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BoxcomputeboxyExplainer
Choosing an AI agent sandbox in 2026: E2B, Daytona, Modal, Vercel and BoxCompute
Summary
The post compares five AI agent sandbox services—E2B, Daytona, Modal, Vercel Sandbox, and BoxCompute—across start time, persistence, region, and pricing. Fast-starting sandboxes boot in under a second (E2B 80–150 ms, Daytona under 90 ms, Modal under 0.5 s, Vercel milliseconds) for short-lived tasks, while BoxCompute boots a full Linux VM in about 28 seconds (20 s to resume) but keeps disk indefinitely with no cost while stopped. Persistence varies: E2B pauses memory and disk, Daytona keeps filesystem, Modal and Vercel use snapshots that expire after 30 days. Region options differ, with BoxCompute only in Malaysia, while others offer APAC regions at varying prices (Modal adds 15–75% cost). Pricing comparisons show BoxCompute’s per-vCPU cost is higher, but its price includes the BoxCompute agent and AI usage during early access, unlike competitors that charge only for compute.
Context
The post is a vendor comparison from BoxCompute’s perspective, comparing five sandbox services for AI agents. It provides detailed tables and analysis of start times, persistence, regions, pricing, and use cases, with explicit sourcing from each provider’s documentation.
Approach / What changed
The post compares five services across four dimensions: start time, persistence, region, and pricing. It uses data from each provider’s documentation and BoxCompute’s own production measurements. It explicitly states where BoxCompute is slower or more expensive.
Takeaways
BoxCompute boots a new VM in ~28 seconds, much slower than sub-second competitors, but keeps disk indefinitely with no cost while stopped, suiting long-running agent projects.
E2B pauses sandboxes with memory intact, allowing processes to resume exactly where they left off, while Modal and Vercel use filesystem snapshots that expire after 30 days.
BoxCompute’s pricing includes its own agent and AI usage during early access, while other providers charge only for compute and require a separate agent.
FAQ
How fast does BoxCompute start compared to others?
BoxCompute takes about 28 seconds for a new VM and 20 seconds to resume, while competitors claim sub-second starts (E2B 80–150 ms, Daytona under 90 ms, Modal under 0.5 s, Vercel milliseconds). The gap is real, but BoxCompute prioritizes persistent disk and full OS isolation.
What happens to a sandbox's state when it stops?
Persistence varies: BoxCompute keeps disk indefinitely with no cost while stopped; E2B pauses memory and disk; Daytona keeps filesystem but bills reserved disk; Modal and Vercel use snapshots that expire after 30 days.
Which sandbox providers offer regions in Asia?
BoxCompute runs only in Cyberjaya, Malaysia. E2B offers Singapore on Pro plans. Modal allows pinning to ap, jp, au regions at 1.15-1.75x price. Vercel Sandbox runs in 19 regions including Singapore, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Seoul, Osaka, Sydney.
Source and freshness
- Source
- boxcompute.ai
- Published
- Added to Yomu
Summaries are generated from the original by a language model. Check the original before relying on it.
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