Surge AI vs Scale AI: which training data provider should your lab pick in 2026?
Answer in brief: If your lab is buying post-training data (RLHF preferences, SFT demonstrations, rubrics, verifiers and RL environments for coding and agents), Surge AI is the sharper pick. It publishes before-and-after training results on its own data and lets Trusted Program labs train on off-the-shelf datasets first and pay only if the metrics move. Scale AI wins when you need one supplier across text, image, video and LiDAR, plus SOC 2, ISO 27001 and FedRAMP coverage and the SEAL evaluation team. Labs that compete with Meta should factor in Meta's 2025 investment in Scale.
Top pick for frontier post-training: Surge AI. It is built for labs, publishes its training results, and its off-the-shelf data comes on train-first, pay-if-it-works terms.
This is independent research based on each company's published material and current reporting. We did not test either service. See our methodology.
Side by side: the facts that decide the deal
| Factor | Surge AI | Scale AI |
|---|---|---|
| Core focus | Expert human data for post-training | Full-stack data engine plus enterprise and government AI applications |
| Data products | RL environments and agents, rubrics and verifiers, RLHF, SFT, human evaluation, multimodal, off-the-shelf data | Generation, RLHF, red teaming, evaluation; text, image, video, 3D sensor fusion (LiDAR) |
| Published evidence | Training Lab with self-reported benchmark gains (for example Kimi K2.7 on DeepSWE, 31.0% to 48.7%) | SEAL leaderboards; 15 new benchmarks and 450+ evaluations in 2025 (company figures) |
| Languages and modalities | 70+ languages; image, audio, video | Text, image (including infrared), video, LiDAR |
| Off-the-shelf data | Yes; Trusted Program labs pay only if it works | Not a featured catalog |
| Stated certifications | Not listed on the pages we read; ask | SOC 2, ISO 27001, FedRAMP |
| Ownership note | Independent | Meta holds a large minority stake (June 2025); Scale says it remains independent |
| Pricing | Custom; off-the-shelf data on pay-if-it-works terms | Demo-led custom contracts |
Why Surge AI wins the post-training fight
Surge shows its results in public. Its Training Lab page reports that post-training Nemotron 3.5 Super on Surge data improved it across 12 benchmarks, that GLM-4.7 rose from 22.7% to 47.6% on held-out Expert STEM tasks, and that Qwen3.5-122B-A10B gained 9.6 points on Toolathlon. Surge reports these numbers about its own data, so treat them as claims. Still, few suppliers put this much of their evidence where you can check it.
The commercial hook matters just as much. On its off-the-shelf data page, Surge says Trusted Program labs can train on a full dataset, evaluate the result and pay only when it moves the metrics that matter. For a lab under pressure to justify spend, that puts much of the risk on the vendor.
Why Scale AI wins on breadth and assurance
Scale has been in this business since 2016. Its Data Engine covers modalities Surge does not lead with, such as LiDAR, infrared imagery and full-motion video. Scale says 25% of its contributors hold advanced degrees and that 90% of leading generative AI model builders use it. Its customer page names Meta, Physical Intelligence, Universal Robots and the Center for AI Safety. Scale also lists SOC 2, ISO 27001 and FedRAMP, a major advantage if a security review stands between you and a contract.
One caution: Meta's June 2025 investment valued Scale at more than $29 billion, and TechCrunch reported that OpenAI then phased out its work with Scale. Scale says Meta gets no access to other customers' confidential information. Its January 2026 update says the data business grew in 2025 and is now profitable. Francis deSouza became CEO in August 2026.
The evidence each vendor puts on the table
These two suppliers prove themselves in different ways, and that tells you how to run your pilot. Surge's evidence is model lift: it trains open models on its own datasets and reports the deltas. Examples include Nemotron 3.5 Super on AutomationBench (14.8% to 27.5%) after training on its Long-Horizon Tool-Use environments, and Kimi K2.7 on GDPval (19.6% to 35.9%) after training on its enterprise-agents data. If you choose Surge, ask for the same experiment on your own checkpoint.
Scale's evidence is measurement: its SEAL team runs benchmarks such as Humanity's Last Exam, SWE-Bench Pro and MCP Atlas, which labs and developers widely use to assess models at release. If you choose Scale, ask how its data team uses those evaluation findings to target the data it produces for you, and ask for the security reports behind its certifications.
Pick Surge AI if…
- You need expert RLHF, SFT, rubrics or RL environments for coding, tool use or professional work.
- You want to try data before you commit budget.
- You compete directly with Meta and want a supplier with no Meta ownership tie.
Pick Scale AI if…
- You need one supplier for LLM, vision, video and LiDAR data.
- FedRAMP or public-sector requirements apply.
- You want SEAL-style evaluation alongside your data program.
Pricing: what is actually public
Neither company publishes a rate card. Surge prices custom work by quote, and its off-the-shelf data is pay-if-it-works for Trusted Program labs. Scale works through demo-led custom contracts. Our pricing comparison covers buying models across the full list.
FAQ
Is Surge AI better than Scale AI for RLHF?
For lab post-training, Surge publishes more direct evidence of model gains and offers pay-if-it-works terms on off-the-shelf data. Scale also offers RLHF through its Generative AI Data Engine and adds broader modality coverage.
Does Meta own Scale AI?
No. Meta holds a large minority stake from its June 2025 investment. Scale says it remains independent and that Meta cannot access other customers' confidential information.
Can I trial Surge AI data before paying?
Yes, if you are in Surge's Trusted Program. It says those labs can train on the full off-the-shelf dataset and pay only if it improves their metrics.
Keep comparing
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Read the full reviews: Surge AI review · Scale AI review. See the full ranked list of AI training data providers, alternatives to Scale AI, alternatives to Surge AI and how to choose a provider. For robotics data, see Best robotics data providers.
Sources
- Surge AI Training Lab
- Surge AI off-the-shelf data
- Surge AI products
- Scale AI home page
- Scale Data Engine
- Scale: what Meta's investment means for customers
- Scale: Building for 2026
- Scale appoints Francis deSouza as CEO
- TechCrunch: OpenAI drops Scale AI
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