Modal
Small (~110)
Plaid
Mid (~800)
Best For
Modal
Best for: Systems engineers who want to build developer-loved cloud infrastructure with elite teammates
Plaid
Best for: Engineers who want transparent leadership and real fintech impact at a top-rated company
Ratings
ModalPlaid
4.0
4.6
Overall
3.8
4.2
Work-Life Balance
4.2
4.2
Culture & Values
3.8
4.1
Comp & Benefits
4.0
4.0
Senior Mgmt
3.5
3.9
Career Opps
👍 82% Recommend
👤 88% CEO Approval (Erik Bernhardsson)
👍 91% Recommend
👤 83% CEO Approval (Zach Perret)
Culture Values
Modal only
🚀 Ship Fast & Iterate🎧 Deep Work / Low Meetings🔓 Open Source🧩 Wears Many Hats
Plaid only
🪟 Transparent🌱 Learning & Growth🛡️ Safe to Fail🌈 Diverse & Inclusive
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
Plaid
- 91% of employees recommend — highly accessible and transparent senior leadership
- Strong engineering culture with competitive compensation (4.1/5 comp rating) and real product impact
- Organizational changes can create uncertainty as the company scales
- Career opportunities rated 3.9/5 — growth paths may vary by department
Bottom Line
Modal
Choose Modal if you want world-class engineering peers and 50x revenue growth — but expect early-stage startup dynamics.
Plaid
Choose Plaid if you want top-tier engineering culture, transparent leadership, and real fintech impact — but expect some growing pains as the company navigates organizational change.
Open Roles
Modal — 28 jobs
💻 Engineering
14
📣 Marketing
3
💼 Sales / GTM
3
🧠 ML / AI
2
⚙️ Operations
2
💰 Finance
1
Plaid — 94 jobs
💼 Sales / GTM
28
💻 Engineering
24
📋 Product
11
📣 Marketing
7
📊 Data
4
🎨 Design
2
💰 Finance
2
⚖️ Legal
2
🧠 ML / AI
2
⚙️ Operations
2
👤 HR / People
1
Summary
Modal scores 4.0/5.0 on Glassdoor with a 3.8 work-life balance rating. Plaid scores 4.6/5.0 overall with a 4.2 WLB. That’s a 0.6-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. Plaid also emphasizes Transparent, Learning & Growth, Safe to Fail, Diverse & Inclusive.
On the hiring front, Modal has 28 open roles and Plaid has 94 open roles.