Best AI agent sandboxes in 2026
The best AI agent sandboxes in 2026 are E2B (the most widely adopted, open-source microVM sandbox), Daytona and Modal Sandboxes. The right choice depends on your workload: coding agents → Daytona; code interpreters → E2B; RL training and evals → Modal Sandboxes; computer-use agents → Daytona.
Top picks by use case
- Coding agentsDaytonaStateful workspaces, many SDKs, unlimited session length
- Code interpretersE2BCode Interpreter SDK with stateful Jupyter execution
- RL & evalsModal SandboxesTested past 1M concurrent sandboxes, GPUs in-sandbox
- Computer useDaytonaLinux, Windows and macOS desktops with VNC
- GPU workloadsModal SandboxesT4 to B300 inside sandboxes, per-second billing
- Open source & self-hostedE2BApache-2.0 microVM platform with a self-host package
- Enterprise & BYOCE2BBYOC on AWS, GCP or Azure with SOC 2 Type II
- Local agentsDocker SandboxesMicroVM per agent with deny-by-default network
The best agent sandboxes, ranked
Ordered by breadth of fit across use cases, maturity and adoption — see methodology. For a specific workload, use the best-for rankings.
E2B
Open-source cloud sandboxes for AI agents, each a Firecracker microVM, with pause/resume, snapshots and forking.
- Firecracker microVM
- Open source
- Self-hostable
- BYOC
- Pause/resume
Why it’s here: The most widely adopted agent sandbox: Firecracker microVM isolation, pause/resume, snapshots and forking, dedicated code-interpreter and desktop SDKs, SOC 2 Type II, and an Apache-2.0 codebase you can self-host or run via BYOC. CPU-only, and sessions top out at 24 hours on Pro.
Daytona
Stateful sandboxes for AI-generated code — Linux containers, Linux and Windows VMs, macOS and GPU sandboxes — with snapshots, volumes and preview URLs.
- Containers or VMs
- BYOC
- GPU
- Pause/resume
Why it’s here: Stateful-by-default workspaces with the broadest SDK coverage (Python, TypeScript, Ruby, Go, Java), plus GPU, Windows and macOS sandboxes and BYOC. Vendor-claimed sub-90 ms creation. Default Linux sandboxes use container isolation, and the project is no longer actively open source.
Modal Sandboxes
Sandboxes on Modal’s serverless compute platform for running untrusted code at very high scale, with GPUs, snapshots and tunnels.
- gVisor or VM
- GPU
- Pause/resume
Why it’s here: Unmatched scale (tested beyond a million concurrent sandboxes) and the full GPU range inside sandboxes, with gVisor or VM isolation and memory snapshots. The pick for RL and evals; sandbox rates are a premium over Modal’s standard compute.
Vercel Sandbox
Firecracker microVM sandboxes on Vercel’s infrastructure, persistent by default and billed on active CPU, with fine-grained egress control.
- Firecracker microVM
- Pause/resume
Why it’s here: Firecracker microVMs that are persistent by default, a firewall with credential brokering that keeps secrets out of the sandbox, and active-CPU billing that skips idle time. No GPUs or self-hosting.
Fly.io Sprites
Persistent, hardware-isolated Linux computers for AI agents with a durable 100 GB disk, checkpoints, and no compute charges while idle.
- MicroVM
- Pause/resume
Why it’s here: A durable, hardware-isolated computer per agent with a 100 GB disk, one-second checkpoints and no compute charge while asleep. Ideal for long-lived agents; no GPUs.
Cloudflare Sandbox SDK
A TypeScript SDK for Cloudflare Workers that runs untrusted code in Linux sandboxes backed by Cloudflare Containers and Durable Objects.
- MicroVM (Containers)
- Open source
- Snapshots
Why it’s here: MicroVM-backed containers driven from Workers code, with egress and credential injection controlled by your own Worker and global placement. TypeScript-only and slower cold starts (1–3 s).
Freestyle
Full Linux VMs for AI agents with live forking of running VMs, memory-preserving hibernation, VPCs and nested virtualization.
- VM
- Pause/resume
Why it’s here: Full Linux VMs with live forking (including memory), hibernation, nested virtualization and default-deny networking. Vendor-claimed 65 ms starts. TypeScript-only SDK and no published compliance attestations yet.
