Priced for the Work. Fixed Before It Begins.
Every rate at Aeterna Data is agreed in a signed Statement of Work before a single hour is worked. No surprises on the invoice. No verbal agreements. No rates that change mid-project.
Philosophy
Why We Do Not Publish Rates.
Annotation pricing is not a commodity. The rate that is right for bounding box labeling on a standard object detection dataset is not the rate that is right for RLHF preference ranking with domain-expert annotators on a medical LLM. Posting a single hourly rate — or a pricing calculator — flattens that complexity into a number that will be wrong for most of the people who see it.
Aeterna Data's rates are determined by four factors: the service vertical, the task complexity, the IAA threshold required, and the volume commitment. All four are discussed in a discovery call and fixed in a signed SOW before work begins. You always know your rate before you pay it.
We base our rates on the quality process we follow. While our prices might not be the lowest, we are committed to providing reliable results. If cost is your only criteria, we are probably not the right fit. If quality, legal accountability, and IAA measurement matter to your team, request a call.
Engagement Tiers
Five Ways to Engage. One Quality Standard.
Every client begins at Tier 1. You move through the model at your own pace, driven by your volume and confidence in the pipeline.
Paid Pilot
A fixed-scope, flat-rate engagement — approximately one week of dedicated annotation inside your dashboard. We establish our Average Handling Time, deliver a complete IAA quality report, and prove the pipeline before any long-term commitment. The pilot fee is credited in full to your first production invoice if you proceed.
What you get
- → Annotators calibrated to your specific task
- → Full pilot batch annotated in your dashboard
- → Cohen's Kappa + Fleiss' Kappa IAA report
- → AHT (Average Handling Time) per item type
- → Pilot fee credited to first invoice
Teams evaluating Aeterna Data for the first time. No long-term commitment required.
On-Demand Hourly
Flexible, per-annotator-hour billing across all five service verticals. Rates are fixed in a signed SOW before work begins. Scale up or down each month with no headcount commitment.
What you get
- → Hourly rate fixed in signed SOW
- → No minimum monthly commitment
- → Full IAA measurement every batch
- → Scale annotator hours up or down monthly
- → Complete quality report with every delivery
Rate depends on: service vertical, task complexity, IAA threshold, and volume.
Request a QuoteVolume Discounts
Commit to a guaranteed monthly hour block and receive tiered rate reductions. Volume discounts incentivise you to consolidate your annotation outsourcing with a single accountable partner rather than distributing across multiple vendors.
What you get
- → Discounted hourly rate on committed volume
- → Two commitment tiers: mid-volume and high-volume
- → Same quality standard as on-demand
- → Rate locked for the commitment period in SOW
Teams with consistent, predictable monthly annotation volume who want to reduce per-hour cost without a dedicated headcount commitment.
FTE Retainer
A dedicated annotator reserved exclusively for your pipeline at a fixed monthly retainer. Billed in advance with guaranteed monthly capacity. Unused resource hours do not roll over. Two tiers: standard and specialist, depending on the service vertical and task complexity.
What you get
- → One annotator dedicated exclusively to you
- → Guaranteed full-time monthly capacity
- → Billed monthly in advance
- → Full IAA measurement maintained
- → Specialist tier available for Visual RLHF evaluation tasks
Teams that need guaranteed monthly capacity without the overhead of a full managed team.
Managed Pod
A complete autonomous annotation team — 3 Annotators and 1 QA Lead — reserved exclusively for your pipeline. Full team management, IAA measurement, QA reporting, and delivery included. You receive only final, validated datasets and quality reports. Nothing else to manage.
What you get
- → 3 dedicated annotators + 1 QA Lead
- → Full team management by Aeterna Data
- → IAA measured and reported every batch
- → Validated datasets only — no raw output
- → Monthly retainer, billed in advance
- → Two complexity tiers: standard and advanced
Enterprise AI teams that need dedicated annotation infrastructure without the overhead of building and managing an internal team.
Rate Factors
Four Things Determine Your Rate.
Before a rate is quoted, we need to understand four things about your project. These four factors determine everything — from which service vertical applies to which IAA threshold is appropriate.
Service Vertical
The annotation type determines the base rate tier. Bounding box and image classification sit at one end of the range. Image segmentation and Visual RLHF evaluation sit at the other — requiring greater precision, longer per-item handling time, and more intensive quality measurement.
Task Complexity
Within computer vision, complexity varies significantly. Bounding box annotation on standard objects is faster and less demanding than polygon segmentation on complex scenes. Visual RLHF evaluation with multi-dimensional rubrics requires calibrated judgment that standard annotation does not. Complexity is assessed during scoping.
