Devtoolwatch Boardmicrosandbox review
microsandbox is a local-first microVM runtime and library for running untrusted workloads like AI agents, user code, and CI jobs in isolated VMs.
TL;DR
microsandbox runs untrusted workloads inside local microVMs with hardware-level isolation, using standard OCI images. It is for developers sandboxing AI agents, user code, CI jobs, and automation. It embeds in your code with no daemon, offers fork and snapshot, and keeps secrets outside the VM. It is beta software.
- 8.9kGitHub stars
- +98new stars, week of Oct 25
- 26.8kdownloads a week, +138% vs 4-week avg
- #2in Sandboxes and runtimes this week
microsandbox at a glance
- Category
- Sandboxes and runtimes
- Maintained by
- Super Rad Company (organization, @superradcompany on GitHub)
- License
- Apache 2.0
- Language
- Rust, Go, Python
- Repository
- github.com/superradcompany/microsandbox
- Website
- docs.microsandbox.dev
- PyPI package
- microsandbox 0.7.8
- Latest release
- v0.7.8 on GitHub, Oct 9, 2026
- First published
- Oct 3, 2024
What microsandbox does
- microsandbox runs each sandbox as a lightweight VM with its own Linux kernel, filesystem, and network boundary.
- microsandbox runs standard container images from Docker Hub, GHCR, or any OCI registry.
- microsandbox can fork live sandboxes and save running sandbox state as snapshots to restore later.
- microsandbox keeps secret keys outside the VM and can restrict them to specific allowed hosts.
- microsandbox network configuration can allow only listed hosts and ports for outbound traffic.
- microsandbox sandboxes can run in detached mode for long-lived sessions.
- microsandbox provides SDKs for TypeScript, Rust, Python, Go, and Ruby with the same core model.
How it works
You run microsandbox through the msb CLI or an SDK. The SDK boots a microVM as a child process, with no daemon or setup server. Sandboxes pull OCI images and cache them locally. The same SDK and CLI can run sandboxes on microsandbox cloud with an API key. An MCP server and Agent Skills let AI agents create and control sandboxes.
How to install and start using microsandbox
macOS / Linux
curl -fsSL https://install.microsandbox.dev | shWith Homebrew
brew install superradcompany/tap/microsandboxWith npm
npm i -g microsandboxRequirements
- macOS: Apple Silicon.
- Linux: KVM enabled.
- Windows: WHP enabled.
- Python SDK requires Python 3.10 or later.
First steps
- Start a sandbox from an image with msb run ubuntu.
- Create a named sandbox with msb create --name app python, then run commands with msb exec.
- Run msb --tree to see the complete command hierarchy and descriptions.
Who microsandbox is for
- Developers giving AI coding agents an isolated machine for commands, files, and package installs.
- Apps that execute user-submitted scripts, notebooks, or plugins away from the host.
- Teams isolating CI jobs, such as running each self-hosted GitHub Actions job in a disposable microVM.
- Scrapers and automation that need internet access while blocking private networks and metadata services.
Limitations to know
- microsandbox is beta software; the README warns of breaking changes, missing features, and rough edges.
- microsandbox on macOS requires Apple Silicon, and Linux and Windows need KVM or WHP virtualization enabled.
- microsandbox's first create() call pulls the image if not cached, so it can take longer depending on connection.
Is microsandbox growing? Usage data
In the week of Oct 25–31, 2026, microsandbox ranked #100 on the Devtoolwatch Board and #2 in Sandboxes and runtimes, with a momentum score of 64 out of 100. Its main package had 26.8k downloads that week, +138% against its own 4-week average.
