Paperspace vs Modal: GPU Cloud Compute Pricing (2026)

Paperspace vs Modal

GPU Cloud Compute pricing comparison · 2026

Paperspace pricing ranges from $0–$39/GPU/hour, while Modal ranges from $0–$250/GPU/hour. These products use different pricing models (Per-seat subscription vs Usage-based (pay per token/image/minute)), so a direct price comparison isn't meaningful — costs depend on usage volume and mix.

GPU Cloud Compute

Paperspace

$0–$39
/GPU/hour
7 plans · Free tier
Full pricing breakdown →
VS
GPU Cloud Compute

Modal

$0–$250
/GPU/hour
3 plans · Free tier
Full pricing breakdown →

Different Pricing Models

Direct price comparison isn't meaningful here — Paperspace uses Per-seat subscription pricing while Modal uses Usage-based (pay per token/image/minute) pricing. Your actual cost will depend on usage volume, team size, or both. Here's each product in its native unit.

Per-seat subscription

Paperspace

$0–$39 / GPU/hour
See full Paperspace pricing →
vs
Usage-based (pay per token/image/minute)

Modal

From $0.00000222 per second
See full Modal pricing →

Paperspace and Modal are both gpu cloud compute competitors. This page compares their list pricing tier by tier so you can see which is cheaper for your workload shape.

Plan-by-Plan Pricing

Plan Paperspace Modal
Entry GPU (M4000 / RTX4000) $0.45 /GPU/hour Free /month
Mid-Range GPU (A4000 / A5000 / A6000) $0.76 /GPU/hour $250 /month
A100 $3.09 /GPU/hour Custom
H100 $5.95 /GPU/hour
Gradient Free Plan Free /GPU/hour
Gradient Pro $8 /GPU/hour
Gradient Growth $39 /GPU/hour

Cost at Scale

Total cost of ownership — licenses, implementation, and hidden costs included.

Paperspace

4 scenarios
$8/month
Individual Researcher — Gradient Pro Plan
subscription plus storage
$39/month
Power User — Gradient Growth Plan
flat rate
$123.60 (40 hours × $3.09/hr A100)
One-Time A100 Training Job — 40 Hours
See all 4 scenarios →

Modal

2 scenarios
$0/month
Solo Developer on Starter Plan
platform fee + ~$2/hr per GPU compute
$250/month
Small Team Running Large Model Inference
platform fee + ~$72/hr GPU costs for large model serving

Hidden Costs

Beyond the sticker price — what catches buyers off guard.

Paperspace 4 hidden costs

high
Persistent Storage Costs Billed Separately 5-15% of license costs
medium
GPU Availability Not Guaranteed at Peak Hours 5-10% of license costs
medium
Six-Hour Session Limits Require Restarts 5-10% of license costs
medium
Free GPU Tier Removed Post-DigitalOcean Acquisition $8-$39
See all Paperspace hidden costs →

Modal 2 hidden costs

high
GPU Compute Costs Billed on Top of Plan Fee $2-$72/hr per GPU
medium
DIY Configuration Overhead and Cold Start Latency 5-15% of license costs
See all Modal hidden costs →

Contract Terms

Term Paperspace Modal
Auto-renewal Yes
Cancellation Cancel anytime — monthly billing with no lock-in
Minimum commitment Month-to-month
Price escalation Pricing has changed materially at least once — free GPU tier was removed in November 2023 following DigitalOcean acquisition, replacing prior all-inclusive model with separate storage billing $2-$72/hr per GPU
Can downgrade Yes