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Cloud · head to head

Encore vs Modal

Encore logo

Encore

Cloud

Automated infrastructure for humans and agents

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Modal logo

Modal

AI

Cloud functions for AI and ML

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Encore limited language support (TypeScript and Go only); 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: Encore covers Local development environment, Modal covers Serverless GPUs.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Encore and Modal actually diverge.

Attributes where Encore and Modal differ
AttributeEncoreModal
Pricing modelUnknownusage-based
PlatformsWeb, CLICloud, Api
CategoryCloudAI
FoundedUnknown2021

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Encore

  • Local development environment
  • Preview environments
  • Infrastructure automation
  • Cloud deployment
  • Self-service operations
  • Distributed tracing

Only in Modal

  • Serverless GPUs
  • Python functions
  • Auto-scaling
  • Fast cold starts
  • Python SDK
  • GitHub Actions
  • Cloud storage
  • Cloud support

What people use each for

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

Encore

  • Building microservices with database provisioningnot Modal
  • Creating feature branch preview environmentsnot Modal
  • Deploying TypeScript and Go backends to AWS/GCPnot Modal

Modal

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

Where each one falls short

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

Encore

  • Limited language support (TypeScript and Go only)
  • Pro tier requires per-member subscription pricing
  • Additional resource costs beyond subscription for AWS/GCP provisioning

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

Encore

Free
  • StarterFree
    • 2 free dev environments
    • 1M distributed tracing events/month
    • 7-day log retention
  • Pro$49/month
    • Unlimited free dev environments
    • 20M tracing events/month
    • 30-day log retention
  • Enterprise$undefined/custom
    • Enterprise security and compliance
    • SSO/SAML
    • Custom RBAC

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 Encore if

  • You need local development environment.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, CLI.
  • You also want preview environments.
Encore 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 Encore or Modal better?
Neither clearly leads. Encore starts at Free and Modal at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Encore or Modal?
Encore starts at Free and Modal at Free.
Does Encore or Modal run on more platforms?
Encore runs on Web, CLI. Modal runs on Cloud, Api.
Can I use Encore for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Encore best used for?
Encore is most often used for building microservices with database provisioning, creating feature branch preview environments, deploying typescript and go backends to aws/gcp. Of those, building microservices with database provisioning and creating feature branch preview environments are not what Modal is typically brought in for.
What can Encore do that Modal cannot?
Encore covers Local development environment, Preview environments, Infrastructure automation, Cloud deployment. Modal covers Serverless GPUs, Python functions, Auto-scaling, Fast cold starts.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Encore: What happens after the free tier?

The Pro plan costs $49/member/month plus usage charges of $2.50 per resource and $99 per AWS/GCP environment.

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
Encore: Do I own my infrastructure?

Yes, Encore deploys infrastructure in your own AWS or GCP cloud account, so you maintain complete control and avoid vendor lock-in.

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
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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