Why Choose Potato?
Commercial annotation tools charge thousands per month. Potato gives you the same power for free, with full control over your data.
100% Free
No pricing tiers, no usage limits, no credit card required. Potato is free for research, education, and non-commercial use.
Open Source
Full access to the source code. Customize, extend, and contribute. No vendor lock-in, ever.
Privacy First
Self-hosted on your infrastructure. Your data never leaves your servers. Perfect for sensitive research data.
Research Backed
Developed at the University of Michigan. Featured at EMNLP 2022 and winner of Best Demo at HCOMP 2024.
Zero Code Setup
Configure everything with simple YAML files. No programming required to create sophisticated annotation interfaces.
Lightweight
Simple pip install, runs on any Python environment. No complex infrastructure or Docker required.
Potato vs Commercial Tools
See how Potato compares to expensive commercial alternatives like Labelbox, SuperAnnotate, and Scale AI.
| Feature |  Potato | Commercial Tools |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free forever | $1,000 - $10,000+/month |
| Open Source | Yes, full code access | No, proprietary |
| Self-Hosted | Yes, your infrastructure | Cloud-only or expensive self-hosted |
| Data Privacy | Data never leaves your servers | Data stored on vendor servers |
| Setup Time | Minutes (pip install) | Days to weeks |
| Configuration | Simple YAML files | Complex UI or code |
| AI Integration | OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, Local Models | Proprietary AI only |
| Annotation Types | 8+ types | 10+ types |
| Workforce | Your team, Prolific, or MTurk | Proprietary workforce |
| Research Citation | EMNLP 2022 + HCOMP 2024 Best Demo | No academic backing |
PotatoWhat Researchers Say
“We evaluated Labelbox and Scale AI, but Potato let us get started in an afternoon without any budget approval.”
ML Researcher
University Research Lab
“The YAML configuration is so much simpler than wrestling with complex annotation tool UIs.”
Data Scientist
NLP Startup
“Being able to self-host was critical for our IRB-approved study with sensitive participant data.”
PhD Student
Social Science Department
Who Should Use Potato?
Academic Researchers
Need citable, free tools for papers and grants
Startups & Small Teams
Can't justify $10K/month annotation tool budgets
Privacy-Sensitive Projects
IRB requirements, healthcare, or confidential data
Educators & Students
Teaching NLP/ML courses with hands-on annotation
Ready to try Potato?
Get started in minutes with a simple pip install. No signup, no credit card, no strings attached.