Question 1

What is a sandbox / devbox?

Accepted Answer

A sandbox (or devbox) is an isolated, fully managed compute environment where developers and AI coding agents can write, run, and test code without affecting production systems. Think of it as a disposable or persistent virtual machine spun up on demand.

Question 2

What's the difference between a sandbox for coding agents vs. a devbox for engineers?

Accepted Answer

Sandboxes (like Blacksmith's) are optimized for AI coding agents, short-lived, fast-booting VMs built to run CI-like workloads such as builds and integration tests. Devboxes (like Namespace's) are persistent environments designed for human developers, with IDE integrations, SSH access, and state that survives across sessions.

Question 3

Can I run Docker inside a sandbox?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Full VM-based sandboxes support Docker, system packages, and background services. This makes them ideal for integration tests and workflows that mirror a CI/CD environment exactly.

Question 4

How fast do sandboxes start?

Accepted Answer

It depends on the provider and use case. Full VM sandboxes prioritize raw performance for builds and tests over cold-start speed. If you need sub-second cold starts with minimal system access, a lighter-weight code execution environment may be a better fit.

Question 5

Can I customize the environment with my own dependencies?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You can define your environment using standard Dockerfiles, check them into source control, and share reproducible environments across your team. Some providers also support pre-captured environment snapshots to speed up boot times.

Question 6

What architectures and platforms are supported?

Accepted Answer

Leading sandbox providers support both x86 and ARM architectures, as well as Linux, Windows, and macOS (including Apple Silicon). Multi-region availability is also common for low-latency access.

Question 7

How does pricing work?

Accepted Answer

Most providers use per-minute pricing. You only pay when your environment is actively running. Paused or idle environments don't incur compute charges. Plans typically scale by resource tier (small, medium, large, etc.).

Question 8

How do I connect to my devbox?

Accepted Answer

Devboxes support multiple connection methods including SSH, web terminals, and direct IDE integrations (VSCode, Cursor, JetBrains, Zed). Connections are typically tunneled securely, with no public IPs or open ports required.

Question 9

Is this a good fit for AI coding agents?

Accepted Answer

Full VM sandboxes are a great fit for agents that need to run tests, compile code, or interact with Docker. They're less suited for agents that only need simple code interpretation or browser-based UI tasks.

Question 10

How do I get started?

Accepted Answer

Most providers offer a simple SDK or CLI to spin up your first environment in seconds. For example, with Blacksmith you can create a sandbox with just a few lines of JavaScript; with Namespace you authenticate via CLI and connect your GitHub repo.

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