Agent Sandboxesagentsandboxes.org
Sandbox profile · Hosted platform

Docker Cloud Sandboxes

Answer in brief

The cloud counterpart to Docker's local agent sandboxes: the same sbx CLI and Kits running microVMs on Docker-managed compute, metered per second under the experimental Docker Agentic Platform. A natural step up for Docker Sandboxes users, but an experimental platform without public pricing for anyone choosing a sandbox from scratch.

By the Agent Sandboxes editors · Updated

Overview

Docker announced Cloud Sandboxes on 24 September 2026 as the cloud extension of its local Docker Sandboxes product. The same sbx CLI, with a global --cloud flag, creates, attaches to, copies files into and removes sandboxes that run as microVMs on Docker-managed infrastructure instead of the developer's machine, so agentic runs continue after a laptop closes and teams can scale without their own servers. Kits (OCI images packaging an agent, tools and access rules) and policies work identically in both places, and sbx move carries a filesystem snapshot between local and cloud. A Sandboxes REST API with an OpenAPI spec and a TypeScript SDK let applications create cloud sandboxes directly.

Cloud and local sandboxes keep separate state, credentials, secrets, network policy and volumes; cloud sandboxes cannot mount host paths or use host hardware, expose ports via public HTTPS URLs, and expire after one hour by default. Access requires the Docker Agentic Platform subscription, which the docs label experimental, with compute billed per second at unpublished rates and no recurring fee. Regions, compliance and size tables are not published on the pages read. Because the site already lists the local product, this record covers only what is cloud-specific.

Notable

  • Announced 24 September 2026 at WeAreDevelopers North America, "available today"
  • Requires sbx CLI 0.45.0 or later and a Docker Agentic Platform subscription, which the docs call experimental
  • Docker plans to submit the Kits spec to the CNCF

Docker Cloud Sandboxes specifications

AttributeDetails
IsolationMicroVM with a separate kernel per sandbox and its own Docker Engine, "the same microVM isolation and policies as local sandboxes"; hypervisor not named
DeploymentHosted platform
Open sourceNo
SDKs and interfacesCLI, JavaScript/TypeScript, REST API
Cold start (vendor claim)Press release: boots in the "low hundreds of milliseconds" with secrets, policy and agent configuration preconfigured (vendor claim)
Max session lengthExpires after 1 hour by default; the timeout action can stop a resumable sandbox or delete it, and the press release says agents can run unattended for hours; no maximum stated
PersistenceSandboxes that can be resumed are stopped rather than deleted at expiry; sbx move copies a filesystem snapshot between cloud and local (processes and memory are not transferred); the API manages images, snapshots and volumes; files are deleted on rm
GPUNo - cloud sandboxes have no host hardware access (GPU, USB, display are local-only)
NetworkingDeny-by-default policy at account and sandbox level, opened per host with --allow-network (e.g. github.com:443); credentials are injected by a proxy so raw values never enter the VM; ports are exposed through public HTTPS URLs; L7 method/path filtering is not supported in the cloud; no sandbox-to-sandbox networking
PricingPay-as-you-go compute metered in seconds by runtime and CPU/memory configuration under a Docker Agentic Platform subscription with no recurring fee; rates are not published; 1-16 vCPUs per the press release; model-provider inference billed separately
Free tierNone stated for cloud; the sbx CLI and local sandboxes are free
ComplianceNot documented
RegionsNot documented

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

Strengths and trade-offs

Strengths

  • You already use Docker Sandboxes locally and want identical policies and Kits in the cloud
  • You need agent runs to continue after your laptop shuts down
  • You want credential injection and deny-by-default networking enforced outside the VM

Trade-offs

  • Compute rates, regions and compliance are not published
  • The Docker Agentic Platform subscription is labelled experimental
  • No host hardware (GPU, display, USB) and no L7 network filtering in the cloud
  • Cloud and local state do not interoperate beyond filesystem moves

Good fit for: Developers already using Docker Sandboxes locally who want the same policies and Kits when a run must outlive the laptop.

How Docker Cloud Sandboxes compares

SandboxIsolationOpen sourceSelf-host / BYOCCold start (vendor)Max sessionSnapshots / pauseGPUSDKs
Docker Cloud SandboxesMicroVM, own kernelNoNo / No~100s of ms (claim)1 h default TTLYes / YesNoCLI, JavaScript/TypeScript, REST API
Docker SandboxesMicroVMNoYes / NoNot documentedUntil removed (local)Yes / YesYessbx CLI, TypeScript (cloud), REST API (cloud)
E2BFirecracker microVMYesYes / YesNot documented1 h / 24 h (Pro)Yes / YesNoPython, JavaScript/TypeScript
DaytonaContainers or VMsNoNot documented / Yes<90 msUnlimitedYes / YesYesPython, TypeScript, Ruby, Go, Java
Depot SandboxesMicroVM on bare metalNoNo / YesNot documented2 h default timeoutYes / NoNot documentedJavaScript/TypeScript, CLI
Railway SandboxesLinux VMNoNo / NoNot documentedNo cap (idle 30 min default)Yes / NoNot documentedJavaScript/TypeScript, CLI, GraphQL API
Vercel SandboxFirecracker microVMNoNo / NoMilliseconds (claim)24 h (Pro)Yes / YesNot documentedJavaScript/TypeScript, Python

See all Docker Cloud Sandboxes alternatives →

Frequently asked questions

What is Docker Cloud Sandboxes?
The cloud counterpart to Docker's local agent sandboxes: the same sbx CLI and Kits running microVMs on Docker-managed compute, metered per second under the experimental Docker Agentic Platform. A natural step up for Docker Sandboxes users, but an experimental platform without public pricing for anyone choosing a sandbox from scratch.
How does Docker Cloud Sandboxes isolate code?
Docker Cloud Sandboxes documents its isolation as: MicroVM with a separate kernel per sandbox and its own Docker Engine, "the same microVM isolation and policies as local sandboxes"; hypervisor not named.
Is Docker Cloud Sandboxes open source?
No, Docker Cloud Sandboxes is not open source.
How much does Docker Cloud Sandboxes cost?
Pay-as-you-go compute metered in seconds by runtime and CPU/memory configuration under a Docker Agentic Platform subscription with no recurring fee; rates are not published; 1-16 vCPUs per the press release; model-provider inference billed separately Check the official pricing page for current rates.
What are the alternatives to Docker Cloud Sandboxes?

Sources

  1. docker.com/press-release/cloud-sandboxes-extending-secure-ai-agent-isolation-beyond-the-laptop/
  2. docs.docker.com/ai/sandboxes/
  3. docs.docker.com/ai/sandboxes/cloud/
  4. docs.docker.com/ai/sandboxes/cloud/local-vs-cloud/
  5. docs.docker.com/ai/sandboxes-api/
  6. docs.docker.com/ai/sandboxes/architecture/
  7. docs.docker.com/ai/sandboxes/security/
  8. docs.docker.com/agentic-platform/signup/
  9. docker.com/products/docker-sandboxes/

Cite this page

Agent Sandboxes. (2026). Docker Cloud Sandboxes. agentsandboxes.org. Last reviewed November 9, 2026. https://agentsandboxes.org/sandboxes/docker-cloud-sandboxes/

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