Google for Startups Cloud Program (AI tier) vs Modal for Startups (2026): Which Is Better for Startups?

Both are AI credits for startups. Here is how Google for Startups Cloud Program (AI tier) and Modal for Startups compare on what a startup gets, who qualifies and how to apply, and which one we would pick.

Google for Startups Cloud Program (AI tier)

Up to $350,000 in Google Cloud credits over two years for VC-funded startups building on Gemini.

8.5 /10

Pricing: Up to $350k in credits & perks

Pros

Very large credit amount
Covers Gemini and Gemma plus the wider Google Cloud
No partner code needed

Cons

Requires institutional equity funding
Third-party models not covered by credits

Visit Google for Startups Cloud Program (AI tier) ↗

Modal for Startups

One-time serverless GPU credits, engineering support and GTM help for VC-backed AI startups new to Modal.

6.5 /10

Pricing: Free to join

Pros

Serverless GPUs with no infrastructure work
Engineering and GTM support
Long list of partner funds

Cons

No published credit amount
Needs VC funding; one-time grant

Visit Modal for Startups ↗

Google for Startups Cloud Program (AI tier) vs Modal for Startups at a glance

	Google for Startups Cloud Program (AI tier)	Modal for Startups
Editor score	8.5 / 10	6.5 / 10
Pricing model	Free	Free
What you get	Up to $350k in credits & perks	Free to join
Who qualifies	VC-funded startups using Gemini/Google AI at the core of their product; qualifying venture funding from seed to Series A; founded within the last 10 years; no more than $5,000 in prior Google Cloud credits. Eligibility decided at Google Cloud's discretion.	New Modal customers that raised from a Modal partner VC or more than $1m from any fund; custom tier for $30m+ or post-Series B with a partner VC.
Partner code needed	No	Yes
Steps it helps with	claim startup credits, choose your ai coding stack, build your mvp, host and deploy	claim startup credits, choose your ai coding stack, build your mvp, host and deploy
Who it is for	AI startups, VC-backed only, Pre-seed, Seed stage, Series A+	AI startups, VC-backed only, Seed stage, Series A+
Reader upvotes	0	0
Best for	google-cloud, gemini, vertex-ai	serverless-gpu, inference, fine-tuning

Our pick

Google for Startups Cloud Program (AI tier) edges it with a score of 8.5 versus 6.5. Google for Startups Cloud Program (AI tier) is the better fit if you value: very large credit amount, covers gemini and gemma plus the wider google cloud. Choose Modal for Startups instead if you need: serverless gpus with no infrastructure work, engineering and gtm support. Many startups can claim both: see credits by value.