Modal
Small (~110)
OpenAI
Large (~3,500)
Best For
Modal
Best for: Systems engineers who want to build developer-loved cloud infrastructure with elite teammates
OpenAI
Best for: Engineers who want to build frontier AI models at the company defining the industry, with elite compensation
Ratings
ModalOpenAI
4.0
4.5
Overall
3.8
3.6
Work-Life Balance
4.2
4.6
Culture & Values
3.8
4.5
Comp & Benefits
4.0
4.3
Senior Mgmt
3.5
4.3
Career Opps
👍 82% Recommend
👤 88% CEO Approval (Erik Bernhardsson)
👍 90% Recommend
👤 95% CEO Approval (Sam Altman)
Culture Values
Modal only
🎧 Deep Work / Low Meetings🔓 Open Source🧩 Wears Many Hats
OpenAI only
🌱 Learning & Growth💎 Strong Comp & Equity
Shared
⚙️ Engineering-Driven🚀 Ship Fast & Iterate🎯 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
OpenAI
- Cutting-edge frontier AI research with world-class colleagues
- Elite compensation — top-tier TC and equity packages
- High-intensity environment — long hours and intense pace are the norm
- Internal politics and rapid org changes as the company scales
Bottom Line
Modal
Choose Modal if you want world-class engineering peers and 50x revenue growth — but expect early-stage startup dynamics.
OpenAI
High-intensity, mission-driven culture with world-class colleagues and top-tier comp — but expect long hours, rapid org changes, and internal politics as the company scales.
Open Roles
Modal — 28 jobs
💻 Engineering
14
📣 Marketing
3
💼 Sales / GTM
3
🧠 ML / AI
2
⚙️ Operations
2
💰 Finance
1
OpenAI — 655 jobs
💻 Engineering
317
💼 Sales / GTM
57
📋 Product
30
📊 Data
28
🧠 ML / AI
28
📣 Marketing
24
⚙️ Operations
17
⚖️ Legal
13
🎨 Design
10
👤 HR / People
9
💰 Finance
7
🎧 Support
4
Summary
Modal scores 4.0/5.0 on Glassdoor with a 3.8 work-life balance rating. OpenAI scores 4.5/5.0 overall with a 3.6 WLB. That’s a 0.5-point gap on overall satisfaction.
Both companies share these culture values: Engineering-Driven, Ship Fast & Iterate, Direct Product Impact. Modal also emphasizes Deep Work / Low Meetings, Open Source, Wears Many Hats. OpenAI also emphasizes Learning & Growth, Strong Comp & Equity.
On the hiring front, Modal has 28 open roles and OpenAI has 655 open roles.