Cloud infrastructure / STACKIT Compute Engine alternative

STACKIT Compute Engine alternative for Linux agents

STACKIT Compute Engine provides full VMs backed by OS images and block storage. Ordinary stopping and shelved-offloaded state have different reservation costs. Compare these lifecycle details and the machine type used by an agent before contrasting a general server with a managed persistent runtime.

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

When STACKIT Compute Engine fits

Choose STACKIT for full VM administration and its infrastructure portfolio. Shared and dedicated CPU types, regional services and retained block storage support different deployment requirements.

When to consider Sandbox0

Consider Sandbox0 for compatible Linux agents with integrated automatic online whole-RootFS growth and supported paused-file operations. Keep specialized STACKIT services and full-kernel requirements where needed.

Capabilities

STACKIT Compute Engine and Sandbox0: what persists?

Feature comparison with documentation and verification status
Environment and runtime lifetimeSTACKIT Compute EngineNot 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 filesSTACKIT Compute EngineBlock storage and volume/server snapshots retain installed-machine data.View evidence ↗Sandbox0The writable RootFS survives successful checkpoints, including software, system configuration, dependencies, and user data.Read documentation →
Whole RootFSSTACKIT Compute EngineThe VM has a full OS and boot/storage volumes, beyond a 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 stateSTACKIT Compute EngineShelve/unshelve can release the server reservation while keeping separate storage; RAM continuity 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 stateSTACKIT Compute EngineDisk/server snapshot naming does not establish arbitrary running-memory recovery here.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.

STACKIT already retains a full boot/storage environment and offers explicit compute and volume management. Machine-type resizing has downtime; the reviewed contract does not establish low-space-triggered online expansion of an agent’s complete durable 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.

Separate stored volumes and snapshots can exist without the original active VM, but guest-file tools or helper mount/restore workflows use compute. That differs from a managed whole-RootFS file interface while the agent guest remains paused.

See paused file operations →

Shelving releases a reservation that ordinary stop keeps

STACKIT documents shelved-offloaded servers as not billed for the server reservation. Its cost guidance distinguishes this from merely stopping, which keeps the reservation and its charge. Attached storage continues regardless; verify the actual state selected by automation.

Source 1 ↗Source 2 ↗

A full server disk is already retained

A STACKIT VM comprises CPU, RAM, block storage and an OS image, with volume/server snapshot workflows. That is an installed computer rather than a workspace-only data volume. Snapshot consistency and deletion still need deliberate handling.

Source 1 ↗

Machine-type changes have downtime

The IaaS resize workflow changes machine type and explicitly warns of a short downtime, with possible guest OS adjustments afterward. That is a compute-size operation; it does not establish automatic growth when an agent’s root filesystem becomes nearly full.

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.

STACKIT Compute Engine

Pricing reviewed 2026-10-19

EU01 t2i.1 non-Metro reference
€0.01413274199 per instance-hour
1 shared vCPU/1 GB; standard non-Metro reference.
Rate source ↗
EU01 t3i.1 non-Metro reference
€0.024662205 per instance-hour
1 dedicated vCPU/1 GB; a different CPU allocation from the shared type.
Rate source ↗
Shelved-offloaded server reservation
No server reservation charge
Attached storage and other retained resources remain separate.
Rate source ↗

Use the current EUR rate for the exact region, flavor and Metro mode. Windows/licenses, storage and public IPs have separate rates. Monthly illustrations are not proof of a cap or equal performance between shared and dedicated types.

Check current STACKIT Compute Engine 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 STACKIT Compute Engine

  1. Identify flavor/shared CPU, region/Metro mode, boot/data volumes and actual stopped versus shelved-offloaded state.
  2. Export consistent installed-system/user data and configure compatible tooling on Sandbox0, keeping required STACKIT integrations.
  3. Test online growth, installed tools, paused files and complete server reservation, storage, snapshot, IP and network costs.

Common questions

Is Sandbox0 a drop-in STACKIT Compute Engine 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.stackit.cloud/products/compute-engine/server/getting-started/managing-a-server/ ↗framework.stackit.cloud/architecture/pillars/cost-optimization/cost-05-environments/ ↗docs.stackit.cloud/products/compute-engine/server/basics/introduction-to-server/ ↗docs.stackit.cloud/products/iaas-api/how-tos/resize-a-server-via-the-iaas-api/ ↗pim.api.stackit.cloud/v1/skus ↗Sandbox0 RootFS capacity →

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