Hugging Face
Small (~400)
Modal
Small (~110)
Best For
Hugging Face
Best for: Open-source enthusiasts who value remote flexibility over top comp
Modal
Best for: Systems engineers who want to build developer-loved cloud infrastructure with elite teammates
Ratings
Hugging FaceModal
3.8
4.0
Overall
4.1
3.8
Work-Life Balance
4.2
4.2
Culture & Values
3.4
3.8
Comp & Benefits
3.6
4.0
Senior Mgmt
3.5
3.5
Career Opps
👍 78% Recommend
👤 85% CEO Approval (Clement Delangue)
👍 82% Recommend
👤 88% CEO Approval (Erik Bernhardsson)
Culture Values
Hugging Face only
🤝 Flat Hierarchy🌐 Remote-Friendly🕐 Flexible Hours🪟 Transparent📡 Async-First
Modal only
⚙️ Engineering-Driven🚀 Ship Fast & Iterate🎧 Deep Work / Low Meetings🎯 Direct Product Impact
Shared
🔓 Open Source🧩 Wears Many Hats
Pros & Cons
Hugging Face
- True open-source DNA — you work on things millions of developers actually use
- Remote-first and async culture that actually works across time zones
- Below-market comp compared to FAANG
- Career progression is unclear — no well-defined ladder
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
Hugging Face
Choose Hugging Face if you want to build tools millions of ML devs use with true remote freedom — but comp lags FAANG.
Modal
Choose Modal if you want world-class engineering peers and 50x revenue growth — but expect early-stage startup dynamics.
Open Roles
Hugging Face — 9 jobs
🧠 ML / AI
6
💻 Engineering
2
Modal — 28 jobs
💻 Engineering
14
📣 Marketing
3
💼 Sales / GTM
3
🧠 ML / AI
2
⚙️ Operations
2
💰 Finance
1
Summary
Hugging Face scores 3.8/5.0 on Glassdoor with a 4.1 work-life balance rating. Modal scores 4.0/5.0 overall with a 3.8 WLB. That’s a 0.2-point gap on overall satisfaction.
Both companies share these culture values: Open Source, Wears Many Hats. Hugging Face also emphasizes Flat Hierarchy, Remote-Friendly, Flexible Hours, Transparent, Async-First. Modal also emphasizes Engineering-Driven, Ship Fast & Iterate, Deep Work / Low Meetings, Direct Product Impact.
On the hiring front, Hugging Face has 9 open roles and Modal has 28 open roles.