you start a study.
Getting in
micro1 asks you to apply to a role, take a recorded AI interview of 20 to 40 minutes, verify your ID with a third-party provider, then sign the contract and pass an identity check in Deel plus a background check. Passing the interview puts you in a talent pool, and a project selects people from it. micro1 says it cannot hire in 21 countries and regions, read 18 October 2026 on its expert page.
Terac asks you to share your background and complete a short AI assessment. If there is a fit, its team follows up and matches you to projects (terac.com, read October 2026). You then apply to individual opportunities. Terac's public documents give no country list and no ID requirements, so the market named in each study is the guide.
What to watch out for
- Listed pay is a posted figure. Work out what a one-off study amount means per hour before you compare it with an hourly range, and check the contract for the pay structure.
- Most Terac postings are for the United States, so read the market each study names before you apply.
- Closed Terac listings can stay online and read "This listing has closed", so check that a study is still open.
- micro1 projects can pause or end soon after they start, according to single posts on Reddit that we cannot verify. Read the contract, especially the clauses on interview recordings and your data.
Verdict by type of person
- If you want to compare rates before applying: micro1, because 261 of its 269 roles show an hourly range.
- If you are a US based professional who likes short, one-off studies: Terac fits that format, since 34 of its 57 postings state a one-off amount for a single study.
- If you live outside the United States: check the market of each Terac study, because the largest groups are United States 43, Brazil 4, India 3, United Kingdom 2. micro1 sets its location rule role by role.
- If you want a regular monthly pay calendar: micro1, because its payroll policy fixes two pay dates a month.
More detail: micro1 and Terac on this site, the micro1 legitimacy check, micro1 pay rates, micro1 payments and taxes, what happens after the micro1 interview, pay by platform in October 2026 and the AI Training Pay Index.
Questions people ask
What is the main difference between micro1 and Terac?
micro1 has many project roles and most show an hourly range. Terac runs short studies and expert evaluations, mostly for the US, with the rate written in each study, often as a one-off amount. micro1 pays twice a month; Terac pays once a project is completed.
Which has more open roles, micro1 or Terac?
In today's data this site lists 269 micro1 roles and 57 Terac postings. Terac postings are short studies, so the list changes often, and closed listings can stay online.
Which pays more, micro1 or Terac?
The two list pay in different ways. micro1 shows an hourly range, with a median of $50 to $90 per hour. Terac shows 34 one-off study amounts and 21 hourly rates. Listed pay is not guaranteed, so work out the hours.
Can I join Terac from outside the United States?
Some Terac studies name other markets, but most name the United States. The largest groups today are United States 43, Brazil 4, India 3, United Kingdom 2. Terac's public pages give no country list, so read the market each study names before you apply.
How do micro1 and Terac pay?
micro1 pays in US dollars twice a month, around the 5th and the 20th, through Deel. Terac says payment terms are defined upfront and paid once the project is completed. Its public pages do not state the cash-out method, so ask before you start.
What does each one ask of me to get started?
micro1 asks for a recorded AI interview, an ID check and a background check before paid work. Terac asks you to share your background and complete a short AI assessment, then matches you to projects if there is a fit.