Agent sandboxes / Tencent Cloud Agent Runtime — Agent Sandbox alternative

A Tencent Agent Sandbox alternative

Tencent Cloud Agent Runtime’s Agent Sandbox supports paused instances and memory-bearing retained state, with storage billing distinct from compute. Its tool types and cloud integrations can suit a managed Tencent environment. For a returning agent, compare retention, capacity policy and file access as well as current unit rates.

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

When Tencent Cloud Agent Runtime — Agent Sandbox fits

Tencent Agent Sandbox fits teams needing Tencent Cloud integration and prepared code, browser, desktop or All-In-One tools. Its All-In-One environment combines terminal, code execution, browser access and a web IDE; preserve those product requirements when evaluating a different runtime.

When to consider Sandbox0

Consider Sandbox0 when a compatible agent’s system tools, configuration and user state should accumulate on an automatically growing durable RootFS, with supported files during compute pauses. Desktop/browser presentation and Tencent-specific cloud integrations require their own implementation choices.

Capabilities

Tencent Cloud Agent Runtime — Agent Sandbox and Sandbox0: what persists?

Feature comparison with documentation and verification status
Environment and runtime lifetimeTencent Cloud Agent Runtime — Agent SandboxEffective TimeoutSeconds and ExpiresAt depend on the entry point and Tool; no universal indefinite runtime is assumed.View evidence ↗Sandbox0ttl 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 filesTencent Cloud Agent Runtime — Agent SandboxPaused rootfs is retained and billed; destruction releases the system disk and loses its data.View evidence ↗Sandbox0The writable RootFS survives successful checkpoints, including software, system configuration, dependencies, and user data.Read documentation →
Whole RootFSTencent Cloud Agent Runtime — Agent SandboxRetained rootfs and optional memory are documented; independent external storage has its own lifecycle.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 stateTencent Cloud Agent Runtime — Agent SandboxPause/resume retains the instance identity; STOPPED is a different terminal state.View evidence ↗Sandbox0Pause compute between tasks; resume on available capacity. Default resume starts fresh processes from the saved filesystem.Read documentation →
Memory and process stateTencent Cloud Agent Runtime — Agent SandboxA with-memory pause mode is explicitly priced alongside disk-only pause.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.

Tencent’s tool guide publishes configured system-disk sizes and a support path for larger requirements. Its used-capacity billing does not itself prove automatic online whole-RootFS expansion. Validate the selected tool and storage product before assuming a capacity ceiling or a resize behavior.

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 pause guide says an instance no longer provides its original access capabilities until resumed. The reviewed sources do not establish a no-wake rootfs editing interface. Sandbox0’s supported paused Files API leaves guest compute stopped and restricts memory-paused access to reads.

See paused file operations →

Pause retains identity; stopped is a terminal state

The lifecycle guide separates RUNNING, paused and terminal stages. Pause can later resume the same InstanceId; STOPPED cannot resume that session and requires a new instance. Wait for PAUSED before recovery and RUNNING before work. An accepted CLI request alone is not proof that the lifecycle transition finished.

Source 1 ↗Source 2 ↗

Paused capacity is a separate quota

The pause guide documents a default 20 paused instances per main account and region, adjustable through support. Running CPU/RAM, tool configurations and API limits are separate constraints. A fleet of returning-user environments therefore needs a paused-capacity plan as well as enough CPU for active work.

Source 1 ↗Source 2 ↗

Current billing uses disk actually filled and different pause sizes

The October 10 price page bills running rootfs above 15 GiB of actual use. Paused state has no disk allowance: disk-only pause bills actual rootfs, while memory pause adds declared RAM size. This supersedes older indexed text about provisioned capacity or a temporary paused-storage waiver; use the current account rate card.

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.

Tencent Cloud Agent Runtime — Agent Sandbox

Pricing reviewed 2026-10-18

Running CPU
CNY ¥0.000081 per core-second
Allocated cores multiplied by actual running time.
Rate source ↗
Running memory
CNY ¥0.000025 per GiB-second
Rate source ↗
Running rootfs above allowance
CNY ¥0.0021 per GiB-hour
First 15 GiB actually used per running instance is free.
Rate source ↗
Paused retained state
CNY ¥0.0021 per GiB-hour
No free allowance; memory pause adds declared RAM size to actual rootfs use.
Rate source ↗
Image prewarming storage
CNY ¥0.00025 per GiB-hour
Separate acceleration storage can continue while paused; successful accelerated runs also have a usage fee.
Rate source ↗

These are the current Chinese-site CNY amounts, not currency-converted USD estimates. Image-acceleration usage is additionally ¥0.00231/GiB-hour of qualifying instance runtime. External CBS/COS/CFS/Agent Bucket resources have separate billing and lifecycle terms. Compute is zero during pause; retained state is not free.

Check current Tencent Cloud Agent Runtime — Agent Sandbox 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 Tencent Cloud Agent Runtime — Agent Sandbox

  1. Inventory Tool settings, timeout/idle policy, paused quotas, external storage, memory versus disk-only state and acceleration resources; export before terminal stop or deletion.
  2. Recreate compatible images, code/file calls, services, credentials and networking, retaining browser/desktop or cloud integrations where needed.
  3. Test lifecycle completion, installed-system persistence, online RootFS growth, no-wake file access and compute/used-disk/declared-memory/acceleration charges.

Common questions

Is Sandbox0 a drop-in Tencent Cloud Agent Runtime — Agent Sandbox replacement?

Evaluate API compatibility and product scope. A shared sandbox category does not make SDKs, lifecycle semantics, or limits interchangeable.

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 ↗cloud.tencent.com/document/product/1814/132337 ↗cloud.tencent.com/document/product/1814/132323 ↗cloud.tencent.com/document/product/1814/123815 ↗cloud.tencent.com/document/product/1814/133249 ↗Sandbox0 RootFS capacity →

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