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Sandbox profile · Cloud or model provider service

AgentBay

Answer in brief

Alibaba Cloud's on-demand cloud sandboxes for agents, offering browser, Windows/Linux desktop, Android cloud-phone and code-space environments through one SDK. The broadest environment mix of the cloud-native options, with transparent compute pricing, but an undocumented isolation layer.

By the Agent Sandboxes editors · Updated

Overview

AgentBay (SDK package wuying-agentbay-sdk) is Alibaba Cloud's managed sandbox service for agents. A session is created from an image such as browser_latest, code_latest, linux_latest or a custom image, and the SDK exposes modules for command execution, file operations, Git, browser automation (Playwright and Puppeteer compatible), Computer Use on Windows and Linux desktops, and Mobile Use on cloud Android devices. Access is through Python, TypeScript, Go and Java SDKs, a CLI and an MCP server. Alibaba describes the environments as sandboxed with safe isolation but does not document the virtualisation layer.

Sessions are explicitly temporary: data is lost when a session is released, and a lifecycle policy sets an idle timeout (default 5 minutes) and a maximum runtime (default 30 minutes) unless manual release is chosen. Durable state goes into Contexts, OSS-backed directories synced into a session path at start and end, or mounted live in a beta mode. Billing combines a plan (free Basic with 10 concurrent sessions, Pro at $149/month and Ultra at $225/month with 200 sessions each) with per-second compute at $0.027 per core-hour and $0.0113 per GB-hour; the trial page gives rough burn rates of about 0.71 points/hour for browser or code sessions and 1.43 for desktop or mobile. The international deployment is in Singapore.

Notable

  • Pro plan $149/month and Ultra $225/month, each with 200 concurrent sessions; Basic is free with 10
  • Default session lifecycle: 5-minute idle release, 30-minute maximum runtime, both configurable per session
  • SDKs in four languages (Java artifact at 0.20.0) under Apache-2.0; a research paper is published as arXiv 2512.04367

AgentBay specifications

AttributeDetails
IsolationCloud-hosted environment instances described as sandboxed with "safe isolation"; the virtualisation technology is not named
DeploymentCloud or model provider service
Open sourceNo
SDKs and interfacesPython, JavaScript/TypeScript, Go, Java, CLI, MCP server
Cold start (vendor claim)Not documented
Max session lengthLifecycle policy per session: idle release timeout default 5 minutes (backend minimum 3), maximum runtime default 30 minutes from creation, or manual release only; keep_alive() resets the idle timer
PersistenceSessions are temporary and lose data when released; Contexts (AgentBay-managed OSS directories) persist across sessions via Context Sync at start/end or Context Mount (beta, aio-ubuntu-2404 image only); pause/resume is a whitelist-only beta
GPUNot documented
NetworkingBasic bandwidth of 10 Mbps on the free Basic plan; premium bandwidth on Pro and Ultra billed at $0.123 per GB inbound
PricingPlans plus pay-as-you-go: Basic free, Pro $149/month, Ultra $225/month (+$1.5 per extra concurrent session per month); CPU $0.027 per core-hour, memory $0.0113 per GB-hour billed per second, storage overage $0.000045 per GiB-hour; built-in agents metered in Credits at $0.0267 each
Free tierBasic plan: free, 10 concurrent sessions, 100 GiB storage, system images only; one-time trial voucher of 100 points for compute
ComplianceNot documented
RegionsDeployed in Singapore (international site); a separate China site exists

Facts from AgentBay’s public documentation, verified November 9, 2026. Performance numbers are vendor claims.

Strengths and trade-offs

Strengths

  • You need browser, Windows/Linux desktop and Android environments from a single provider and SDK
  • You run on Alibaba Cloud or need a Singapore-hosted sandbox
  • You want a free plan with 10 concurrent sessions to prototype on
  • You want Playwright or Puppeteer scripts to drive the hosted browser unchanged

Trade-offs

  • Isolation technology is not documented
  • Sessions default to a 30-minute maximum and lose all data on release unless Contexts are configured
  • Compliance certifications and GPU support are not documented; pause/resume and Context Mount are beta or whitelist-only
  • Account prerequisites (Alibaba Cloud account, trial not available to RAM users) add friction outside China and Southeast Asia

Good fit for: Browser, desktop and mobile automation agents that need Chinese-cloud or Singapore-hosted environments.

