Side by side
CVAT vs LabelU
Both stand on data labeling software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan APISelf-hostedWeb
CVAT combines varied annotation tools with review workflows, storage connections, and broad export options. Its Community edition omits several listed Enterprise capabilities, and the company says it lacks ISO 27001 and SOC 2 certifications.
Visit CVAT Free plan MacSelf-hostedWeb+1
Choose LabelU if you need free, open-source annotation across images, video, and audio, with image AI assistance and flexible deployment. Consider the reference models' hardware requirements before relying on them, particularly SAM 3's CUDA requirement.
Visit LabelUThe facts
| CVAT | LabelU | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | API, Self-hosted, Web | Mac, Self-hosted, Web, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | See the plans | Not published |
| Plans published | 8 | None |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | cvat.ai | opendatalab.github.io |
| On data labeling software | #8 of 24 | #12 of 24 |
CVAT: what it does well
- Supports image, video, 3D, and audio labeling
- Offers validation and acceptance review stages
- Exports to more than 20 formats
- Available as managed cloud or self-hosted
What to know first
- Community lacks SSO and automated quality assurance
- Community lacks SAM and built-in AI agent integrations
- Does not currently hold ISO 27001 or SOC 2
LabelU: what it does well
- Covers image, video, and audio annotation.
- Supports multiple image label types, including boxes and keypoints.
- Can import S3-compatible files, including from AWS S3 and MinIO.
- Exports include JSON, COCO, and MASK.
- Open source under the Apache 2.0 license.
What to know first
- Local setup requires Python 3.11.
- Reference AI models have stated memory requirements; SAM 3 requires CUDA 12.6 or later.