Sandbox comparison · Reviewed July 2026
Cloudflare Sandbox exposes container execution to Workers applications with sessions and configurable sleep behavior. Run Cloud provides hardware-isolated microVMs and a multi-product agent runtime.
Cloudflare Sandbox
Run Cloud
Detailed comparison
This comparison focuses on architecture and workflow rather than temporary prices or benchmark claims.
| Area | Cloudflare Sandbox | Run Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Runtime model | Cloudflare containers exposed through the Sandbox SDK and coordinated from Workers. | KVM-backed Firecracker microVMs with a dedicated kernel and filesystem. |
| State | Explicit sessions preserve shell state; containers sleep after inactivity. | Snapshot, fork, pause, and resume preserve and branch agent environments. |
| SDK shape | TypeScript-first @cloudflare/sandbox API used with Workers bindings. | Native APIs plus a Cloudflare-shaped TypeScript compatibility adapter. |
| Platform scope | Tightly integrated with Workers and Cloudflare application infrastructure. | Standalone agent compute with iOS simulator and Xcode build products. |
| Migration path | Existing code imports Sandbox from @cloudflare/sandbox. | Change the import to @run-cloud/sdk/compat/cloudflare and replace binding-specific setup. |
Provider details were reviewed against the Cloudflare Sandbox SDK documentation. Product capabilities change; validate requirements against current vendor documentation.
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Compatibility layer
Keep the provider-shaped entry point while you validate lifecycle, network, image, and storage behavior against your application.
import { Sandbox } from "@cloudflare/sandbox";import { Sandbox } from "@run-cloud/sdk/compat/cloudflare";FAQ
Cloudflare documents Sandbox as a container-based product integrated with its developer platform. Run Cloud describes its Linux runtime as KVM-backed Firecracker microVMs with a dedicated kernel.
The compatibility adapter preserves a Cloudflare-shaped Sandbox import, but Workers bindings and Durable Object coordination are Cloudflare-specific and need replacement at the application boundary.
It is a natural fit when your control plane already runs on Workers and you want sandbox execution integrated with Cloudflare bindings and operations.
Run Cloud is useful when you want a standalone microVM runtime or need the same agent platform to provide iOS simulators and cloud Xcode builds.
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