AI Tools · head to head
Lambda Labs vs Modal
The short version
- Only Modal has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Lambda Labs on demand capacity is first come access rather than guaranteed, so an instance type can be unavailable when needed; 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: Lambda Labs covers NVIDIA GPUs, Modal covers Serverless GPUs.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Lambda Labs and Modal actually diverge.
| Attribute | Lambda Labs | Modal |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $1.1/per-hour | Free |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Cloud | Cloud, Api |
| Founded | 2012 | 2021 |
Identical on both: pricing model (usage-based), user rating (Not yet rated), category (AI Tools).
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 Lambda Labs
- NVIDIA GPUs
- Pre-installed frameworks
- Persistent storage
- SSH access
- JupyterLab
- VSCode
- SSH
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.
Lambda Labs
- Renting GPU instances for model training and inferencenot Modal
- Short term access to high memory accelerators without buying hardwarenot Modal
Modal
- Running serverless GPU workloads for model inference and trainingnot Lambda Labs
- Executing Python functions on cloud compute without managing serversnot Lambda Labs
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Lambda Labs
- On demand capacity is first come access rather than guaranteed, so an instance type can be unavailable when needed
- H100 pricing varies within a band, at $3.99 to $4.29 an hour per GPU, so the rate is not fixed
- Reserved capacity is arranged by contacting the team rather than self serve
- Prices are quoted before applicable tax
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
Lambda Labs
$1.1/per-hour- On-Demand$1.1/per-hour
- A10 GPU
- Instant availability
- ReservedFree
- Volume discounts
- Guaranteed capacity
Modal
Free- FreeFree
- $30/month credits
- Community support
- TeamFree
- Pay for compute
- Team features
- Priority support
Which should you pick?
Choose Lambda Labs if
- You need nvidia gpus.
- You work on Cloud.
- You also want pre-installed frameworks.
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 Lambda Labs or Modal better?
- Neither clearly leads. Lambda Labs starts at $1.1/per-hour and Modal at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Lambda Labs or Modal?
- Modal has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $1.1/per-hour for Lambda Labs and Free for Modal.
- Does Lambda Labs or Modal run on more platforms?
- Lambda Labs 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. Lambda Labs starts at $1.1/per-hour.
- What is Lambda Labs best used for?
- Lambda Labs is most often used for renting gpu instances for model training and inference, short term access to high memory accelerators without buying hardware. Of those, renting gpu instances for model training and inference and short term access to high memory accelerators without buying hardware are not what Modal is typically brought in for.
- What can Lambda Labs do that Modal cannot?
- Lambda Labs covers NVIDIA GPUs, Pre-installed frameworks, Persistent storage, SSH access. Modal covers Serverless GPUs, Python functions, Auto-scaling, Fast cold starts. Both handle Cloud support.