Free and open first
Best Data Labeling Software in 2026
Data labeling software supports annotating datasets for different uses and formats. Compared on image, text and audio/video annotation, the entries also show whether model-assisted labeling and review workflows are available. API or SDK access and deployment can help you assess how an option fits your technical setup. Free-plan availability and paid-from pricing offer further comparison points. Doccano, Label Studio and LightlyStudio are among the named tools. Consider the data types you need to label, the review process your work requires, and how annotation software should connect to the rest of your workflow.
- 24 apps
- Research read 23 Sept 2026
- How the order is worked out
- 1
Label Studio
Free plan Open source APILinuxMac+3Label Studio covers a wide range of annotation workflows, deployment options, and integrations.
- 2
LightlyStudio
Free plan Open source APILinuxMac+3LightlyStudio brings dataset curation, annotation, evaluation, and management together, with both GUI and Python API workflows. The open-source plan omits customer support and team collaboration.
- 3
MakeSense.ai
Free plan Open source LinuxMacSelf-hosted+2Pick MakeSense.ai if you need a free browser tool for photo annotation and dataset preparation, especially for a small computer vision project.
- 4
VGG Image Annotator
Free plan Open source LinuxMacSelf-hosted+2VIA offers offline manual annotation and several export options at no cost. Choose VIA3 for audio, video or shared projects; VIA2 remains maintained but is limited to images and lacks sharing.
- 5
Argilla
Free plan APILinuxSelf-hosted+1Argilla brings dataset annotation, feedback collection and collaboration into one tool, with deployment and portability options for teams.
- 6
BasicAI
Free plan APISelf-hostedWebBasicAI supports several data types, team workflows and quality checks, with hosted and on-premise deployment options.
- 7
Doccano
Free plan APILinuxMac+3Doccano covers collaborative text labeling and offers multiple installation and storage options. Take care with upgrades if using the default SQLite 3 database.
- 8
CVAT
Free plan APISelf-hostedWebCVAT combines varied annotation tools with review workflows, storage connections, and broad export options.
- 9
Datasaur
Free plan APISelf-hostedWebDatasaur combines data labeling, LLM evaluation, integrations, and self-hosting options.
- 10
Potato
Free plan APILinuxMac+3Potato offers broad annotation and AI-assisted labeling options in a free, self-hosted package. It is a fit for users prepared to run and maintain it themselves; there is no managed cloud tier.
- 11
Roboflow
Free plan AndroidAPIiPhone+4Roboflow brings computer vision dataset work, inference, and deployment into one platform.
- 12
LabelU
Free plan MacSelf-hostedWeb+1Choose LabelU if you need free, open-source annotation across images, video, and audio, with image AI assistance and flexible deployment.
- 13
Labelbox
Free plan APIWebChoose Labelbox if you need AI training data services, reinforcement learning environments, or enterprise agent workflows connected to other apps.
- 14
Supervisely
Free plan APISelf-hostedWebSupervisely combines annotation, dataset management and model workflows, with options ranging from a limited free Community plan to custom Enterprise deployment.
- 15
Segments.ai
Free plan APIWebSegments.ai combines image and point-cloud annotation with tools for multi-sensor and sequence workflows. Teams should weigh the Core point-cloud limit and request a quote for commercial plans.
- 16
V7 Darwin
Free plan APIWebChoose V7 Darwin if your team needs to prepare varied datasets with model-assisted annotation, configurable review stages, and cloud or developer integrations.
- 17
Kili Technology
Free trial APISelf-hostedWebKili combines broad data support with configurable review and quality tools for AI dataset work. Trial limits and pricing on request are worth weighing against the team's intended scale.
- 18
Labelme
Free trial LinuxMacWindowsChoose Labelme for locally assisted image annotation, particularly if offline use and a broad range of annotation types matter.
- 19
Dataloop
Paid APILinuxMac+2Choose Dataloop if you need an AI development platform that combines unstructured data, model workflows, pipelines and human feedback.
- 20
Prodigy
Free trial APILinuxMac+3Prodigy offers a broad set of annotation workflows and local data handling options for machine learning projects.
6.0 Visit site - 21
Encord
Paid APISelf-hostedWebEncord combines multimodal annotation with dataset curation and model evaluation for AI development teams.
- 22
Deepen AI
Paid APISelf-hostedWebConsider Deepen AI if your Physical AI work needs connected sensor calibration, dataset curation, annotation, and validation, with multiple deployment options.
- 23
SuperAnnotate
Paid APIMacWeb+1Choose SuperAnnotate if your AI team needs annotation across multiple modalities, model-assisted workflows, and analytics for managing contributors and projects.
- 24
Amazon SageMaker Ground Truth
Paid Web4.6 Visit site
#1Places #1, #2, #3, #4, #5 on this list can be bought by the makers of the software on it. See the price
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