n8n-sandbox-service: Run Commands in Isolated Environments

Overview

n8n-sandbox-service creates isolated execution environments and exposes them through a REST API. A sandbox runs in a container or Firecracker microVM, with an HTTP daemon inside to run commands and handle files.

Runners register with a central API, which places sandboxes and proxies requests to them. This suits teams that need managed, on-demand execution rather than running commands directly in the service that requested them.

Key Features

• Creates on-demand sandboxes in containers or Firecracker microVMs.
• Runs commands and handles files through an HTTP daemon inside each sandbox.
• Lets runners register with a central API.
• Places sandboxes on registered runners and proxies requests to them.
• Provides setup paths for Linux with Sysbox, Firecracker on KVM, macOS development, and Kubernetes deployment.
• Includes a REST API and a TypeScript SDK for callers.

Use Cases

• Teams building services that need to run commands in isolated environments instead of on their application hosts.
• Platform operators who want a central API to place sandboxes across registered runners.
• Kubernetes operators who want to deploy the service in a cluster.
• Developers evaluating or developing the service on macOS before deploying to a Linux or KVM host.

Project Facts

• Language: Go
• License: NOASSERTION
• Stars: 25
• Forks: 8
• Archived: No

Getting Started

Choose the setup guide for your environment: Linux with Sysbox, Firecracker on KVM, macOS development, or Kubernetes. See the README for the full documentation index, including API and development guidance.

Alternatives

• agent-sandbox: Agent-Sandbox targets Kubernetes and adds an MCP server and E2B compatibility, while n8n-sandbox-service focuses on command and file management across containers or Firecracker.
• OpenSandbox: OpenSandbox offers a shared sandbox API for code and browser or desktop tasks, with local Docker and Kubernetes support; n8n-sandbox-service emphasizes commands and files.
• agent-sandbox: Kubernetes agent-sandbox uses Kubernetes APIs and controllers for stateful workloads, rather than n8n-sandbox-service's centralized API for creating and managing environments.

Considerations

• Running the service requires choosing and configuring a supported environment, such as Sysbox on Linux or Firecracker on a KVM host. Kubernetes and macOS have separate setup guides.
• The repository README identifies a Sustainable Use License for source and an n8n Enterprise License for files or directories with .ee in the name. The provided repository metadata reports the license as NOASSERTION, so check the license files before adopting it.