Cloud infrastructure / Kamatera alternative

Kamatera alternative for persistent Linux agents

Kamatera supplies complete virtual servers with configurable CPU, RAM and persistent disks. Its hourly powered-off cost is reduced to retained resources rather than necessarily the active machine price. Compare CPU family, storage and exact provisioning behavior for a returning agent.

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

When Kamatera fits

Choose Kamatera for full VM administration and configurable infrastructure across its regions. Type A Availability, Type B General Purpose, Type T Burstable and Type D Dedicated are different compute choices, not interchangeable vCPU throughput.

When to consider Sandbox0

Consider Sandbox0 for a compatible managed Linux agent runtime with automatic online whole-RootFS growth and supported paused files. Preserve needed VM/kernel features and Kamatera cloud integrations separately.

Capabilities

Kamatera and Sandbox0: what persists?

Feature comparison with documentation and verification status
Environment and runtime lifetimeKamateraNot 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 filesKamateraThe API explicitly manages persistent virtual storage after server deployment.View evidence ↗Sandbox0The writable RootFS survives successful checkpoints, including software, system configuration, dependencies, and user data.Read documentation →
Whole RootFSKamateraA full server system disk is managed separately from additional secondary disks.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 stateKamateraHourly servers can power off with retained storage/IP charges; arbitrary RAM preservation 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 stateKamateraDisk/provisioning operations do not establish arbitrary 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.

Kamatera already retains full persistent server disks and provides explicit resize/secondary-disk operations. The documented provisioning option can reboot; automatic low-free-space online whole-RootFS growth is a separate runtime feature.

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.

Retained disks and backup services can keep data while hourly compute is off, but a file operation through a guest/helper environment needs compute. No native whole-RootFS file interface for the stopped original server is established in the reviewed APIs.

See paused file operations →

Hourly powered-off cost includes storage and IP

Kamatera’s FAQ describes a smaller hourly charge while powered off for storage space and IP address; the exact amount depends on disk size and the calculator. Do not call it a zero-cost retained machine or assume the same rules apply to every monthly subscription.

Source 1 ↗

Persistent disk changes have a provisioning option

The API can resize an existing virtual disk and add secondary disks. Its provisioning option explicitly reboots the server when enabled. Storage capacity changes and guest filesystem work are separate from a low-space-triggered policy that manages a complete durable agent RootFS.

Source 1 ↗

Choose the CPU type before using the entry price

The Basic price describes Type A Availability, while the Standard recommendation uses Type B General Purpose. The page also distinguishes burstable and dedicated offerings. Select the required hardware behavior, bandwidth option, OS and region before comparing a complete quote.

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.

Kamatera

Pricing reviewed 2026-10-19

Basic Type A advertised reference
$4 per month
1 vCPU/1 GB RAM/20 GB NVMe, listed traffic/OS selection; verify effective calculator and terms.
Rate source ↗
Standard Type B advertised reference
$25 per month
2 vCPU/2 GB RAM/20 GB NVMe; a different compute class from the Basic quote.
Rate source ↗
Hourly powered-off server
Storage/IP quote depends on disk size
Use the calculator for the actual retained configuration.
Rate source ↗

Monthly advertised bundles and configured hourly tariffs are different billing choices. Check selected datacenter, CPU type, allocated disk, IPs, traffic allowance/unmetered terms, backup, management and licenses. These references do not imply identical throughput or a general savings percentage.

Check current Kamatera 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 Kamatera

  1. Inventory hourly versus monthly billing, CPU type, system/data disks, powered-off quote and provisioning options.
  2. Export consistent full-system/user state and configure compatible agent tools on Sandbox0, retaining required cloud services.
  3. Test installed-tool retention, online growth, paused files and total compute class, retained disk/IP, bandwidth, backup and software costs.

Common questions

Is Sandbox0 a drop-in Kamatera 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 ↗www.kamatera.com/faq/answer/will-i-be-charged-for-my-hourly-server-even-when-its-powered-off/ ↗www.kamatera.com/knowledgebase/api-documentation/ ↗www.kamatera.com/pricing/ ↗Sandbox0 RootFS capacity →

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