Software · head to head
CoreWeave vs Modal
The short version
- Only Modal has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: CoreWeave gPU nodes are sold as full 8 GPU instances rather than single cards, so the entry cost for an H100 node is $49.24 an hour on demand; 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: CoreWeave covers NVIDIA H100/A100, Modal covers Serverless GPUs.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which CoreWeave and Modal actually diverge.
Identical on both: pricing model (usage-based), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 CoreWeave
- NVIDIA H100/A100
- Kubernetes native
- High bandwidth
- Object storage
- Kubernetes
- Terraform
- Cloud APIs
Only in Modal
- Serverless GPUs
- Python functions
- Auto-scaling
- Fast cold starts
- Python SDK
- GitHub Actions
- Cloud storage
- Api support
Both cover
- Cloud support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
CoreWeave
- Renting GPU compute for model training and inferencenot Modal
- Running large scale AI workloads without buying hardwarenot Modal
Modal
- Running serverless GPU workloads for model inference and trainingnot CoreWeave
- Executing Python functions on cloud compute without managing serversnot CoreWeave
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
CoreWeave
- GPU nodes are sold as full 8 GPU instances rather than single cards, so the entry cost for an H100 node is $49.24 an hour on demand
- Spot pricing is roughly 40% of on demand, at $19.71 an hour for the same H100 node, so predictable capacity carries a large premium
- The newest hardware carries no published price and requires contacting sales
- Discounts of up to 60% require committed usage agreements negotiated with sales
- Only the GH200 is offered as a single GPU instance
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
CoreWeave
$0.35/per-hour- Standard$0.35/per-hour
- Various GPU types
- Kubernetes
- EnterpriseFree
- Dedicated clusters
- Custom solutions
Modal
Free- FreeFree
- $30/month credits
- Community support
- TeamFree
- Pay for compute
- Team features
- Priority support
Which should you pick?
Choose CoreWeave if
- You need nvidia h100/a100.
- You work on Cloud.
- You also want kubernetes native.
Choose Modal if
- You need serverless gpus.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Cloud, Api.
- You also want python functions.
Questions people ask
- Is CoreWeave or Modal better?
- Neither clearly leads. CoreWeave starts at $0.35/per-hour and Modal at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, CoreWeave or Modal?
- Modal has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $0.35/per-hour for CoreWeave and Free for Modal.
- Does CoreWeave or Modal run on more platforms?
- CoreWeave runs on Cloud. Modal runs on Cloud, Api.
- Can I use Modal for free?
- Yes. Modal has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. CoreWeave starts at $0.35/per-hour.
- What is CoreWeave best used for?
- CoreWeave is most often used for renting gpu compute for model training and inference, running large scale ai workloads without buying hardware. Of those, renting gpu compute for model training and inference and running large scale ai workloads without buying hardware are not what Modal is typically brought in for.
- What can CoreWeave do that Modal cannot?
- CoreWeave covers NVIDIA H100/A100, Kubernetes native, High bandwidth, Object storage. Modal covers Serverless GPUs, Python functions, Auto-scaling, Fast cold starts. Both handle Cloud support.