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Head to head · 2026

ml5.js vs Prodigy

Pricing, free plans, ratings, features, pros and cons, side by side. Where one comes out ahead, we mark it.

ml5.js

Machine learning for the browser, built for artists and students - pose estimation, image/sound classification, and…

3.7Free

Visit ml5.js (opens ml5.js in a new tab)

Prodigy

Scriptable data annotation tool for training and fine-tuning machine learning models, built by Explosion, the makers…

4.5Not listed

Visit Prodigy (opens Prodigy in a new tab)

Who comes out ahead

Based only on the facts in our directory. The right pick still depends on the job you need done.

  • Lower starting price

    Not comparable

    Not comparable: ml5.js does not list a price

  • Free plan

    ml5.js

    Only ml5.js has one

  • Higher rating

    Prodigy

    3.7 against 4.5

  • Same job?

    Yes

    Both are Coding tools

Side by side

Compared onml5.jsProdigy
Our rating3.74.5Better
Starts atFreeNot listed
Free planYesBetterNo
CategoryCodingCoding
PlansFreeSee pricing
Key features
  • Pose estimation - body, hand, and facial landmarks
  • Image and sound classification models
  • Custom neural network training in-browser
  • Built on TensorFlow.js
  • Free, open-source, actively maintained by NYU ITP/IMA
  • Built-in recipes for named entity recognition, text classification, computer vision and more
  • Active-learning models that prioritize the most useful examples to label next
  • 23 customizable annotation interfaces for text, images, audio and video
  • Fully scriptable with custom Python recipes for bespoke workflows
  • Runs entirely offline on a team's own infrastructure with no data leaving their servers
Pros
  • Genuinely approachable ML for JavaScript developers, not just Python data scientists
  • Free and open-source with strong educational documentation
  • Actively maintained with recent major-version development
  • Full data privacy since nothing needs to leave a team's own servers
  • One-time lifetime license instead of an ongoing subscription
  • Backed by Explosion's long track record with the widely used spaCy library
Cons
  • A code library, not a hosted product - requires JavaScript integration
  • Recent major version introduced breaking API changes
  • No managed support beyond community/documentation channels
  • No free tier; the lifetime license is the only way to use the full product
  • Expects comfort with Python and the command line rather than a no-code interface
  • Self-hosting means a team owns its own infrastructure, backups and updates
Companyml5.js (NYU ITP/IMA)Explosion, founded 2016

Prices come from each vendor's pricing page, last checked 20260923. Check the vendor before you buy.

FAQ

Questions people ask

Is ml5.js better than Prodigy?

In our reviews ml5.js scores 3.7 and Prodigy scores 4.5. The better pick depends on the job. ml5.js: Machine learning for the browser, built for artists and students - pose estimation, image/sound classification, and custom neural nets on TensorFlow.js. Prodigy: Scriptable data annotation tool for training and fine-tuning machine learning models, built by Explosion, the makers of the spaCy NLP library.

Which is cheaper, ml5.js or Prodigy?

ml5.js: free. Prodigy: see pricing.

Do ml5.js and Prodigy have free plans?

Only ml5.js has a free plan.

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