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DeepInfra vs Modal
DeepInfra sells cheap per-token access to 150+ hosted open models. Modal sells per-second GPU containers for models you bring yourself.
By The Subconscious Team · Updated
DeepInfra vs Modal: key differences
DeepInfra is a shared API. You pick a model from its catalog of 150+ open models and pay per token, from $0.02 per million on Llama 3.1 8B, with no minimums or contracts. Modal hosts nothing by default. A developer writes a Python function, names the GPU it needs, and Modal builds the container, autoscales it and scales it back to zero, billing per second from $0.59 an hour for a T4 to $3.95 for an H100 at list. So the first question is whether the model you need already sits in a catalog. If it does, DeepInfra's token pricing is hard to beat and needs no serving code. If it is a private fine-tune, an OCR model or an embedding pipeline you own, Modal is the one that can run it.
Training splits them further. DeepInfra has no managed fine-tuning, while Modal runs any training code on the same platform it uses for inference. Cost behavior differs too. Modal's per-second billing wins on bursty load, but non-preemptible US production runs about 3.75x list, and keeping containers warm to avoid cold starts turns the bill into an always-on one. DeepInfra handles serving and scaling itself, though teams should check the precision each model runs at, since it quantizes heavily by default.
What DeepInfra and Modal do
DeepInfra
DeepInfra is the price floor for open-model inference. Developers treat it as the reference point for what a token should cost, with small models like Llama 3.1 8B at $0.02 per million and DeepSeek V4 Flash at $0.14 in and $0.28 out. The catalog covers 150+ open models across text, image and speech behind a fully OpenAI-compatible API. There are no minimums, setup fees or contracts on the shared API.
Example models: DeepSeek V4 Flash, Llama 3.1 8B
Full DeepInfra profileModal
Modal is serverless compute with GPUs attached. A developer decorates a Python function with the hardware it needs, such as gpu="H100", and Modal builds the container, schedules it, autoscales it and scales it back to zero. Billing runs per second with no minimum increment, from $0.59 an hour for a T4 to $3.95 for an H100 at list. Containers can hold up to 8 GPUs across T4 through B300.
Example models: none hosted by default; teams deploy their own, such as open LLMs on vLLM or Whisper
Full Modal profileShould you choose DeepInfra or Modal?
DeepInfra
Choose DeepInfra for
- Bulk extraction or tagging on a popular open model at the lowest token price
- Teams that want no serving code, contracts or minimums
- Budget chat backends on stock catalog models
Modal
Choose Modal for
- Private fine-tunes and custom models no catalog carries
- Spiky embedding, transcription or OCR jobs billed by the second
- Running training and inference on one platform
DeepInfra vs Modal at a glance
| Attribute | DeepInfra | Modal |
|---|---|---|
| Model access | Open weights | Bring your own weights |
| Flagship models | DeepSeek V4 Flash, Llama 3.1 8B | None hosted |
| Speed | ~33 tok/s on DeepSeek V4 Pro (FP4) | ~1s container boot |
| Price | From $0.02 per 1M | Per second; H100 $3.95/hr list |
| Customization | No managed fine-tuning | Run any training code |
| Deployment | Shared API, no contracts | Serverless GPU containers |
| Long context | 66K on FP4 DeepSeek V4 Pro | Depends on the model you deploy |
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between DeepInfra and Modal?
DeepInfra sells cheap per-token access to 150+ hosted open models. Modal sells per-second GPU containers for models you bring yourself.
When should I choose DeepInfra over Modal?
Bulk extraction or tagging on a popular open model at the lowest token price; Teams that want no serving code, contracts or minimums; Budget chat backends on stock catalog models.
When should I choose Modal over DeepInfra?
Private fine-tunes and custom models no catalog carries; Spiky embedding, transcription or OCR jobs billed by the second; Running training and inference on one platform.
Is DeepInfra or Modal cheaper?
DeepInfra: From $0.02 per 1M. Modal: Per second; H100 $3.95/hr list. The cheaper choice depends on the model and workload.
Which has more context, DeepInfra or Modal?
DeepInfra: 66K on FP4 DeepSeek V4 Pro. Modal: Depends on the model you deploy.
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