What is the difference between Microsoft Azure and Modal?

Microsoft Azure and Modal are both cloud GPU providers offering different pricing models, features, and GPU availability. Use our comparison tool to see real-time pricing and feature differences.

Which is cheaper: Microsoft Azure or Modal?

Pricing varies by GPU model and usage requirements. Check our real-time comparison table to find the best deals for your specific needs.

Can I switch between Microsoft Azure and Modal?

Yes, both providers offer flexible cloud GPU services. However, consider factors like data transfer costs, setup time, and specific features when switching between providers.

How many GPU models are available for comparison?

We track pricing for 6 different GPU models across both Microsoft Azure and Modal, with 0 models available from both providers.

Microsoft Azure vs Modal GPU Cloud Pricing 2026

GPU Pricing Comparison

Total GPUs: 6Both available: 0Microsoft Azure: 6Modal: 0

Showing 6 of 6 GPUs

Last updated: 5/12/2026, 10:22:39 PM

GPU Model ↑	Microsoft Azure Price	Modal Price	Price Diff ↕	Sources
A10 24GB VRAM • Microsoft Azure	$0.59/hr★ Best	Not Available	—	Microsoft Azure
A10 24GB VRAM • Microsoft Azure $0.59/hour Updated: 5/10/2026 ★Best Price Not Available Microsoft Azure
A100 PCIE 40GB VRAM • Microsoft Azure	$0.68/hr★ Best	Not Available	—	Microsoft Azure
A100 PCIE 40GB VRAM • Microsoft Azure $0.68/hour Updated: 4/27/2026 ★Best Price Not Available Microsoft Azure
A100 SXM 80GB VRAM • Microsoft Azure	$0.75/hr★ Best	Not Available	—	Microsoft Azure
A100 SXM 80GB VRAM • Microsoft Azure $0.75/hour Updated: 5/10/2026 ★Best Price Not Available Microsoft Azure
H100 SXM 80GB VRAM • Microsoft Azure	$2.19/hr★ Best	Not Available	—	Microsoft Azure
H100 SXM 80GB VRAM • Microsoft Azure $2.19/hour Updated: 5/10/2026 ★Best Price Not Available Microsoft Azure
Tesla T4 16GB VRAM • Microsoft Azure	$0.20/hr★ Best	Not Available	—	Microsoft Azure
Tesla T4 16GB VRAM • Microsoft Azure $0.20/hour Updated: 5/10/2026 ★Best Price Not Available Microsoft Azure
Tesla V100 32GB VRAM • Microsoft Azure	$0.51/hr★ Best 8x GPU	Not Available	—	Microsoft Azure
Tesla V100 32GB VRAM • Microsoft Azure $0.51/hour 8x GPU configuration Updated: 5/10/2026 ★Best Price Not Available Microsoft Azure

A10 24GB VRAM • Microsoft Azure	$0.59/hr★ Best	Not Available	—	Microsoft Azure
A10 24GB VRAM • Microsoft Azure $0.59/hour Updated: 5/10/2026 ★Best Price Not Available Microsoft Azure
A100 PCIE 40GB VRAM • Microsoft Azure	$0.68/hr★ Best	Not Available	—	Microsoft Azure
A100 PCIE 40GB VRAM • Microsoft Azure $0.68/hour Updated: 4/27/2026 ★Best Price Not Available Microsoft Azure
A100 SXM 80GB VRAM • Microsoft Azure	$0.75/hr★ Best	Not Available	—	Microsoft Azure
A100 SXM 80GB VRAM • Microsoft Azure $0.75/hour Updated: 5/10/2026 ★Best Price Not Available Microsoft Azure
H100 SXM 80GB VRAM • Microsoft Azure	$2.19/hr★ Best	Not Available	—	Microsoft Azure
H100 SXM 80GB VRAM • Microsoft Azure $2.19/hour Updated: 5/10/2026 ★Best Price Not Available Microsoft Azure
Tesla T4 16GB VRAM • Microsoft Azure	$0.20/hr★ Best	Not Available	—	Microsoft Azure
Tesla T4 16GB VRAM • Microsoft Azure $0.20/hour Updated: 5/10/2026 ★Best Price Not Available Microsoft Azure
Tesla V100 32GB VRAM • Microsoft Azure	$0.51/hr★ Best 8x GPU	Not Available	—	Microsoft Azure
Tesla V100 32GB VRAM • Microsoft Azure $0.51/hour 8x GPU configuration Updated: 5/10/2026 ★Best Price Not Available Microsoft Azure

