Toloka
Former open crowd-task platform for 'Tolokers'; its tasks and accounts moved into Mindrift in July 2026.
Last reviewed 2026-10-15
Is Toloka legit?
No longer as its own platform: Toloka moved its crowd platform into Mindrift in July 2026, carrying over accounts and balances, and Mindrift pays twice a month via Payoneer or Tipalti. The catch: open tasks typically pay under $20/hr and rejected work goes unpaid, and a 2024 investigation found Toloka tasks done for Russian facial-recognition firms the EU sanctioned.
Our summary of the sourced facts below.
New AI-training roles every Monday, best-paid first. Free.
Pay
Per accepted task, sometimes fractions of a cent; Mindrift all-access tasks typically under $20/hr
Who can join
18+, most countries; Russia, Belarus, China, Kenya and Switzerland are among those excluded
How you get in
Ex-Tolokers sign in to Mindrift with their old login; new users register for all-access tasks
Payouts
Twice a month in USD via Payoneer ($20 minimum) or Tipalti (bank or PayPal, from $5)
Watch out
2.3/5 on Trustpilot; rejected tasks go unpaid; 2024 report of tasks for EU-sanctioned Russian facial-recognition firms
What it is
- Official
The Toloka crowd platform no longer runs on its own: Toloka's contributor page (toloka.ai/tolokers) now permanently redirects to a Mindrift page headed "Tolokers, welcome!", which says the tasks and projects from Toloka and Toloka Annotators "have moved to Mindrift".
- Official
Migration notice: a Mindrift help article titled "Toloka is joining Mindrift", created Jun 23, 2026, says Toloka, Toloka Annotators and Mindrift are being brought "together into one place", that from early July users are sent to Mindrift when they sign in, and that accounts, history and earnings carry over.
general-mindrift.zendesk.com· checked 2026-10-15 - Official
Relationship to Mindrift: Toloka's About page calls Mindrift "Toloka's platform for sourcing domain experts for AI training projects", and Toloka's experts page sends applicants to mindrift.ai. Mindrift pages carry a "© 2026 Toloka AI BV" footer.
- Official
Company: Toloka was established in 2014 by Olga Megorskaya, who is founder and CEO of Toloka AI and also CEO of Mindrift. Headquarters are in Amsterdam, with offices in the US, Israel, Switzerland and Serbia.
toloka.ai· checked 2026-10-15
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- Official
Contracting entity: the current "Toloka Platforms Terms of Use" (effective Sep 17, 2026) are with Toloka AI BV, a Dutch company in Amsterdam (KVK 82041350), and cover mindrift.ai, we.toloka.ai and toloka.ai.
mindrift.ai· checked 2026-10-15 - Official
Ownership and funding: Toloka is the AI data business of Nebius Group. In May 2025 Bezos Expeditions led an investment; Nebius gave up majority voting control but kept a "significant majority economic stake", and Mikhail Parakhin became executive chairman.
nebius.com· checked 2026-10-15 - News
Reuters, as republished, put the round at $72M, named Amazon, Microsoft and Anthropic as customers, and said Nebius came out of the $5.4B split of Russian internet company Yandex.
profit.pakistantoday.com.pk· checked 2026-10-15 - News
Origins: Toloka began as a crowdsourcing and microtasking platform for data labeling. Its Russian operations were sold in 2024, with the sale completed in July 2024.
en.wikipedia.org· checked 2026-10-15 - Official
Business today: Toloka's homepage sells training data for AI agents and LLMs (coding, evaluation, safety and red teaming) to AI developers. It claims "6000+ Active contributors" and crowd workers "from 100+ countries speaking 40+ languages". Company figures, not verified.
toloka.ai· checked 2026-10-15 - Official
Past scale: a March 2022 Toloka blog post reported about 245,000 monthly active performers in 123 countries; 18% said Toloka was their main income and 62% an additional income.
toloka.ai· checked 2026-10-15 - Official
The app is still listed: "Toloka: Earn online" by Ai Toloka Inc is still on Google Play (10M+ downloads, last updated Jun 25, 2026). Its description still describes simple tasks with no special knowledge.
play.google.com· checked 2026-10-15
Coding work
- Official
The old Toloka crowd platform was not a coding platform: the work named for Tolokers is rating AI responses, categorizing content, verifying information and recording short videos. No coding tasks are named.
mindrift.ai· checked 2026-10-15 - Official
Coding work now runs through Mindrift: Mindrift's pay-rates article (dated Oct 6, 2026) lists coding at "Up to $90/hr" for senior developers with 5+ years of production experience, and agentic evaluation (senior Python, testing, containers, CI) at up to $80/hr. These are maximums.
mindrift.ai· checked 2026-10-15 - Official
Student-level CS role: a Mindrift "AI Agent Evaluation Specialist (CS / Data Science Students Welcome)" posting on Toloka's Workable board (US, published Oct 15, 2026) pays "up to $30/hour", asks for a CS or related degree (current students accepted) and C1 English. The role is designing test scenarios for LLM agents.
