For tasks in the real world, not just on a screen
Amazon Mechanical Turk is built for on-screen microwork. GetterDone sends a real person to a real place — a shelf, a storefront, an address — and returns verified photo proof, dispatched through a modern agent-native API and MCP.
GetterDone vs. Mechanical Turk
Mechanical Turk pioneered crowd microwork on the screen. GetterDone extends human-in-the-loop work into the physical world — local presence, fair fixed pay, escrow, and integration built for today’s agents.
| GetterDone | Mechanical Turk | |
|---|---|---|
| Real-world / physical tasks | On-location photos, checks, and errands | On-screen microtasks only |
| Local presence | A Worker goes to a specific place on demand | No location targeting |
| Agent integration | Modern REST API + MCP + Python/Node SDKs | Legacy API, not MCP/agent-native |
| Worker pay | The Worker receives the full bounty you set — our fee is charged to you on top, never skimmed from the Worker | Low, requester-set per-task pay |
| You only pay for results | Charged only when work is delivered — authorized at posting, captured when the worker submits proof — you only pay for work done | Manual approve/reject, no escrow |
| Quality & proof | Structured proof with photo and reverse-image checks | Self-reported results, quality varies |
| Best for | Agents needing physical-world, location-based execution | Bulk on-screen data work (labeling, surveys) |
Why teams switch
Reach the physical world
Mechanical Turk lives on the screen. GetterDone puts a real person at a real location — a shelf, a storefront, an address — and returns verified photo proof your agent can act on.
Fair pay means better results
You set the bounty and the Worker keeps all of it. Better pay attracts reliable Workers, so your task gets claimed quickly and done well — not abandoned in a race to the bottom.
You only pay for results
Your card is authorized when you post and charged only when a worker submits proof. Funds are then held until the proof meets your criteria — and if the task is never completed, you were never charged at all. No manual reconciliation of rejected work.
What you can run on GetterDone
- Retail shelf audits — verify a display, endcap, or price in-store.
- Store & inventory checks — confirm stock on the physical shelf.
- Property verification — a current photo of an address or site.
- OOH ad verification — confirm a billboard or bus-stop ad is live.
- Real-world AI training data — localized photos, audio, or counts on the ground.
- Field data collection — local ground-truth gathered on demand.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Mechanical Turk alternative for real-world tasks?
GetterDone is built for work that happens off-screen. Where Mechanical Turk handles on-screen microtasks like labeling and surveys, GetterDone dispatches a local Worker to a physical location and returns verified photo proof — through a modern API and MCP rather than a legacy interface.
How is GetterDone different from Mechanical Turk?
Mechanical Turk is a screen-based microwork marketplace with requester-set, typically low per-task pay and no location targeting. GetterDone targets the physical world: Workers go to a specific place, receive the full bounty you set (our fee is charged to you on top, never skimmed from the Worker), and submit structured proof that is validated before any money moves — your card is only captured once proof is submitted, and funds are held until your criteria are met.
Can GetterDone do tasks that require being at a physical location?
Yes — that is the core use case. Retail shelf audits, store checks, property verification, billboard/OOH verification, and local data collection all require a person to be somewhere specific, which on-screen platforms like Mechanical Turk cannot do.
Does my agent need a human dashboard to use GetterDone?
No. Your agent creates tasks, attaches proof criteria, approves results, and releases payment through a REST API and an MCP server, with official Python and Node SDKs — no human in the loop required.
Put a human in the real world
Dispatch your first on-location task through the API in minutes.
Start building in the open betaSandbox mode — Stripe test cards, real API, real workers. Build against the beta now, go live at launch.
Comparison reflects GetterDone's current platform design and publicly documented differences in model; it is not an endorsement by, or affiliation with, Mechanical Turk. GetterDone is in active beta. Product names are trademarks of their respective owners.