Decision Support · Side-by-side
Compare pricing, strengths, and use cases so it is easier to pick the right fit.
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For everyday users who need to label text, images, audio, or video and want full control over their data, Prodigy is the clear winner despite its technical learning curve. LightTag offers a polished, team-friendly interface for text-only annotation but is less versatile and has unclear pricing. The single biggest difference is that Prodigy runs entirely on your own computer (complete privacy) and handles many data types, while LightTag is a cloud-based tool focused solely on text.
Prodigy
LightTag
Scores at a glance
Choose Prodigy if
Choose LightTag if
Key differences
Facts side by side
| Prodigy | LightTag | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | ||
| Mobile app | ||
| API access |
Common questions
Yes, if you also want to label sentiment or intent across many messages and keep data private. LightTag is better if you only need entity extraction and have a team of annotators.
No. Neither tool has a mobile app. Both require a desktop or laptop computer with a web browser.
LightTag is easier because it runs in a browser with a visual interface. Prodigy requires installing Python and running commands in a terminal.
Prodigy is a paid tool with a lifetime license (includes 12 months of upgrades). LightTag's pricing is not publicly listed, so you must contact them for a quote.
Prodigy is the only choice here — it supports image annotation (object detection, segmentation). LightTag does not handle images at all.
Prodigy wins for versatility and privacy; LightTag wins for text-only team labeling with a polished interface.
If you're willing to learn a little Python, Prodigy gives you far more power, privacy, and flexibility for the price. If you only need to label text and want a polished team dashboard, LightTag is a solid choice — just be ready to ask for a quote.
