Modal
Small (~110)
Notion
Mid (~800)
Best For
Modal
Best for: Systems engineers who want to build developer-loved cloud infrastructure with elite teammates
Notion
Best for: Product-obsessed engineers who care deeply about craft and want to build tools that millions use daily
Ratings
ModalNotion
4.0
4.4
Overall
3.8
4.2
Work-Life Balance
4.2
4.5
Culture & Values
3.8
4.4
Comp & Benefits
4.0
4.2
Senior Mgmt
3.5
4.2
Career Opps
👍 82% Recommend
👤 88% CEO Approval (Erik Bernhardsson)
👍 88% Recommend
👤 92% CEO Approval (Ivan Zhao)
Culture Values
Modal only
🚀 Ship Fast & Iterate🎧 Deep Work / Low Meetings🔓 Open Source🧩 Wears Many Hats
Notion only
🌱 Learning & Growth🪟 Transparent🌈 Diverse & Inclusive💎 Strong Comp & Equity
Shared
⚙️ Engineering-Driven🎯 Direct Product Impact
Pros & Cons
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
Notion
- Incredible product culture — everyone uses Notion daily and cares deeply
- Transparent leadership with accessible founders and high trust
- Fast pace can lead to burnout, especially during product pushes
- Hybrid required (3 days in-office) — not truly remote-friendly
Bottom Line
Modal
Choose Modal if you want world-class engineering peers and 50x revenue growth — but expect early-stage startup dynamics.
Notion
Strong product culture with a beloved CEO (96% approval) and genuine design sensibility — but hybrid-required and the pace can burn people out during product pushes.
Open Roles
Modal — 28 jobs
💻 Engineering
14
📣 Marketing
3
💼 Sales / GTM
3
🧠 ML / AI
2
⚙️ Operations
2
💰 Finance
1
Notion — 142 jobs
💼 Sales / GTM
70
💻 Engineering
18
📣 Marketing
9
📊 Data
5
👤 HR / People
4
⚙️ Operations
4
📋 Product
4
🎧 Support
4
💰 Finance
3
🎨 Design
2
⚖️ Legal
1
Summary
Modal scores 4.0/5.0 on Glassdoor with a 3.8 work-life balance rating. Notion scores 4.4/5.0 overall with a 4.2 WLB. That’s a 0.4-point gap on overall satisfaction.
Both companies share these culture values: Engineering-Driven, Direct Product Impact. Modal also emphasizes Ship Fast & Iterate, Deep Work / Low Meetings, Open Source, Wears Many Hats. Notion also emphasizes Learning & Growth, Transparent, Diverse & Inclusive, Strong Comp & Equity.
On the hiring front, Modal has 28 open roles and Notion has 142 open roles.