IAA Threshold Required
Higher quality thresholds require more calibration time, smaller batch sizes, more frequent IAA checks, and higher annotator selection standards. The default is Cohen's Kappa ≥ 0.80 and Fleiss' Kappa ≥ 0.75. Projects requiring ≥ 0.85 are priced accordingly.
Volume & Commitment
On-demand hourly work is priced at the full anchor rate. Volume commitments unlock tiered discounts. FTE and Managed Pod retainers provide guaranteed capacity at a monthly rate that reflects the exclusivity of the arrangement.
The Pilot
Start Small. Prove Everything.
The Paid Pilot
Every new client engagement begins with a paid pilot — a fixed-scope, flat-rate project that proves our calibration on your specific task before any production commitment is made.
The pilot fee is not a deposit. It is payment for a week of real annotation work that produces a real IAA quality report. If you proceed to production within 60 days, the full pilot fee is credited to your first production invoice.
We charge for the pilot because calibration costs real annotator hours. A vendor who gives away pilots is giving away the calibration — and that cost shows up later in your IAA scores.
Rate Modifiers
What Pushes the Rate Higher.
Within any service vertical, certain task characteristics push the rate toward the upper end of the range. These are disclosed upfront during scoping — never discovered mid-project.
Domain Expertise Required
Tasks requiring annotators with subject matter knowledge — medical, legal, financial, or highly technical domains — require specialist selection and additional calibration time.
High IAA Threshold
Projects requiring Cohen's Kappa ≥ 0.85 or above require smaller batch sizes, more frequent calibration checks, and higher annotator selection standards.
Rush Turnaround
Batches requiring delivery in under 5 working days attract a rush premium. Rush availability is subject to annotator capacity and must be specified in the SOW before work begins.
Multi-Dimensional Evaluation Rubric
Visual RLHF tasks with complex multi-dimensional evaluation frameworks require extended annotator briefing and calibration before the pilot begins. The rubric is designed and validated during scoping — this is included in the pilot scope.
Very High Volume, Fast Ramp
Projects requiring a rapid scale-up in annotator headcount — particularly for Managed Pod engagements — may attract a setup fee to cover accelerated onboarding and calibration.
Always Included
No Hidden Extras.
Regardless of engagement tier or service vertical, the following are included in every Aeterna Data engagement at no additional cost.
Full Contract Stack
NDA, DPA, MSA, and SOW — all executed before work begins.
IAA Every Batch
Cohen's Kappa and Fleiss' Kappa measured and reported on every production batch.
Rework at Zero Cost
Batches failing either IAA threshold are reworked before delivery. Rework hours never billed.
Individual Annotator NDAs
Every annotator signs an individual NDA before accessing your platform or data.
Quality Report
IAA scores, class distribution, rework log, AHT, and deviation notes delivered with every batch.
Your Platform
Annotation runs inside your annotation platform. Your data stays in your environment throughout the engagement.
48hr Scoping Response
A scoping proposal with estimated AHT and recommended approach delivered within 48 hours of brief receipt.
Dedicated Communication
A direct point of contact for every project. No ticket system. No support queue.
Transparency
Why We Do Not Display Rates Publicly.
This is a question we get asked. Here is the honest answer.
Annotation is not a commodity.
A single hourly rate displayed on a pricing page would be accurate for some projects and significantly wrong for others. Rather than publish a rate that misleads most visitors, we quote based on your actual project parameters. You get a rate that reflects what your work actually costs to deliver at the quality standard you need.
Your rate is locked before work begins.
The absence of public pricing does not mean rates are negotiated on the fly or subject to change mid-project. The opposite is true. Your rate is fixed in a signed SOW before the first hour is worked. You always know what you will pay before you pay it.
Discovery protects both sides.
The scoping conversation we have before quoting a rate serves a practical purpose: it ensures the rate we quote reflects the actual complexity of your task, your actual IAA requirements, and your actual volume. It also gives us the information we need to staff your project correctly from day one.
Billing
How Billing Works.
All invoices are denominated in EUR. Payment terms vary by engagement tier and are fixed in the SOW.
- Currency
- EUR — all invoices
- Paid Pilot
- Net 14 days from invoice date
- On-Demand Hourly
- Monthly in arrears — Net 30 days
- Volume Discount
- Monthly in arrears — Net 30 days
- FTE Retainer
- Monthly in advance — Net 14 days
- Managed Pod
- Monthly in advance — Net 14 days
- Late Payment
- 1.5% per month on overdue balances
- Tax
- Indonesian VAT (PPN) applied where applicable under Indonesian law. International clients should confirm applicable VAT treatment with their own tax advisor.
Wire transfer and SEPA bank transfer accepted. Bank details provided on invoice. Payment by card not currently supported.
Ready to Discuss Your Project?
Tell us what you are building. We will tell you what it costs — before you commit to anything. A scoping proposal within 48 hours of your brief.