Workflow orchestration / Google Agent Runtime alternative

Google Agent Runtime alternative

Google’s Agent Runtime on Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform deploys and scales agent applications, including custom containers and supported frameworks. It has also been called Agent Engine, with some APIs retaining ReasoningEngine naming. Compare its managed agent service with the separate persistent Linux machine state your workload needs.

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

When Google Agent Runtime fits

Choose Agent Runtime for managed deployment, Google Cloud IAM/network controls, agent frameworks and the platform’s session/memory services. Retain those application and governance capabilities when they are the reason for selecting the platform.

When to consider Sandbox0

Consider Sandbox0 for the compatible agent execution environment and durable growing whole RootFS. You still need the application deployment, sessions, memory, gateway, models and enterprise controls that you use from Google’s platform.

Capabilities

Google Agent Runtime and Sandbox0: what persists?

Feature comparison with documentation and verification status
Environment and runtime lifetimeGoogle Agent RuntimeNot 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 filesGoogle Agent RuntimeDurable session/memory services are available, but generic runtime-disk persistence is not established here.View evidence ↗Sandbox0The writable RootFS survives successful checkpoints, including software, system configuration, dependencies, and user data.Read documentation →
Whole RootFSGoogle Agent RuntimeCustom deployment images do not establish a uniform complete mutable 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 stateGoogle Agent RuntimeApplication scaling and conversation continuation do not establish arbitrary machine checkpoint/resume.View evidence ↗Sandbox0Pause compute between tasks; resume on available capacity. Default resume starts fresh processes from the saved filesystem.Read documentation →
Memory and process stateGoogle Agent RuntimeApplication memory services are distinct from arbitrary process RAM checkpoint recovery.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.

Managed agent scaling and durable session storage are useful capabilities. Neither a deployment image nor application conversation data establishes automatic online growth and persistence of the full mutable Linux RootFS.

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.

Session and memory records may be accessed independently of an application instance. That is application data, rather than a full-RootFS file API for a paused Linux guest; the reviewed Runtime contract does not establish that interface.

See paused file operations →

A custom container supplies deployment state

Agent Runtime supports source, Dockerfile and prebuilt container deployment under its runtime contract, including build-time system dependencies. A reproducible image is valuable, but does not establish that every live filesystem mutation or arbitrary process memory is retained across application-instance replacement.

Source 1 ↗Source 2 ↗Source 3 ↗

The current price table uses allocated compute and memory

The published table meters Runtime and Sandbox environments with Agent Compute vCPU-hours and Agent Memory GiB-hours, rounded to the nearest second. Runtime idle time waiting between prompts is not billed. This is distinct from assuming only active CPU instructions or working-set RAM are charged.

Source 1 ↗

Sessions and memory have separate data-service meters

The pricing page’s September 1, 2026 structure charges session and memory storage plus read/write operations, with model tokens billed separately. Durable conversation data does not imply a complete retained Linux RootFS. Gateway, sandbox and model services must be included under their actual scopes.

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.

Google Agent Runtime

Pricing reviewed 2026-10-19

Agent Compute
$0.085 per vCPU-hour
Allocated compute; usage rounded to the nearest second; Runtime inter-turn idle is not billed.
Rate source ↗
Agent Memory
$0.009 per GiB-hour
Allocated memory, separate from model tokens and stored conversation data.
Rate source ↗
Sessions / Memory Bank data storage
$0.30 per GiB-month
Application-data storage meter, not a whole-RootFS disk quote.
Rate source ↗
Session read/write operations
1 compute vCPU-hour per 3M reads or 1M writes
Prorated under the current table; writes and reads are separately scoped.
Rate source ↗

These are the current published platform rates, rather than older Agent Engine price examples. Runtime, Sandbox, sessions, memory, gateway, models and data services retain separate conditions. Verify effective region/account terms and current allowances before forecasting a complete bill.

Check current Google Agent Runtime 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 Google Agent Runtime

  1. Identify current Runtime versus older Agent Engine naming, deployment images, resource allocations, sessions, memory and other platform services.
  2. Export necessary application data and integrate compatible agent execution with Sandbox0 while retaining required model, session and governance layers.
  3. Test installed-system persistence, growth, paused files and total allocated compute, application storage/operations, gateway and model costs.

Common questions

Is Sandbox0 a drop-in Google Agent Runtime 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.cloud.google.com/gemini-enterprise-agent-platform/build/runtime ↗docs.cloud.google.com/gemini-enterprise-agent-platform/scale/runtime/deploy-an-agent ↗docs.cloud.google.com/gemini-enterprise-agent-platform/scale/runtime/runtime-contract ↗cloud.google.com/products/gemini-enterprise-agent-platform/pricing ↗Sandbox0 RootFS capacity →

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