Cloud infrastructure / Akamai Cloud / Linode alternative

Akamai Cloud alternative for persistent Linux agents

Akamai Cloud’s Linode VMs retain an installed Linux system on their disks. They offer shared and dedicated CPU families, disk resizing and broad cloud infrastructure. For agents that return between tasks, compare the VM reservation, disk-growth procedure and process lifecycle rather than assuming a VM only retains a workspace.

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

When Akamai Cloud / Linode fits

Choose Linode for full VM administration, distribution choices and Akamai networking and infrastructure services. Shared CPU and dedicated CPU plans address different performance needs; select the family before comparing a small instance price.

When to consider Sandbox0

Consider Sandbox0 for a managed compatible Linux agent runtime with automatic online whole-RootFS growth and supported file access while compute is paused. Assess gVisor compatibility and retain any Akamai-specific networking or application services.

Capabilities

Akamai Cloud / Linode and Sandbox0: what persists?

Feature comparison with documentation and verification status
Environment and runtime lifetimeAkamai Cloud / LinodeNot 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 filesAkamai Cloud / LinodePlan resizing retains and can enlarge the existing primary disk.View evidence ↗Sandbox0The writable RootFS survives successful checkpoints, including software, system configuration, dependencies, and user data.Read documentation →
Whole RootFSAkamai Cloud / LinodeThe primary Linux system disk is retained, not just a mounted workspace.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 stateAkamai Cloud / LinodePowered-off reservations remain billed; no arbitrary memory-preserving release contract is established here.View evidence ↗Sandbox0Pause compute between tasks; resume on available capacity. Default resume starts fresh processes from the saved filesystem.Read documentation →
Memory and process stateAkamai Cloud / LinodeWarm migration plus reboot does 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.

Linode already retains the full Linux disk and can automatically resize an eligible primary disk during a larger-plan migration. Warm resize reboots at completion. Sandbox0 integrates low-space-triggered online whole-RootFS growth rather than uniquely providing persistence or disk expansion.

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.

Disk recovery, copying and guest tools use separate VM or boot workflows. The reviewed interfaces do not establish direct read/write operations throughout a stopped whole RootFS without starting guest compute.

See paused file operations →

Powered-off reservations remain billable

Charges accrue while a service is present in the account, even when powered off, because data and resources remain reserved. Most services have a monthly cap, but G8 dedicated and GPU plans can be hourly-only. A resize creates separate billable service line items and their combined total can exceed the original plan cap.

Source 1 ↗

Warm resize still includes a reboot

A warm resize migrates while the Linode remains up, then reboots it; a cold resize shuts it down before migration. Auto Resize Disk is available for an eligible single ext3/ext4 primary disk when the new plan adds storage. That automation is useful, but it is tied to a requested plan resize rather than low-free-space online growth.

Source 1 ↗

Published plan prices have regional overrides

The public type catalog separates base hourly/monthly prices from region-specific prices. The Nanode reference is a shared-resource entry shape, not a dedicated-throughput equivalent to every sandbox. Backups, other storage and traffic can add cost.

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.

Akamai Cloud / Linode

Pricing reviewed 2026-10-19

Nanode 1GB base catalog reference
$0.0075/hour; $5 monthly cap
g6-nanode-1, 1 vCPU and 25 GB disk; region-specific entries can override the base rate.
Rate source ↗
Linode 2GB base catalog reference
$0.018/hour; $12 monthly cap
g6-standard-1, 1 shared vCPU and 50 GB disk.
Rate source ↗
Powered-off retained service
Normal service charges continue
G8 dedicated/GPU hourly-only terms and separate retained services must be checked.
Rate source ↗

USD base catalog references are not universal regional quotes. Jakarta/São Paulo overrides, shared versus dedicated CPU, backups, volumes and transfer affect the invoice. Destroying a source VM is different from a managed pause that keeps its filesystem.

Check current Akamai Cloud / Linode 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 Akamai Cloud / Linode

  1. Inventory Linode family/region, disks, ext3/ext4 resize eligibility, shared CPU requirements and retained-service charges.
  2. Export consistent system and user files and port compatible Linux tools to a Sandbox0 template while retaining needed cloud services.
  3. Verify installed tools, online growth, paused files and the complete compute, backups, disk and network bill.

Common questions

Is Sandbox0 a drop-in Akamai Cloud / Linode 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 ↗techdocs.akamai.com/cloud-computing/docs/understanding-how-billing-works ↗techdocs.akamai.com/cloud-computing/docs/resize-a-compute-instance ↗api.linode.com/v4/linode/types ↗Sandbox0 RootFS capacity →

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