Show the weekly numbers
| Week of | New stars |
|---|---|
| Aug 9, 2026 | 349 |
| Aug 16, 2026 | 341 |
| Aug 23, 2026 | 142 |
| Aug 30, 2026 | 79 |
| Sep 6, 2026 | 152 |
| Sep 13, 2026 | 66 |
| Sep 20, 2026 | 142 |
| Sep 27, 2026 | 115 |
| Oct 4, 2026 | 99 |
| Oct 11, 2026 | 86 |
| Oct 18, 2026 | 81 |
| Oct 25, 2026 | 98 |
The Board ranks tools by four signals each week: new stars, new stars for the repo's size, added downloads and download growth beyond the market. How the ranking works.
microsandbox alternatives
Other AI sandboxes and runtimes on the Board in the week of Oct 25–31, 2026, by momentum:
| Rank | Tool | Stars | Downloads/wk |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | OpenSandboxOpenSandbox is a sandbox runtime that gives AI agents isolated environments to run code, commands, files, browsers, and desktops on your… | 16.3k | 328.9k |
| #3 | E2BE2B is open-source infrastructure for running AI-generated code in secure, isolated cloud sandboxes, controlled through JavaScript and… | 14.6k | 5M |
| #4 | Agent Sandboxagent-sandbox enables easy management of isolated, stateful, singleton workloads, ideal for use cases like AI agent runtimes and… | 4.5k | – |
| #5 | Trigger.devTrigger.dev is an open-source TypeScript platform for building and deploying durable AI agents, workflows, and long-running background… | 16.7k | 1.7M |
| #6 | InngestInngest is a workflow orchestration platform for running durable step functions, background jobs, and AI workflows on serverless,… | 6k | 3.7M |
| #7 | Cloudflare Sandbox SDKCloudflare Sandbox SDK runs untrusted or generated code in per-user Linux sandboxes built on Cloudflare Durable Objects and Containers. | 1.2k | 1.2M |
Recent microsandbox releases
microsandbox FAQ
Is microsandbox free and open source?
Yes. microsandbox's source code is on GitHub (superradcompany/microsandbox) under the Apache 2.0 license, so you can use it for free.
How do I install microsandbox?
Run curl -fsSL https://install.microsandbox.dev | sh. The microsandbox package needs Python 3.10 or newer. The install section above has the other options from the project's README.
Is microsandbox still maintained?
Yes. The superradcompany/microsandbox repository was last updated on Oct 22, 2026, and the latest release, v0.7.8 on GitHub, came out on Oct 9, 2026.
How popular is microsandbox?
microsandbox has 8.9k GitHub stars as of Nov 1, 2026. It gained 98 new stars in the week of Oct 25–31, 2026, against a 12-week average of 146 a week. Its main package had 26.8k downloads that week, +138% against its own 4-week average. That made it #2 among AI sandboxes and runtimes on the Devtoolwatch Board.
What are the best alternatives to microsandbox?
Other AI sandboxes and runtimes on the Devtoolwatch Board in the week of Oct 25–31, 2026, by momentum: OpenSandbox (#1), E2B (#3), Agent Sandbox (#4), Trigger.dev (#5), Inngest (#6). The alternatives table above has their numbers.
How is microsandbox different from a Docker container?
microsandbox runs each sandbox as a VM with its own Linux kernel, not a container namespace on the host kernel. It still uses familiar OCI images and Docker-like image, command, shell, and volume workflows.
Can microsandbox run Docker inside a sandbox?
Yes. microsandbox has a guide for running Docker inside a sandbox without touching the host daemon.
Does microsandbox need a daemon or server?
No. microsandbox's SDK boots a microVM as a child process directly from your code, with no setup server, long-running daemon, or infrastructure.
How do AI agents use microsandbox?
microsandbox offers an MCP server for MCP-compatible agents, with tool calls for lifecycle, command execution, filesystem, volumes, and monitoring. Agent Skills teach agents like Claude Code, Cursor, and Codex to use it.
Can microsandbox run in the cloud?
Yes. microsandbox's same SDK and CLI can run sandboxes on microsandbox cloud; an API key is the only change.
Sources
microsandbox README badge
Maintainers can show the tool's weekly Board rank in their README:
[](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/microsandbox/)How this page is made: Devtoolwatch writes each review from the project's README, releases, package metadata and website, with an AI model, then checks every claim against the source it cites and drops what the sources don't support. The numbers come from Devtoolwatch's daily GitHub snapshots, GitHub's stargazer history, and the npm and PyPI download APIs. Spotted an error? Email [email protected].