Blaxel
Perpetual microVM sandboxes for AI agents that drop to standby when idle and resume with memory intact, plus volumes, batch jobs and MCP hosting.
- MicroVM
- BYOC
- Pause/resume
Why it’s here: Perpetual sandboxes that resume quickly from standby, aimed at agents that need to stay available without paying for idle compute.
Northflank Sandboxes
Sandboxes on Northflank’s Kubernetes-based platform — microVMs for CPU work, gVisor for GPUs — on Northflank’s cloud or in your own cloud account.
- Cloud Hypervisor microVM
- BYOC
- GPU
- Pause/resume
Why it’s here: Cloud Hypervisor microVMs, gVisor GPUs and BYOC on any major cloud, alongside a full app platform. Review the October 2026 security incident and response before adopting.
Microsandbox
Open-source, local-first microVM runtime that gives each sandbox its own Linux kernel, with an optional managed cloud.
- MicroVM (libkrun)
- Open source
- Self-hostable
- BYOC
- Snapshots
Why it’s here: The most approachable open-source microVM runtime for running sandboxes on your own machines, with SDKs in five languages and secrets kept out of the VM.
Agent sandbox comparison table
| Sandbox | Isolation | Open source | Self-host / BYOC | Cold start (vendor) | Max session | Snapshots / pause | GPU | SDKs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E2B | Firecracker microVM | Yes | Yes / Yes | Not documented | 1 h / 24 h (Pro) | Yes / Yes | No | Python, JavaScript/TypeScript |
| Daytona | Containers or VMs | No | Not documented / Yes | <90 ms | Unlimited | Yes / Yes | Yes | Python, TypeScript, Ruby, Go, Java |
| Modal Sandboxes | gVisor or VM | No | No / Not documented | <1 s | Up to 24 h | Yes / Yes | Yes | Python, JavaScript/TypeScript, Go |
| Vercel Sandbox | Firecracker microVM | No | No / No | Milliseconds (claim) | 24 h (Pro) | Yes / Yes | Not documented | JavaScript/TypeScript, Python |
| Fly.io Sprites | MicroVM | No | No / No | 0.1–2 s wake | Unlimited | Yes / Yes | No | JavaScript/TypeScript, Go, Python, Elixir |
| Cloudflare Sandbox SDK | MicroVM (Containers) | Yes | No / No | 1–3 s | No fixed cap | Yes / Not documented | Not documented | TypeScript (Workers) |
| Freestyle | VM | No | No / Not documented | 65 ms | Unlimited (paid) | Yes / Yes | Not documented | TypeScript |
| Blaxel | MicroVM | No | No / Yes | <25 ms resume | Unlimited (standby) | Yes / Yes | Not documented | TypeScript, Python, Go |
| Northflank Sandboxes | Cloud Hypervisor microVM | No | No / Yes | <1 s | Unlimited | Not documented / Yes | Yes | JavaScript/TypeScript, Python |
| Microsandbox | MicroVM (libkrun) | Yes | Yes / Yes | <100 ms | Not documented | Yes / Not documented | No | TypeScript, Python, Rust, Go, Ruby, CLI, MCP server |
What is an agent sandbox?
An agent sandbox is an isolated, programmable computer where an AI agent can run the code it writes, install packages, edit files and browse — without touching your machine, your production systems or other users’ data. Most hosted sandboxes start in under a second or two, are driven from an SDK, and isolate workloads with microVMs or gVisor. Read the full explainer: What is an AI agent sandbox?
How we rank
Every fact on this site comes from providers’ own documentation and is dated; cold-start numbers are vendor claims. Rankings are editorial and per use case, based on documented capabilities: isolation, startup, state, workload range, network control, deployment options, developer experience and pricing transparency. No provider pays for placement. Read the methodology.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best AI agent sandbox?
What is an agent sandbox?
Which agent sandboxes are open source?
Which agent sandboxes support GPUs?
Are microVMs safer than containers for AI agents?
How much does an agent sandbox cost?
Is Runloop shutting down?
How many agent sandboxes does this site track?
Cite this page
Agent Sandboxes. (2026). Best AI agent sandboxes in 2026. agentsandboxes.org. Last reviewed November 8, 2026. https://agentsandboxes.org/
Found an error or a missing sandbox? Submit a correction — every entry links to the sources it relies on.