AI Sandbox Comparison 2026: E2B vs Lifo vs Daytona
AI agents need somewhere to run code. That's the core problem every sandbox solves — give an LLM a safe, isolated environment to execute the code it generates, read the output, and iterate.
Two years ago, this category barely existed. Today, there are four serious options for an ai sandbox comparison, each with a different architecture, pricing model, and set of trade-offs. If you're building an AI agent, a coding assistant, or any product where AI-generated code needs to run, this guide covers what you need to know to pick the right one.
Here's the short version:
- E2B — Cloud microVMs. The established player. Full Linux, pay-per-second.
- Lifo — Browser-native OS. Free, instant, offline. MIT-licensed.
- Daytona — Docker-based cloud sandboxes. Stateful, Git-native, enterprise-focused.
- WebContainers — Browser-based Node.js. Proprietary, powers Bolt.new.
The Master Comparison Table
| Feature | E2B | Lifo | Daytona | WebContainers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Firecracker microVMs | Browser (Web Workers + Wasm) | Docker/OCI containers | Browser (custom runtime) |
| Execution location | Cloud (E2B infra or BYOC) | User's browser | Cloud (Daytona infra or self-hosted) | User's browser |
| Startup time | ~200ms | ~0ms | ~90ms (claimed) | ~200-500ms |
| Pricing | $0.05/hr CPU + $150/mo Pro | Free (MIT license) | $0.067/hr (1 vCPU) + $200 free credits | Free tier + commercial license |
| Free tier | 100 sandbox hours/mo | Unlimited (forever) | $200 in credits | 500 sessions/mo (commercial) |
| Max session | 1hr (Hobby) / 24hr (Pro) | Unlimited | Configurable (stop/resume) | Varies by plan |
| Concurrency | 20 (Hobby) / 100 (Pro) | Browser memory limited | Scalable | Per plan |
| Languages | Any (full Linux) | JS, TS, Python/C/Rust (Wasm) | Any (full Linux/Docker) | Primarily Node.js/JS |
| Filesystem | Ephemeral (per session) | Persistent (IndexedDB) | Persistent (stop/resume/archive) | Ephemeral (in-memory) |
| Offline support | No | Yes | No | Limited |
| Shell | Full Linux | Bash-like (60+ commands) | Full Linux | jsh (basic) |
| Isolation | Hardware (Firecracker) | Browser sandbox | Docker containers | Browser sandbox |
| Open source | Apache 2.0 | MIT | Apache 2.0 | Proprietary |
| Self-hostable | Yes (BYOC/on-prem) | N/A (client-side) | Yes | Enterprise only |
| Snapshot/state | No native snapshots | Persistent by default | Stop/resume/archive | No |
| Git integration | No native | No native | Built-in | No native |
| Network access | Full | Browser fetch | Full | Service Worker-based |
| Funding | $35M | Open-source/bootstrapped | $31M ($24M Series A) | $135M+ (StackBlitz) |
E2B: The Established Cloud Sandbox
What it is: Firecracker microVMs running on E2B's infrastructure. The first major dedicated AI sandbox product.
Architecture: Every sandbox is an isolated microVM using Firecracker (the technology behind AWS Lambda). Your agent calls E2B's API, a VM spins up in ~200ms, your code runs on server hardware, and results come back over the network.
Pricing: $0.05/hr per vCPU. Pro plans start at $150/month with 100 sandbox hours included. RAM is bundled with CPU pricing. Pay-per-second billing means you only pay when code is actually running.
Best for: Teams that need full Linux compatibility, strong hardware-level isolation, and don't mind cloud costs. E2B has the most mature SDK (Python and JavaScript) and the largest community in the AI sandbox space.
Limitations: Every interaction adds network latency (50-200ms per round-trip). No native filesystem persistence — sandboxes are ephemeral. Costs scale linearly with usage. Requires internet connection.
Key stats: $35M raised. Apache 2.0 licensed. SDK available in Python and JavaScript.
Lifo: The Browser-Native Alternative
What it is: A browser-native operating system that maps Web APIs to POSIX interfaces. Code runs entirely in the user's browser tab.
Architecture: Lifo uses Web Workers for execution, WebAssembly for multi-language support, and IndexedDB for persistent storage. It provides a bash-like shell with 60+ Unix commands, a POSIX-compatible virtual filesystem, and a programmatic API for embedding in applications.
Pricing: Free. Forever. MIT-licensed. No usage limits, no session caps, no commercial restrictions.
Best for: Products where cost, latency, or offline capability are primary constraints. AI coding assistants, interactive documentation, educational platforms, browser IDEs, and any application where code execution is a core feature serving thousands of users.
Limitations: Constrained to browser capabilities — no native binaries, no GPU access, limited to JavaScript, TypeScript, and Wasm-compiled languages (Python, C, Rust). Browser-level isolation rather than hardware-level. Can't match server hardware for CPU-intensive workloads.
Key stats: MIT licensed. 250+ GitHub stars in first week. Open-source on GitHub.
