Baseten vs Modal: Pricing and Ratings Compared (2026)
Entry prices and free plans as read on each vendor's pricing page, and user ratings as published on review sites, for Baseten and Modal side by side. This page compares data; it is not a hands-on review.
On the data: On the data below the two are close or not directly comparable, so we do not name a winner for this pair.
Short on time? Here's the quick answer
Based on published vendor pricing and features and on public review data, here's who should pick what:
Baseten
Deploy and scale ML models with fast cold starts and dedicated GPUs
Best for you if:
- • You want to deploy and scale ML models with fast cold starts and dedicated GPUs
Modal
High-performance AI infrastructure for developers to deploy, train, and scale ML workloads.
| At a Glance | Baseten | Modal |
|---|---|---|
Starts at | Free plan | Free plan, paid from $250/mo flat, billed monthly Team plan |
Category | AI Model Deployment Hosting & Deployment | Cloud & Infrastructure Hosting & Deployment |
Rating | 4.0/5 G2 4.0 7 reviews | 4.1/5 G2 4.1 · Capterra 4.0 11 reviews |
Free plan | Yes | Yes |
Choose Baseten or Modal?
Choose Baseten if
- You want to deploy and scale ML models with fast cold starts and dedicated GPUs
Choose Modal if
- You need cloud & infrastructure features specifically.
In-Depth Analysis
Baseten
Deploy and scale ML models with fast cold starts and dedicated GPUs
Baseten's freemium model with a generous Basic tier offering dedicated deployments and fast cold starts for $0 is highly competitive and fair.
Strengths
- Pro: Easy model deployment
- Pro: Auto-scaling
- Pro: Good for inference
- Pro: Model marketplace
- Pro: Quick setup
Weaknesses
- Con: Expensive at scale
- Con: Limited customization
- Con: Vendor lock-in
- Con: Support varies
- Con: Smaller community
Key features
Modal
High-performance AI infrastructure for developers to deploy, train, and scale ML workloads.
Modal's pricing is quite generous, especially with the Starter tier offering $30 in free credits monthly, effectively making it free for many individual developers.
Strengths
- Pro: Serverless Python
- Pro: GPU support
- Pro: Good DX
- Pro: Fair pricing
- Pro: Active development
Weaknesses
- Con: Newer platform
- Con: Python focused
- Con: Vendor lock-in
- Con: Learning curve
- Con: Limited regions
Key features
Plans and prices: Baseten vs Modal
| Tool | Plans and prices | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Baseten |
| baseten.co/pricing read Nov 3, 2026 |
| Modal |
| modal.com/pricing read Nov 5, 2026 |
Prices as read on each vendor's own pricing page on the date shown. Plans are listed per tool and are not matched against the other tool's plans: a plan name or price in one column says nothing about the same row in the other. Details on Baseten pricing and Modal pricing.
Key Takeaways
Baseten
- Choose Baseten if you want to deploy and scale ML models with fast cold starts and dedicated GPUs
Modal
- Worth considering for cloud & infrastructure
What the data shows
On the data below the two are close or not directly comparable, so we do not name a winner for this pair.
- User ratings rest on too few reviews to rank (4.0/5 from 7 reviews for Baseten, 4.1/5 from 11 reviews for Modal; we compare ratings only above 20 reviews on both sides).
- Modal starts at $250/mo flat, billed monthly; Baseten has no public paid plan price on file.
- Both have a free plan.
Criteria: user rating (only above 20 reviews on both sides, gap of 0.2 or more), entry price (only on the same billing basis), free plan. How we rate
Frequently Asked Questions
How do Baseten and Modal compare in 2026?
On the data below the two are close or not directly comparable, so we do not name a winner for this pair. User ratings rest on too few reviews to rank (4.0/5 from 7 reviews for Baseten, 4.1/5 from 11 reviews for Modal; we compare ratings only above 20 reviews on both sides). Modal starts at $250/mo flat, billed monthly; Baseten has no public paid plan price on file. Both have a free plan.
What are Baseten and Modal used for?
Baseten: Deploy and scale ML models with fast cold starts and dedicated GPUs. Modal: High-performance AI infrastructure for developers to deploy, train, and scale ML workloads.
What does Baseten cost vs Modal?
Baseten has no public paid-plan price on file. Modal's cheapest paid plan is Team at $250/mo flat, billed monthly; it also has a free plan. Prices read on the vendors' pricing pages, latest check Nov 5, 2026.
What's the main difference between Baseten and Modal?
Baseten's main strength: easy model deployment. Modal's main strength: serverless Python.
Spotted an outdated price or a wrong fact? Suggest a correction: we check it against the vendor's own page. Work for one of these vendors? Claim your listing to update it yourself.