Modal

Serverless GPU compute platform for AI model training, inference, and data pipelines

LangSmith (LangChain)

LLM observability, testing, and deployment platform for production AI applications

Modal

Caution

9/25

LangSmith (LangChain)

Moderate

13/25

Score Breakdown

DimensionModalLangSmith (LangChain)

Data Residency

Where is your data stored and processed?

Modal: US-only infrastructure. No EU data centre options. Not suitable for GDPR personal data processing without SCCs and TIA.

LangSmith (LangChain): Cloud product processes trace data (including prompts and LLM outputs) in US infrastructure. Self-hosted LangSmith Enterprise enables EU data residency. Open-source LangChain framework can run fully on-premise.

1/5

US-only infrastructure. No EU data centre options. Not suitable for GDPR personal data processing without SCCs and TIA.

2/5

Cloud product processes trace data (including prompts and LLM outputs) in US infrastructure. Self-hosted LangSmith Enterprise enables EU data residency. Open-source LangChain framework can run fully on-premise.

Legal Jurisdiction

Which laws govern the company and your data?

Modal: Delaware incorporation, US jurisdiction, CLOUD Act applies. Basic GDPR privacy documentation. No EU subsidiary.

LangSmith (LangChain): California incorporation, US jurisdiction, CLOUD Act applies. SOC 2 Type II and GDPR DPA available. Self-hosted enterprise removes US cloud dependency for EU deployments.

2/5

Delaware incorporation, US jurisdiction, CLOUD Act applies. Basic GDPR privacy documentation. No EU subsidiary.

2/5

California incorporation, US jurisdiction, CLOUD Act applies. SOC 2 Type II and GDPR DPA available. Self-hosted enterprise removes US cloud dependency for EU deployments.

Data Retention & Training

Is your data used for model training?

Modal: Customer compute workloads are isolated and not used for shared training. Workload outputs are customer-controlled. Data governance documentation is lighter than enterprise-focused providers.

LangSmith (LangChain): Trace data not used for LLM training. Configurable trace retention periods. Enterprise self-hosted gives full control over data lifecycle. Cloud product has clear data isolation per project.

3/5

Customer compute workloads are isolated and not used for shared training. Workload outputs are customer-controlled. Data governance documentation is lighter than enterprise-focused providers.

4/5

Trace data not used for LLM training. Configurable trace retention periods. Enterprise self-hosted gives full control over data lifecycle. Cloud product has clear data isolation per project.

Certifications

ISO 27001, SOC 2, Cyber Essentials, etc.

Modal: No published independent certifications. Developer-focused startup with self-attested security practices. Not yet suitable for regulated industry enterprise procurement.

LangSmith (LangChain): SOC 2 Type II certification. Appropriate for a developer tooling company. ISO 27001 would strengthen the posture for enterprise regulated-industry procurement.

1/5

No published independent certifications. Developer-focused startup with self-attested security practices. Not yet suitable for regulated industry enterprise procurement.

3/5

SOC 2 Type II certification. Appropriate for a developer tooling company. ISO 27001 would strengthen the posture for enterprise regulated-industry procurement.

Regulatory Fit

Suitability for regulated industries and professional services

Modal: Suited to AI developers and startups building non-personal-data workloads. US jurisdiction and absence of certifications limit suitability for regulated EU industries. Good for R&D and prototyping contexts.

LangSmith (LangChain): Cloud product requires GDPR transfer mechanisms for EU personal data in traces. Self-hosted LangSmith Enterprise is the appropriate deployment for EU regulated industries. Open-source framework usage is unrestricted.

2/5

Suited to AI developers and startups building non-personal-data workloads. US jurisdiction and absence of certifications limit suitability for regulated EU industries. Good for R&D and prototyping contexts.

2/5

Cloud product requires GDPR transfer mechanisms for EU personal data in traces. Self-hosted LangSmith Enterprise is the appropriate deployment for EU regulated industries. Open-source framework usage is unrestricted.

Total Score

9/25

13/25

Best For

Modal

Best for privacy-conscious teams who need strong data retention controls; organisations that need self-hosted or on-premise deployment; teams on a tight budget; enterprises requiring SSO integration.

