Development environments / Cube Computer alternative

Cube Computer alternative

Cube is a cloud Linux computer operated through a Mac app and remote access. Its files remain on persistent SSD while compute is paused, and the app quotes usage for the selected configuration. Compare its manual machine lifecycle with the storage and compute behavior your agent application requires.

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Reviewed 2026-10-18 · Published by the Sandbox0 team

When Cube Computer fits

Cube fits developers who want a configurable personal agent machine, worktrees, terminals and an integrated Mac interface. Terminals can keep running after the client closes while the cloud machine stays on; coding-agent accounts are supplied separately.

When to consider Sandbox0

Consider Sandbox0 when agent files and installed system tools should live in a whole durable RootFS that expands online, and supported file operations should work while compute remains paused. The client UI, agent installation, repository workflow and model accounts are separate product concerns.

Capabilities

Cube Computer and Sandbox0: what persists?

Feature comparison with documentation and verification status
Environment and runtime lifetimeCube ComputerCloud terminals can keep running after the client quits while the machine remains on and funded.View evidence ↗Sandbox0ttl and hard_ttl default to 0 (disabled). Configure idle pause and deletion policies for the same persistent sandbox identity; an idle running sandbox still accrues compute charges.Read documentation →
Persistent filesCube ComputerSaved files remain on the machine while paused; storage stays billable.View evidence ↗Sandbox0The writable RootFS survives successful checkpoints, including software, system configuration, dependencies, and user data.Read documentation →
Whole RootFSCube ComputerPersistent files/SSD are documented, but the reviewed guide does not enumerate a complete all-system-path RootFS retention contract.View evidence ↗Sandbox0Persistence extends beyond /workspace to paths such as /usr/local, /etc, and /home. Runtime tmpfs and virtual filesystems are excluded.Read documentation →
Release compute, keep stateCube ComputerManual Pause/Start retains saved files; the docs say running processes stop.View evidence ↗Sandbox0Pause compute between tasks; resume on available capacity. Default resume starts fresh processes from the saved filesystem.Read documentation →
Memory and process stateCube ComputerThe reviewed Pause/Start documentation does not establish arbitrary process-memory restoration.View evidence ↗Sandbox0Experimental memory checkpoints can preserve compatible process state. Use memory: true on both pause and resume on a compatible deployment. A filesystem checkpoint alone does not preserve running processes.Read documentation →

Online RootFS growth

On growth-enabled images, Sandbox0 automatically expands the writable RootFS as free space runs low, within a configured sparse logical ceiling up to 64 TiB. Agent processes keep running. Growth is enabled in the qualified Cloud region; confirm activation for other regions. Existing images and snapshots retain their captured storage geometry. The ceiling is logical capacity, not preallocated host disk.

Cube retains SSD data and supports explicit resource/storage changes, but a running spec change restarts the machine and storage shrink copies files. The reviewed guide does not establish automatic online RootFS growth. Sandbox0’s growth-enabled RootFS can expand while agent processes continue running.

Files while compute is paused

Sandbox0's Files API reads persistent files without resuming compute. Filesystem-only pauses also permit edits; retained-memory pauses are read-only and reject mutations with 409. SSH, SFTP, file watching, and runtime-only mounts require running compute.

Cube’s Machine guide says Studio and Tools are veiled while paused and offer Start machine; file backup is documented while running. That is a different access flow from supported read/write operations on Sandbox0’s paused RootFS.

See paused file operations →

Closing the client is different from pausing the machine

Cube’s docs say terminals run on the cloud machine and continue after the app quits. Pause is a separate action: running processes stop, saved files remain and compute billing stops while storage remains billable. The reviewed docs do not establish an arbitrary RAM checkpoint that restores every process after Start.

Source 1 ↗Source 2 ↗Source 3 ↗

Changing resources is an explicit machine operation

The Machine guide lists 2–16 CPUs, 2–8 GB memory per CPU and 10–500 GB storage. Applying specs to a running machine requires Restart and apply; processes stop and files remain. Shrinking SSD copies files to a smaller drive. This differs from automatic online RootFS growth while the agent continues executing.

Source 1 ↗

Use the selected configuration quote, not a universal plan price

Current pricing describes prepaid credits and running CPU/memory plus retained SSD. The app shows the selected hourly/daily/monthly estimate; those are state-dependent estimates, not monthly subscriptions. Adding credit or enabling auto-pay does not itself start a paused machine, and model/provider usage is billed separately.

Source 1 ↗Source 2 ↗

Pricing

Compare billing models, then price your workload

CPU allocation, memory, billing minimums, disk, plan fees, and supported workload differ. These meters are not equal-performance machine quotes. Confirm region, resource units, and included allowances before estimating a total.

Cube Computer

Pricing reviewed 2026-10-18

Running machine
Configuration-based CPU, memory and SSD usage
Review the current app quote before applying specs; there is no single universal monthly machine fee.
Rate source ↗
Paused machine
Retained SSD storage; compute stops
Saved files stay, but pausing does not make retained storage free.
Rate source ↗
Starting credit in billing docs
$25 once per GitHub account, subject to effective offer
The billing guide says no card required; the pricing page describes eligibility/payment-method conditions, so verify the offer shown in your account.
Rate source ↗

Current pricing is pay as you go; older subscription accounts can review a switch to credits. The public docs contain illustrative cost cards, which are not used here as a universal rate for arbitrary specs. Starting requires at least $1 credit according to the Machine guide; exhausting credit pauses the machine, preserves files and does not create debt under the billing guide.

Check current Cube Computer pricing ↗

Sandbox0

$0.015/GiB-hour compute (billed by the second at approximately $0.000004167/GiB-second), plus $0.02/GiB-month of retained incremental RootFS and memory checkpoint data. Shared base images and platform recovery retention are excluded; paused sandboxes accrue storage charges only.

Compute / GiB-hour
$0.015
Retained data / GiB-month
$0.02
Paused compute
$0.00

A 4 GiB agent, 100 running hours

$6.00 compute

4 GiB × 100 hours, billed by the second. Keeping 20 GiB of billable incremental data for a full billing month adds $0.40. CPU is derived from memory by the platform; choose a tier that fits your workload.

Understand storage billing →

Before migrating from Cube Computer

  1. Inventory machine files, agent accounts, terminals, resource configuration and pay-as-you-go versus legacy billing; create a required file backup while running.
  2. Port compatible tools and files to a Sandbox0 template, retaining or rebuilding client, repository and remote-access workflows as needed.
  3. Test process restart handling, system-state retention, online RootFS growth, paused files and full compute/storage/provider costs.

Common questions

Is Sandbox0 a drop-in Cube Computer replacement?

Evaluate API compatibility and product scope. These products serve different core workflows, so a change may require a different architecture.

Does keeping files also keep a running agent?

Filesystem state and volatile process state are separate. Sandbox0 requires explicit compatible memory checkpoints to preserve running processes; its default filesystem resume starts fresh processes.

Sources and review scope

The Boat team's Battleships directory is the discovery source. References below describe the product and plan discussed on this page. Check current availability, regional terms and billing units before migrating. Where the cited material does not establish a capability or price, the comparison identifies that uncertainty.

Battleships research record ↗docs.cube.computer/docs/machine/ ↗docs.cube.computer/docs/files-and-terminals/ ↗docs.cube.computer/docs/billing/ ↗cube.computer/pricing/ ↗Sandbox0 RootFS capacity →

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