macOS compute / use.computer alternative

use.computer alternative for portable Linux agent stages

use.computer offers macOS VMs on dedicated reserved Apple Mac minis. The reservation is the purchase boundary, while individual sandboxes can be created, reaped and replaced inside it. Its portable disk snapshots retain prepared macOS state; that is a different runtime and billing model from hosted Linux agent compute.

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

When use.computer fits

Keep use.computer in scope when your agent requires macOS applications, Apple hardware, desktop interaction, or its replayable trajectory tooling. Sandbox0’s Linux/gVisor runtime is not an equivalent macOS or Apple-platform testing environment.

When to consider Sandbox0

Consider Sandbox0 for compatible Linux agent work whose whole writable RootFS should persist and grow online between tasks. Supply any required computer-use interface and retain a separate Mac service where the workflow depends on macOS.

Capabilities

use.computer and Sandbox0: what persists?

Feature comparison with documentation and verification status
Environment and runtime lifetimeuse.computerNot 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 filesuse.computerPortable disk snapshots retain seeded apps, files and logins for new VM creation while the required base remains available.View evidence ↗Sandbox0The writable RootFS survives successful checkpoints, including software, system configuration, dependencies, and user data.Read documentation →
Whole RootFSuse.computerSnapshots are macOS disk deltas tied to a base image, including installed applications, rather than only a synchronized repository.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 stateuse.computerGuest create/delete and disk-snapshot restoration are documented; a same-machine compute-release pause contract is not established.View evidence ↗Sandbox0Pause compute between tasks; resume on available capacity. Default resume starts fresh processes from the saved filesystem.Read documentation →
Memory and process stateuse.computerThe reviewed snapshot contract preserves disk state; live process-memory restore 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.

The documented create contract requires the image’s existing disk geometry. Portable seeded disk snapshots are useful, but do not establish automatic online RootFS expansion of an active guest.

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.

See paused file operations →

A reserved host and an ephemeral guest have different lifetimes

The vendor requires a whole-Mac reservation of at least 24 hours, paid up front at the purchased model rate. Guests can be destroyed sooner, and the idle reaper removes a sandbox after roughly two minutes without a documented touch/connection; long work needs keepalive. All guests are destroyed when the reservation ends.

Source 1 ↗

Portable snapshots retain disk with a base-image dependency

The SDK guide describes disk deltas that can move to another reserved Mac. Restore requires the recorded base image and compatible disk size; unavailable bases fail before a VM is claimed. The documented snapshot is disk state, so retained app installations and logins do not establish arbitrary process-memory continuation.

Source 1 ↗

Resource sizing does not imply a resizable disk

Each host supports at most two guests, or one in whole layout, subject to model capacity. A custom CPU/RAM shape can require a cold macOS boot instead of a warm claim. disk_gib must match the selected image; the lifecycle guide explicitly says disks are not resized at create. Check the actual resource response rather than assuming every split slot is equal.

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.

use.computer

Pricing reviewed 2026-10-18

Reservation minimum
One whole Mac for at least 24 hours
Rate source ↗
Current hourly hardware price
Model-specific; shown in the live dashboard
Purchased reservations retain their rate. No account-only price is inferred here.
Rate source ↗
Up-front reservation total
Purchased hourly rate × Mac count × reserved hours
Rate source ↗
Guest creation/deletion
Runs within the reserved host capacity
Deleting a guest does not convert the reservation into per-second billing.
Rate source ↗

A physical Mac reservation has a different resource and billing scope from a Linux VM-hour. Confirm model availability, the exact guest/base image, reservation terms and retained-snapshot costs before estimating the complete workflow.

Check current use.computer 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 use.computer

  1. Export required files and snapshots, record base-image dependencies and reservation end time, and identify macOS-only application and desktop requirements.
  2. Move compatible Linux agent tools to Sandbox0 while retaining or replacing the necessary Apple-specific service and its integration.
  3. Validate complete system state, online growth, paused file operations, restart expectations and the combined Linux plus reserved-Mac cost.

Common questions

Is Sandbox0 a drop-in use.computer 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.use.computer/docs/concepts ↗docs.use.computer/llms-full.txt ↗Sandbox0 RootFS capacity →

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