Modal Sandboxes switch to active-resource burst pricing
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Modal has moved its Sandboxes from fixed reservations to active-resource pricing: each Sandbox now bursts past its default 0.125-core and 128 MiB request and is billed per second for what it actually uses, with the small request acting as a floor. Modal cites a 20-minute coding-agent example in which bursting cost 8.4¢ per Sandbox-hour versus 20.0¢ for a fixed reservation, a 58% saving. Bursting is on by default. CPU can exceed its request by up to 16 cores, and memory has no limit unless one is set. Customers who want guaranteed capacity can request more, but Modal says they then pay for those resources even while the Sandbox is idle.
Generated from reports · updated 11 h ago
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- Modal BlogModal Sandboxes adopt burst pricing, cutting costs 58% versus reservations
Modal now bills Sandboxes by active resource use instead of fixed reservations, letting each Sandbox burst past its default 0.125-core and 128 MiB request and pay only for what it uses each second. In a 20-minute coding agent example, bursting cost 8.4¢ per Sandbox-hour versus 20.0¢ for a fixed reservation, a 58% saving. CPU can burst up to 16 cores above request by default, with memory uncapped unless a limit is set.
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