Features Comparison

Microsoft Azure

Azure AI
Comprehensive suite of AI services and tools for building intelligent applications
Enterprise Integration
Seamless integration with Microsoft ecosystem and enterprise tools
Hybrid Capabilities
Strong hybrid and multi-cloud support with Azure Arc
Advanced Security
Industry-leading security features and compliance certifications
Global Scale
Extensive worldwide network of data centers and edge locations

Modal

Serverless GPUs
Run Python functions on NVIDIA GPUs without provisioning instances; cold starts in seconds
Per-Second Billing
Pay for actual GPU runtime at sub-minute granularity, with scale-to-zero by default
Container-Native
Define environments in code, with automatic image building and caching
Wide GPU Catalog
From T4 and L4 through A100, L40S, H100, H200 and B200

Pros & Cons

Microsoft Azure

Advantages

Strong enterprise integration and support
Comprehensive AI and machine learning services
Advanced security and compliance features
Extensive hybrid cloud capabilities

Considerations

Complex pricing and billing structure
Can be expensive for certain workloads
Steeper learning curve for new users

Modal

Advantages

Serverless model removes idle-instance costs
Per-second billing across the full GPU range
Strong fit for inference, batch jobs and ML pipelines

Considerations

Long-running, fixed-instance training is not the primary use case
Cold starts and storage limits require some application design
No bare-metal access; workloads run inside Modal's runtime

Compute Services

Microsoft Azure

Azure Virtual Machines

GPU-enabled VMs for various workloads

Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)

Managed Kubernetes service with GPU support

Integrated GPU node pools
Automated scaling and updates

Azure Machine Learning

End-to-end ML platform with GPU acceleration

Automated ML capabilities
Integrated MLOps

Modal

Pricing Options

Microsoft Azure

Pay-as-you-go

Flexible pricing with no upfront commitment

Reserved VM Instances

Save up to 72% with 1 or 3-year commitments

Spot VMs

Up to 90% savings for interruptible workloads

Azure Hybrid Benefit

Cost savings for existing Windows Server and SQL Server licenses

Azure savings plan for compute

Save money across select compute services globally by committing to spend a fixed hourly amount for 1 or 3 years

Modal

Per-Second GPU Billing

Charged per second of GPU runtime, with scale-to-zero when idle

Free Tier

Monthly free credits for experimentation and personal projects

Team and Enterprise Plans

Volume commitments and enterprise support for production deployments

Getting Started

Microsoft Azure

Get Started

1
Create an Azure account
Sign up for Azure and get started with free credits
2
Set up your environment
Configure your subscription, resource groups, and access controls
3
Choose compute services
Select from VMs, containers, or serverless based on your needs
4
Deploy resources
Launch your first GPU-enabled instance or AI service

Modal

Get Started

1
Install the SDK
Run `pip install modal` and authenticate via the CLI
2
Define a function
Decorate a Python function with the desired GPU and image specification
3
Run or deploy
Invoke locally or deploy as a long-lived endpoint or scheduled job

Support & Global Availability

Microsoft Azure

Global Regions

60+ regions worldwide with multiple availability zones

Support

Basic, Developer, Standard, and Professional Direct support plans with 24/7 options. Extensive documentation and community resources.

Modal

Global Regions

Multi-region availability across North America and Europe

Support

Documentation, community forum, and enterprise support for paid plans