CreateOS Sandbox vs Hopx
Hopx fits code-interpreter and desktop-automation agents that want a large built-in toolkit and resources up to 64 vCPU / 64 GB from a template. CreateOS Sandbox fits when outbound traffic must be limited to named hosts or CIDRs, and when per-vCPU cost matters: $0.03616363 against Hopx's $0.0504. Both pause with memory intact.
Pricing at a Glance
CreateOS rates verified 17 October 2026. Hopx 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
Lower compute rate- Compute
- $0.0362 /vCPU-hr
- Memory
- $0.0116 /GiB-hr
Hopx
- Compute
- $0.0504 /vCPU-hr
- Memory
- $0.0162 /GiB-hr
Hopx charges $0.000014 per vCPU-second, $0.0000045 per GiB-second of memory and $0.00000003 per GiB-second of storage; 1 vCPU, 1 GB RAM and 10 GB storage for one hour costs $0.05, as of 17 October 2026.
Where CreateOS Sandbox Fits Better
What CreateOS Sandbox brings to this matchup, with a plain note on where Hopx has the edge.
Egress allowlists by host, IP, CIDR or wildcard, enforced on the host outside the VM. Hopx documents an on/off internet switch.
Lower per-second rates: $0.03616363 per vCPU-hour and $0.01159025 per GiB-hour, against Hopx's $0.0504 and $0.0162.
Fork a paused sandbox into many independent copies; fork is not published for Hopx.
Clients for Go, Rust, C# and Java in addition to Python and TypeScript (non-TypeScript pre-1.0).
Where Hopx is strong
Hopx ships a wide toolkit in every sandbox: memory-preserving pause, background processes, file watching, live metrics over SSE, a WebSocket terminal and VNC desktop control, with $200 of starter credit and resources up to 64 vCPU depending on plan.
Which to Pick
Pick CreateOS Sandbox if
- Agent code must reach only an approved list of hosts.
- You want to branch one prepared sandbox into many.
- CPU cost per hour is your main driver.
Pick Hopx if
- You need more than 8 vCPU or 16 GB in one sandbox.
- You want VNC desktop control and file watching built in.
- You want $200 of free credit to start.
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 | Hopx |
|---|---|---|
| Isolation | Firecracker micro-VM with its own guest kernel | Lightweight VM with dedicated kernel (vendor-stated); hypervisor not named |
| Pause and resume | Saves disk, memory and CPU state; vCPU billing stops while paused, memory and storage still bill | Pause keeps full state including memory; stop keeps files only |
| Fork | Fork a paused sandbox into many independent copies | Not published |
| 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 | On unless created with internet_access=False; no host/IP allowlist documented |
| Inbound access | Closed by default; opt-in HTTPS URL | Preview URL per port; auth not published |
| Largest size | 8 vCPU / 16 GB on Enterprise; 8 / 8 on Pro, 4 / 4 on Beginner, 1 / 1 on Free | From the template: typical 1-64 vCPU, 512 MB-64 GB, by plan |
| Session length | No cap; optional idle auto-pause from 60 s to 24 h, off by default | Optional timeout_seconds; runs until killed if unset |
| Billing | Per second: $0.03616363 per vCPU-hour, $0.01159025 per GiB-hour, storage $0.0001584 per GB-hour; no egress fees (50 GiB bandwidth budget per sandbox) | Per second: $0.0504 per vCPU-hour, $0.0162 per GiB-hour |
| SDKs and interfaces | TypeScript, Go, Python, Rust, C#, Java (all but TypeScript pre-1.0), CLI, MCP, REST | Python, JavaScript/TypeScript, CLI, REST, MCP server, WebSocket terminal |
Common Questions
Can Hopx restrict outbound traffic to specific hosts?
Hopx documents an on/off switch: internet is on unless you create the sandbox with internet_access=False, and no host or IP allowlist is documented. CreateOS lets you list hosts, IPs, CIDRs or wildcards, and then denies everything else.
How do Hopx and CreateOS prices compare for a 1 vCPU, 1 GB sandbox?
Hopx states $0.05 for one hour of 1 vCPU, 1 GB RAM and 10 GB storage. On CreateOS the same hour comes to about $0.049: $0.03616363 for the vCPU, $0.01159025 for 1 GiB of RAM and about $0.0016 for 10 GB of storage.
Can I change a Hopx sandbox's size?
According to Hopx's docs, resources come from the template, so a new shape needs a new template. Typical template ranges are 1 to 64 vCPU and 512 MB to 64 GB of memory, depending on plan. CreateOS sandboxes are picked from a shape catalog up to 8 vCPU / 16 GB.
Do Hopx and CreateOS both keep memory when paused?
Yes. Hopx pause preserves full state including memory, while stop keeps only the filesystem. CreateOS pause saves disk, memory and CPU state; vCPU billing stops while paused, and memory and storage continue to bill.
Sources
Checked 17 October 2026.
See CreateOS Sandbox for yourself
Book a demo, or explore the Sandbox and its pricing.