Daytona: The Stateful Enterprise Sandbox
What it is: Docker/OCI container-based cloud sandboxes with native state management. Pivoted from dev environments to AI agent infrastructure in early 2025.
Architecture: Each sandbox is a Docker container with configurable CPU, memory, and disk. Daytona's differentiator is state management: you can stop a sandbox (pause compute, keep state), resume it later, or archive it to cheaper storage. Built-in Git integration and language server support.
Pricing: $0.067/hr for a 1 vCPU / 1 GiB sandbox. $200 in free credits to start. Stopped sandboxes only pay for storage. Startups can apply for up to $50,000 in additional credits.
Best for: Enterprise teams building AI agents that need long-lived, stateful environments. The stop/resume/archive lifecycle makes Daytona cost-effective for workloads that aren't always active — spin up a sandbox, do some work, stop it, come back hours or days later.
Limitations: Newer to the market (pivoted in 2025). Docker-based isolation is less secure than Firecracker microVMs for running truly untrusted code. Currently only available in the iad1 region for cloud-hosted.
Key stats: $31M raised ($24M Series A, Feb 2026). $1M ARR in under 3 months. Apache 2.0 licensed.
WebContainers: The Proprietary Browser Runtime
What it is: A proprietary browser-based runtime that runs Node.js inside a browser tab. Built by StackBlitz, powers Bolt.new ($40M ARR).
Architecture: WebContainers virtualizes a Linux-like environment in the browser using a custom runtime. Service Workers intercept network requests to simulate a server. Supports full npm package installation at runtime and dev server hot-reload.
Pricing: Free for open-source projects and prototypes. Commercial use requires a StackBlitz plan (500 sessions/month on free commercial tier, paid licenses beyond that). Enterprise plans for self-hosting.
Best for: Products that need full Node.js ecosystem support in the browser — dev servers, framework hot-reload, runtime npm installation. If you're building a StackBlitz or Bolt.new-style product and don't mind the licensing constraints.
Limitations: Proprietary — can't fork, modify, or self-host without an enterprise license. Commercial use is capped and metered. Primarily Node.js focused. In-memory filesystem resets on page reload. StackBlitz controls the licensing, pricing, and roadmap.
Key stats: StackBlitz raised $135M+. $700M valuation. Bolt.new hit $40M ARR in 6 months. 7+ years of development.
Cost Comparison at Scale
Here's what each option costs for a product running AI agent sandboxes at different scales. Assumptions: average session = 3 minutes, 1 vCPU, 2 GB RAM.
10,000 sessions/month
| Platform | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|
| E2B | ~$45 (after $150 Pro base, net of included hours) |
| Lifo | $0 |
| Daytona | ~$34 (covered by $200 free credits initially) |
| WebContainers | Free tier (500 sessions) exceeded; license needed |
100,000 sessions/month
| Platform | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|
| E2B | ~$570 |
| Lifo | $0 |
| Daytona | ~$335 |
| WebContainers | Commercial license (contact sales) |
1,000,000 sessions/month
| Platform | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|
| E2B | ~$5,150 |
| Lifo | $0 |
| Daytona | ~$3,350 |
| WebContainers | Enterprise license (contact sales) |
The pattern: cloud sandboxes scale linearly with usage. Lifo stays at zero because compute is on the user's device.
Performance Comparison
Startup Time
| Platform | Cold Start | Warm Start |
|---|---|---|
| E2B | ~200ms | ~100ms |
| Lifo | ~0ms | ~0ms |
| Daytona | ~90ms (claimed) | Near-instant (resume) |
| WebContainers | ~200-500ms | ~100ms |
Lifo wins on startup because there's no VM or container to boot — the runtime is already in the browser. Daytona claims the fastest cloud startup at 90ms. E2B's Firecracker boots in ~200ms.
Interaction Latency
For AI agent workflows, what matters is the latency per tool call — each "run this code" or "read this file" command.
Cloud sandboxes (E2B, Daytona): Every interaction is a network round-trip. Typical latency: 50-200ms per call. A 10-step agent loop adds 0.5-2 seconds of network overhead.
Browser sandboxes (Lifo, WebContainers): Interactions are local function calls. Latency: sub-millisecond. The 10-step agent loop adds effectively zero overhead.
For real-time interactive products (AI assistants, live coding), browser-based execution delivers a noticeably snappier experience.
Compute Power
| Platform | Max Resources | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| E2B | 8 vCPUs (configurable) | Moderate compute |
| Lifo | Browser device limits | Light-to-moderate compute |
| Daytona | Configurable (enterprise-scale) | Heavy compute |
| WebContainers | Browser device limits | Node.js workloads |
Cloud sandboxes win when workloads need serious hardware. Browser sandboxes win when workloads need speed and zero cost.