apply.workable.com· checked 2026-10-15 - Official
Job board mix: a single read of the "toloka-ai" Workable board on 2026-10-15 returned 1,461 postings. None was titled as a software or Python role. The largest groups were CAD and CFD engineering AI-trainer roles (about 460), physician roles (224), and 19 copies each of three CS-student agent-evaluation roles.
apply.workable.com· checked 2026-10-15
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- Official
Other posted pay: Mindrift lists STEM up to $90/hr, legal up to $75/hr and writing up to $30/hr; all-access tasks (the route most former Tolokers land in) "typically pay under $20 per hour".
mindrift.ai· checked 2026-10-15 - Official
Video project pay: the "Feather" first-person video project pays a fixed $0.42 per approved video (minimum 5 minutes), with extra approved minutes paid separately.
general-mindrift.zendesk.com· checked 2026-10-15
Eligibility
- Official
Age: 18 or the legal age of majority where you live, whichever is higher.
- Official
Countries: the welcome page for Tolokers says you can join "from any country", but the eligibility page bars Afghanistan, Belarus, Central African Republic, China (including Hong Kong and Macau), Cuba, Iran, Kosovo, Libya, Myanmar, North Korea, Palestine, Russia, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Yemen and occupied regions of Ukraine and Georgia.
- Official
Also unsupported: Kenya, Switzerland, Taiwan, DR Congo and a list of small territories, including French overseas regions. The page was last updated May 27, 2026.
mindrift.ai· checked 2026-10-15 - Official
ID verification: when asked, you verify through Persona by photographing the front and back of an original government ID with your camera (no uploads, scans or screen photos). You have 30 days from the invitation, and 7 days once started. Verification does not guarantee tasks.
general-mindrift.zendesk.com· checked 2026-10-15
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- Official
One account only: holding more than one account is "a serious violation" that can lead to suspension or a permanent block; former Tolokers are told not to register again.
general-mindrift.zendesk.com· checked 2026-10-15 - Official
EU tax data: EU-based users must give a full postal address and place of birth before they can withdraw, under the EU DAC7 rule. Toloka AI B.V. reports this to the Dutch tax authority.
general-mindrift.zendesk.com· checked 2026-10-15
How to get in (format only)
- Official
Former Tolokers: sign in to Mindrift with the same method you used on Toloka; there is nothing else to do to move over. Complete your profile and add a CV to be matched with new projects.
general-mindrift.zendesk.com· checked 2026-10-15 - Official
New users, all-access tasks: register with basic details and do a short onboarding; there is no CV, assessment or interview for this route.
mindrift.ai· checked 2026-10-15 - Official
Specialized projects: describe your background and take short qualification tasks to unlock projects.
mindrift.ai· checked 2026-10-15 - Official
Legacy app format: the Toloka app describes skill levels per task type: the higher the level, the more tasks you see.
play.google.com· checked 2026-10-15 - Official
Quality checks: auto-accepted projects mix in hidden control tasks with known answers; too many mistakes can get you blocked from the project.
general-mindrift.zendesk.com· checked 2026-10-15
Pay and payments
- Official
Pay basis: rewards are set per project by scope, complexity and expertise, and you are paid only for completed and accepted tasks.
mindrift.ai· checked 2026-10-15 - Official
Task prices can be fractions of a cent: task rewards can be set to three decimal places (for example $0.156). Task cards show average earnings per hour and the average daily earnings of the three most active users.
- News
Legacy per-task pay: a 2024 report quoted Toloka workers in Africa saying tasks paid from about 10 cents to $8 each, and one worker said she earned about $7 over two months.
continent.substack.com· checked 2026-10-15 - Official
Schedule changed: most projects moved from on-demand withdrawals to payouts once every two weeks.
general-mindrift.zendesk.com· checked 2026-10-15
Show 8 moreShow less
- Official
The welcome page gives the cycle as 1st to 15th and 16th to month end, paid on the 5th and 20th (moved for weekends and holidays).
mindrift.ai· checked 2026-10-15 - Official
Methods: Payoneer, or Tipalti for bank transfer or PayPal. Payment is in US dollars.
- Official
The Google Play listing still describes withdrawal through Payoneer, plus Papara for Turkish citizens.
play.google.com· checked 2026-10-15 - Official
Payoneer terms: $20 minimum withdrawal, up to 2% fee to a bank account, and Payoneer charges $1 per payment received. Withdrawal to Payoneer is unavailable for users from Russia and Belarus.
general-mindrift.zendesk.com· checked 2026-10-15 - Official
Tipalti terms: you can link a payout method only once your balance reaches the minimum (from $5), and there is a 7-day wait after linking or changing a method.
general-mindrift.zendesk.com· checked 2026-10-15 - Official
Review delays: non-auto-accepted tasks are credited within 21 days; rejected tasks are removed from your pending balance unpaid.
