agent-sandbox vs n8n-sandbox-service
Self-hosted isolated execution projects compared
agent-sandbox and n8n-sandbox-service both provide APIs for running work in isolated environments. agent-sandbox focuses on persistent, Kubernetes-managed sandboxes for AI agents, while n8n-sandbox-service centrally places on-demand command environments across registered runners.
agent-sandbox: Run Isolated Sandboxes for AI Agents
Agent-Sandbox provides a self-hosted Kubernetes service for creating and managing isolated environments for AI agent code and actions. It wraps sandbox lifecycle operations in a REST API and MCP server, with E2B compatibility.
n8n-sandbox-service: Run Commands in Isolated Sandboxes
A Go service that provisions isolated, on-demand environments and exposes command and file operations through a REST API. It is aimed at teams that need to run workloads in containers or Firecracker microVMs behind a central placement service.
| agent-sandbox | n8n-sandbox-service | |
|---|---|---|
| Language | Go | Go |
| License | Apache-2.0 | — |
| Stars | 218 | 26 |
| Forks | 21 | 11 |
| Last analyzed | Oct 3, 2026 | Oct 10, 2026 |
Key differences
- agent-sandbox adds an MCP server, web UI, E2B compatibility, and support for browser or desktop use; n8n-sandbox-service focuses on running commands and handling files through an HTTP daemon.
- agent-sandbox stores templates, blueprints, and sandbox state in Kubernetes objects, while n8n-sandbox-service registers runners with a central API that places sandboxes and proxies requests.
- agent-sandbox requires Kubernetes 1.28 or later; n8n-sandbox-service provides setup paths for Linux with Sysbox, Firecracker on KVM, macOS development, and Kubernetes.
- Both projects are written in Go; agent-sandbox lists an Apache-2.0 license, while n8n-sandbox-service has repository metadata marked NOASSERTION and identifies separate license terms in its README.
- The supplied repository snapshot lists 218 stars and 4 open issues for agent-sandbox, compared with 25 stars for n8n-sandbox-service; these figures do not establish production maturity.
Choose agent-sandbox if you…
- need Kubernetes-managed, persistent sandboxes for AI agents.
- want MCP or E2B-compatible integrations, or browser and desktop environments.
- want sandbox lifecycle tools such as warm pools, pause and resume, and snapshots.
Choose n8n-sandbox-service if you…
- need a central API to place on-demand command environments across registered runners.
- want to run sandboxes in containers or Firecracker microVMs and manage files through an HTTP daemon.
- need setup options for Sysbox, Firecracker on KVM, macOS development, or Kubernetes.
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This comparison is generated with AI from the OSRepos analyses of both projects. Always check each project's repository and documentation before choosing.