Sandboxer
Sandboxer FAQ
Sandboxer runs cloud sandboxes for AI agents and people: full Ubuntu 24.04 microVMs with root, Docker, nested KVM and SSH, billed per second while they run. This page answers the questions people ask most, with links to the detailed explainer for each topic.
Updated November 3, 2026
What is Sandboxer, in one paragraph?
Sandboxer is a service that creates isolated Linux virtual machines on demand. Each sandbox runs on its own kernel under Cloud Hypervisor, has a public HTTPS URL for any port, comes with coding agents installed, and can be stopped with its memory saved, forked, or saved as a template. You drive it from the sbx CLI, a REST API, TypeScript and Python SDKs, or an MCP server. The Sandboxer hub lists every explainer on this site.
What are the key numbers?
These figures come from Sandboxer's pricing and limits pages:
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Sizes | small, default, large, xlarge |
| Hourly prices | $0.018, $0.036, $0.072, $0.20 |
| Plans | $20, $100, $500 and $2,000 a month |
| Run at once | 100, 300, 1,000 and 2,000 by plan |
| Default auto-stop | 1 hour, up to 30 days, or off |
| Regions | us-east (Ashburn, Virginia), eu-central (Helsinki, Finland) |
| API rate limit | 600 requests a minute per API key |
Where can I go deeper on each topic?
- Pricing and plans: Sandboxer pricing
- Stop with memory: pause and resume
- Copies: forking sandboxes
- Isolation: security and isolation
- Agents: coding agents and the MCP server
- First steps: getting started
Where is the official FAQ?
Sandboxer keeps its own FAQ in the docs, and its full documentation is available as plain text for AI tools at https://sandboxer.com/llms.txt. For help, email [email protected] with your request id or sandbox id. Live service status is at the status page.
Frequently asked questions
Is a Sandboxer sandbox a container?
No. Each sandbox is a full virtual machine with its own kernel, a Cloud Hypervisor microVM. That is why systemd, Docker, /dev/kvm and root work normally.
What happens when I stop a sandbox?
The filesystem is frozen, the VM's memory and device state are written to disk, and it shuts down. Resume restores that memory, so processes keep running. A resize, or an unusable memory image, makes it boot from disk instead.
Does a stopped sandbox cost anything?
No. Billing is per second while a sandbox runs. Stopped sandboxes and their snapshots count toward your plan's included storage, which is not billed.
How much does Sandboxer cost?
From $0.018 an hour for small to $0.20 an hour for xlarge, billed per second. Plans start at $20 a month, and every plan dollar comes back as machine time.
Is there a free trial?
No. Plans start at $20/month, charged when you subscribe, and every plan dollar comes back as machine time. Signing up, the docs and the dashboard need no card.
How long can a sandbox run?
As long as you want. Auto-stop defaults to one hour as a safety net; extend it up to 30 days at a time or turn it off.
Does a sandbox pause itself when idle?
Yes. After a plan-dependent number of idle minutes, from 15 to 120 by default, it stops with memory and wakes on the next API call or request to its URL.
Which coding agents are included?
Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, Pi, Kimi Code and Mistral Vibe are installed in every sandbox. They use your own provider keys.
Can I run Docker, Kubernetes or an Android emulator?
Yes. Docker is preinstalled, kind and k3s work, and /dev/kvm is available for the Android emulator, QEMU and Firecracker. Use large or xlarge for nested VMs.
Can I get a public URL for my app?
Yes. sbx host gives a port an HTTPS URL on box.sandboxer.com. It is private with a token by default, or public with --public.
Can sandboxes talk to each other?
Not directly. Traffic between sandboxes is blocked. Connect them through hosted URLs with your own authentication.
Can I use Sandboxer from Claude or ChatGPT?
Yes. Add the hosted MCP server at https://sandboxer.com/mcp as a custom connector, sign in to Sandboxer, and the chat can create and use sandboxes.
Which languages can I use?
Any. It is a REST API described by OpenAPI, with official TypeScript and Python SDKs (both named sandboxer-sdk) and the sbx CLI.
Where do sandboxes run?
On dedicated servers Sandboxer operates in two regions: US East in Ashburn, Virginia, and EU Central in Helsinki, Finland.
Does Sandboxer have GPUs?
No. Sandboxer has no GPUs, so GPU work needs another provider.
Is there an SLA?
Not during early access. Sandboxer asks customers who need one to contact it.
Who operates Sandboxer?
North Bay Opco I, Inc., a Delaware corporation at 777 Brickell Ave, Suite 500 PMB 1074, Miami, FL 33131. It is built by the North Bay Ventures studio.