Chainguard
Mid (~350)
Modal
Small (~110)
Best For
Chainguard
Best for: Security-minded engineers who want remote-first open-source work with strong comp
Modal
Best for: Systems engineers who want to build developer-loved cloud infrastructure with elite teammates
Ratings
ChainguardModal
4.5
4.0
Overall
4.2
3.8
Work-Life Balance
4.3
4.2
Culture & Values
4.2
3.8
Comp & Benefits
4.1
4.0
Senior Mgmt
4.0
3.5
Career Opps
👍 88% Recommend
👤 90% CEO Approval (Dan Lorenc)
👍 82% Recommend
👤 88% CEO Approval (Erik Bernhardsson)
Culture Values
Chainguard only
🌐 Remote-Friendly💎 Strong Comp & Equity⚖️ Work-Life Balance
Modal only
🚀 Ship Fast & Iterate🎧 Deep Work / Low Meetings🎯 Direct Product Impact🧩 Wears Many Hats
Shared
🔓 Open Source⚙️ Engineering-Driven
Pros & Cons
Chainguard
- Fully remote with outstanding benefits — 100% employer-paid insurance for employees and families
- Founders are practitioners who understand what engineers and security teams need
- Growing so fast that some inefficiencies exist, though improving
- Fully remote means you miss in-person interactions with teammates
Modal
- World-class engineering team — includes creators of Luigi, Seaborn, and olympiad medalists
- High-impact product with 50x revenue growth — developers widely praise the platform
- Early-stage startup dynamics — roles shift quickly, requires high self-direction
- Limited HR infrastructure — benefits and career ladders still being developed
Bottom Line
Chainguard
Choose Chainguard if you want to build supply chain security tools in a remote, open-source-first culture with strong equity — but expect a fast-moving startup pace.
Modal
Choose Modal if you want world-class engineering peers and 50x revenue growth — but expect early-stage startup dynamics.
Open Roles
Chainguard — 63 jobs
💼 Sales / GTM
27
💻 Engineering
24
📣 Marketing
3
📋 Product
2
🎨 Design
1
Modal — 28 jobs
💻 Engineering
14
📣 Marketing
3
💼 Sales / GTM
3
🧠 ML / AI
2
⚙️ Operations
2
💰 Finance
1
Summary
Chainguard scores 4.5/5.0 on Glassdoor with a 4.2 work-life balance rating. Modal scores 4.0/5.0 overall with a 3.8 WLB. That’s a 0.5-point gap on overall satisfaction.
Both companies share these culture values: Open Source, Engineering-Driven. Chainguard also emphasizes Remote-Friendly, Strong Comp & Equity, Work-Life Balance. Modal also emphasizes Ship Fast & Iterate, Deep Work / Low Meetings, Direct Product Impact, Wears Many Hats.
On the hiring front, Chainguard has 63 open roles and Modal has 28 open roles.