What is box?
box is a cloud computing service that provides instant, persistent Linux (Ubuntu) virtual machines designed specifically for AI agents. Created by ASCII, box lets you spin up a full VM with admin rights, SSH access, and a 60fps virtual desktop in about 2 seconds using a simple terminal command. At $0.036 per hour, it positions itself as a significantly more affordable alternative to services like E2B, Daytona, and Modal.
Who it's for
- Agent platform builders who need to run multiple concurrent sandboxed environments for their AI agents at scale
- Software factory operators looking for cost-effective, programmatically controlled compute that doesn't eat into margins
- Developers and researchers who want instant, full Ubuntu VMs with pre-installed devtools for agent testing and experimentation
Key features
Instant provisioning and CLI-first design
Run box new in your terminal and get a fully functional Ubuntu VM in about 2 seconds. The CLI is built for both humans and agents, with commands for SSH access, file transfer, forking from snapshots, and even running Claude Code or Codex directly inside the box.
Pre-configured development environment
Every box comes with Docker, VS Code, Chrome, Ghostty terminal, GitHub CLI, Rust, Node.js, and Bun pre-installed. This means you can start working immediately without spending time on setup, whether you're running agents or doing manual development work.
Snapshot and fork capabilities
You can snapshot a box at any point and instantly fork from that snapshot. This enables rapid cloning of environments, making it easy to scale agent operations or reproduce specific configurations without rebuilding from scratch.
Per-second billing with generous limits
Pricing starts at $20 per month minimum, which buys 2,000,000 VM-seconds (about 555 hours) of dedicated 4 vCPU / 8 GB VM time. You can run up to 100 concurrent boxes per account (with limits raising soon) and up to 1000 concurrent boxes fully self-served.
What stands out
"AI sandboxes that don't get in your way."
box eliminates the friction of traditional cloud computing for agents. While other services charge premium rates for sandboxed environments, box delivers full Ubuntu machines with dedicated IPv4 addresses, Docker support, and a virtual desktop at a fraction of the cost. The combination of instant provisioning, pre-installed tooling, and per-second billing makes it practical to run many agents simultaneously without worrying about cost spiraling out of control.
Worth checking out if…
You're building agentic platforms or software factories that need reliable, affordable, and instantly available Linux environments. If you're currently paying for E2B, Daytona, Modal, or GitHub Codespaces and want to reduce costs by up to 10x while maintaining full machine capabilities, box is worth evaluating. It's also a strong fit if you need programmatic control over your sandboxes through CLI, HTTP API, or Python/TypeScript SDKs, with same-day support from the founders.
