Computer-use platforms / Opensteer alternative

Opensteer alternative

Opensteer presents a team of specialized agents that browse, use tools and run on schedules in the cloud or on your machine. Its prices split managed-model credits from platform credits for browsers and computers. That managed application is a different purchase from the Linux runtime underneath your own agent.

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Reviewed 2026-10-18 · Published by the Sandbox0 team

When Opensteer fits

Opensteer fits users who want a managed specialized-agent application and a choice between managed models and an existing supported model subscription. The surrounding application and scheduled workflows may reduce work you would otherwise build yourself.

When to consider Sandbox0

Consider Sandbox0 when you need to own the agent stack and retain installed Linux software, system configuration and growing files across tasks. Models, schedules, integrations and user-facing workflows remain application responsibilities rather than included runtime features.

Capabilities

Opensteer and Sandbox0: what persists?

Feature comparison with documentation and verification status
Environment and runtime lifetimeOpensteerNot 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 filesOpensteerCloud/local agent operation is described; a general-purpose durable disk contract is not established.View evidence ↗Sandbox0The writable RootFS survives successful checkpoints, including software, system configuration, dependencies, and user data.Read documentation →
Whole RootFSOpensteerWhole writable Linux RootFS retention is not established in the reviewed public material.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 stateOpensteerSchedules and agent operation do not establish arbitrary-machine checkpoint/restore.View evidence ↗Sandbox0Pause compute between tasks; resume on available capacity. Default resume starts fresh processes from the saved filesystem.Read documentation →
Memory and process stateOpensteerArbitrary process-memory restoration is not 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.

Opensteer’s model/platform credits and agent counts do not establish online expansion of a full Linux filesystem. The reviewed application pages do not specify that retention contract; Sandbox0 retains compatible system tools and growing files in its whole writable 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.

The reviewed Opensteer pages do not establish read/write access to a paused full Linux RootFS. File access on a local deployment inherits the host’s lifecycle; it is not implied by an agent being available in the app.

See paused file operations →

Model and platform credits are separate budgets

The public cards give each plan two balances: managed AI uses model credits, while browsers and computers use platform credits. Starter lists $25/month of model credits and $50/month of platform credits. Do not treat those as one $75 pool that can be spent interchangeably on compute or inference.

Source 1 ↗

An existing model subscription does not remove browser costs

The price page calls agent use with a supported personal subscription free, while separately listing browser and computer runtime at $0.20/hour. Keep the model-access route and platform-resource usage distinct. Confirm account eligibility and current provider/subscription terms rather than assuming every workflow has no infrastructure bill.

Source 1 ↗

A managed agent team is separate from its host machine

The homepage offers specialized agents, tools and schedules in the cloud or on a user machine. The reviewed public pages do not establish a complete Linux RootFS retention policy, disk-growth ceiling or machine-checkpoint contract. Choosing an execution runtime requires defining those behaviors in the application deployment.

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.

Opensteer

Pricing reviewed 2026-10-18

Developer
$0; $5 model credits once and $5/month platform credits
Three agents; core models at capped effort and the published own-subscription option.
Rate source ↗
Starter
$50/month
$25/month model credits and $50/month platform credits; unlimited agents is not unlimited runtime.
Rate source ↗
Business
$200/month
$100/month model credits and $200/month platform credits.
Rate source ↗
Browser / computer runtime
$0.20 per hour for each listed runtime type
Charged against the relevant platform usage; no equal-resource CPU/RAM specification is provided by this price card.
Rate source ↗

Managed models are labeled API pricing; top-ups and capped model overage are offered, but the public page does not define every overage or credit-expiry condition. An agent-count allowance is different from simultaneous execution capacity or browser-hour balance. Compare the full application/model/runtime setup rather than the subscription fee alone.

Check current Opensteer 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 Opensteer

  1. Inventory specialized agents, schedules, connected tools, local/cloud deployment and the separate model/platform balances.
  2. Implement or retain the application and model-access layer while moving compatible Linux tools and required data to Sandbox0.
  3. Validate workflow recovery, retained system configuration, RootFS growth, paused files and the full subscription, model and runtime budget.

Common questions

Is Sandbox0 a drop-in Opensteer 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 ↗opensteer.com/pricing ↗opensteer.com/ ↗Sandbox0 RootFS capacity →

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