A practical comparison of four production-grade sandboxing solutions for running AI-generated code safely: E2B, Vercel Sandbox, Modal, and Daytona. Each tool is evaluated on isolation model, developer experience, pricing, and workload fit. The post also covers essential security controls (network egress blocking, read-only mounts, secret brokering, resource limits, aggressive lifetimes) and production patterns like per-user sandboxes and staged network access. A decision tree helps teams pick the right tool based on their stack and workload type, with Firecracker DIY reserved for strict compliance requirements.
Table of contents
Why You Cannot Just Run It LocallyWhat A Real Sandbox Looks LikeE2BVercel SandboxModalDaytonaBuilding Your OwnWhat To Lock Down RegardlessPatterns That Hold UpPicking OneWhere This GoesSort: