Linear

Fast, opinionated issue tracking with AI for engineering teams

Modal

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

Linear

Moderate

16/25

Modal

Caution

9/25

Score Breakdown

DimensionLinearModal

Data Residency

Where is your data stored and processed?

Linear: EU data residency available (AWS eu-west-1); clearly documented and configurable at workspace level

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

4/5

EU data residency available (AWS eu-west-1); clearly documented and configurable at workspace level

1/5

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

Legal Jurisdiction

Which laws govern the company and your data?

Linear: US Delaware corporation despite Scandinavian founders; CLOUD Act applies; DPA and SCCs available

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

2/5

US Delaware corporation despite Scandinavian founders; CLOUD Act applies; DPA and SCCs available

2/5

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

Data Retention & Training

Is your data used for model training?

Linear: No training on customer data; OpenAI zero-retention API used for AI features; customer-controlled retention

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.

4/5

No training on customer data; OpenAI zero-retention API used for AI features; customer-controlled retention

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

ISO 27001, SOC 2, Cyber Essentials, etc.

Linear: SOC 2 Type II certified; ISO 27001 not yet confirmed; strong security posture for its size

Modal: 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 certified; ISO 27001 not yet confirmed; strong security posture for its size

1/5

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

Regulatory Fit

Suitability for regulated industries and professional services

Linear: Good for EU tech teams; EU residency option and SOC 2 support regulated use with appropriate DPA

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.

3/5

Good for EU tech teams; EU residency option and SOC 2 support regulated use with appropriate DPA

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.

Total Score

16/25

9/25

Best For

Linear

Best for privacy-conscious teams who need strong data retention controls; teams on a tight budget; enterprises requiring SSO integration.

Modal

Best for teams on a tight budget.

Detailed Comparison

Linear vs Modal: Trust & Compliance Comparison

Linear (Linear, US) scores 16/25 overall with a Bronze (Moderate) trust badge. Fast, opinionated issue tracking with AI for engineering teams. 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

Linear leads with 4/5 vs 1/5.

●Linear (4/5): EU data residency available (AWS eu-west-1); clearly documented and configurable at workspace level

●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.

●Linear (2/5): US Delaware corporation despite Scandinavian founders; CLOUD Act applies; DPA and SCCs available

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

#### Data Retention & Training

Linear leads with 4/5 vs 3/5.

●Linear (4/5): No training on customer data; OpenAI zero-retention API used for AI features; customer-controlled retention

●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

Linear leads with 3/5 vs 1/5.

●Linear (3/5): SOC 2 Type II certified; ISO 27001 not yet confirmed; strong security posture for its size

●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

Linear leads with 3/5 vs 2/5.

●Linear (3/5): Good for EU tech teams; EU residency option and SOC 2 support regulated use with appropriate DPA

●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	Linear	Modal
SOC 2 Type II	Yes	No

Overall Verdict

Linear has a clear trust advantage, scoring 16/25 compared to Modal's 9/25. Linear particularly excels in data residency, data retention & training, certifications, regulatory fit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better for EU compliance, Linear or Modal?

Linear has a TrustKit score of 16/25 while Modal scores 9/25. Linear currently rates higher across data residency, legal jurisdiction, data retention, certifications, and regulatory fit.

How do Linear and Modal compare on data residency?

Linear scores 4/5 for data residency (EU data residency available (AWS eu-west-1); clearly documented and configurable at workspace level), while Modal scores 1/5 (US-only infrastructure. No EU data centre options. Not suitable for GDPR personal data processing without SCCs and TIA.).

Are Linear and Modal GDPR compliant?

Both tools are assessed across five compliance dimensions. Linear has a regulatory fit score of 3/5 and Modal scores 2/5. Check the full comparison above for a detailed breakdown.

Explore Each Tool