CreateOS Sandbox vs Anchor Browser
Anchor Browser suits enterprises running logged-in browser agents: each browser gets a dedicated VM that is destroyed after the session, sessions have no upper duration limit, and SOC 2, ISO 27001 and HIPAA paperwork is on offer. CreateOS Sandbox suits agents that need to run their own programs, not only drive a browser.
Pricing at a Glance
CreateOS rates verified 17 October 2026. Anchor Browser pricing as published on 26 October 2026. Rates billed per GB rather than per GiB, or as bundled sizes, are quoted as published rather than converted.
CreateOS Sandbox
- Compute
- $0.0362 /vCPU-hr
- Memory
- $0.0116 /GiB-hr
Anchor Browser
Plans run Free (5 credits), Starter $50/month (50 credits), Team $500/month (500) and Growth $2,000/month (2,000), with overage at $1.00 per credit; the pricing page's cost calculator also shows per-hour rates, but its totals do not match them, so they are left out, as of 26 October 2026.
Where CreateOS Sandbox Fits Better
What CreateOS Sandbox brings to this matchup, with a plain note on where Anchor Browser has the edge.
Shell, exec and file APIs for agent-written programs, with Python, Node.js, Go, Rust and Docker in devbox:1.
Pause saves memory and CPU state, so a long task can stop and resume where it left off.
The same per-second dollar rates on every plan, including Free, instead of monthly credit bundles.
Where Anchor Browser is strong
Every browser runs in a dedicated VM that is never reused across sessions or customers, sessions have no upper duration limit, and Anchor offers bring-your-own-cloud and on-premise deployment for regulated enterprises.
Which to Pick
Pick CreateOS Sandbox if
- Agents need to compile, test or run code between browser steps.
- You want to pause a task with its memory state and fork it into copies.
- You prefer per-second dollar rates over monthly credit plans.
Pick Anchor Browser if
- You run authenticated browser agents for regulated workflows and need HIPAA, a BAA or EU residency in Frankfurt.
- You want managed authentication, VPN and action caching built in.
- You want the browser fleet on-premise or in your own cloud.
Head-to-Head Comparison
Every dimension side by side, checked on 26 October 2026 against each vendor's own docs and pricing pages. "Not published" means we could not find it on the vendor's pages, not that the feature is missing.
| Dimension | CreateOS Sandbox | Anchor Browser |
|---|---|---|
| What you get (browser vs full Linux machine) | Full Linux micro-VM; the desktop:1 image adds an XFCE desktop, Google Chrome and a computer-use API | Managed Chromium-fork browser per session, with authentication, VPN and action caching |
| Isolation | Firecracker micro-VM with its own guest kernel, root filesystem and network identity | Dedicated VM per browser instance, destroyed after the session and never reused (vendor-stated) |
| Session length | No lifetime cap; optional idle auto-pause from 60 s to 24 h, off by default | max_duration default 180 min with no upper limit; idle_timeout default 5 min, can be disabled |
| Run arbitrary code | Yes: exec, shell, files and managed processes; devbox:1 ships Python 3.12, Node.js 24, Go, Rust and Docker | Hosts a browser; no compute shape or shell access published |
| Outbound network | Open with no rules; deny-by-default once any host, IP, CIDR or wildcard rule exists, enforced on the host outside the VM | Open web with built-in VPN and proxies; network guardrail settings exist, defaults not published |
| Billing | Per second: $0.03616363/vCPU-hr, $0.01159025/GiB-hr, storage $0.0001584/GB-hr; no per-GB egress price, 50 GiB bandwidth budget per sandbox | Monthly credit plans (Free 5 credits; Starter $50 to Growth $2,000), overage $1.00/credit |
| Pause and resume | Pause saves disk, memory and CPU state; vCPU stops billing, memory and storage still bill | Profiles and volumes persist cookies, storage and cache; pausing a live session not published |
| Interfaces | SDKs in TypeScript, Go, Python, Rust, C# and Java (all but TypeScript pre-1.0), CLI, MCP server, REST API | TypeScript and Python SDKs, MCP (hosted and open source), CDP |
Common Questions
Does Anchor Browser cap how long a session runs?
No. Anchor's max_duration defaults to 180 minutes but has no upper limit, and the idle timeout can be disabled with -1. CreateOS sandboxes also have no lifetime cap; the difference is that a CreateOS sandbox is a general Linux VM rather than a browser.
Which has stronger compliance paperwork, Anchor or CreateOS?
Anchor states SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, HIPAA and GDPR, with a BAA and DPA on Enterprise. CreateOS is SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 certified, with reports available under NDA. If you need a HIPAA BAA, Anchor states one and the CreateOS facts here do not.
Can I run Anchor Browser in my own cloud?
Yes, on Enterprise: Anchor offers bring-your-own-cloud and on-premise deployment. CreateOS can also run in your own cloud account or on your hardware for Enterprise customers, onboarded by the CreateOS team rather than installed self-serve.
Sources
Checked 26 October 2026.
See CreateOS Sandbox for yourself
Book a demo, or explore the Sandbox and its pricing.