Amazon Mechanical Turk in French: Shutdown and Alternatives

What is Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk)?

Launched by Amazon in 2005, Mechanical Turk (or "MTurk") is one of the world's earliest crowdsourcing platforms. The principle hasn't changed in twenty years: companies (the requesters) publish micro-tasks called HITs (Human Intelligence Tasks) — image labeling, audio transcription, data verification — and individuals (the workers) complete them for anywhere from a few cents to a few dollars each.

MTurk became the invisible infrastructure behind much of modern AI: armies of MTurk workers labeled the early large datasets used to train computer-vision models, and then LLMs.

Is MTurk available in French?

No. MTurk's interface (mturk.com and worker.mturk.com) only exists in English. There is no official French, German, Spanish or Italian translation. The docs, terms, support and most HITs are written in English — and most require near-native English to be completed correctly.

This isn't an oversight: MTurk was historically built for the North American market, and Amazon never invested in opening it to French-speaking markets, in either localization or European payment rails.

Could you register on MTurk from France before its closure?

Since 2013, Amazon has officially restricted new-worker registration to two countries only: the United States and India. Residents elsewhere — France included — are systematically rejected, or have their account suspended within days.

Before the platform shut down in late September, some workers tried using US virtual addresses, risking account closure. Crucially, payouts were restricted to US ACH transfers or Amazon.com gift cards (unusable on Amazon.fr), offering no practical payout path for European workers.

How much do you actually earn on MTurk?

The numbers are public and rather disappointing. Several academic studies (Pew Research 2016, Cornell Tech 2018, longitudinal 2023) all converge: median hourly earnings on MTurk hover around $2-3/hour, well below the US federal minimum wage. Only the most experienced and best-tooled workers (with scripts and extensions) reach $6-10/hour.

On Microtaches, pay rates are clearly set in Ops before you begin any task, avoiding unexpected requirements.

The 5 best French-speaking alternatives to MTurk

An honest comparison of the main platforms available from France. They don't all stand equal on language, payouts or transparency.

• Microtaches.com — French, FR/EN interface, SEPA payouts in euros, identity verification before payouts, FR support. Annual withdrawal cap of €2,500 (platform internal policy). A dependable alternative for online micro-tasks.
• Clickworker — German company, partially translated. Offers payouts via SEPA transfer or PayPal from €10, though many tasks remain in English.
• Foule Factory — rebranded to Wirk (Yappers for workers), offering bank transfers from €5 with a 4% fee.
• Microworkers — international, English-only interface, very diverse tasks but lots of spam and variable quality.
• Swagbucks — rewards platform (surveys, offers; video rewards ended in 2022) paying in SB points (100 SB = $1).

Why Microtaches is the natural French equivalent of MTurk

Microtaches.com was built specifically to fill the gap left by MTurk in French-speaking Europe. Rather than try to outdo Amazon on every front, the platform focuses on what MTurk badly lacks for a French resident.

A 100% French (and English) interface

The whole app — dashboard, missions, profile, rewards shop, withdrawals, support — is fully bilingual. Workers pick their language from their profile and can switch at any time.

Payouts in euros via SEPA transfer

Workers convert their Ops balance upon withdrawal: bank transfers to an IBAN starting at 5,000 withdrawable Ops, or PayPal and mobile money from 25,000 Ops. A flat 800-Ops fee applies only to bank transfers outside Europe.

GDPR compliance and identity verification

Starting at an account balance of 1,000 Ops, identity verification (KYC) becomes available and is required to unlock withdrawals and the rewards shop (processed within 7 business days). Microtaches also enforces an internal annual withdrawal cap of €2,500.

Full transparency on rates

Every mission shows its rate in Ops and euros before you accept. Each approved task credits your Ops balance according to clear instructions, with a generous 60-minute limit per task.

Side-by-side: Microtaches vs Mechanical Turk

How much can you really earn on Microtaches?

Let's be honest: no micro-task platform replaces a salary. The goal of Microtaches, like MTurk, is to provide supplemental income available from home, on your own schedule. Observed ranges in 2026:

• Variable earnings: actual income depends strictly on task volume and availability
• Ops conversion: 1 Ops = €0.0042 for cash withdrawals, or €0.0082 in the rewards shop
• Annual withdrawal cap: €2,500 per year per account (internal platform policy)

The gamification system (badges, levels, monthly leaderboard bonuses for the Top 10) and the rewards shop (offering about 1.95x better value per Ops than withdrawals) provide gift cards once verified with at least 1,000 Ops balance.

Create my free account

How to start in 4 steps

1. Free signup via the website form, verified by our team.
2. Profile completion: receive a 10-Ops bonus as soon as your profile is fully set up.
3. Task execution: handle up to 3 concurrent tasks with a 60-minute countdown per task.
4. Withdrawal: available from 5,000 withdrawable Ops after KYC verification (available at 1,000 Ops balance). An untouchable reserve of 10,000 Ops remains on the account.

Withdrawal methods on Microtaches

Your Ops can be withdrawn to a bank account, a mobile money account or an online wallet. Bank transfer is available from the usual minimum; MVola, Orange Money, Wave, MTN MoMo, PayPal, Skrill and Neteller are available from 25,000 Ops; Revolut and Crypto are coming soon.

Frequently asked questions

Does Mechanical Turk exist in French?

No. MTurk never provided a French version and Amazon definitively closed the platform on September 30 after 21 years. Bilingual platforms like Microtaches.com offer active alternatives.

Can you still use Amazon Mechanical Turk?

No. Amazon permanently shut down MTurk on September 30. The service no longer accepts any tasks or worker logins worldwide.

What's the best French alternative to MTurk?

Microtaches.com is the closest French equivalent: paid micro-tasks, 100% FR interface, SEPA payouts in euros, GDPR-compliant, French-speaking support.

Does Microtaches pay in euros?

Yes. Balance is in Ops and converts to euros on withdrawal via SEPA transfer to your IBAN, starting from 5,000 Ops.

Do I have to report earnings to tax authorities?

Yes. Supplemental income must be declared according to your local tax laws. Microtaches' €2,500 annual withdrawal cap is purely an internal platform rule, not a tax exemption.

Is this a scam?

No. Microtaches is a dependable French platform: Microtaches verifies identity before withdrawals and orders, provides traceable SEPA payouts, public terms, and identifiable support.

How long to get paid?

Ops are credited upon task approval. Payout processing takes up to 3 weeks for bank transfers and up to 2 weeks for shop gift card orders.

Is there a mobile app?

Microtaches.com is a responsive web app optimized for smartphones. No download needed: access your dashboard from any browser.

Why did Amazon Mechanical Turk close?

Amazon announced the shutdown in late August and closed on September 30. The service faced stiff competition from specialized AI labeling platforms and issues with automated bot responses.

What is the minimum withdrawal amount on Microtaches?

Withdrawals start at 5,000 withdrawable Ops via bank transfer, while an untouchable reserve of 10,000 Ops remains on the account.

Which countries are accepted on Microtaches?

Microtaches is open worldwide with workers across France, Belgium, Madagascar, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Cameroon, and many other nations.