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AI · head to head

Modal vs Neptune.ai

Modal logo

Modal

AI

Cloud functions for AI and ML

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Neptune.ai logo

Neptune.ai

Machine Learning

Metadata store for MLOps

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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; Neptune.ai free tier limited to 100 hours per month, exhausted quickly with serious ML work
  • They diverge on capability: Modal covers Serverless GPUs, Neptune.ai covers Experiment tracking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Modal and Neptune.ai actually diverge.

Attributes where Modal and Neptune.ai differ
AttributeModalNeptune.ai
Pricing modelusage-basedUnknown
PlatformsCloud, ApiWeb, Self-hosted
CategoryAIMachine Learning
Founded20212017

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 Modal

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

Only in Neptune.ai

  • Experiment tracking
  • Model registry
  • Metadata logging
  • Comparison views
  • Custom dashboards
  • PyTorch
  • TensorFlow
  • Keras

What people use each for

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

Modal

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

Neptune.ai

  • Machine learningnot Modal
  • Data analysisnot Modal
  • Model trainingnot Modal
  • Predictive analyticsnot Modal

Where each one falls short

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

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

Neptune.ai

  • Free tier limited to 100 hours per month, exhausted quickly with serious ML work
  • Lacks hyperparameter sweeps compared to Weights and Biases
  • No pipeline orchestration or broader MLOps lifecycle management
  • Dashboard visualization limitations - automatic resizing affects visualization order and size
  • Cloud-based SaaS only (as of last available service) requires internet connectivity

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Neptune.ai

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Neptune.ai review.

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Neptune.ai if

  • You need experiment tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Self-hosted.
  • You also want model registry.
Neptune.ai review

Questions people ask

Is Modal or Neptune.ai better?
Neither clearly leads. Modal starts at Free and Neptune.ai at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Modal or Neptune.ai?
Modal starts at Free and Neptune.ai at Free.
Does Modal or Neptune.ai run on more platforms?
Modal runs on Cloud, Api. Neptune.ai runs on Web, Self-hosted.
Can I use Modal for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Modal best used for?
Modal is most often used for running serverless gpu workloads for model inference and training, executing python functions on cloud compute without managing servers. Of those, running serverless gpu workloads for model inference and training and executing python functions on cloud compute without managing servers are not what Neptune.ai is typically brought in for.
What can Modal do that Neptune.ai cannot?
Modal covers Serverless GPUs, Python functions, Auto-scaling, Fast cold starts. Neptune.ai covers Experiment tracking, Model registry, Metadata logging, Comparison views.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Neptune.ai: Does Neptune.ai support self-hosting?

Yes. Neptune can be self-hosted on a Kubernetes cluster with ClickHouse, MySQL, and Redis dependencies, allowing organizations to maintain full data control.

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
Neptune.ai: What machine learning frameworks does Neptune integrate with?

Neptune integrates with PyTorch, TensorFlow, Keras, scikit-learn, XGBoost, LightGBM, Hugging Face Transformers, and Optuna for hyperparameter optimization.

Source
Modal: What are the seat limits?

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

Source
Neptune.ai: What is the cost for a team of 10 data scientists?

Neptune's Team plan costs $49 per user per month, resulting in $490/month for 10 users, comparable to Weights and Biases at $50/user.

Source
Neptune.ai: When is Neptune.ai shutting down?

Neptune.ai is shutting down its external SaaS service on March 5, 2026, following its acquisition by OpenAI in December 2025. Customers must export and migrate data before that date.

Source
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