Mercor vs Polyshares: which should license your data?

Price. Polyshares quotes $100K to $2M+ and lists example deals. Mercor lists $20K to $1.5M depending on industry.

Speed. Mercor wires 2 to 4 weeks after signing; Polyshares offers in 1 to 2 weeks and pays Net 30 to 60.

Size. Polyshares wants 50+ staff; Mercor's floor varies by industry.

Trust. Mercor is large and SOC 2 certified but had a 2026 breach. Polyshares publishes no address or terms page.

You want the fastest published payment and use mainstream tools.

You have 50+ staff and want a published price band and example deals to anchor on.

You do not have to choose between Mercor and Polyshares up front. The cleanest approach is to qualify with both, get each offer in writing for the same scope of data, and only then decide.

1. 1

   Fix the scope first

   Decide which systems and years are in, and what stays out (client files, HR records, anything under NDA). Give both buyers the same scope so the offers are comparable.

2. 2

   Compare net, not headline

   Subtract any seller fee or agent commission, and note whether the money arrives in one payment or several.

3. 3

   Read the license term

   An exclusive license, even for a year or two, stops you licensing the same records elsewhere. A non-exclusive one leaves that door open.

4. 4

   Sign one before you send anything

   No export until a contract is signed and you have approved how personal data is removed.

Put the same five questions to each buyer in writing and compare the answers side by side. Vague answers are an answer too.

1. 1What is your written offer for our data, and what exactly does it cover?
2. 2Can we license these records to anyone else, and if not, until when?
3. 3Who does the de-identification, using which method, and do we sign off on a sample before anything leaves?
4. 4When are we paid, and in how many payments?
5. 5Will you name the AI companies that end up with our data?