general-mindrift.zendesk.com· checked 2026-10-15 - Official
The Terms say payment becomes available within 30 days of acceptance, objections to rejections are due within 7 days, and processor fees apply.
mindrift.ai· checked 2026-10-15
Work availability
- Official
After the move: former Tolokers first see only the tasks they already had, and the set "won't grow overnight". New projects open over time.
general-mindrift.zendesk.com· checked 2026-10-15 - Official
No guarantee: verification is not tied to task availability, which "may vary depending on current demand".
general-mindrift.zendesk.com· checked 2026-10-15 - Worker reports
Scarce work: 2026 Trustpilot reviews say tasks are rarer than before or have dried up, including one reviewer whose tasks stopped before reaching the payout threshold.
trustpilot.com· checked 2026-10-15
Risks and controversies
- News
Russian surveillance investigation (Mar 2024): the Bureau of Investigative Journalism reported that Toloka hosted tasks for Russian facial-recognition firms NtechLab and Tevian since at least 2019, done by workers in India, Turkey, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The EU sanctioned both firms in July 2023. One task offered "$0.50 for 5 photos".
- News
Toloka said its EU, Swiss and US entities never provided services to or took payments from the two firms, and that a Russian Yandex subsidiary handled them.
thebureauinvestigates.com· checked 2026-10-15 - News
Workers not told who the client was: African Toloka workers told The Continent (Aug 2024) they did not know what their work was for, and that rejected tasks went unpaid. Toloka said it does no business in Russia and that workers see tasks and fees in advance.
continent.substack.com· checked 2026-10-15 - Official
Arbitration: US users must use individual JAMS arbitration under Delaware law with a class-action waiver; non-US users fall under Dutch law and the Amsterdam courts.
mindrift.ai· checked 2026-10-15
Show 4 moreShow less
- Official
Account closure: Toloka may limit or end access for material breach, failed verification, or a "reasonably perceived" legal, security, fraud or reputational risk. Accounts inactive for 12 months may be closed, and payments can be frozen in sanctions cases.
mindrift.ai· checked 2026-10-15 - Official
Tax data kept: DAC7 data cannot be deleted on request; it is kept 5 years in the EU and 7 years for the Netherlands.
general-mindrift.zendesk.com· checked 2026-10-15 - Worker reports
Data complaints: two July 2026 Trustpilot reviewers say a phone number stayed tied to a deleted account and data deletion was refused.
trustpilot.com· checked 2026-10-15 - News
No lawsuits or regulator actions against Toloka were found in public sources.
en.wikipedia.org· checked 2026-10-15
Referral program
- Official
No general program found: the migration notice, welcome page and Terms of Use do not describe a referral reward.
- Official
Project referral: the Feather video project pays $7 when someone you refer delivers their first hour of approved video. It runs through a third-party referral site.
general-mindrift.zendesk.com· checked 2026-10-15
Worker sentiment (reports, not verified)
- Worker reports
Trustpilot (toloka.ai): 2.3/5 from 210 reviews (28 in the last 12 months); 45% 1-star and 30% 5-star. The company does not invite reviews and has not replied to negative ones.
trustpilot.com· checked 2026-10-15 - Worker reports
Google Play: the Toloka app shows 3.7 stars from about 338K reviews.
play.google.com· checked 2026-10-15 - Worker reports
Trustpilot (mindrift.ai), where accounts now live: 3.4/5 from 1,096 reviews (913 in the last 12 months). One Oct 11, 2026 review names Toloka and Mindrift together and reports unpaid repeated tasks.
trustpilot.com· checked 2026-10-15 - Worker reports
Negative, top themes: unpaid or rejected tasks with no feedback, very low pay with unpaid tests, accounts stuck "under review" or failed ID checks with no appeal, scarce tasks, and app bugs.
trustpilot.com· checked 2026-10-15 - Worker reports
Positive: short reviews praise the app as a source of income and the per-category trainings.
Quick answers
- Is Toloka legit?
- No longer as its own platform: Toloka moved its crowd platform into Mindrift in July 2026, carrying over accounts and balances, and Mindrift pays twice a month via Payoneer or Tipalti. The catch: open tasks typically pay under $20/hr and rejected work goes unpaid, and a 2024 investigation found Toloka tasks done for Russian facial-recognition firms the EU sanctioned.
- How much does Toloka pay?
- Per accepted task, sometimes fractions of a cent; Mindrift all-access tasks typically under $20/hr
- Who can join Toloka?
- 18+, most countries; Russia, Belarus, China, Kenya and Switzerland are among those excluded
- How do you get into Toloka?
- Ex-Tolokers sign in to Mindrift with their old login; new users register for all-access tasks
- How and when does Toloka pay out?
- Twice a month in USD via Payoneer ($20 minimum) or Tipalti (bank or PayPal, from $5)
- What should you watch out for at Toloka?
- 2.3/5 on Trustpilot; rejected tasks go unpaid; 2024 report of tasks for EU-sanctioned Russian facial-recognition firms
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