Sandboxer vs Docker Sandboxes

Docker Sandboxes (the sbx CLI) run coding agents in microVMs with their own Docker daemon, filesystem and network, mostly on your own machine, with an optional cloud mode that expires after one hour by default. The CLI and local compute are free. Pick Docker Sandboxes for local, workspace-mounted agent runs; pick Sandboxer for hosted, long-running Ubuntu VMs with root, public URLs and nested KVM.

Checked against Docker Sandboxes' public docs on October 24, 2026. Sources are linked in the table and listed below.

At a glance

Sandboxer and Docker Sandboxes compared
Capability	Sandboxer	Docker Sandboxes
Isolation	microVM Cloud Hypervisor, its own kernel	microVM (hypervisor) Each sandbox has its own Docker daemon, filesystem and network; cloud sandboxes run on Docker-managed infrastructure.
Full Linux with root	Ubuntu 24.04, sudo, systemd	Not stated on the official pages checked.
Docker inside	Preinstalled	Each sandbox runs its own Docker daemon with its own image cache.
Nested virtualization (/dev/kvm)		Not stated on the official pages checked.
Pause and resume with memory	Running processes come back
Fork a sandbox	Copy-on-write disk copy that boots fresh	Not stated on the official pages checked.
HTTPS URL per port	Private with a token, or public	Not stated on the official pages checked.
Longest session	No limit on paid plans Auto-stop is up to 30 days or off	cloud: 1 hour by default Cloud sandboxes expire after one hour; local sandboxes persist until removed.
Billing	Per second, flat rate per size Stopped sandboxes are free	sbx CLI and local compute free; cloud compute is pay-as-you-go subscription Admin policy management needs a separate paid subscription.
GPUs		partial Configuration docs mention GPU passthrough (local sandboxes).
Self-host or open source		partial Local sandboxes run on your own machine; cloud runs on Docker infrastructure.
Regions	US East (Virginia) and EU Central (Finland)	Not stated on the official pages checked.

= not documented publicly.

Where Docker Sandboxes is strong

Free sbx CLI and local compute, including for commercial use.
Hypervisor-level microVM isolation with a private Docker daemon per sandbox.
Host-side network proxy that keeps credentials out of the VM.
Stopping a sandbox keeps installed packages, Docker images and in-sandbox files until you remove it.

Where Sandboxer differs

Docker Sandboxes run primarily on your own machine; Sandboxer is hosted with public HTTPS URLs per port.
Cloud sandboxes expire after one hour by default; Sandboxer paid plans can run with no time limit.
Cloud sandboxes cannot mount a local workspace, so you clone repos inside.
Docker's pages checked do not document nested KVM, root, public URL or pricing rates.

Pick Docker Sandboxes if

You want agents working directly in a local project directory with free local compute.
You already use Docker tooling and want a private Docker daemon per agent.
You want local GPU passthrough.

Pick Sandboxer if

Sandboxer gives each sandbox a full Ubuntu 24.04 VM with root, systemd and Docker preinstalled.
Sandboxer stop/resume keeps memory and running processes.
Sandboxer exposes any port as an HTTPS URL and bundles Claude Code, Codex and other coding agents.

Sources

Products change. If something here is out of date, email hello@sandboxer.com and we'll fix it. Docker Sandboxes is a trademark of its owner. Sandboxer is an independent product and is not affiliated with Docker Sandboxes.

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