sandboxd
FreeSelf-hosted open-source dev sandboxes with AI agents and preview URLs
By Tanmay Verma, Founder · Last verified 05 Jul 2026
1 views
Added 8d ago
87/100Safe BetIn short
sandboxd — Self-hosted open-source dev sandboxes with AI agents and preview URLs. Best for AI app-builder product teams (e.g., Lovable, Bolt, v0), Agent platform builders needing isolated workspaces per coding agent, Teams managing per-user or per-branch preview environments. Free to use.
Is sandboxd actually worth it?
LiveSee what real users actually say. We scan live discussions, reviews and complaints across the web and hand you an honest verdict — in under a minute.
3 free scans · no card needed · downloadable report
Editorial Verdict
Best for
AI app-builder product teams (e.g., Lovable, Bolt, v0)Agent platform builders needing isolated workspaces per coding agentTeams managing per-user or per-branch preview environmentsMulti-app hosting for small internal tools on one serverCoding playgrounds with disposable, resource-capped environments
Not ideal for
Developers wanting a single container for themselves (docker run suffices)Teams needing managed/cloud sandbox service with zero opsUsers requiring Kubernetes-native orchestrationNon-technical users who expect a web UI or managed service
An excellent lightweight open-source choice for AI product builders who need to host many sandboxes on a single server. It's not for solo devs or teams wanting a managed cloud service.
Skip sandboxd if Skip sandboxd if you need a managed cloud sandbox service with zero ops, or if you're a solo developer who just needs a single container.
Compare with: sandboxd vs Zhipu GLM, sandboxd vs BitNet, sandboxd vs Chrome DevTools MCP
Last verified: July 2026
What's new in sandboxd
Checked 3 days agoAcross the latest 1 update: 1 launch.
Viability Score
87/100
Safe BetHow likely is sandboxd to still be operational in 12 months? Based on 4 signals — momentum (how recently it shipped), wrapper dependency, revenue model, and web presence.
momentum
100
funding runway
40
website health
90
wrapper dependency
100
Last calculated: July 2026
How we score →Key Features
- One-command self-hosted setup (./install.sh)
- Isolated Docker containers per sandbox
- Per-sandbox filesystem and memory limits
- Live preview URLs with automatic routing and TLS
- Sandbox idle sleep and instant wake
- Pre-installed OpenCode and Claude Code CLIs
- REST API for create sandbox, exec, write files
- Streaming results over SSE
- SQLite-based state management
- Traefik HTTPS routing and termination
- Reconciler converges Docker state on reboot
- Host-memory pressure reaper for multi-tenant safety
- Custom API provider keys per sandbox
- MIT licensed for commercial use
- Open source self-hosted
About sandboxd
FreeIntermediateAPI availableAPI · CLI · Web
sandboxd turns one ordinary Linux server into a fleet of isolated development environments. Each sandbox is a lightweight Docker container with its own filesystem, memory limits, pre-installed AI coding agents (OpenCode and Claude Code CLIs), and a live preview URL with automatic routing and TLS. Sandboxes idle to zero memory usage and wake instantly on request, making it economical to run dozens of environments on a single machine. The primary audience is teams and product builders who manage many sandboxes for users or agents. Use cases include AI app-builder SaaS products (like Lovable, Bolt, v0), agent platforms needing isolated workspaces per coding agent, per-user or per-branch preview environments, and internal coding playgrounds. It is not designed for individuals who need just one or two containers — a simple docker run suffices. Under the hood, sandboxd is a single Go binary orchestrating Docker containers, with Traefik for HTTPS preview URLs and SQLite for state management. No Kubernetes, no separate database, no message queue — the entire codebase can be understood in an afternoon. Setup is a single command (`./install.sh`), and the project is MIT licensed. Unlike SaaS sandbox providers, sandboxd keeps code, data, and API keys on hardware you control — a $20 VPS or an on-premise server. It provides a REST API for creating sandboxes, executing commands, writing files, and streaming results over SSE. For teams who need cost-effective, self-hosted multi-tenant sandbox infrastructure, sandboxd offers a strong open-source foundation.
