Cloud infrastructure / Ubicloud managed Compute alternative

Ubicloud alternative for persistent Linux agents

Ubicloud offers open-source IaaS software and a managed service with VMs, CI runners and databases. Its VM machine images capture installed dependencies and configuration, and its standard and burstable compute have different CPU behavior. Compare the managed VM contract separately from its other products.

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

When Ubicloud managed Compute fits

Choose Ubicloud for full VMs, managed infrastructure services or its self-operated cloud software. Standard VMs provide dedicated CPU allocation; burstable VMs share CPU with documented utilization behavior. CI runners and databases have separate lifecycles.

When to consider Sandbox0

Consider Sandbox0 for compatible returning Linux agents with integrated automatic online RootFS growth and supported paused files. Retain required Ubicloud database, network, CI or full-VM services.

Capabilities

Ubicloud managed Compute and Sandbox0: what persists?

Feature comparison with documentation and verification status
Environment and runtime lifetimeUbicloud managed ComputeNot 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 filesUbicloud managed ComputeInstalled disk state can be retained in versioned machine images with capture limits.View evidence ↗Sandbox0The writable RootFS survives successful checkpoints, including software, system configuration, dependencies, and user data.Read documentation →
Whole RootFSUbicloud managed ComputeImages preserve the VM disk including installed dependencies/configuration.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 stateUbicloud managed ComputeStop/start operations exist; billing release and arbitrary execution preservation are not 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 stateUbicloud managed ComputeMachine images capture disk state, not arbitrary running-memory checkpoints.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.

Ubicloud already retains installed system state in full-disk images and can provision additional storage. The reviewed image workflow requires a stopped single disk up to 40 GiB; it is not automatic online low-space growth of a durable agent 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.

Machine images can remain stored without the source VM running, but booting one creates VM compute. The reviewed interfaces do not establish direct reads and mutations throughout the original stopped RootFS without booting a guest.

See paused file operations →

Machine images already capture the installed disk

A machine image versions a VM disk so later VMs can boot with dependencies and configuration already installed. The source must be stopped and have a single disk no larger than 40 GiB. Image and new VM must share a location; the console boots the latest version, while selecting a specific version requires the CLI.

Source 1 ↗

Check which resources a stopped VM retains

Ubicloud provides a Stop API, while the pricing contract bills provisioned resources per minute. Confirm which allocations and fees a stopped VM retains before assuming compute is released or only image storage remains billable.

Source 1 ↗Source 2 ↗

Shared and dedicated CPU rates have different scope

Standard VM CPU is dedicated; burstable VMs can use host CPU up to 50% of allocated vCPU and burst to 100% at micro-intervals. The pricing table is for Hetzner Germany. Public IPv4, extra storage, image versions and egress beyond included allowances have separate rates.

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.

Ubicloud managed Compute

Pricing reviewed 2026-10-19

Germany standard-2 published minute rate
$0.00104 per VM-minute
2 dedicated vCPU/8 GB RAM/40 GB disk; provisioned resources are metered per minute.
Rate source ↗
Germany burstable-1 published minute rate
$0.00026 per VM-minute
1 shared vCPU/2 GB RAM/10 GB disk; utilization policy differs from Standard.
Rate source ↗
Public IPv4
$3 per month, prorated per minute
Optional; private addressing/public IPv6 have different terms.
Rate source ↗
Machine image storage
$0.0000034722 per GiB-minute
Each compressed image version is billed separately.
Rate source ↗

The page’s parenthetical monthly examples do not equal a simple 730-hour calculation from its displayed minute rates. Confirm the actual account tariff and billing month before a monthly estimate. Include extra storage, image versions, IP and egress; do not use CI-runner or PostgreSQL prices as VM compute rates.

Check current Ubicloud managed Compute 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 Ubicloud managed Compute

  1. Separate managed Compute from self-operated software, CI and databases; record family, region, provisioned charges and image limits.
  2. Export a consistent installed environment or appropriate image and configure compatible Linux tools on Sandbox0, retaining needed services.
  3. Test system retention, online growth, paused files and complete minute-metered compute, storage/image, IP and egress costs.

Common questions

Is Sandbox0 a drop-in Ubicloud managed Compute 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.ubicloud.com/docs/machine-images/overview.md ↗www.ubicloud.com/docs/api-reference/virtual-machine/stop-a-vm.md ↗www.ubicloud.com/docs/about/pricing ↗www.ubicloud.com/use-cases/ubicloud-compute ↗Sandbox0 RootFS capacity →

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