Modal vs Northflank
| Modal | Northflank | |
|---|---|---|
| Isolation | gVisor | Kata / gVisor microVM (selectable) |
| Cold start | 800ms | 300ms |
| Price / vCPU-hr | $0.14 | $0.01667 |
| GPU | T4 → B200, incl. H100 | H100 ~$2.74/hr |
| Session limit | Configurable | Unlimited |
| Persistence | Volumes; ephemeral compute | Persistent volumes |
| MCP support | — | — |
| Free tier | $30/mo free credits | Free trial |
| Best for | Python/ML workloads and agents that need GPU inside the sandbox. | Cost-sensitive teams and enterprises needing BYOC and unlimited sessions. |
The verdict
Choose Modal if python/ml workloads and agents that need gpu inside the sandbox. Choose Northflank if cost-sensitive teams and enterprises needing byoc and unlimited sessions.
Headline rates rarely equal your bill — idle time, session length, creation fees and GPU minutes dominate. Model your actual workload in the cost calculator.
FAQ
Modal vs Northflank: which is better?
It depends on your priority. Northflank has the faster cold start (300ms vs 800ms), while Northflank is cheaper per vCPU-hour. Modal is best for python/ml workloads and agents that need gpu inside the sandbox. Northflank is best for cost-sensitive teams and enterprises needing byoc and unlimited sessions.
Is Modal or Northflank cheaper?
Northflank is cheaper on the headline vCPU-hour rate ($0.01667 vs $0.14). Total cost depends on idle time, session length and creation fees — use the cost calculator to model your workload.
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