CodeSandbox
Cloud development environments and browser-based coding sandboxes
You can self-host a browser IDE, but fast templates, previews, cloud VMs, collaboration, and workflow integrations are the product.
Build verification: not recorded. How we judge buildability
What you give up
- instant templates
- cloud sandboxes
- preview URLs
- collaboration
- managed infrastructure
- integration polish
Why people still pay
They pay to avoid managing dev machines for experiments and previews.
Your build guide
The stack, security requirements, and agent rules for a focused replacement.
Before you start
- Runtime and tools: TypeScript, Node, PostgreSQL and a database-backed job worker with a small React run inspector.
- Before starting: Credentials for only the chosen integrations, their current API documentation, example payloads and an always-on worker for schedules.
Use these project rules and optional skill references alongside the prompt. Review each skill before adding it to your agent; the AGENTS.md export includes the same guidance.
Project rule — domain: Store Workspace, TemplateVersion, ContainerRun, PortGrant and Snapshot; an exited process does not delete source files, and only explicitly approved preview ports are exposed.
Project rule — scope and recovery: This MVP is for one trusted developer, not hostile public code execution. No Docker socket inside workspaces; stronger tenant isolation and resource policy are prerequisites for public hosting.
Project rule — acceptance: Start a template that binds two ports, stop and restart it, then inspect the files; only the allowed preview is reachable and edits persist.
Project rule — delivery: document real setup commands and permissions; do not claim a build, accuracy level, performance result or security certification that has not been demonstrated.
Recommended skill: supabase-postgres-best-practices — review this PostgreSQL domain schema, uniqueness constraints, transaction boundaries and access-scoped queries; Supabase hosting is not required. Follow the maintainer's installation instructions and match its requirements to the chosen runtime.
Recommended skill: sharp-edges — review configuration and API defaults against the app-specific invariants and recovery boundaries above; this is not a security certification. Follow the maintainer's installation instructions and match its requirements to the chosen runtime.
Implementation plan
Phase 1
Pin the working slice and create its example input: Launch a developer-owned repository in one isolated container template, expose a preview and keep editor files on a persistent workspace volume. Confirm setup: Credentials for only the chosen integrations, their current API documentation, example payloads and an always-on worker for schedules.
Phase 2
Implement persistence and write-time invariants before decorating the UI: Store Workspace, TemplateVersion, ContainerRun, PortGrant and Snapshot; an exited process does not delete source files, and only explicitly approved preview ports are exposed.
Phase 3
Connect the working view to real saved state. Persist trigger identity, step input version and external receipts before marking success. Retry bounded transient failures; unknown write outcomes require reconciliation. Do not promise exactly-once execution across external services.
Phase 4
Expose the app-specific limits and recovery path in context: This MVP is for one trusted developer, not hostile public code execution. No Docker socket inside workspaces; stronger tenant isolation and resource policy are prerequisites for public hosting.
Phase 5
Walk through this concrete acceptance case and preserve its exported evidence: Start a template that binds two ports, stop and restart it, then inspect the files; only the allowed preview is reachable and edits persist. Finish the README and backup/restore instructions; report unfinished capabilities explicitly.
Build the following focused alternative to CodeSandbox. This is a deliberately limited personal or small-team substitute, not parity with the paid service. WORKING SLICE Launch a developer-owned repository in one isolated container template, expose a preview and keep editor files on a persistent workspace volume. SETUP AND ARCHITECTURE Use TypeScript, Node, PostgreSQL and a database-backed job worker with a small React run inspector. Prerequisites: Credentials for only the chosen integrations, their current API documentation, example payloads and an always-on worker for schedules. Before integrating anything, record actual versions and permissions, plus model files or provider limits only where used, in the README; make unavailable dependencies visible rather than simulating success. DOMAIN MODEL AND INVARIANTS Store Workspace, TemplateVersion, ContainerRun, PortGrant and Snapshot; an exited process does not delete source files, and only explicitly approved preview ports are exposed. IMPLEMENTATION CONTRACT Persist trigger identity, step input version and external receipts before marking success. Retry bounded transient failures; unknown write outcomes require reconciliation. Do not promise exactly-once execution across external services. Provide an input/setup view, the main work view, and a review/export view appropriate to this workflow. Preserve the last saved state if a job or save fails. Include empty, loading, permission-denied, partial and retryable-error states. Log identifiers and error categories without secret values or unnecessary private content. APP-SPECIFIC BOUNDARY AND RECOVERY This MVP is for one trusted developer, not hostile public code execution. No Docker socket inside workspaces; stronger tenant isolation and resource policy are prerequisites for public hosting. ACCEPTANCE SCENARIO Start a template that binds two ports, stop and restart it, then inspect the files; only the allowed preview is reachable and edits persist. Also reopen the app after an interrupted operation, confirm the saved record/export remains inspectable, and document the recovery action. These are implementation acceptance requirements, not a claim that this guide has been tested. DELIVERY Deliver a runnable repository with migrations or project-format versioning, a non-sensitive example, environment/permission setup, the exact manual acceptance steps, and a backup/export-and-restore walkthrough. Implement the working slice before optional integrations; list any deferred paid-product capabilities honestly. Do not add capabilities outside the working slice just to resemble the original product. PROJECT RULES FOR AGENTS.md Keep the domain invariants above executable at the write boundary. Propose scope changes before adding providers or permissions. Never fabricate source evidence, publish results, identity matches or successful delivery. Preserve user originals and require an explicit confirmation for destructive changes or external publication.
$ open in your agent (prompt prefilled, you press enter), copy the prompt or copy or download AGENTS.md
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Alternatives to building your own
all 3 free alternatives to CodeSandbox →· no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real
Questions about CodeSandbox
Can you build your own CodeSandbox with AI?
Partly. You can self-host a browser IDE, but fast templates, previews, cloud VMs, collaboration, and workflow integrations are the product.
What does the CodeSandbox build prompt cover?
The prompt starts with this scope: Launch a developer-owned repository in one isolated container template, expose a preview and keep editor files on a persistent workspace volume. Full-product capabilities excluded from the comparison include: instant templates; cloud sandboxes; preview URLs. Follow the implementation plan and its prerequisites before expanding the build.
How do I use the prompt, AGENTS.md and agent skills?
Start with the CodeSandbox prerequisites and stack, then copy the prompt into your coding agent. Save the project rules as AGENTS.md in the project root. Linked skills are optional packages or source instructions for specific tasks; review their current contents and install only those matching the chosen stack. A skill does not supply API credentials or verify the finished app.
How long will this CodeSandbox project take?
The catalogue estimate is multi-day for the limited scope. Setup, integration approvals, debugging, deployment and ongoing maintenance can add time. This is an estimate, not a delivery guarantee.
What would I give up by replacing CodeSandbox?
instant templates; cloud sandboxes; preview URLs; collaboration; managed infrastructure; integration polish. They pay to avoid managing dev machines for experiments and previews.
What price is this guide comparing against?
The recorded Pro plan is $12/mo (monthly), checked 2026-07-30. Check the linked pricing source before buying. Building your own also has hosting, API and maintenance costs; the recorded amount is not a guaranteed saving.
What can I use instead of building CodeSandbox?
code-server: VS Code in a browser; the cloud part is your server. Coder: Full cloud workspaces on your infrastructure; Terraform and PostgreSQL come along for the ride. Eclipse Che: A real browser IDE platform, assuming Kubernetes already counts as normal in your house. Compare all listed options at https://howtovibecodeit.dev/codesandbox/alternatives. Check each option's license, hosting needs and feature limits.