Scale AI
Large (~1,200)
Vast AI
Small (~30)
Best For
Scale AI
Best for: Ambitious builders who want critical AI infrastructure work serving top-tier clients
Vast AI
Best for: Scrappy generalists who want a front-row seat to the AI compute revolution
Ratings
Scale AIVast AI
3.5
5.0
Overall
2.7
3.8
Work-Life Balance
2.9
5.0
Culture & Values
3.5
5.0
Comp & Benefits
2.8
5.0
Senior Mgmt
3.6
5.0
Career Opps
👍 56% Recommend
👤 60% CEO Approval (Alexandr Wang)
👍 100% Recommend
👤 100% CEO Approval (Jake Cannell)
Culture Values
Scale AI only
🎯 Direct Product Impact🌱 Learning & Growth
Vast AI only
🤝 Flat Hierarchy🧩 Wears Many Hats💎 Strong Comp & Equity
Shared
⚙️ Engineering-Driven🚀 Ship Fast & Iterate
Pros & Cons
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
Vast AI
- Front-row seat to the AI compute revolution — demand for GPU cloud is surging
- Strong compensation and generous equity stakes for a bootstrapped startup
- Processes are still being defined — expect ad hoc workflows
- Intense workload — the team explicitly values high output
Bottom Line
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.
Vast AI
Choose Vast AI if you want perfect Glassdoor scores and generous equity at a tiny GPU marketplace — but expect startup chaos.
Open Roles
Scale AI — 175 jobs
💻 Engineering
64
🧠 ML / AI
25
📋 Product
16
💼 Sales / GTM
14
⚙️ Operations
7
⚖️ Legal
5
📣 Marketing
4
📊 Data
2
💰 Finance
2
👤 HR / People
2
🎨 Design
1
🎧 Support
1
Vast AI — 9 jobs
💻 Engineering
6
🧠 ML / AI
2
Summary
Scale AI scores 3.5/5.0 on Glassdoor with a 2.7 work-life balance rating. Vast AI scores 5.0/5.0 overall with a 3.8 WLB. That’s a 1.5-point gap on overall satisfaction.
Both companies share these culture values: Engineering-Driven, Ship Fast & Iterate. Scale AI also emphasizes Direct Product Impact, Learning & Growth. Vast AI also emphasizes Flat Hierarchy, Wears Many Hats, Strong Comp & Equity.
On the hiring front, Scale AI has 175 open roles and Vast AI has 9 open roles.