Image Annotation & Labeling vs Video Annotation & Tracking
Which you need, what each costs, and when a project wants both — image annotation & labeling compared with video annotation & tracking.
Last revised
Both sit under AI Data & Annotation, and clients regularly ask which of the two they actually want. The short answer is below; the rest of this page is how to tell, what each costs, and the cases where a project needs both.
What each one is
- Image Annotation & Labeling Human labeling of images for computer vision, from simple tags to pixel-level segmentation, done to a written guideline so every annotator marks the same thing the same way.
- Video Annotation & Tracking Labeling objects across video frames and keeping each one's identity as it moves, disappears and returns, for tracking, action recognition and surveillance models.
The numbers
| Image Annotation & Labeling | Video Annotation & Tracking | |
|---|---|---|
| Starts at | From $0.08 per annotation | From $0.08 per annotation |
| Services underneath | 5 | — |
How to decide
Go with Image Annotation & Labeling when
- The job is specifically 3D point cloud annotation, which sits under this one
- The job is specifically bounding box annotation, which sits under this one
- The job is specifically keypoint & landmark annotation, which sits under this one
Go with Video Annotation & Tracking when
- The difference here is one of emphasis rather than deliverables — video annotation & tracking
When a project wants both
Worth knowing: More often than the question implies — the same job frequently touches both, and one team covers them, so moving between them is a conversation rather than a second supplier. If you are not sure which your files need, that is what the free trial is for. The process is the same either way: whichever you pick, the work runs through the same stages and is checked against the same bar. AI Data & Annotation sets that out.
Questions we get on this specific choice
Is one of them cheaper?
They start at the same rate, so the choice is about what the job needs rather than about budget. Complexity moves both.
Which is faster?
Much the same, and volume moves the number far more than the choice between these two does.
Can you tell me which one my files need?
Yes, free. Send two or three real files — that judgment is part of the trial rather than something quoted separately.
Can I switch after we start?
Yes. If the files say the other one is the right answer, we re-quote before doing the work rather than after.
Where to go from here
- Image Annotation & Labeling — what it is, in full, with its own pricing
- Video Annotation & Tracking — the same for the alternative
- AI Data & Annotation pricing — both rates side by side with the US market ranges
- Try it free — a pilot batch of 10 items, human-reviewed, and we will tell you which of the two your files need
- Get a quote if the scope is already clear
- Every rate we publish, on one page
