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Modal Review 2026 — Serverless GPU Cloud for AI Inference and Training
Modal is the serverless GPU cloud for AI developers. Run vLLM, Stable Diffusion, and model fine-tuning with Python decorators. Free $30/month credit. No DevOps required.
Modal lets developers run Python-based workloads in the cloud without managing servers. It provides elastic compute, GPU access, autoscaling, logging, storage, scheduled functions, inference endpoints, training jobs, and isolated Sandboxes for untrusted code.
It is used by AI teams, researchers, and developers building inference services, model-training pipelines, batch workflows, coding agents, and data-processing applications. Usage is metered by compute and storage; paid plans add workspace fees and higher limits.
Features
- Deploy and autoscale LLM, audio, image, and video inference
- Run fine-tuning, reinforcement learning, and multi-node training jobs
- Execute batch and asynchronous workloads across GPUs
- Create isolated, ephemeral Sandboxes for untrusted code
- Define cloud applications and infrastructure in Python
- Use persistent Volumes, distributed queues, dictionaries, and Secrets
- Monitor functions, containers, and Sandboxes with logs and metrics
- Deploy applications through the Modal CLI and SDK
Use cases
- Deploy an autoscaling LLM inference API
- Fine-tune open-source models on rented GPUs
- Run large batch transcription or embedding jobs
- Execute coding agents in isolated cloud Sandboxes
- Launch parallel reinforcement-learning environments
- Process scientific or computational-biology workloads
Pros
Cons
Latest updates
- New Image Builder version 2026.10 with updated trust stores (2026.10)
Image Builder version 2026.10 includes refreshed trust stores following the recent eMudhra CA compromise and improvements to build caching.
- DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 is now available on Shared Endpoints
Access DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 through a Shared Endpoint with per-token billing on Modal.
- Exit Snapshots for Sandboxes available in Beta
Exit Snapshots take a filesystem snapshot automatically on Sandbox exits, including terminate(), entrypoint completion, idle timeout, lifetime expiry, and OOM.
- Sunsetting Modal Notebooks, effective today
As of October 23rd, Modal Notebooks are no longer available. Existing notebooks can be downloaded indefinitely as IPython notebook files.
- New Logs Search Experience
App logs and audit logs have a new search bar experience; new operators are also available within app logs.
Capabilities
- API — “API gateways Turn any function into an HTTPS endpoint that scales with traffic and idles at zero.” source
- Runs models for you — “Serve LLMs, image, video, and audio models, from real-time to batch” source
- Traces and evaluates — “Comprehensive logs and metrics for every function and sandbox, down to the container.” source
Get it
Pricing
- Starting price
- $250/mo
- Prices checked
- 2026-10-25
Starter
Free
- $30 / month free credits
- 3 workspace seats included
- 100 containers + 10 GPU concurrency
- Scheduled and Web Functions (limited)
- Real-time metrics and logs
- 1 TiB / month free network egress
Team
- $250 + compute / month
- $100 / month free credits
- Unlimited seats
- 5000 containers + 50 GPU concurrency
- Unlimited Scheduled Functions
- Custom domains
- 10 TiB / month free network egress
Enterprise
Price on request
- Volume-based discounts
- Unlimited seats
- Higher GPU concurrency
- Embedded ML engineering services
- Support via private Slack
- Audit logs, Okta SSO, and HIPAA