Encord vs CVAT
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. Encord starts at See pricing page and CVAT starts at $33/mo. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
At a glance
Best for
Category
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- Data curation and search
- Video and DICOM labeling
- Model-assisted annotation
- Label error detection
- Model evaluation
- Image and video annotation
- AI auto-annotation
- Object tracking
- Many export formats
- Cloud or self-hosted
| Feature | Encord | CVAT |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Data development platform for multimodal AI and computer vision | Open-source annotation tool for images and video |
| Category | Data & analytics | Data & analytics |
| Pricing model | Free trial | Freemium |
| Starting price | See pricing page | $33/mo |
| Free plan | No, trial available | Yes |
| Made by | Encord | CVAT.ai |
| Based in | United Kingdom | – |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
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Pricing compared
Encord starts at See pricing page and CVAT starts at $33/mo. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
4 plans
Free
Free
- No credit card required
- Limited AI tool calls
Solo
$33/mo
- Personal workspace only
- Unlimited plan for one labeler
Team
$33/mo
- Per user
- For growing teams
- Hugging Face and Roboflow integrations
Enterprise
Contact sales
- On-prem or private cloud
- Advanced security
- Dedicated support
Prices in USD, checked Oct 28, 2026 or later. Plans change often, so confirm on each tool's site before you buy.
Pros and cons
Encord
- Strong video and medical support
- Curation and labeling in one tool
- Good quality tools
- Enterprise-focused pricing
- Learning curve for full platform
CVAT
- Free self-hosted version
- Strong video tools
- Supports many formats
- Interface feels technical
- Limited to visual data
Which one should you choose?
Choose Encord if you want:
- Strong video and medical support
- Curation and labeling in one tool
- Good quality tools
Watch out: enterprise-focused pricing.
Choose CVAT if you want:
- Free self-hosted version
- Strong video tools
- Supports many formats
Watch out: interface feels technical.
Encord vs CVAT FAQ
What is the difference between Encord and CVAT?
Encord: Data development platform for multimodal AI and computer vision. CVAT: Open-source annotation tool for images and video. Both are data & analytics tools.
Is Encord or CVAT cheaper?
Encord starts at See pricing page and CVAT starts at $33/mo. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Do Encord and CVAT have free plans?
Encord: No, trial available. CVAT: Yes.
Who makes Encord?
Encord is made by Encord, based in United Kingdom.
Who makes CVAT?
CVAT is made by CVAT.ai.
Which should I choose, Encord or CVAT?
Choose Encord if you value strong video and medical support and curation and labeling in one tool. Choose CVAT if you value free self-hosted version and strong video tools.