The practical distinction
Handshake AI is classified here as partnership program; Mercor is classified as direct licensing. These classifications describe the reviewed public program, not a promise about the counterparty or rights in a future agreement. Verify those details in the proposal.
| Field | Handshake AI | Mercor |
|---|---|---|
| Business model | Partnership program | Direct licensing |
| Records described | Process documentation; Project histories; Engineering specifications and tests; Logistics and production records; Research workflows; Financial and administrative workflows | Slack and Teams records; Email and metadata; Documents and wikis; CRM activity; Code, commits and issues; Sector-specific operational records |
| Eligibility | The official company-referral page seeks businesses with at least 20 full-time employees and three years of operation. Final suitability depends on the records and review. | The program targets legal, healthcare, finance, professional services, manufacturing, retail, real estate and logistics businesses. No universal headcount threshold appears on the reviewed page. |
| Payment | Commercial and payment terms are agreed before commitment. A universal seller payment schedule or revenue-share formula is not visible in the reviewed main page. | Wire transfer when the anonymized dataset is delivered to the buyer, typically two to four weeks after signing. Mercor states there are no extraction, preparation or transfer fees deducted from compensation. |
| Open questions |
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How to use this comparison
Send the same non-confidential scope to each provider if you choose to approach both. Compare guaranteed payment separately from contingent share, and use the same record dates, exclusions and permitted uses. Public program descriptions can change, and unpublished terms cannot be inferred from a competitor.
What this comparison cannot tell you
Neither a public range nor the breadth of a provider’s program establishes the value of your archive. Fit, authority, acceptance and negotiated terms require diligence. A larger advertised number would not by itself justify a broader license.
Sources & further reading
Provider statements are attributed claims, not audited outcomes. Reviewed 19 October 2026.