E2B
Secure, disposable cloud sandboxes that let AI agents safely execute generated code without touching real production systems.
🔗 Visit E2B
Description
When an AI assistant writes code and then needs to actually run it — to check it works, plot a chart, or process a file — that code has to execute somewhere. Running untrusted, AI-generated code directly on your own computer or servers is risky: a bug or a bad instruction could delete files or make unwanted network calls. E2B is a disposable, locked-down computer in the cloud that spins up in a fraction of a second, runs that code safely away from anything important, and then disappears. E2B provides secure, ephemeral cloud sandboxes built on Firecracker microVMs — the same lightweight virtualization technology AWS Lambda uses — with sandbox startup times under 200 milliseconds. It ships Python and TypeScript SDKs, supports session durations up to 24 hours on paid tiers, and gives sandboxes real internet access and a terminal, which is what lets an AI agent actually browse, install packages, and interact with tools instead of running in total isolation. The core SDK is open source, and E2B also offers bring-your-own-cloud, on-premises and self-hosted deployment options for teams with stricter compliance needs. Pricing starts free with $100 in usage credits, moves to a Pro plan at $150/month plus usage, and scales to custom Enterprise pricing.
💬 Our review
The short version: E2B is one of the most established players in the fast-growing "sandboxes for AI agents" category, and the combination of sub-200ms startup, real SDKs, and a genuinely open-source core makes it a sensible default rather than a risky bet.
The market got crowded fast in 2026 — Modal, Daytona and Northflank all now ship comparable secure code-execution sandboxes, and Cloudflare entered with V8-isolate-based Dynamic Workers, which are faster to cold-start but can't run arbitrary Linux code the way E2B's Firecracker microVMs can. E2B's honest edge is breadth: full Linux environments, long-running sessions, and self-hosting options that pure-serverless competitors like Cloudflare don't offer. The free $100 credit is generous enough to prototype with seriously before paying, but a team running sandboxes at real production volume should expect the $150/month Pro floor plus metered usage to add up — worth it if you need genuine Linux-level flexibility, overkill if lightweight, short-lived JS execution is all you need.
💰 Pricing
📊 Global score
🤖 AI-enriched data
Pros
Sub-200ms sandbox startup on Firecracker microVMs
Open-source core SDK, plus self-hosted / BYOC options for compliance-sensitive teams
Full Linux environment with internet access, not a restricted JS-only isolate
Cons
Increasingly crowded category — Modal, Daytona and Northflank offer overlapping sandboxes
$150/month Pro floor plus metered usage adds up at production scale
Cloudflare's V8-isolate approach starts faster for pure JS execution, if that's all you need
❓ Frequently asked questions
- Why can't AI-generated code just run on my own machine or server?
- Because it's untrusted — an AI-written script could contain a bug or a bad instruction that deletes files, leaks data or makes unwanted network calls. E2B runs it in a disposable, isolated sandbox instead, so nothing important is at risk.
- How fast does an E2B sandbox start?
- Under 200 milliseconds, using Firecracker microVMs — the same lightweight virtualization AWS Lambda is built on — which is fast enough to spin up a fresh sandbox for every single agent task.
- Can I self-host E2B?
- Yes — beyond the hosted cloud service, E2B offers bring-your-own-cloud, on-premises and self-hosted deployment options for teams with stricter data or compliance requirements.
- What can run inside an E2B sandbox?
- A full Linux environment with internet access and a terminal — so an AI agent can install packages, browse, run scripts and interact with real tools, not just execute isolated snippets.
- Is it worth the money compared to alternatives?
- The $100 free credit and open-source SDK make E2B cheap to evaluate. At production scale, the $150/month Pro floor plus metered usage is comparable to Modal and Daytona; if you specifically need full Linux flexibility and self-hosting, it's worth it over Cloudflare's faster but more restricted V8-isolate sandboxes.
- Which tool should you pick for your case?
- Need full Linux sandboxes with self-hosting options: E2B. Already using Modal for GPU workloads and want sandboxes in the same platform: Modal. Need compliance-first enterprise sandboxing: Daytona. Want the fastest possible cold start for pure JS execution: Cloudflare Dynamic Workers.