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Docker Sandboxes

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Docker's microVM sandboxes for running AI coding agents isolated from your host

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Conditional

Docker Sandboxes is a free way to let coding agents such as Claude Code, Codex or Gemini run with full sudo inside a microVM with its own kernel, Docker Engine, deny-by-default networking and proxy-injected credentials. Conditional on patching and mount discipline: releases from 0.28.0 until the 0.42.0 fix carry a critical macOS host-file escape, and the default mount is read-write, so the agent edits your working tree in place. Right for developers running agents unattended.

AI-Powered

Isolation runtime that hosts third-party coding agents in microVMs; it runs no model itself.

Is it right for you?

Good for

  • Giving an agent full sudo and its own Docker Engine without exposing the host kernel
  • Keeping API keys out of the agent: the host proxy injects auth headers and raw credentials never enter the VM
  • Reviewing agent work before it touches your tree: `--clone` mounts the repo read-only and the agent works on a private clone
  • Running many agents one way: eleven are supported, including Claude Code, Codex, Copilot, Cursor, Devin, Gemini and OpenCode

Not good for

  • Unpatched installs: versions 0.28.0 to before 0.42.0 on macOS let guest code read or modify arbitrary host files
  • Protecting the working tree under the default mount: changes to Git hooks and build scripts reach the host immediately
  • Isolating local MCP servers, which run on the host with host permissions
  • Intel Macs, Windows 10 or Windows on Arm, or Ubuntu before 24.04: it needs Apple silicon on macOS 14+, Windows 11 on a 64-bit Intel or AMD processor, or Ubuntu 24.04+ with KVM

Our experience

We haven't tested Docker Sandboxes ourselves. This profile is based on public documentation, user reviews, and community feedback.

Pricing

Freemium
sbx CLI$0
  • Free, including for commercial work
  • Docker account sign-in required
Cloud sandboxesPay-as-you-go
  • Run on Docker-managed cloud infrastructure
  • Model-provider charges are separate
  • Rate not read on the overview page
Organization governanceNot published
  • Centralized network, filesystem and MCP policies
  • Separate paid subscription
View full pricing

No verdict changes yet

The clock starts day one. Changes land here as our verdict evolves.

Sources

Verification log

  • Profile· No changes

    Automated agent

  • Status· No changes

    Automated agent

  • Pricing· Updated

    Automated agent

    Overview page now states cloud sandboxes use a pay-as-you-go subscription with model-provider charges separate; added a Cloud sandboxes tier (rate not published on the page). sbx CLI and local compute free including commercial use, and org governance on a separate paid subscription, unchanged.

How we evaluate

Want this running in your business?

We tested this tool and we build with tools like it every day. Tell us the workflow and we will set it up, integrate it and hand it over working.

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