Groq 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 Groq 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:
Groq
Ultra-fast LLM inference platform
Best for you if:
- • You want fastest inference speeds available, often 500-1000+ tokens per second on supported models
Modal
High-performance AI infrastructure for developers to deploy, train, and scale ML workloads.
Best for you if:
- • You want serverless Python
| At a Glance | Groq | Modal |
|---|---|---|
Starts at | Free plan | Free plan, paid from $250/mo, billed monthly Team plan |
Category | Cloud & Infrastructure GPU Cloud | Cloud & Infrastructure Hosting & Deployment |
Rating | n/a | 4.1/5 G2 4.1 · Capterra 4.0 11 reviews |
Free plan | Yes | Yes |
Watch out for | Batch API discount requires minimum volume | n/a |
Choose Groq or Modal?
Choose Groq if
- You want fastest inference speeds available, often 500-1000+ tokens per second on supported models
- You want transparent per-token pricing with no monthly fees or minimum spend
Choose Modal if
- You want serverless Python
- You want GPU support
In-Depth Analysis
Groq
Ultra-fast LLM inference platform
Groq's Free Tier is generous for experimentation, but the Pay-as-you-go pricing for Llama 3.1 8B at $0.05/M input tokens is competitive with other inference APIs, while Llama 4 Scout at $0.11/M is slightly above average for mid-size models.
Watch out
Batch API discount requires minimum volume
Strengths
- Pro: Fastest inference speeds available, often 500-1000+ tokens per second on supported models
- Pro: Transparent per-token pricing with no monthly fees or minimum spend
- Pro: Drop-in replacement for OpenAI API with minimal integration effort
- Pro: Wide model selection spanning LLMs, speech recognition, and text-to-speech
- Pro: Prompt caching and batch API cut costs significantly for high-volume workloads
Weaknesses
- Con: No proprietary frontier model, relies entirely on open-source model ecosystem
- Con: Model selection is narrower than major cloud providers like AWS Bedrock or Azure AI
- Con: Text-to-speech limited to a small number of languages and voices
- Con: No built-in fine-tuning or model customization capabilities
- Con: Enterprise on-premises pricing requires custom sales engagement with no public rates
Key features
Modal
High-performance AI infrastructure for developers to deploy, train, and scale ML workloads.
This structure is best for individual developers and small to medium-sized teams scaling their ML workloads.
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: Groq vs Modal
| Tool | Plans and prices | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Groq |
| groq.com/pricing read Sep 30, 2026 |
| Modal |
| modal.com/pricing read Oct 8, 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 Groq pricing and Modal pricing.
Key Takeaways
Groq
- Choose if you want ultra-fast LLM inference platform
Modal
- Choose if you want high-performance AI infrastructure for developers to deploy, train, and scale ML workloads
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.
- Only Modal has a published user rating (4.1/5 from 11 reviews); Groq has none we can show.
- Modal starts at $250/mo, billed monthly; Groq 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 Groq 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. Only Modal has a published user rating (4.1/5 from 11 reviews); Groq has none we can show. Modal starts at $250/mo, billed monthly; Groq has no public paid plan price on file. Both have a free plan.
What are Groq and Modal used for?
Groq: Ultra-fast LLM inference platform. Modal: High-performance AI infrastructure for developers to deploy, train, and scale ML workloads.
What does Groq cost vs Modal?
Groq has no public paid-plan price on file. Modal's cheapest paid plan is Team at $250/mo, billed monthly; it also has a free plan. Prices read on the vendors' pricing pages, latest check Oct 8, 2026.
What's the main difference between Groq and Modal?
Groq's main strength: fastest inference speeds available, often 500-1000+ tokens per second on supported models. Modal's main strength: serverless Python.