Docker Sandboxes vs Smol Machines
Docker Sandboxes costs $0.07 per vCPU-hour and Smol Machines costs $0.05 per vCPU-hour. Docker Sandboxes runs microVMs and limits a session to 24 hours. Smol Machines runs microVMs.
Updated
Docker Sandboxes
- Isolation
- MicroVM
- Free tier
- $25 credit, one time
- Max session
- 24 hours
Smol Machines
- Isolation
- MicroVM
- Free tier
- $100 credit, one time
- Max session
- Not listed
What is different
8 fields differ. The rest are the same or not listed.
Docker Sandboxes
Smol Machines
- vCPU, per hour
- Docker Sandboxes: $0.07
- Smol Machines: $0.05
- RAM, per GiB-hour
- Docker Sandboxes: Included
- Smol Machines: $0.0162
- Free tier
- Docker Sandboxes: $25 credit, one time
- Smol Machines: $100 credit, one time
- Billing
- Docker Sandboxes: Bundled machine time
- Smol Machines: Active CPU time only
- Largest sandbox
- Docker Sandboxes: 16 vCPU · 32 GiB
- Smol Machines: 32 vCPU · 32 GiB
- Concurrent sandboxes
- Docker Sandboxes: Up to 10
- Smol Machines: Up to 1,000
- Snapshots
- Docker Sandboxes:
- Smol Machines: No
- SDKs
- Docker Sandboxes: JavaScript / TypeScript
- Smol Machines: TypeScript, Python, Rust
Full comparison
18 fields, at each provider's list price
Docker Sandboxesdocker
Smol Machinessmolmachines
Pricing
- vCPU, per hour
- Docker Sandboxes: $0.07
- Smol Machines: $0.05
- RAM, per GiB-hour
- Docker Sandboxes: Included
- Smol Machines: $0.0162
- Storage
- Docker Sandboxes: Not listed
- Smol Machines: $0.0001 per GiB-hour
- Free tier
- Docker Sandboxes: $25 credit, one time
- Smol Machines: $100 credit, one time
- Paid plan from
- Docker Sandboxes: Pay as you go
- Smol Machines: Pay as you go
- Billing
- Docker Sandboxes: Bundled machine time
- Smol Machines: Active CPU time only
Limits
- Max session
- Docker Sandboxes: 24 hours
- Smol Machines: Not listed
- Idle stop
- Docker Sandboxes: Not listed
- Smol Machines: Not listed
- Largest sandbox
- Docker Sandboxes: 16 vCPU · 32 GiB
- Smol Machines: 32 vCPU · 32 GiB
- Concurrent sandboxes
- Docker Sandboxes: Up to 10
- Smol Machines: Up to 1,000
Platform
- Isolation
- Docker Sandboxes: MicroVM
- Smol Machines: MicroVM
- GPU
- Docker Sandboxes: Not listed
- Smol Machines: No
- Snapshots
- Docker Sandboxes:
- Smol Machines: No
- Pause and resume
- Docker Sandboxes:
- Smol Machines:
Developer
- SDKs
- Docker Sandboxes: JavaScript / TypeScript
- Smol Machines: TypeScript, Python, Rust
- Integrations
- Docker Sandboxes: MCP, Claude Code
- Smol Machines: Not listed
Trust
- License
- Docker Sandboxes: Not listed
- Smol Machines: Apache-2.0
- BYOC
- Docker Sandboxes: Not listed
- Smol Machines: Not listed
Hourly cost
One sandbox running for one hour
Docker Sandboxes
Smol Machines
- 1 vCPU · 2 GiB
- Docker Sandboxes: $0.070
- Smol Machines: $0.082
- 2 vCPU · 4 GiB
- Docker Sandboxes: $0.140
- Smol Machines: $0.165
- 4 vCPU · 8 GiB
- Docker Sandboxes: $0.280
- Smol Machines: $0.330
Compute only, at list rates.
Open the calculatorWhich one fits
Based on the fields above
Docker Sandboxes fits when
- You use MCP or Claude Code.
- You want the lower list price: $0.140 against $0.165 an hour for 2 vCPU and 4 GiB.
- You need snapshots.
Smol Machines fits when
- You want an open-source platform (Apache-2.0) that you can self-host.
- You want the larger free credit: $100 against $25.
- Your code waits a lot: CPU is billed only while it is in use.
- You need a sandbox larger than 16 vCPU · 32 GiB.
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