Behind the Verdict
If you're building an AI app-builder like Lovable or Bolt, sandboxd hands you the multi-tenant isolation, preview URLs, and agent orchestration in one command. It's hard to beat the simplicity: a single Go binary, SQLite, and Docker — no Kubernetes required. The idle-to-zero memory trick means a $20 VPS can host dozens of sandboxes where competitors would need a cluster. We'd reach for this when we want to own the infrastructure and keep API keys on-prem. That said, sandboxd is not a managed service. You run it yourself — patching, backups, and scaling are on you. It's also overkill for a single dev environment; docker run is simpler. Compared to SaaS options like Modal or Replit, you trade ops burden for cost control and data sovereignty. The documentation is lean but honest about being "beta-quality" — expect to read the source for advanced debugging. If you need Kubernetes-native orchestration or a web UI out of the box, look elsewhere. In practice, sandboxd shines when you have dozens of sandboxes for users or agents and want to keep monthly costs under $50. The API is straightforward, and the MIT license means you can fork and adapt. Just budget time for self-hosting basics like TLS hardening and monitoring.
Researching sandboxd? Get your full AI stack in 60 seconds.
Free, no signup — tell us your goal and get tools matched to your budget & existing stack.
Real-world workflow fit
Concrete scenarios for the personas sandboxd actually fits — and what changes day-one when you adopt it.
AI app-builder product engineer
A user types 'build me a todo app' in your SaaS. Your backend calls sandboxd's API to create a sandbox, injects a prompt into the pre-installed OpenCode CLI, and streams progress via SSE.
Outcome: Within seconds, the user sees a live preview URL of a working todo app, isolated from other users.
Agent platform builder
You have multiple AI agents that need isolated workspaces. For each agent run, you create a sandbox with custom API keys, exec commands, and read results.
Outcome: Agents operate in isolation, with no cross-contamination, and resources are freed when idle.
DevOps engineer managing preview environments
Every pull request triggers a webhook that creates a sandbox, deploys the branch, and returns a preview URL that sleeps when inactive.
Outcome: Developers get instant, shareable preview URLs without provisioning full VMs or paying for always-on instances.
Use Cases
- Build an AI app-builder backend that live-previews every user's generated app on a shared server
- Give each coding agent an isolated sandbox with its own API keys and filesystem
- Spin per-branch preview environments for web apps that automatically sleep when not accessed
- Hand out disposable coding playgrounds to workshop attendees with resource limits
- Host multiple internal tools on a single VPS, each at its own URL, waking only when used
- Run a prompt-to-app pipeline where a user prompt triggers an agent to write and preview code in seconds
Models Under the Hood
OpenCodeClaude Code
as of 2026-07-01
Limitations
- As self-hosted software, sandboxd requires maintaining a Docker host and managing server resources.
- It does not offer managed scaling across multiple machines or built-in rate limiting per user.
- Preview URLs are only accessible if the host is reachable from the internet.
as of 2026-07-01
12-month cost
Project the real annual outlay, including the implied monthly cost when only an annual tier is published.
Annual total
Free
Over 12 months
Effective monthly
—
—
Vendor list price only. Add-on usage, seat overages, and contract minimums are surfaced under Hidden costs & gotchas.
Plans compared
For each published sandboxd tier: who it actually fits, and what it adds vs. the previous tier. Cross-reference the cost calculator above for projected annual outlay.
Self-Hosted (Open Source)
Free
Integrations
Where the pricing makes sense
The company stage and team size where sandboxd's pricing actually pencils out — and where peers do it cheaper.
sandboxd is free open-source (MIT). You only pay for your server (e.g., $20/mo VPS). Compared to SaaS sandbox providers that charge per sandbox-hour, sandboxd can be dramatically cheaper at scale. No per-seat or per-sandbox fees.
Setup time & first value
How long it actually takes to get something useful out of sandboxd — broken out by persona, not the marketing-page minute.
For a technical user with a Linux server and Docker installed: sandboxd installs in under 5 minutes via a single command (`./install.sh`). First sandbox can be created in another minute via the API. For non-technical users, expect to spend an hour setting up a server and understanding the API.
Switching to or from sandboxd
How to bring data in from common predecessors and how to get it back out — written for the switcher, not the buyer.
Migrating in
- →From manual Docker setup: replace your docker run scripts with sandboxd's API for automatic TLS, sleep/wake, and isolation.
- →From a SaaS sandbox provider: export your sandbox images as Dockerfiles or tarballs, then push them into sandboxd via the REST API.
Migrating out
- ↗To a managed sandbox service: export SQLite state and workspace directories, then import into the new provider's API.
- ↗To plain Docker: extract sandbox configurations and convert to docker-compose files (loses sleep/wake and TLS routing).
Resources & Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
Tools that pair well with sandboxd
Common stack mates teams adopt alongside sandboxd, with the specific reason each pairing earns its keep.
Featured Head-to-Head Comparisons
Alternatives to sandboxd
View allUsed sandboxd? Help shape our editorial sentiment research.