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Alternatives

qbox alternatives

Answer in brief

The 5 alternatives below are grouped by kind of sandbox, and each says what it does differently from qbox. 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 qbox

An early self-hosted Firecracker orchestrator worth watching, but its alpha label and undocumented licensing make it a trial rather than a platform decision today.

  • Alpha software with no admission control; capacity planning is on you.
  • Licence, source availability and pricing are not documented.
  • x86_64 Linux only; no hosted option.
  • Pause/resume, GPU and session limits are not documented.

qbox alternatives, by kind

Open-source runtimes to self-host

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

  • Arrakis

    Self-hosted microVM sandbox for agent code execution and computer use, with snapshot-and-restore and a VNC-accessible GUI in every VM.

    • Cloud Hypervisor microVM
    • Open source
    • Self-hostable
    • Snapshots

    How it differs: Self-hosting a GUI-capable microVM sandbox with snapshot/restore for computer-use and code-execution agents. A single-maintainer, AGPL microVM sandbox that stands out for bundling a GUI and snapshot/restore for self-hosters on Linux.

    Full profile →Arrakis 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 ↗

  • OpenSandbox

    Apache-2.0 sandbox runtime for agents that starts on Docker, scales on Kubernetes and offers a Firecracker "Fast Sandbox" with pause/resume.

    • Containers or Firecracker
    • Open source
    • Self-hostable
    • Pause/resume

    How it differs: Teams that want an open, multi-language sandbox API they can run from a laptop Docker daemon up to a Kubernetes cluster. The most broadly supported open sandbox API of this batch, with real microVM isolation available once you are on Kubernetes.

    Full profile →OpenSandbox alternativesWebsite ↗

  • Pullrun

    Apache-2.0 sandbox runtime that runs the same OCI image as a runc container, a Firecracker microVM on Linux or an Apple Virtualization VM on macOS, with a CLI and MCP server.

    • Firecracker / Apple VM / runc
    • Open source
    • Self-hostable
    • Snapshots

    How it differs: Running agent workloads from OCI images as microVMs on your own Linux hosts or Apple Silicon Macs. A promising self-hosted OCI-to-microVM runtime for teams who want to own the sandbox layer, but not yet a hosted platform.

    Full profile →Pullrun alternativesWebsite ↗

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 ↗

qbox vs alternatives

SandboxIsolationOpen sourceSelf-host / BYOCCold start (vendor)Max sessionSnapshots / pauseGPUSDKs
qboxFirecracker microVMNot documentedYes / No<1 s (claim)Not documentedNot documented / Not documentedNot documentedPython, CLI, REST API
ArrakisCloud Hypervisor microVMYesYes / NoNot documentedNot documentedYes / Not documentedNot documentedPython, REST API, CLI, MCP server
FirecrackerKVM microVMYesYes / No<125 ms (spec)Not documentedYes / YesNoREST API, CLI
MicrosandboxMicroVM (libkrun)YesYes / Yes<100 msNot documentedYes / Not documentedNoTypeScript, Python, Rust, Go, Ruby, CLI, MCP server
OpenSandboxContainers or FirecrackerYesYes / No64 ms P50 (claimed)Not documentedNot documented / YesNot documentedPython, JavaScript/TypeScript, Java, Kotlin, Go, C#, CLI, MCP server, REST API
PullrunFirecracker / Apple VM / runcYesYes / No~500 ms (claim)Not documentedYes / Not documentedNot documentedCLI, MCP server

Frequently asked questions

What are the main alternatives to qbox?
Arrakis, Firecracker, Microsandbox, OpenSandbox, Pullrun. Which one fits depends on what you need that qbox does not offer; each entry above explains how it differs.
Is there an open-source alternative to qbox?

Cite this page

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

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