LangSmith (LangChain)

Best for teams on a tight budget.

Detailed Comparison

LangSmith (LangChain) vs Modal: Trust & Compliance Comparison

LangSmith (LangChain) (LangChain, US) scores 13/25 overall with a Bronze (Moderate) trust badge. LLM observability, testing, and deployment platform for production AI applications. Modal (Modal Labs, US) scores 9/25 with a Review Required (Caution) trust badge. Serverless GPU compute platform for AI model training, inference, and data pipelines.

Dimension-by-Dimension Breakdown

#### Data Residency

LangSmith (LangChain) leads with 2/5 vs 1/5.

●LangSmith (LangChain) (2/5): Cloud product processes trace data (including prompts and LLM outputs) in US infrastructure. Self-hosted LangSmith Enterprise enables EU data residency. Open-source LangChain framework can run fully on-premise.

●Modal (1/5): US-only infrastructure. No EU data centre options. Not suitable for GDPR personal data processing without SCCs and TIA.

#### Legal Jurisdiction

Both score equally at 2/5.

●LangSmith (LangChain) (2/5): California incorporation, US jurisdiction, CLOUD Act applies. SOC 2 Type II and GDPR DPA available. Self-hosted enterprise removes US cloud dependency for EU deployments.

●Modal (2/5): Delaware incorporation, US jurisdiction, CLOUD Act applies. Basic GDPR privacy documentation. No EU subsidiary.

#### Data Retention & Training

LangSmith (LangChain) leads with 4/5 vs 3/5.

●LangSmith (LangChain) (4/5): Trace data not used for LLM training. Configurable trace retention periods. Enterprise self-hosted gives full control over data lifecycle. Cloud product has clear data isolation per project.

●Modal (3/5): Customer compute workloads are isolated and not used for shared training. Workload outputs are customer-controlled. Data governance documentation is lighter than enterprise-focused providers.

#### Certifications

LangSmith (LangChain) leads with 3/5 vs 1/5.

●LangSmith (LangChain) (3/5): SOC 2 Type II certification. Appropriate for a developer tooling company. ISO 27001 would strengthen the posture for enterprise regulated-industry procurement.

●Modal (1/5): No published independent certifications. Developer-focused startup with self-attested security practices. Not yet suitable for regulated industry enterprise procurement.

#### Regulatory Fit

Both score equally at 2/5.

●LangSmith (LangChain) (2/5): Cloud product requires GDPR transfer mechanisms for EU personal data in traces. Self-hosted LangSmith Enterprise is the appropriate deployment for EU regulated industries. Open-source framework usage is unrestricted.

●Modal (2/5): Suited to AI developers and startups building non-personal-data workloads. US jurisdiction and absence of certifications limit suitability for regulated EU industries. Good for R&D and prototyping contexts.

Certifications at a Glance

Certification	LangSmith (LangChain)	Modal
SOC 2 Type II	Yes	No

Overall Verdict

LangSmith (LangChain) has a clear trust advantage, scoring 13/25 compared to Modal's 9/25. LangSmith (LangChain) particularly excels in data residency, data retention & training, certifications.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better for EU compliance, Modal or LangSmith (LangChain)?

Modal has a TrustKit score of 9/25 while LangSmith (LangChain) scores 13/25. LangSmith (LangChain) currently rates higher across data residency, legal jurisdiction, data retention, certifications, and regulatory fit.

How do Modal and LangSmith (LangChain) compare on data residency?

Modal scores 1/5 for data residency (US-only infrastructure. No EU data centre options. Not suitable for GDPR personal data processing without SCCs and TIA.), while LangSmith (LangChain) scores 2/5 (Cloud product processes trace data (including prompts and LLM outputs) in US infrastructure. Self-hosted LangSmith Enterprise enables EU data residency. Open-source LangChain framework can run fully on-premise.).

Are Modal and LangSmith (LangChain) GDPR compliant?

Both tools are assessed across five compliance dimensions. Modal has a regulatory fit score of 2/5 and LangSmith (LangChain) scores 2/5. Check the full comparison above for a detailed breakdown.

Explore Each Tool

Modal

View full review →

36%

LangSmith (LangChain)

View full review →

52%