Modal GPU Pricing: $30 Credits, A100/H100 & Setup
Quick answer: Modal gives developers $30/month credits for serverless GPU jobs. Before clicking, compare A100/H100 pricing, no-card eligibility, cold-start behavior, China access, and whether RunPod or direct API inference is cheaper.
Quick answer
Modal GPU pricing: $30 credits, A100/H100 costs, setup, and alternatives
Modal is best when you want Python-native serverless GPU jobs without managing infrastructure. The main decision is cost control: confirm the $30 monthly credits, A100/H100 hourly rates, no-card signup status, region access, and whether a cheaper GPU host or API-only route fits better.
Free credits$30/month developer credits
Popular GPUsA100 / H100 / T4
Billing stylePer-second serverless GPU
AlternativesRunPod / AutoDL / API relay
What is Modal
Modal is a serverless GPU cloud platform, often called "Vercel for GPUs." The core idea: write Python code, add a decorator, and it runs on cloud GPUs — no Docker, Kubernetes, or infra management needed.
Modal supports A100, H100 and other high-end GPUs with per-second billing, no charge when idle. $30 free credits monthly, enough for plenty of experiments. Industry-fastest cold starts, typically 1-2 seconds.
Modal supports A100, H100 and other high-end GPUs with per-second billing, no charge when idle. $30 free credits monthly, enough for plenty of experiments. Industry-fastest cold starts, typically 1-2 seconds.
Free Tier & Pricing
Free credits: $30/month (~10 hours A100 or 7.5 hours H100)
Popular GPU pricing:
- T4: $0.59/hr
- A10G: $1.10/hr
- A100 40GB: $2.78/hr
- A100 80GB: $3.72/hr
- H100: $3.95/hr
Per-second billing, auto-release when idle. Pricier than RunPod but much better developer experience.
Popular GPU pricing:
- T4: $0.59/hr
- A10G: $1.10/hr
- A100 40GB: $2.78/hr
- A100 80GB: $3.72/hr
- H100: $3.95/hr
Per-second billing, auto-release when idle. Pricier than RunPod but much better developer experience.
Editor's note
Editor's note: If you only need API inference, you may not need a GPU rental. Compare free quota, rate limits, and latency first.
China Access Guide
Modal requires proxy access from China. Both registration and usage need stable international network.
For China-based GPU needs, consider AutoDL or RunPod. For model APIs only, use API aggregator with direct China access.
For China-based GPU needs, consider AutoDL or RunPod. For model APIs only, use API aggregator with direct China access.
FAQ
Q: Modal vs RunPod?
A: Modal has better DX (Python-native), ideal for rapid prototyping and serverless. RunPod is cheaper for long-running tasks.
Q: Is $30 free credits enough?
A: Enough for plenty of experiments. Continuous production workloads need paid plans.
Q: What frameworks are supported?
A: PyTorch, TensorFlow, vLLM, Hugging Face, and any Python code.
A: Modal has better DX (Python-native), ideal for rapid prototyping and serverless. RunPod is cheaper for long-running tasks.
Q: Is $30 free credits enough?
A: Enough for plenty of experiments. Continuous production workloads need paid plans.
Q: What frameworks are supported?
A: PyTorch, TensorFlow, vLLM, Hugging Face, and any Python code.