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AI · head to head

Banana vs Modal

Banana logo

Banana

AI

ML inference at scale

From
$1200/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Modal logo

Modal

AI

Cloud functions for AI and ML

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Modal has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Banana banana shut down its serverless GPU infrastructure on 31 March 2024 at noon PST and told customers to migrate to another provider by that time; Modal the Team plan carries a $250 monthly base fee and returns only $100 of that as free credits, so $150 is a flat charge before any compute
  • They diverge on capability: Banana covers GPU inference, Modal covers Serverless GPUs.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Banana and Modal actually diverge.

Attributes where Banana and Modal differ
AttributeBananaModal
Starting price$1200/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionusage-based
Free tierNoYes

Identical on both: platforms (Cloud, Api), user rating (Not yet rated), category (AI), founded (2021).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Banana

  • GPU inference
  • Docker deployment
  • Low latency
  • REST API

Only in Modal

  • Serverless GPUs
  • Python functions
  • Fast cold starts
  • GitHub Actions
  • Cloud storage

Both cover

  • Auto-scaling
  • Python SDK
  • Cloud support
  • Api support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Banana

  • Historically, serverless GPU inference for machine learning modelsnot Modal
  • Migration reference for teams that ran models on Banana before the 2024 shutdownnot Modal

Modal

  • Running serverless GPU workloads for model inference and trainingnot Banana
  • Executing Python functions on cloud compute without managing serversnot Banana

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Banana

  • Banana shut down its serverless GPU infrastructure on 31 March 2024 at noon PST and told customers to migrate to another provider by that time
  • The vendor's own sunset notice names limited runway, retention problems and GPU supply constraints as the reasons for closing
  • The banana.dev site still displays pricing tiers, but every tier links to the sunset notice rather than to a purchase

Modal

  • The Team plan carries a $250 monthly base fee and returns only $100 of that as free credits, so $150 is a flat charge before any compute
  • Compute is billed per second across separate GPU and CPU meters, so total cost depends on execution time rather than any fixed rate
  • The Starter plan's $30 monthly free credit is the only allowance below the paid base fee
  • Enterprise volume discounts are custom and unpublished

Pricing, plan by plan

Banana

$1200/month
  • Team$1200/month
    • 10 team members
    • 5 projects
    • 50 max parallel GPUs
  • Enterprise$null/custom
    • Custom seat limit
    • Custom GPU configuration

Modal

Free
  • StarterFree
    • 3 seats
    • 100 containers
    • 10 GPU concurrency
  • Team$250/month
    • Unlimited seats
    • 5,000 containers
    • 50 GPU concurrency
  • Enterprise$null/custom
    • Custom seats, containers, and GPU concurrency

Which should you pick?

Choose Banana if

  • You need gpu inference.
  • You work on Cloud, Api.
  • You also want docker deployment.
Banana review

Choose Modal if

  • You need serverless gpus.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud, Api.
  • You also want python functions.
Modal review

Questions people ask

Is Banana or Modal better?
Neither clearly leads. Banana starts at $1200/month and Modal at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Banana or Modal?
Modal has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $1200/month for Banana and Free for Modal.
Does Banana or Modal run on more platforms?
Both run on Cloud, Api, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Modal for free?
Yes. Modal has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Banana starts at $1200/month.
What is Banana best used for?
Banana is most often used for historically, serverless gpu inference for machine learning models, migration reference for teams that ran models on banana before the 2024 shutdown. Of those, historically, serverless gpu inference for machine learning models and migration reference for teams that ran models on banana before the 2024 shutdown are not what Modal is typically brought in for.
What can Banana do that Modal cannot?
Banana covers GPU inference, Docker deployment, Low latency, REST API. Modal covers Serverless GPUs, Python functions, Fast cold starts, GitHub Actions. Both handle Auto-scaling, Python SDK, Cloud support, Api support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Banana: How much does Banana's Team plan cost?

The Team plan costs $1,200 per month plus the cost of compute resources at cost with zero markup applied.

Source
Modal: How much does Modal cost?

Modal uses pay-as-you-go pricing with Team plan at 250 USD/month base. Starter includes 30 USD/month free credits; Team includes 100 USD/month free credits. Compute charges per second for CPU cores, memory, and GPU instances.

Source
Banana: What is the maximum team size on Banana's Team plan?

The Team plan includes 10 team members and supports a maximum of 5 projects with up to 50 parallel GPUs.

Source
Modal: Is there a free tier?

Yes, Starter plan is free plus 30 USD/month in compute credits included monthly for new users.

Source
Banana: Does Banana offer an Enterprise plan with custom pricing?

Banana offers an Enterprise plan with custom pricing plus at-cost compute, including SAML SSO, automation API, and dedicated support.

Source
Modal: What are the seat limits?

Starter plan includes 3 seats; Team plan provides unlimited seats; Enterprise tier has custom seat allocations.

Source
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