Computer-use platforms / Google Agent Platform Sandbox (Code Execution / Shell / Computer Use) alternative

Google Agent Platform Computer Use alternative

Google Agent Platform Computer Use provides an isolated browser controlled through actions or CDP, with a live VNC view. Its sandbox management documentation now preserves all in-container filesystem state across pause and resume. Compare that real retention capability with the complete runtime lifecycle your agent requires.

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

When Google Agent Platform Sandbox (Code Execution / Shell / Computer Use) fits

Google fits teams wanting browser automation integrated with Agent Platform, Google Cloud IAM and private connectivity. Keep its managed browser-control and viewing layer when those interfaces are central to the application.

When to consider Sandbox0

Consider Sandbox0 when your own agent stack needs a whole writable Linux RootFS that grows online and supported files remain accessible while compute is paused. You supply or integrate the browser, CDP/VNC access and Google-specific control-plane adapters separately.

Capabilities

Google Agent Platform Sandbox (Code Execution / Shell / Computer Use) and Sandbox0: what persists?

Feature comparison with documentation and verification status
Environment and runtime lifetimeGoogle Agent Platform Sandbox (Code Execution / Shell / Computer Use)Creation supports TTL-based deletion; a universal no-limit lifetime is not established by this guide.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 filesGoogle Agent Platform Sandbox (Code Execution / Shell / Computer Use)Pause/resume retains all in-container filesystem state and identity.View evidence ↗Sandbox0The writable RootFS survives successful checkpoints, including software, system configuration, dependencies, and user data.Read documentation →
Whole RootFSGoogle Agent Platform Sandbox (Code Execution / Shell / Computer Use)The documented pause scope is all in-container filesystem state, not just a designated project folder.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 stateGoogle Agent Platform Sandbox (Code Execution / Shell / Computer Use)Compute is released and can resume with the same filesystem and endpoint; data-plane requests fail while paused.View evidence ↗Sandbox0Pause compute between tasks; resume on available capacity. Default resume starts fresh processes from the saved filesystem.Read documentation →
Memory and process stateGoogle Agent Platform Sandbox (Code Execution / Shell / Computer Use)Filesystem/endpoint retention does not establish arbitrary process RAM capture.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.

Google documents retention of all in-container filesystem state across pause. Its management guide requires recreation to change sandbox configuration and does not establish automatic online whole-RootFS expansion. Verify storage growth and recovery independently of browser CDP support.

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 management guide says paused sandbox data-plane requests return errors until resume. Sandbox0 supports persistent RootFS reads while paused and mutations during filesystem-only pauses; memory-paused mutations conflict instead of discarding the checkpoint.

See paused file operations →

Pause preserves more than a project folder

The current management guide explicitly retains all in-container filesystem state, sandbox identity and connection metadata during pause. Resume returns the same endpoint and state. This is broader than workspace-only retention. The guide does not establish arbitrary process-memory restoration or a recovery guarantee for every underlying host failure.

Source 1 ↗

Paused data-plane requests still require a resume

Google releases compute on pause, but requests to the sandbox’s data-plane endpoint return errors until resume completes. An existing private endpoint is retained metadata, not proof that commands or file operations can run against paused storage. Changing an existing sandbox configuration requires deleting it and creating a new one under the reviewed guide.

Source 1 ↗

Resource prices and runtime policies are separate

The current official price table lists standard Agent Compute at $0.085/vCPU-hour and Agent Memory at $0.009/GiB-hour, with per-second rounding. It also lists account-level allowances and opt-in commitment discounts. The separate Runtime idle-between-prompts waiver must not automatically be applied to Computer Use sandboxes.

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.

Google Agent Platform Sandbox (Code Execution / Shell / Computer Use)

Pricing reviewed 2026-10-18

Standard Agent Compute
$0.085 per vCPU-hour
Published standard resource rate; add memory and any other applicable services.
Rate source ↗
Standard Agent Memory
$0.009 per GiB-hour
Separate from vCPU and model-token charges.
Rate source ↗
Published monthly allowances
50 vCPU-hours and 100 GiB-hours per account
Account-level resource allowances, not an allocation for each sandbox; confirm effective SKU and eligibility.
Rate source ↗
Paused sandbox
Retained state remains billable
The guide says paused sandboxes cost less; an exact paused-state tariff is not established here.
Rate source ↗

These are published standard USD resource rates. Confirm regional SKUs, currency, account eligibility and any savings-plan commitment before purchase. Do not apply Runtime-specific idle billing automatically to sandbox compute. Browser/model execution and other cloud services are not an equal-resource or equal-performance quote with Sandbox0.

Check current Google Agent Platform Sandbox (Code Execution / Shell / Computer Use) 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 Google Agent Platform Sandbox (Code Execution / Shell / Computer Use)

  1. Inventory browser actions, CDP/VNC, IAM/private endpoints, retained files, TTL and effective Google resource SKUs.
  2. Export required files and port browser/model/control-plane integration deliberately to a compatible Sandbox0 template.
  3. Verify installed tools, filesystem growth, paused files, recovery and the complete browser/runtime/storage/model bill.

Common questions

Is Sandbox0 a drop-in Google Agent Platform Sandbox (Code Execution / Shell / Computer Use) 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.cloud.google.com/gemini-enterprise-agent-platform/scale/sandbox/manage-sandboxes ↗cloud.google.com/products/gemini-enterprise-agent-platform/pricing ↗docs.cloud.google.com/gemini-enterprise-agent-platform/scale/sandbox/computer-use ↗Sandbox0 RootFS capacity →

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