Choosing the Right Sandbox
Choose E2B when:
- You need the most mature, battle-tested AI sandbox SDK
- Full Linux compatibility is non-negotiable
- Hardware-level isolation matters (untrusted multi-tenant code)
- Your team wants the largest community and most documentation
- Budget comfortably covers cloud usage costs
Choose Lifo when:
- Cost is a primary constraint (free at any scale)
- You're building client-side tools (browser IDEs, tutorials, AI assistants)
- Offline support matters
- You want zero infrastructure overhead — no API keys, no billing
- Privacy is critical (code stays on-device)
- You need persistent filesystem out of the box
- You want MIT-licensed, fully open-source infrastructure you own
Choose Daytona when:
- You need stateful sandboxes (stop, resume, archive)
- Built-in Git integration is valuable
- You're an enterprise team with long-lived agent environments
- Docker ecosystem compatibility matters
- You want to self-host on your own infrastructure
Choose WebContainers when:
- You need full Node.js runtime compatibility in the browser
- Your product is a dev environment with framework hot-reload
- You're comfortable with proprietary licensing
- Runtime npm installation is a core requirement
The Architecture Decision Tree
Here's a simplified way to think about it:
Does your code need to run on a server?
- Yes → Choose between E2B (best isolation), Daytona (best state management), or Vercel Sandbox (best for Vercel ecosystem)
- No → Choose between Lifo (open-source, general-purpose OS) or WebContainers (proprietary, Node.js-focused)
Is cost your primary constraint?
- Yes → Lifo ($0 at any scale)
- No → Choose based on technical requirements
Do you need offline support?
- Yes → Lifo (only option that works fully offline)
- No → All options work
Do you need persistent sandbox state?
- Yes → Lifo (browser persistence) or Daytona (cloud persistence with stop/resume)
- No → E2B or WebContainers
Is full Linux compatibility required?
- Yes → E2B or Daytona
- No → Lifo or WebContainers
What's Next for AI Sandboxes
The sandbox market is evolving fast. A few trends to watch:
Browser runtimes are catching up. WebAssembly now supports threads, SIMD, and garbage collection. The V8 engine gets faster every release. The gap between browser and server execution narrows every year.
Stateful sandboxes are becoming the norm. Daytona's stop/resume model makes more sense for long-lived agent workflows than ephemeral VMs. Expect other platforms to add state management.
Hybrid architectures will win. The future isn't "browser OR cloud" — it's browser-native for the 80% of tasks that don't need a server, with cloud fallback for the 20% that do. Products like Lifo for lightweight execution and E2B/Daytona for heavy compute can coexist in the same product.
Open source will accelerate. E2B, Lifo, and Daytona are all open-source. WebContainers is the outlier. As the market matures, open-source options will close the feature gap with proprietary alternatives.
Getting Started
Try Lifo — zero setup, runs in your browser:
npm install @lifo-sh/core
import { Sandbox } from '@lifo-sh/core';
const sandbox = await Sandbox.create();
const result = await sandbox.exec('echo "Hello from the browser"');
console.log(result.stdout);
Try E2B:
npm install @e2b/code-interpreter
import { Sandbox } from '@e2b/code-interpreter';
const sandbox = await Sandbox.create();
const execution = await sandbox.runCode('print("Hello from the cloud")');
console.log(execution.text);
Try Daytona:
npm install @daytona/sdk
import { Daytona } from '@daytona/sdk';
const daytona = new Daytona();
const sandbox = await daytona.create();
const result = await sandbox.process.executeCommand('echo "Hello from Daytona"');
console.log(result.output);
All three open-source options are free to start with. The right choice depends on where your code needs to run, how much you're willing to pay, and whether you need to own your infrastructure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which AI sandbox is best for a startup?
It depends on your technical requirements and budget. If cost is your top concern, Lifo is free at any scale. If you need full Linux compatibility and have budget for cloud costs, E2B has the most mature SDK. If you need stateful, long-lived sandboxes, Daytona's stop/resume model is cost-efficient. Most startups should start with the cheapest option that meets their technical needs and upgrade later.
Can I use multiple sandboxes in the same product?
Yes, and this is increasingly common. Use Lifo for lightweight, interactive tasks (AI chat with code execution, in-browser playgrounds) and a cloud sandbox (E2B or Daytona) for heavy workloads (full builds, test suites, multi-language compilation). This hybrid approach minimizes cost while maximizing capability.
Which sandbox has the best security isolation?
E2B's Firecracker microVMs provide the strongest isolation — the same technology that powers AWS Lambda. Daytona uses Docker containers, which are good but not as strong as hardware-level isolation. Lifo and WebContainers use browser sandboxing, which is well-tested but different in nature from server-side isolation. For running truly untrusted code from external users, E2B's isolation model is the safest choice.
Are any of these sandboxes truly free?
Lifo is the only option that's free at any scale with no restrictions. E2B has a free hobby tier (100 sandbox hours/month). Daytona gives $200 in free credits. WebContainers is free for open-source projects but requires commercial licensing for production use. "Free tier" and "free forever" are very different things.
Which sandbox works offline?
Only Lifo. It runs entirely in the browser with no server dependency. E2B, Daytona, and WebContainers (for initial load) all require an internet connection. If your product needs to work in offline environments — field work, airplanes, areas with poor connectivity — Lifo is the only option.