Cloud infrastructure / Hetzner Cloud alternative

Hetzner Cloud alternative for persistent agent workers

Hetzner Cloud gives agents a full virtual server with persistent installed software and files. Its server disk, snapshots, hourly rounding and monthly cap have different lifecycles from compute-free runtime pause. Compare these concrete conditions rather than assuming only hosted sandboxes can preserve a complete Linux environment.

Start buildingCompare capabilities ↓

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

When Hetzner Cloud fits

Choose Hetzner Cloud for direct server administration, shared or dedicated CPU plans and its regional infrastructure. Its full-disk snapshots can seed a new server in another location, subject to architecture and snapshot freshness.

When to consider Sandbox0

Consider Sandbox0 for a managed isolated agent runtime with automatic online RootFS growth and supported paused-file operations. Preserve required network integrations and check any full-kernel dependencies against gVisor.

Capabilities

Hetzner Cloud and Sandbox0: what persists?

Feature comparison with documentation and verification status
Environment and runtime lifetimeHetzner CloudNot 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 filesHetzner CloudServer disks and disk snapshots retain files under their lifecycle/deletion rules.View evidence ↗Sandbox0The writable RootFS survives successful checkpoints, including software, system configuration, dependencies, and user data.Read documentation →
Whole RootFSHetzner CloudSnapshots create a server from its captured disk files, including the installed environment.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 stateHetzner CloudPowered-off servers remain allocated and billed; snapshot recreation is a separate workflow.View evidence ↗Sandbox0Pause compute between tasks; resume on available capacity. Default resume starts fresh processes from the saved filesystem.Read documentation →
Memory and process stateHetzner CloudDisk snapshots do not establish arbitrary running-memory 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.

Hetzner already preserves a complete server disk. Primary disk growth is tied to explicit rescaling, with documented guest partition work; the reviewed contract does not establish automatic online low-space growth of a complete agent 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.

Rescue can inspect a server’s disk by booting a different environment, and snapshots can recreate it elsewhere. Those require server/compute workflows rather than direct file reads or mutations throughout a stopped RootFS through a native Files API.

See paused file operations →

Existing servers remain billed while powered off

Hetzner rounds server usage up to whole hours and applies the lower of hourly usage or the plan’s monthly cap. Turning a server off does not stop billing because resources remain allocated. Snapshot/delete/recreate is a separate way to retain disk data with its own storage and recovery requirements.

Source 1 ↗

Primary disk capacity follows the server plan

The server FAQ requires rescaling to grow the primary disk and forbids shrinking below the existing disk size. It documents manual partition resizing through Rescue after rescaling. Compute-only rescaling with the old disk size preserves some downgrade options.

Source 1 ↗

Snapshots preserve the captured server disk, not later writes

A snapshot-created server contains the files and data saved in that snapshot. Later changes require a newer capture; a disk snapshot does not establish arbitrary process-memory recovery. Architecture must match, and rebuilding a server replaces its existing data.

Source 1 ↗

Region, currency and legacy status matter

The June 15, 2026 tariff applies to new orders and qualifying rescales, with existing/legacy conditions documented separately. Europe, US and Singapore tables differ. Prices explicitly exclude IPv4 and VAT, so a bare monthly server figure is not a complete invoice.

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.

Hetzner Cloud

Pricing reviewed 2026-10-19

CX23, Germany/Finland tariff reference
€0.0088/hour; €5.49 monthly cap
Published new-order/rescale price, excluding IPv4 and VAT.
Rate source ↗
CAX11, Germany/Finland tariff reference
€0.0096/hour; €5.99 monthly cap
Different architecture/plan family; verify image and availability.
Rate source ↗
CPX11, US tariff reference
$0.0328/hour; $20.49 monthly cap
Published US table, excluding IPv4 and VAT; not a currency conversion of the Europe price.
Rate source ↗

Use current checkout/account terms for region, plan inventory and legacy pricing. Server usage rounds up by the hour. Snapshot/backup, network, primary IPv4 and tax charges have separate scope; powered-off server capacity is not free paused compute.

Check current Hetzner Cloud 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 Hetzner Cloud

  1. Inventory region, architecture, plan/legacy tariff, primary disk, snapshots/backups, network and retained-server billing.
  2. Export a consistent recent filesystem copy and configure compatible system tools in Sandbox0 while retaining needed external services.
  3. Test installed-OS retention, online growth, paused files and complete server/snapshot/network/IP/tax costs.

Common questions

Is Sandbox0 a drop-in Hetzner Cloud 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.hetzner.com/cloud/billing/faq/ ↗docs.hetzner.com/cloud/servers/faq/ ↗docs.hetzner.com/general/infrastructure-and-availability/price-adjustment/ ↗Sandbox0 RootFS capacity →

Related comparisons

Akamai Cloud / Linode vs Sandbox0 →Alibaba Cloud ACK / Harbor backend vs Sandbox0 →Alibaba Cloud ECS vs Sandbox0 →Amazon Bedrock AgentCore vs Sandbox0 →AWS EC2 vs Sandbox0 →AWS Fargate vs Sandbox0 →