Modal
Small (~110)
Scale AI
Large (~1,200)
Best For
Modal
Best for: Systems engineers who want to build developer-loved cloud infrastructure with elite teammates
Scale AI
Best for: Ambitious builders who want critical AI infrastructure work serving top-tier clients
Ratings
ModalScale AI
4.0
3.5
Overall
3.8
2.7
Work-Life Balance
4.2
2.9
Culture & Values
3.8
3.5
Comp & Benefits
4.0
2.8
Senior Mgmt
3.5
3.6
Career Opps
👍 82% Recommend
👤 88% CEO Approval (Erik Bernhardsson)
👍 56% Recommend
👤 60% CEO Approval (Alexandr Wang)
Culture Values
Modal only
🎧 Deep Work / Low Meetings🔓 Open Source Culture🧩 Wears Many Hats
Scale AI only
🌱 Learning & Growth
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
Scale AI
- Building critical AI data infrastructure used by OpenAI, Meta, Microsoft, and the US government
- Strong compensation for engineers — competitive base + equity
- Work-life balance rated 2.7/5 — long hours common during client deadlines
- Culture and values scored 2.9/5 — inconsistent management quality
Bottom Line
Modal
Choose Modal if you want world-class engineering peers and 50x revenue growth — but expect early-stage startup dynamics.
Scale AI
Choose Scale AI if you want to build data infrastructure for OpenAI and the US government — but expect long hours and inconsistent management.
Open Roles
Modal — 31 jobs
💻 Engineering
10
💼 Sales / GTM
5
👤 HR / People
3
🎨 Design
2
💰 Finance
2
📣 Marketing
2
🧠 ML / AI
2
⚙️ Operations
1
Scale AI — 169 jobs
💻 Engineering
52
🧠 ML / AI
26
📋 Product
17
⚙️ Operations
9
💼 Sales / GTM
9
💰 Finance
8
⚖️ Legal
7
📣 Marketing
5
📊 Data
4
👤 HR / People
3
🎨 Design
2
🎧 Support
1