Scale AI vs Labelbox: which training data partner is right for you in 2026?
Answer in brief: Scale AI and Labelbox started in different places and now overlap. Scale AI is a managed human-data company. Its Data Engine covers generation, RLHF, red teaming, evaluation and annotation across text, image, video and LiDAR, and it also sells applications to enterprises and governments. Labelbox began as annotation software and now builds RL environments and evals (Horizon), robotics data (Terra) and expert data through its Alignerr network, which lists 2.6M+ skill-tested contributors. In October 2026 it said it is profitable, growing more than 5x year over year, with 400+ customers. Pick Scale for very large multimodal, autonomy or public-sector programs. Pick Labelbox if you want tooling, expert data and RL environments from one profitable, independent vendor.
Top pick: Labelbox for teams that want platform control plus managed expert data. Scale AI for the broadest managed program. Labelbox's Horizon environments and Alignerr experts reach 90%+ of leading U.S. AI labs, by its own count. Scale still covers more modalities and government work than anyone else in the directory. Visit Labelbox → · Visit Scale AI →
This page is independent research based on each company's own website and current public reporting, checked November 9, 2026. We did not test either service hands-on. Figures are company-reported unless we say otherwise. This site earns revenue from vendor sponsorships, which are labelled where they appear.
Where they sit on the industry map
In our directory, Scale is a full-stack human-data and collection vendor. Labelbox spans two categories: data tooling (its original annotation platform) and human data (Alignerr, Horizon, Terra). That mix suits buyers who want to see and control their data pipeline instead of handing it all to a vendor.
Head-to-head comparison
| Factor | Scale AI | Labelbox |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | Managed data for autonomous vehicles, since 2016 | Annotation software |
| Core offering today | Data Engine, evaluations, private leaderboards, applications | Horizon (RL environments and evals), Terra (robotics data), Alignerr (experts), Recursion (agents) |
| Expert pool | 25% of contributors hold advanced degrees | Alignerr: 2.6M+ contributors, 50K+ PhDs, 85K+ licensed professionals, 75+ languages; Series E post cites 4M+ |
| Security | Says customer data is kept separate from Meta | SOC 2 Type II (Alignerr) |
| Ownership and finances | Meta holds a 49% minority stake; CEO Francis deSouza since Aug 2026 | $100M+ Series E (equity plus credit facility) at $1.25B pre-money; profitable in 2026 |
| Customer stories | CDAO, Mayo Clinic, Physical Intelligence, Universal Robots, TIME | Meta (GIM benchmark), Google Cloud Vertex AI, Intuitive Surgical |
| Pricing | Custom, via demo | Custom, through sales |
Scale AI: the widest managed program
Scale's Data Engine supports document processing, NLP, transcription, electro-optical and infrared imagery, full-motion video and LiDAR sensor fusion. It runs private benchmarks for frontier labs and is growing its enterprise and government work. Points to check: Meta's 49% minority stake, Reuters' 2025 reporting that Google planned to move key contracts after the Meta deal, and the CEO change in August 2026. Scale says its operations are not being integrated with Meta.
Labelbox: platform DNA, frontier-lab data
Labelbox now describes itself as building the environments frontier labs train AI on. Horizon covers RL environments and evals for reasoning, tool use and computer use. Terra captures egocentric and teleoperated robot demonstrations. Alignerr sends tasks to contributors matched by credentials and checks their work against ground truth on an ongoing basis. Its October 14, 2026 Series E announcement said it is profitable, growing more than 5x year over year, has 400+ customers and works with 90%+ of leading U.S. AI labs. The company also sells Recursion, a product for enterprise agents, so its focus is split between two markets.
When to pick which
- Pick Scale AI for defense or public-sector work, autonomy or LiDAR programs at production volume, or one vendor that also deploys applications.
- Pick Labelbox if you want annotation tooling and managed experts together, need RL environments for computer use and tool use, or prefer a vendor with no major lab as a shareholder.
- Robotics data: both offer it. See specialist comparisons at roboticsdatacompanies.com.
Pricing models
Neither publishes a price list. Scale prices after a demo. Labelbox scopes work through its sales team (its site invites you to “bring us a job”).
FAQ
Is Labelbox still just labeling software?
No. It now sells Horizon RL environments and evals, Terra robotics data, the Alignerr expert network and Recursion enterprise agents, alongside its tooling roots.
How big is Labelbox's expert network?
The Alignerr page lists 2.6M+ contributors. Labelbox's October 2026 Series E announcement cites an expert network of 4M+ people. The two pages give different numbers.
Who leads Scale AI now?
Francis deSouza became CEO on August 10, 2026, succeeding interim CEO Jason Droege. Alexandr Wang remains chairman.
Keep exploring the directory
Back to the full directory of training data companies · Scale AI review · Labelbox review · Scale AI vs Surge AI · Alternatives to Scale AI