Agent Sandboxesagentsandboxes.org
Alternatives

libkrun alternatives

Answer in brief

The 5 alternatives below are grouped by kind of sandbox, and each says what it does differently from libkrun. Start from whatever made you look: missing GPUs, session limits, self-hosting, pricing or isolation.

By the Agent Sandboxes editors · Updated

Why teams look beyond libkrun

The microVM library to reach for when you want VM isolation inside your own tool, especially on macOS.

  • Described by its own README as "partially isolated"; devices you expose become part of the attack surface
  • No snapshot/restore or pause/resume documented
  • Rust and C only; no higher-level SDK or control plane
  • Windows support is upcoming, not shipped

libkrun alternatives, by kind

Open-source runtimes to self-host

Open-source sandbox runtimes you run on your own servers or Kubernetes.

  • Celesto (SmolVM)

    Open-source microVM "computers" for agents from Celesto AI, published as the smolvm package, with Firecracker on Linux and QEMU on macOS, plus a hosted cloud option.

    • Firecracker / QEMU microVM
    • Open source
    • Self-hostable
    • Pause/resume

    How it differs: Running agent computers as microVMs on your own Linux or Apple Silicon machine, with the same API available as a hosted cloud computer. A young, alpha-labelled but feature-rich open-source microVM runtime that is easy to try locally on macOS or Linux and has a per-hour cloud behind it.

    Full profile →Celesto (SmolVM) alternativesWebsite ↗

  • 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

    How it differs: Self-hosted microVM isolation on developer machines or your own servers. The most approachable way to get microVM-grade isolation locally or self-hosted.

    Full profile →Website ↗

Isolation primitives and runtimes

The hypervisors, user-space kernels, OS sandboxes and WebAssembly runtimes that sandbox platforms build on.

  • Firecracker

    The KVM-based microVM monitor from AWS that underpins Lambda and Fargate, and the sandboxes of E2B, Vercel, Fly.io, Koyeb and Northflank.

    • KVM microVM
    • Open source
    • Self-hostable
    • Pause/resume

    How it differs: Building your own microVM sandbox fleet on Linux hosts with KVM. The reference microVM primitive for sandbox platforms; choose it when you are building a platform rather than consuming one.

    Full profile →Firecracker alternativesWebsite ↗

  • Kata Containers

    An OCI runtime that runs each Kubernetes pod in a lightweight VM with its own kernel, on QEMU, Cloud Hypervisor, Firecracker, Dragonball or StratoVirt.

    • VM per pod
    • Open source
    • Self-hostable
    • GPU

    How it differs: Kubernetes clusters that need VM isolation per pod without leaving the container toolchain. The standard way to put a VM boundary around Kubernetes pods; choose it when your sandboxes are already pods.

    Full profile →Kata Containers alternativesWebsite ↗

Local sandboxes for coding agents

Isolation for agents like Claude Code, Codex or Gemini CLI on your own laptop.

  • Apple container

    Apple's open-source CLI that runs each Linux container in its own lightweight virtual machine on Apple silicon Macs.

    • Lightweight VM per container
    • Open source

    How it differs: Running Linux containers for coding agents on an Apple silicon Mac with VM-grade isolation instead of a shared VM. The strongest isolation you can get for local containers on a Mac from the OS vendor itself, at the cost of maturity and platform reach.

    Full profile →Apple container alternativesWebsite ↗

libkrun vs alternatives

SandboxIsolationOpen sourceSelf-host / BYOCCold start (vendor)Max sessionSnapshots / pauseGPUSDKs
libkrunIn-process microVMYesYes / NoNot documentedNot documentedNot documented / Not documentedYesRust, C
Apple containerLightweight VM per containerYesNo / NoSub-second (claimed)Not documentedNo / NoNot documentedCLI
Celesto (SmolVM)Firecracker / QEMU microVMYesYes / No~500 ms (claim)Not documentedYes / YesNot documentedPython, JavaScript/TypeScript, CLI, MCP server
FirecrackerKVM microVMYesYes / No<125 ms (spec)Not documentedYes / YesNoREST API, CLI
Kata ContainersVM per podYesYes / NoNot documentedNot documentedNot documented / Not documentedYesCLI
MicrosandboxMicroVM (libkrun)YesYes / Yes<100 msNot documentedYes / Not documentedNoTypeScript, Python, Rust, Go, Ruby, CLI, MCP server

Frequently asked questions

What are the main alternatives to libkrun?
Apple container, Celesto (SmolVM), Firecracker, Kata Containers, Microsandbox. Which one fits depends on what you need that libkrun does not offer; each entry above explains how it differs.
Is there an open-source alternative to libkrun?

Cite this page

Agent Sandboxes. (2026). libkrun alternatives. agentsandboxes.org. Last reviewed November 9, 2026. https://agentsandboxes.org/alternatives/libkrun/

Found an error or a missing sandbox? Submit a correction — every entry links to the sources it relies on.