Modal
A developer compute platform for running Python functions, containers, GPU jobs and inference services on managed infrastructure.
Score calculation
(2 + 7 + 4 + 1 + 7) ÷ 5 = 4.2
5 of six dimensions rated. Unrated dimensions are excluded from the average.
Full scoring method ↗Setup details
Modal Functions, sandboxes, server endpoints and inference products; retention is product-specific, and customer-created volumes or images persist until deleted.
What fits your needs
Modal Functions, sandboxes, server endpoints and inference products; retention is product-specific, and customer-created volumes or images persist until deleted.
Good fit
Use it when a Python service needs on-demand GPU inference, scheduled compute or isolated model-serving containers.
Tradeoffs to expect
Tradeoffs
Payload retention depends on product: Functions inputs/outputs remain up to seven days, endpoints are not stored, and files and volumes persist until deleted.
How to switch
Switching
Keep deployment code and weights in version control and external storage so they can be redeployed on another cloud runtime.
Practical questions
Before use
Select a specific product and inspect its log, volume, snapshot and data-residency retention before processing sensitive requests.
Modal has identifiable product documentation, but no measured energy footprint or clean-electricity sourcing evidence for the assessed route.
See the evidence
The official sources describe how Modal is delivered and used. They provide no dated, quantitative energy or water report for this product and no evidence tying its requests to clean electricity. The pages reviewed also name no energy-saving workload or compute control.
1 + 1 reporting + 0 electricity + 0 controls = 2/10. This grades documented practices and transparency.
Per-request electricity and water use, regional power mix and independently verified clean-electricity sourcing for Modal remain unpublished.
- Reporting1/3
- The Modal documentation identifies the service route, but provides no dated, quantitative energy or water report for this product.
- Electricity sourcing0/3
- No reviewed official source ties this workload to metered, regional or hourly clean electricity; this is an evidence gap.
- Resource controls0/3
- The reviewed Modal documentation names no energy-saving compute or workload setting for this route; no physical savings are inferred from speed, pricing or general configuration choices.
Water disclosure
Water reporting has not been assessed for this choice.
Training-data rights vary with the model selected for Modal; check that model’s source and license.
See the evidence
Modal can use different model routes. Its product policy describes how requests are handled, while training-data provenance and permissions depend on the selected model. Review that release’s source disclosure, license and creator controls separately.
The selected model name, version and provider can vary by feature or setting. Those details are needed for a model-specific training-data review.
Modal deletes function inputs and outputs after up to seven days and does not store Server Endpoint payloads; logs and customer files follow separate retention.
See the evidence
Modal’s docs say Server and Auto Endpoint requests are proxied without storage, while Function inputs and outputs can remain for up to seven days. Logs last from one to 30 days by plan, and volumes persist until the customer deletes them. Its terms also prohibit AI training on Customer Data without written consent.
Map each function, endpoint, log, snapshot, volume and subprocessor to its retention period; the runtime configuration can retain data beyond the request path.
Modal publishes detailed runtime and data-retention documentation and a developer SDK, but its hosted compute service and control plane are not self-hostable software.
See the evidence
The cited product pages do not provide a complete source release, reproducible model pipeline and license package for the full assessed service. Individual model licenses and artifacts can differ.
Public sources for Modal describe the product, but do not report pay, worker voice or independent safeguards for the people who build and support it.
See the evidence
The official pages reviewed for Modal do not report worker pay and conditions, representation or independent follow-through across employees, contractors and AI supply-chain workers. The low evidence score records what those sources leave unanswered; it is not a finding of mistreatment.
1 + 0 + 0 + 0 = 1/10. Documented worker protections; missing disclosure is an evidence gap.
Pay, contractor protections, grievance outcomes and independent checks for Modal's wider workforce remain unreported in the cited product documentation.
- Pay & conditions0/3
- The reviewed product and legal pages give no qualifying pay or conditions disclosure for AI supply-chain workers.
- Worker voice & remedy0/3
- No worker representation, grievance or remedy mechanism was established in these cited official materials.
- Evidence & follow-through0/3
- No independent worker-level assurance covering the product supply chain was established.
No military relationship for Modal was identified in the official sources reviewed for this profile.
See the evidence
The cited product and policy material does not describe a defense customer or military deployment by Modal. The score reflects an unverified relationship with no published safeguards in these sources, not a confirmed absence.
7 base + 0 safeguard adjustment = 7/10 (0 of 9 safeguard points; every 3 adds 1). No military relationship was established in the cited sources. This ranks above known defense ties without claiming a verified clean record.
This source review does not cover undisclosed customers, contracts, subcontractors or deployments.
- Use restrictions0/4
- No binding military-specific restriction was found in the cited public pages.
- Enforcement & oversight0/3
- No military-specific oversight or remedy was established in the cited public pages.
- Relationship disclosure0/2
- The cited material does not disclose a relevant military relationship.
The official pages reviewed describe the product, service and user terms; they do not identify a defense relationship or deployment. No identity, nationality or unrelated-company inference is used.
Military rubric ↗Modal is not named in the two official BNC campaign lists; this is not an endorsement.
See the evidence
The check is limited to the BNC consumer-boycott guide and No Tech campaign. Neither list names Modal; the result says nothing about other campaigns or suppliers.
This check does not cover every BDS campaign, local campaign, supplier, investment or subsequent list change; it is not an endorsement or clean-record conclusion.