Label Studio
Data labeling tool for text, images, audio and video, used to build and evaluate AI models.
Quick answer
Label Studio is a data labeling tool for text, images, audio and video, used to build and evaluate AI models, listed under Data labeling & vector databases. A typical small-business use: build a labelled dataset of support tickets to fine-tune or evaluate a classifier. Official hardware: minimum 8 GB RAM (recommended 16 GB RAM · 50 GB disk). That fits a Hetzner Cloud CPX32 server at about €35.99/month (server only, excl. VAT; €69.99/month for the recommended spec). License: Apache-2.0, which allows internal business use.
Last updated · facts verified against official docs on · sources
Activity data comes from GitHub and was last refreshed Oct 22, 2026.
What is Label Studio?
Label Studio is a web app for annotating data such as classifying text, drawing boxes on images or transcribing audio. Teams use it to build training sets and to review or evaluate LLM outputs, and it can connect to ML back-ends for pre-labeling.
Where it fits in a 10–200 person business
- Build a labelled dataset of support tickets to fine-tune or evaluate a classifier
- Human review of LLM answers before rolling out an assistant
- Annotate product images for a visual search model
These use cases are our editorial suggestions, not claims made by the project.
Can a business use Label Studio? (license)
| License | Apache-2.0 |
|---|---|
| Type | Permissive: MIT / Apache-2.0: use, modify and sell with few obligations. |
| Internal business use | Allowed under the license text |
| What to watch | Permissive. Internal and commercial use allowed; keep license and notices. |
This is a plain-English summary of the license text, not legal advice. Third-party models you run with it have their own licenses.
What hardware does Label Studio need?
| Minimum | 8 GB RAM |
|---|---|
| Recommended | 16 GB RAM · 50 GB disk |
About 1 million labeling tasks take about 2.3 GB on disk with SQLite. The docs give AWS t3.large / t3.xlarge as examples. 50 GB disk is recommended for production.
Source: labelstud.io/guide/install
How much does it cost to host Label Studio per month?
| Minimum spec | 8 GB RAM → CPX32 (4 vCPU, 8 GB, 160 GB disk) €35.99/mo |
|---|---|
| Recommended spec | 16 GB RAM · 50 GB disk → CPX42 (8 vCPU, 16 GB, 320 GB disk) €69.99/mo |
How we got this: we took the cheapest Hetzner Cloud Regular Performance (shared AMD vCPU) plan with at least the RAM and vCPU the project lists, using prices read from www.hetzner.com/cloud/regular-performance on 2026-10-22. "From" monthly price cap shown by Hetzner, excluding VAT. Prices vary by location. Covers the server only; it excludes LLM API usage, backups, extra storage, GPUs and your time. Disk is not matched; add a volume if you need more than the plan includes.
How to deploy Label Studio
Method: Docker
docker run -it -p 8080:8080 -v $(pwd)/mydata:/label-studio/data \
heartexlabs/label-studio:latestFrom the official instructions: github.com/HumanSignal/label-studio#readme. Always check the source for the current version before you run it.
Known gotchas when self-hosting Label Studio
- The quick-start container keeps its SQLite database and uploads in ./mydata, so back up that folder. PostgreSQL 14+ is supported, for example via the Docker Compose setup. source
Alternatives in Data labeling & vector databases
- Qdrant Fast vector database for semantic search and RAG back-ends.
Label Studio FAQ
How much RAM does Label Studio need?
The official minimum is 8 GB RAM. The recommended spec is 16 GB RAM · 50 GB disk. About 1 million labeling tasks take about 2.3 GB on disk with SQLite. The docs give AWS t3.large / t3.xlarge as examples. 50 GB disk is recommended for production.
How much does it cost to self-host Label Studio?
The software is free to download. Based on the official minimum 8 GB RAM (recommended 16 GB RAM · 50 GB disk): That fits a Hetzner Cloud CPX32 server at about €35.99/month (server only, excl. VAT; €69.99/month for the recommended spec). That covers the server only, not LLM API usage, backups, extra storage or your time.
Is Label Studio free for commercial use?
Label Studio is licensed under Apache-2.0 (Permissive). Internal business use is allowed under the license text. Permissive. Internal and commercial use allowed; keep license and notices. This is a summary, not legal advice.
What are common problems when self-hosting Label Studio?
The quick-start container keeps its SQLite database and uploads in ./mydata, so back up that folder. PostgreSQL 14+ is supported, for example via the Docker Compose setup.
Is Label Studio still maintained?
Yes, it is actively developed. Last commit: Oct 22, 2026. Latest release: 1.23.2 (Sep 29, 2026). Checked Oct 22, 2026.
How do I install Label Studio?
The official method is Docker. The exact commands are in the "How to deploy" section above and in the official instructions: https://github.com/HumanSignal/label-studio#readme
What are self-hosted alternatives to Label Studio?
Other apps in Data labeling & vector databases: Qdrant.
Sources
- GitHub repository: github.com/HumanSignal/label-studio
- Official documentation, Hardware requirements, Gotcha 1: labelstud.io/guide/install
- License text: github.com/HumanSignal/label-studio/blob/develop/LICENSE
- Deploy instructions: github.com/HumanSignal/label-studio#readme
- Hetzner Cloud pricing (cost estimate): www.hetzner.com/cloud/regular-performance
- GitHub stars, commits and releases: GitHub REST API, fetched
Facts on this page were checked against the project's own repository and docs on 2026-10-22. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.