Cua
Open-source computer-use infrastructure: Linux sandboxes as gVisor containers and macOS or Windows sandboxes as VMs, run locally, in your own cloud account or as shared "Spaces". The broadest open-source option for computer-use sandboxes across macOS, Linux and Windows, now firmly a self-run toolkit after the hosted cloud shut down.
Overview
Cua (trycua/cua on GitHub, about 32k stars) is an open-source toolkit for computer-use agents. Its cua SDK (Python, TypeScript, Rust) and CLI create sandboxes from published images: Ubuntu 24.04 runs as a gVisor container by default, while macOS 15/26, Windows Server 2022, Omarchy and Android images run as VMs through Lume (Apple's Virtualization.Framework on Apple silicon) or QEMU, with HVF, KVM or Hyper-V acceleration depending on the host. Sandboxes default to the local machine; the docs also describe running them in your own AWS, Google Cloud or Modal account. Cua Driver lets agents operate native apps and browsers on macOS, Windows and Linux via CLI, MCP or SDK, and Cua Bench creates and scores computer-use tasks.
Sandboxes persist until destroyed (or are ephemeral within a context block); suspend/resume checkpoints containers and snapshots QEMU VMs. Cua Spaces is a desktop app that turns computers you own into shared desktops for agents, with a relay for remote use; it is source-available under FSL-1.1-MIT (each release becomes MIT after two years) and is the paid tier ($18/month Pro, $30/seat Teams). Cua's hosted Cua Cloud and Fleets ended on 18 October 2026, and the older cua-computer, cua-agent and cuabot packages are no longer maintained; the migration guide points to local, own-cloud or Spaces targets instead.
Notable
- Cua Cloud and Fleets ended on 18 October 2026;
on="cloud"now raises a "Cua Cloud has ended" error (migration guide) - Repository has about 32.1k stars and 2.4k forks; core is MIT, Cua Spaces and Driver Bench are FSL-1.1-MIT, cua-som is AGPL-3.0
- Spaces pricing: Free (2 computers, 20 remote hours/month), Pro $18/month, Teams $30/seat/month
Cua specifications
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Isolation | Linux images run as gVisor containers by default (runc optional); macOS and Windows images run as VMs via Lume (Apple Virtualization.Framework on Apple silicon) or QEMU |
| Deployment | Open-source project · Self-hostable |
| Open source | Yes (MIT) |
| SDKs and interfaces | Python, JavaScript/TypeScript, Rust, CLI, MCP server |
| Cold start (vendor claim) | Not documented |
| Max session length | Persistent sandboxes live until you destroy them; ephemeral sandboxes are deleted when the async with block exits. Spaces plans meter "remote hours" per month (20 Free, 200 Pro) |
| Persistence | suspend, resume and restart keep state: containers are paused or checkpointed, QEMU VMs are snapshotted, Lume VMs are stopped with their disk kept |
| GPU | Not documented in the sandbox reference |
| Networking | network="default" gives outbound access like a Docker container; network="none" removes egress but requires a local QEMU VM (unsupported for containers and Lume). Ports exposed via service(), public_url() (TTL 60 s to 24 h) and tunnels |
| Pricing | SDK, CLI, Driver and Lume are free (MIT). Cua Spaces: Free $0; Pro $18/month or $15/month billed yearly; Teams $30/seat/month or $25/seat/month billed yearly. Cua does not host compute; VMs in your AWS, Google Cloud or Modal account are billed by that provider |
| Free tier | Free to self-host; Spaces Free plan includes 2 computers in use at once and 20 remote hours per month |
| Compliance | Not documented |
| Regions | Not documented |
Facts from Cua’s public documentation, verified November 9, 2026. Performance numbers are vendor claims.
Strengths and trade-offs
Strengths
- You want macOS, Linux and Windows computer-use sandboxes from one open-source SDK
- You need macOS VMs on Apple silicon for agents that must drive native Mac apps
- You run sandboxes on your own hardware or cloud account and want no vendor-hosted compute
- You are building computer-use benchmarks or training data with Cua Bench
Trade-offs
- No hosted compute: you provision and pay for machines yourself (Cua Cloud ended October 2026)
- Licensing is mixed across the repository (MIT, FSL-1.1-MIT, AGPL components) and must be checked per directory
- Egress-free networking is only supported for local QEMU VMs, not gVisor containers or Lume
- No compliance attestations are documented
Good fit for: Teams that want open-source computer-use sandboxes on their own Macs, servers or cloud accounts, including macOS VMs on Apple silicon.
Use cases Cua fits
- Computer use: Open-source computer-use sandboxes on your own Macs, servers or cloud accounts, including macOS VMs on Apple silicon.
- Open source & self-hosted: Open-source computer-use sandboxes spanning macOS, Linux and Windows VMs.
How Cua compares
| Sandbox | Isolation | Open source | Self-host / BYOC | Cold start (vendor) | Max session | Snapshots / pause | GPU | SDKs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cua | gVisor container or VM | Yes | Yes / No | Not documented | Until destroyed | Yes / Yes | Not documented | Python, JavaScript/TypeScript, Rust, CLI, MCP server |
| Scrapybara | Not documented | No | No / No | <1 s (claimed) | 1 h default, configurable | No / Yes | No | Python, JavaScript/TypeScript, REST API, MCP server, CLI |
| Orgo | Isolated VM (hypervisor not named) | No | No / No | Seconds (claimed) | Unlimited (paid) | Yes / Yes | Yes | Python, JavaScript/TypeScript, REST API, CLI, MCP server |
| Kasm Workspaces | Docker container | No | Yes / No | Not documented | Admin-defined | No / Not documented | Yes | REST API |
| Microsandbox | MicroVM (libkrun) | Yes | Yes / Yes | <100 ms | Not documented | Yes / Not documented | No | TypeScript, Python, Rust, Go, Ruby, CLI, MCP server |
| Docker Sandboxes | MicroVM | No | Yes / No | Not documented | Until removed (local) | Yes / Yes | Yes | sbx CLI, TypeScript (cloud), REST API (cloud) |
| gVisor | User-space kernel | Yes | Yes / No | ms (claim) | Not documented | Yes / Not documented | Yes | CLI |
Frequently asked questions
What is Cua?
How does Cua isolate code?
Is Cua open source?
How much does Cua cost?
What are the alternatives to Cua?
Sources
Cite this page
Agent Sandboxes. (2026). Cua. agentsandboxes.org. Last reviewed November 9, 2026. https://agentsandboxes.org/sandboxes/cua/
Found an error or a missing sandbox? Submit a correction — every entry links to the sources it relies on.