CreateOS Sandbox vs StarSling
StarSling is the right call when your problem is slow or expensive GitHub Actions jobs. CreateOS Sandbox is the right call when an agent or app needs to run code on demand by API, keep state across pauses and expose a port.
Pricing at a Glance
CreateOS rates verified 17 October 2026. StarSling 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
StarSling
- Compute
- $0.1200 /vCPU-hr
- Memory
- See below
StarSling Ubuntu CPU runners cost $0.004 per minute for 2 vCPU / 8 GB up to $0.128 per minute for 64 vCPU / 256 GB, and GPU runners from $0.02522 per minute (RTX 4090), as of 17 October 2026.
Where CreateOS Sandbox Fits Better
What CreateOS Sandbox brings to this matchup, with a plain note on where StarSling has the edge.
Triggered by any API call, not only a GitHub Actions job, with exec, files and shell on demand.
Pause keeps disk, memory and CPU state for later; StarSling VMs are destroyed after each job.
Opt-in public HTTPS URL into the sandbox; StarSling runners take no inbound traffic.
Where StarSling is strong
StarSling gives cheaper, faster GitHub Actions minutes on single-use VMs with a one-line runs-on label change, adds agents that rewrite workflows to cut CI time, and offers consumer-class GPUs for CI at low per-minute rates. It states unlimited concurrency.
Which to Pick
Pick CreateOS Sandbox if
- An agent needs to run code interactively, outside a CI pipeline.
- You need to pause an environment and resume it later.
- You need to reach a service running inside the sandbox.
Pick StarSling if
- Your GitHub Actions jobs are slow or costly and you want a label-swap fix.
- You need GPU runners such as RTX 4090, RTX 5090 or RTX PRO 6000 in CI.
- You want automated pull requests that speed up your workflows.
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 | StarSling |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Sandboxes created by API for agent and untrusted code | GitHub Actions jobs, plus agents that open CI-speedup pull requests |
| Isolation | Firecracker micro-VM with its own guest kernel | Full VM: one single-use dedicated VM per job, destroyed when the run finishes |
| Trigger model (pipeline vs API) | API call from REST, SDK, CLI or MCP | GitHub Actions pipeline via runs-on label; REST API covers labels and job diagnosis |
| Session length | No session length cap; optional idle auto-pause from 60 s to 24 h, off by default | Bounded by GitHub Actions job limits; StarSling limit not published |
| Pause and resume | Yes: pause saves disk, memory and CPU state; vCPU stops billing, memory and storage still bill | Not applicable: ephemeral VM per job |
| 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 | Not published; Tailscale integration for private network access |
| Billing | Per second: $0.03616363 per vCPU-hour, $0.01159025 per GiB-hour, storage $0.0001584 per GB-hour | Per minute, $0.004/min for 2 vCPU / 8 GB; queue time never billed; no seat fees |
Common Questions
Can StarSling runners be used as agent sandboxes?
Not directly. StarSling runners execute GitHub Actions jobs, with no exec API, inbound URL, persistence or pause and resume per the vendor's docs. CreateOS sandboxes are created by API, accept commands and files at any time, and can be paused and resumed.
Does StarSling offer GPUs that CreateOS does not?
Yes. StarSling sells GPU runners with RTX PRO 6000, RTX 5090 and RTX 4090 cards, with H100 listed as coming soon and access granted per organisation. CreateOS Sandbox has no GPU shapes.
What compliance does StarSling have compared with CreateOS?
StarSling states that SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 are in progress and expected in Q1 2027. CreateOS is SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 certified, with reports available under NDA.
Sources
Checked 17 October 2026.
See CreateOS Sandbox for yourself
Book a demo, or explore the Sandbox and its pricing.