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AI · head to head

Modal vs Orange

Modal logo

Modal

AI

Cloud functions for AI and ML

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Orange logo

Orange

Machine Learning

Data mining and visualization toolkit

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; Orange orange is licensed under the GNU General Public License version 3, so distributing modified or derived software requires releasing the source under the GPL
  • They diverge on capability: Modal covers Serverless GPUs, Orange covers Visual programming.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Modal and Orange actually diverge.

Attributes where Modal and Orange differ
AttributeModalOrange
Pricing modelusage-basedopen-source
PlatformsCloud, ApiLinux, Mac, Windows
CategoryAIMachine Learning
Founded20211996

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 Orange

  • Visual programming
  • Data visualization
  • Machine learning
  • Text mining
  • Bioinformatics
  • Python
  • scikit-learn
  • PyQt

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 Orange
  • Executing Python functions on cloud compute without managing serversnot Orange

Orange

  • Visual programming for data mining and machine learning workflowsnot Modal
  • Teaching data science without writing codenot Modal
  • Exploratory data visualisation and clustering on tabular datanot 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

Orange

  • Orange is licensed under the GNU General Public License version 3, so distributing modified or derived software requires releasing the source under the GPL
  • The widgets and canvas are built on Qt, which is itself distributed under GPL 3.0
  • Orange add-ons may carry additional licensing requirements set in their own licence files
  • Documentation and website content are under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike, which imposes an attribution and share-alike obligation on reuse
  • The software is distributed without any warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose

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

Orange

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Visual programming
    • Machine learning
    • Data visualization

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 Orange if

  • You need visual programming.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Mac, Windows.
  • You also want data visualization.
Orange review

Questions people ask

Is Modal or Orange better?
Neither clearly leads. Modal starts at Free and Orange at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Modal or Orange?
Modal starts at Free and Orange at Free.
Does Modal or Orange run on more platforms?
Modal runs on Cloud, Api. Orange runs on Linux, Mac, Windows.
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 Orange is typically brought in for.
What can Modal do that Orange cannot?
Modal covers Serverless GPUs, Python functions, Auto-scaling, Fast cold starts. Orange covers Visual programming, Data visualization, Machine learning, Text mining.

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
Orange: What is the cost of Orange Data Mining?

Orange Data Mining is free open-source software available for Windows, Mac, and other platforms. There are no subscription fees, licensing costs, or paid tiers.

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
Orange: How is Orange Data Mining funded?

Orange Data Mining is supported through optional voluntary donations. The project encourages donations from users who value the software to support bug fixes, new features, educational content, and infrastructure maintenance.

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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