CI and test infrastructure / Google Cloud Build alternative

Google Cloud Build alternative for persistent agent compute

Google Cloud Build executes isolated builds in managed worker pools. It integrates with Google Cloud’s artifact and deployment services. Those build invocations differ from an agent that returns to the same installed Linux tools, configuration and expanding filesystem.

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

When Google Cloud Build fits

Choose Cloud Build for container builds, repository triggers and Google Cloud delivery workflows, including private-pool network requirements. Preserve those CI/CD integrations when they are the actual requirement.

When to consider Sandbox0

Consider Sandbox0 for compatible long-lived agent execution and a retained growing whole RootFS. Supply or retain the build scheduler, artifact registry, deployment approvals and cloud IAM integration around that runtime.

Capabilities

Google Cloud Build and Sandbox0: what persists?

Feature comparison with documentation and verification status
Environment and runtime lifetimeGoogle Cloud BuildBuild timeout defaults to sixty minutes and can reach twenty-four hours. Step timeouts cannot exceed that build limit; queue time is separate.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 filesGoogle Cloud BuildDurable artifacts can use separate services; build workers themselves are ephemeral.View evidence ↗Sandbox0The writable RootFS survives successful checkpoints, including software, system configuration, dependencies, and user data.Read documentation →
Whole RootFSGoogle Cloud BuildPer-invocation build environments do not retain an entire mutable RootFS across builds.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 Cloud BuildNo machine-level checkpoint/resume contract is established by build timeout controls.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 Cloud BuildNo arbitrary worker-memory checkpoint is established.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.

A larger build disk or external artifact bucket is useful build capacity. It does not establish automatic online expansion and persistence of the entire writable RootFS between independent build invocations.

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.

Build results, logs and exported artifacts can outlive workers. They are selected service data rather than a complete supported paused-RootFS file interface.

See paused file operations →

Build isolation uses ephemeral environments

Google’s responsibility statement describes isolated ephemeral environments for each build invocation. Shared build volumes transfer files among steps within a build; durable artifacts and external storage remain separate services.

Source 1 ↗Source 2 ↗

Build duration has an explicit upper bound

The configuration defaults to a 60-minute build timeout and allows at most 24 hours. Per-step timeouts cannot exceed the build timeout. Queuing is separate from execution time, and increasing the timeout does not preserve the worker between separate builds.

Source 1 ↗

Compare a specific pool, machine and region

The price page uses build minutes, billing partial minutes by actual seconds and excluding queue time. Default-pool e2-standard-2 lists 2 vCPUs and 8 GB memory at $0.006/minute; its promotional 2,500-minute monthly allowance is scoped to that machine type and billing account. Other pool, region, disk and service charges remain separate.

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 Cloud Build

Pricing reviewed 2026-10-19

Default-pool e2-standard-2
$0.006 per build minute
Published 2 vCPU, 8 GB reference shape; preserve pool and effective regional terms.
Rate source ↗
Promotional default-pool allowance
2,500 e2-standard-2 build minutes/month
Per billing account, subject to change; other shapes do not inherit this allowance.
Rate source ↗
Default-pool e2-highcpu-8, Iowa
$0.0156 per build minute
8 vCPUs and 8 GB; this is a specific shape/region, not a universal CPU rate.
Rate source ↗

Partial minutes use consumed seconds; queued time does not consume build minutes. Artifact Registry, storage, logs, network egress, optional SSD capacity and other services can add charges. No equal-throughput or universal savings claim follows from different resource shapes.

Check current Google Cloud Build 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 Cloud Build

  1. Record pools, regions, build machines, timeout requirements, IAM, private networking and artifact destinations.
  2. Keep the delivery pipeline and integrate compatible Sandbox0 agent work with explicit input and output publication.
  3. Validate retained system state, RootFS growth, paused files and the combined build, artifact, network and runtime costs.

Common questions

Is Sandbox0 a drop-in Google Cloud Build 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/build/docs/shared-responsibility ↗docs.cloud.google.com/build/docs/build-config-file-schema ↗cloud.google.com/build/pricing ↗Sandbox0 RootFS capacity →

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