Use cases AgentBay fits

  • Computer use: Browser, desktop and mobile environments hosted in Alibaba Cloud regions, including Singapore.

How AgentBay compares

SandboxIsolationOpen sourceSelf-host / BYOCCold start (vendor)Max sessionSnapshots / pauseGPUSDKs
AgentBayCloud environment instanceNoNo / NoNot documented30 min default; configurableNo / Not documentedNot documentedPython, JavaScript/TypeScript, Go, Java, CLI, MCP server
AWS Bedrock AgentCoreMicroVM (Runtime)NoNo / NoNot documentedUp to 8 hNot documented / Not documentedNoPython (AgentCore SDK), AWS SDKs, AWS CLI
BrowserbaseIsolated Chromium sessionNoNo / No<2 s (claim)6 h (15 min Free)No / NoNoPython, JavaScript/TypeScript, REST API, MCP server
ScrapybaraNot documentedNoNo / No<1 s (claimed)1 h default, configurableNo / YesNoPython, JavaScript/TypeScript, REST API, MCP server, CLI
E2BFirecracker microVMYesYes / YesNot documented1 h / 24 h (Pro)Yes / YesNoPython, JavaScript/TypeScript
OpenSandboxContainers or FirecrackerYesYes / No64 ms P50 (claimed)Not documentedNot documented / YesNot documentedPython, JavaScript/TypeScript, Java, Kotlin, Go, C#, CLI, MCP server, REST API
CuagVisor container or VMYesYes / NoNot documentedUntil destroyedYes / YesNot documentedPython, JavaScript/TypeScript, Rust, CLI, MCP server

See all AgentBay alternatives →

Frequently asked questions

What is AgentBay?
Alibaba Cloud's on-demand cloud sandboxes for agents, offering browser, Windows/Linux desktop, Android cloud-phone and code-space environments through one SDK. The broadest environment mix of the cloud-native options, with transparent compute pricing, but an undocumented isolation layer.
How does AgentBay isolate code?
AgentBay documents its isolation as: Cloud-hosted environment instances described as sandboxed with "safe isolation"; the virtualisation technology is not named.
Is AgentBay open source?
No, AgentBay is not open source.
How much does AgentBay cost?
Plans plus pay-as-you-go: Basic free, Pro $149/month, Ultra $225/month (+$1.5 per extra concurrent session per month); CPU $0.027 per core-hour, memory $0.0113 per GB-hour billed per second, storage overage $0.000045 per GiB-hour; built-in agents metered in Credits at $0.0267 each Check the official pricing page for current rates.
What are the alternatives to AgentBay?
Common alternatives include AWS Bedrock AgentCore, Browserbase, Scrapybara, E2B, OpenSandbox, Cua. See AgentBay alternatives for a full comparison.

Sources

  1. alibabacloud.com/en/product/agentbay
  2. alibabacloud.com/help/en/agentbay/
  3. alibabacloud.com/help/en/agentbay/product-overview/agentbay-billing-instructions
  4. alibabacloud.com/help/en/agentbay/product-overview/new-user-trial-instructions
  5. github.com/aliyun/wuying-agentbay-sdk
  6. github.com/aliyun/wuying-agentbay-sdk/blob/main/docs/guides/common-features/basics/session-management.md
  7. github.com/aliyun/wuying-agentbay-sdk/blob/main/docs/guides/common-features/basics/data-persistence.md

Cite this page

Agent Sandboxes. (2026). AgentBay. agentsandboxes.org. Last reviewed November 9, 2026. https://agentsandboxes.org/sandboxes/alibaba-agentbay/

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