Sandbox + full app platform
Agents need isolated compute plus APIs, DBs, GPUs, or BYOC — not only a code jail.
At a glance — Oct 2026
Updated 2026-10-27 · forward this page: /jtbds/platform-sandbox#briefScores as of 2026-09-14 (43 days old; Depot marks scores stale after 30 days). The pick is still Depot's current editorial pick; it has not been re-reviewed since. Prices below carry their own dates.
- Depot Pick
- Northflank · 7.61/10 for this job (curated estimate, high confidence)
Capability breadth of platform vs pure sandbox DX.
- Runner-up
- Daytona · 8.35/10
Scores higher than the pick on: Capability fit, Price / performance, Latency / reliability, Developer & agent DX, Privacy / data retention, Lock-in risk (higher = worse).
- When not to use the pick
- Disposable code exec only — E2B; simple web app — Railway.
- Lock-in / migration
- Runner-up Daytona has lower stored lock-in risk (3 vs 5.5, 0–10, higher = more lock-in).
- Sourced price (no comparable unit)
Pick: no sourced price in this job's unit (no_sourced_price).
No cheapest SKU (no_comparable_unit_for_job). No price was invented.
- Free option
- No free resource lists this job. A cheap paid SKU is not a free option.
- Failure modes to watch
- Collateral side effects: Snapshot the workspace or app state, then diff it against an allowlist. A passing check plus an unexpected diff is a failure.
Cite: Agent Provider Depot, Depot Pick for platform-sandbox: northflank, scores as of 2026-09-14. Agents: GET /api/decide?jtbd=platform-sandbox
Northflank
Capability breadth of platform vs pure sandbox DX.
Pricing (directional): As of 2026-09-14 (northflank.com/pricing live): CPU $0.01667/vCPU-hr; Memory $0.00833/GB-hr; Disk $0.15/GB-mo; egress $0.06/GB. GPUs: L4 $0.80, A100 40GB $1.42, A100 80GB $1.76, H100 80GB $2.74, RTX PRO 6000 $3.00/hr. Predefined plans e.g. …
Lock-in risk: higher = more lock-in (worse). Overall already inverts this dimension.
Choose when the agent needs a whole app platform, not just a code jail. E2B for pure sandboxes; Railway for simple apps.
Quote for Sandbox + full app platform
Depot Pick stays Northflank. Prices below are sourced SKU rows only (as of 2026-10-27). Input and output are not blended. GET /api/quote?jtbd=platform-sandbox
Nothing was compared. no comparable sourced unit for this job; chat input $/1M and other units were not borrowed pickIsPriceWinner is null.
Sourced price unavailable for the Depot Pick. No row in the pricing index.
2 of 4 candidates have no sourced price row. 4 are excluded from the Matching price comparison (none). no comparable sourced unit for this job; chat input $/1M and other units were not borrowed
Runners-up
Daytona
Choose when agents need sticky filesystems and full dev environments. E2B for disposable code exec. Confirm…
Modal
Depot darling for Python agent backends and bursty GPU jobs. If you think in functions not VMs, start here.
Railway
Depot favorite for shipping agent APIs quickly. When bills climb, move steady-state to Fly/Hetzner/DO.
When NOT to use the top pick
Disposable code exec only — E2B; simple web app — Railway.
Full ranking (score table)
Ranked with this JTBD's weights. Scores are curated estimates unless marked otherwise. Agents: prefer /api/decide then this table for tie-breaks.
| # | Provider | Overall | Fit | $/perf | Latency | DX | As of |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Modal | 8.6 | 9.0 | 8.2 | 8.6 | 9.6 | 2026-10-19 |
| 2 | Daytona | 8.3 | 8.8 | 8.2 | 8.2 | 8.8 | 2026-09-14 |
| 3 | Railway | 8.2 | 8.2 | 7.8 | 8.4 | 9.4 | 2026-09-14 |
| 4 | NorthflankDepot Pick | 7.6 | 8.0 | 7.4 | 7.8 | 8.0 | 2026-09-14 |
Score methodology for this job
Capability breadth of platform vs pure sandbox DX.
capabilityFit: 30%pricePerformance: 15%latencyReliability: 15%developerDx: 20%privacyPosture: 8%lockInRisk: 5%maturity: 7%