Cloud infrastructure / Gcore Edge Cloud VMs alternative

Gcore Cloud alternative for persistent Linux agents

Gcore Edge Cloud runs VMs with separately managed boot and data volumes. VM compute charges stop when completely stopped, while retained storage and other resources keep billing. Bare metal, GPUs and Functions use different rules, so identify the product before comparing an agent runtime.

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Reviewed 2026-10-19 · Published by the Sandbox0 team

When Gcore Edge Cloud VMs fits

Choose Gcore for its cloud infrastructure, networking and specialized compute offerings. Its full VM boot volumes, independent block storage and snapshots already support installed-system retention.

When to consider Sandbox0

Consider Sandbox0 for compatible Linux workers with automatic online durable whole-RootFS growth and supported paused-file operations. Keep required Gcore network, GPU, application and full-VM integrations.

Capabilities

Gcore Edge Cloud VMs and Sandbox0: what persists?

Feature comparison with documentation and verification status
Environment and runtime lifetimeGcore Edge Cloud VMsNot established in this reviewSandbox0ttl 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 filesGcore Edge Cloud VMsRetained volumes have an independent lifecycle and remain billed while VM compute is stopped.View evidence ↗Sandbox0The writable RootFS survives successful checkpoints, including software, system configuration, dependencies, and user data.Read documentation →
Whole RootFSGcore Edge Cloud VMsBoot volumes store the complete installed OS, separate from regular data volumes.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 stateGcore Edge Cloud VMsA completely stopped VM stops compute charges while retaining separately billed resources; RAM retention is unestablished.View evidence ↗Sandbox0Pause compute between tasks; resume on available capacity. Default resume starts fresh processes from the saved filesystem.Read documentation →
Memory and process stateGcore Edge Cloud VMsVolume snapshots do not establish arbitrary RAM checkpoint/resume.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.

Gcore already retains whole boot volumes and supports explicit expansion with documented snapshot implications. The reviewed contract does not establish an automatic low-free-space policy that grows the complete durable agent RootFS online.

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.

A stored volume can be retained, snapshotted or mounted through another VM workflow, which uses other compute. That differs from a native whole-RootFS file interface while the agent guest stays stopped.

See paused file operations →

VM and bare-metal stopped bills differ

VM compute is charged from creation until completely stopped. Volumes, snapshots, images, reserved IPs and applicable licenses have separate charges; retained storage resources bill until deleted. Bare metal and AI GPU/IPU resources are charged until deletion even when not running.

Source 1 ↗

Whole boot storage already persists independently

Gcore distinguishes boot volumes for the installed OS from regular data volumes. Both support snapshots. That full boot filesystem should not be described as workspace-only persistence; the correct comparison is its lifecycle and management interface.

Source 1 ↗Source 2 ↗

Volume expansion changes snapshot recovery options

Both boot and regular volumes can be explicitly enlarged. If snapshots exist, increasing size prevents reverting the same volume to its last snapshot; a new volume can still be created from a snapshot. Boot-volume type cannot simply be switched in place. Check filesystem and recovery work along with capacity.

Source 1 ↗

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.

Gcore Edge Cloud VMs

Pricing reviewed 2026-10-19

Regional VM compute rate
Obtain the current regional calculator quote
Current numeric rates were not verifiable; select exact family, region, OS and resources.
Rate source ↗
Cloud PAYG metering
Per minute
VM, bare-metal/GPU and retained-resource lifecycles differ.
Rate source ↗
Completely stopped VM compute
Compute charge stops
Storage, images, snapshots, IP and other applicable charges remain separate.
Rate source ↗

The 4 EUR/USD account/payment threshold is not a per-VM price or minimum runtime quote. Include selected storage type, backup/snapshot, IP, software and specialized service costs. No guessed numeric tariff or general cost-saving percentage is asserted.

Check current Gcore Edge Cloud VMs 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 Gcore Edge Cloud VMs

  1. Identify VM rather than Functions/bare-metal/GPU, boot and regular volumes, stopped state, snapshots and applicable regional quote.
  2. Export consistent system/user state and configure compatible tools on Sandbox0 while retaining required Gcore services.
  3. Test installed-tool retention, online growth, paused files and the complete compute, disk, snapshot, image, IP and software bill.

Common questions

Is Sandbox0 a drop-in Gcore Edge Cloud VMs 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.gcore.com/cloud/billing.md ↗docs.gcore.com/cloud/virtual-instances/volumes/about-volumes.md ↗docs.gcore.com/cloud/virtual-instances/snapshots/take-a-snapshot-of-your-file-system.md ↗docs.gcore.com/cloud/virtual-instances/volumes/create-and-configure-volumes.md ↗gcore.com/pricing/cloud ↗Sandbox0 RootFS capacity →

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