CreateOS Sandbox vs GKE Agent Sandbox
Pick GKE Agent Sandbox if you already run GKE or Kubernetes and want agent sandboxes inside your own cluster and VPC, with GPU support and an open-source controller. Pick CreateOS Sandbox if you would rather not operate a cluster, gVisor node pools and snapshot buckets, and want a hosted API that pauses, forks and destroys micro-VMs per task. GKE gives you control; CreateOS takes the operations off your plate.
Google's docs do not label the add-on GA or Preview, and Pod snapshots need GKE 1.35.3-gke.1234000 or later plus a manual install step.
Pricing at a Glance
CreateOS rates verified 17 October 2026. GKE Agent Sandbox pricing as published on 17 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
GKE Agent Sandbox
Agent Sandbox on GKE has no extra charge; you pay standard GKE pricing for clusters and nodes or Autopilot resources, plus Cloud Storage for snapshots, as of 17 October 2026.
Where CreateOS Sandbox Fits Better
What CreateOS Sandbox brings to this matchup, with a plain note on where GKE Agent Sandbox has the edge.
No cluster to run: CreateOS hosts the micro-VMs, so there are no node pools, gVisor setup or snapshot buckets to size.
Fork is a documented call that clones one paused sandbox into many children; GKE's documented restore brings back one SandboxClaim from the latest snapshot.
SDKs in six languages plus CLI, REST and MCP, where GKE offers a Python SDK and a Go SDK without snapshot support.
Where GKE Agent Sandbox is strong
Kubernetes-native agent sandboxes with gVisor isolation, warm pools and memory snapshots that run inside your own GKE cluster and VPC, with an Apache-2.0 open-source controller you can run anywhere.
Which to Pick
Pick CreateOS Sandbox if
- You do not have Kubernetes operations capacity
- You want to fork one prepared sandbox into many
- You want a hosted per-sandbox API in TypeScript, Go, Python, Rust, C# or Java
Pick GKE Agent Sandbox if
- You run GKE and want sandboxes in your own cluster and VPC
- Agent tools need GPUs such as H100, A100, L4 or T4 under gVisor
- You want an Apache-2.0 controller you can run on any Kubernetes
Head-to-Head Comparison
Every dimension side by side, checked on 17 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 | GKE Agent Sandbox |
|---|---|---|
| Isolation | Firecracker micro-VM with its own guest kernel | gVisor (GKE Sandbox); Kata Containers also works but is not Google-supported |
| Pause and resume | Yes: disk, memory and CPU state saved; vCPU stops billing, memory and storage still bill | Pod snapshots save memory and filesystem to Cloud Storage (GKE 1.35.3-gke.1234000+, not E2 machine types; manual install) |
| Fork | Yes, from a paused sandbox; each child gets its own id, IP and bandwidth ledger | Partly: docs list starting many sandboxes from the same state as a use case; documented restore brings back one SandboxClaim |
| Outbound network default | Open with no rules; deny-by-default once any host, IP, CIDR or wildcard rule exists, enforced on the host outside the VM | Default deny; egress and ingress rules in the SandboxTemplate |
| Inbound access | Closed by default; opt-in public HTTPS URL, plus API-authenticated shell and port tunnels | Sandbox Router gives a stable endpoint; ingress rules in the SandboxTemplate |
| Largest size | 8 vCPU / 16 GB on Enterprise; 8 / 8 on Pro | Not published; bounded by your node pool machine types |
| Billing | Per second while running: $0.03616363 per vCPU-hour, $0.01159025 per GiB-hour | No extra charge; standard GKE node or Autopilot pricing plus Cloud Storage for snapshots |
| SDKs and interfaces | TypeScript, Go, Python, Rust, C#, Java (all but TypeScript pre-1.0), CLI, REST and an MCP server with create, exec and destroy tools | Python SDK (agentic-sandbox-client), Kubernetes CRDs; Go SDK in the open-source project without snapshot support |
| Self-host or BYOC | Enterprise only, onboarded by the CreateOS team; no open-source or self-serve install | Yes: Apache-2.0 controller runs on any Kubernetes; the managed add-on is GKE-only |
| GPU | No GPU shapes | Yes: CUDA under gVisor on H100, A100, L4 and T4 (GA list); B200, GB200 and H200 in preview |
Common Questions
Does GKE Agent Sandbox cost extra on top of GKE?
No. Google offers Agent Sandbox on GKE at no extra charge; you pay for the cluster, nodes or Autopilot resources it runs on, plus Cloud Storage for snapshots. CreateOS bills each sandbox per second at $0.03616363 per vCPU-hour and $0.01159025 per GiB-hour.
Is egress denied by default in GKE Agent Sandbox?
Yes. GKE Agent Sandbox denies by default, with egress and ingress rules defined in the SandboxTemplate. CreateOS starts open with no rules and switches to deny-by-default as soon as you add one host, IP, CIDR or wildcard rule.
Can I run GKE Agent Sandbox outside Google Cloud?
The open-source controller, kubernetes-sigs/agent-sandbox under Apache-2.0, runs on any Kubernetes; the managed add-on is GKE-only. CreateOS can run in your own cloud or hardware only on Enterprise, onboarded by its team, with no open-source install.
Does GKE Agent Sandbox support GPUs?
Yes, with limits. gVisor supports CUDA on H100, A100, L4 and T4, with B200, GB200 and H200 in preview, and GPU time-sharing is not recommended in sandboxed Pods. CreateOS Sandbox has no GPU shapes.
Sources
Checked 17 October 2026.
See CreateOS Sandbox for yourself
Book a demo, or explore the Sandbox and its pricing.