Docker Sandboxes vs Runtime

Docker Sandboxes costs $0.07 per vCPU-hour and Runtime costs $0.025 per vCPU-hour. Docker Sandboxes runs microVMs and limits a session to 24 hours. Runtime runs Firecracker microVMs and has no session limit.

Updated

Docker Sandboxes

Isolation
MicroVM
Free tier
$25 credit, one time
Max session
24 hours

Runtime

Isolation
Firecracker microVM
Free tier
100 hours of a 1 GB machine in the first 30 days
Max session
No limit

What is different

11 fields differ. The rest are the same or not listed.

Docker Sandboxes
Runtime
vCPU, per hour
Docker Sandboxes: $0.07
Runtime: $0.025
RAM, per GiB-hour
Docker Sandboxes: Included
Runtime: $0.0075
Storage
Docker Sandboxes: Free
Runtime: $0.000119 per GiB-hour after 10 free GiB
Free tier
Docker Sandboxes: $25 credit, one time
Runtime: 100 hours of a 1 GB machine in the first 30 days
Billing
Docker Sandboxes: Bundled machine time
Runtime: Active CPU time only
Max session
Docker Sandboxes: 24 hours
Runtime: No limit
Largest sandbox
Docker Sandboxes: 16 vCPU · 32 GiB
Runtime: 16 vCPU · 64 GiB
Concurrent sandboxes
Docker Sandboxes: Up to 10
Runtime: Up to 200
Isolation
Docker Sandboxes: MicroVM
Runtime: Firecracker microVM
SDKs
Docker Sandboxes: JavaScript / TypeScript
Runtime: JavaScript / TypeScript, Python, Go, Ruby, Java
Integrations
Docker Sandboxes: MCP, Claude Code
Runtime: OpenAI Agents SDK, Vercel AI SDK, Claude Agent SDK, LangChain, MCP, Claude Code

Full comparison

18 fields, at each provider's list price

Pricing

vCPU, per hour
Docker Sandboxes: $0.07
Runtime: $0.025
RAM, per GiB-hour
Docker Sandboxes: Included
Runtime: $0.0075
Storage
Docker Sandboxes: Free
Runtime: $0.000119 per GiB-hour after 10 free GiB
Free tier
Docker Sandboxes: $25 credit, one time
Runtime: 100 hours of a 1 GB machine in the first 30 days
Paid plan from
Docker Sandboxes: Pay as you go
Runtime: Pay as you go
Billing
Docker Sandboxes: Bundled machine time
Runtime: Active CPU time only

Limits

Max session
Docker Sandboxes: 24 hours
Runtime: No limit
Idle stop
Docker Sandboxes: Not listed
Runtime: After 5 minutes
Largest sandbox
Docker Sandboxes: 16 vCPU · 32 GiB
Runtime: 16 vCPU · 64 GiB
Concurrent sandboxes
Docker Sandboxes: Up to 10
Runtime: Up to 200

Platform

Isolation
Docker Sandboxes: MicroVM
Runtime: Firecracker microVM
GPU
Docker Sandboxes: Not listed
Runtime: No
Snapshots
Docker Sandboxes:
Runtime:
Pause and resume
Docker Sandboxes:
Runtime:

Developer

SDKs
Docker Sandboxes: JavaScript / TypeScript
Runtime: JavaScript / TypeScript, Python, Go, Ruby, Java
Integrations
Docker Sandboxes: MCP, Claude Code
Runtime: OpenAI Agents SDK, Vercel AI SDK, Claude Agent SDK, LangChain, MCP, Claude Code

Trust

License
Docker Sandboxes: Not listed
Runtime: Not listed
BYOC
Docker Sandboxes: Not listed
Runtime: Not listed

Hourly cost

One sandbox running for one hour

Docker Sandboxes
Runtime
1 vCPU · 2 GiB
Docker Sandboxes: $0.070
Runtime: $0.040
2 vCPU · 4 GiB
Docker Sandboxes: $0.140
Runtime: $0.080
4 vCPU · 8 GiB
Docker Sandboxes: $0.280
Runtime: $0.160

Compute only, at list rates.

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Which one fits

Based on the fields above

Docker Sandboxes fits when

  • You need SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001 and GDPR.

Runtime fits when

  • A session must run longer than 24 hours.
  • You use the OpenAI Agents SDK, the Vercel AI SDK, the Claude Agent SDK or LangChain.
  • You want the lower list price: $0.080 against $0.140 an hour for 2 vCPU and 4 GiB.
  • You need a desktop in the sandbox.

More comparisons

See all comparisons

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