E2B Sandbox
Run AI-generated code in secure, isolated cloud sandboxes through JavaScript or Python SDKs.
- Source repo
- e2b-dev/E2B
- Stars
- ★ 15k
- Last updated
- today
- License
- Apache-2.0
- Primary language
- Python
- FA score
- 52/100 · Major gaps
At a glance
- How it runs
- Works with
- Universal · cross-platform
- Cost
- Free tier plus a paid hosted plan
- Setup effort
- Low · running in minutes
- You'll need
- Typical use
- A team building an LLM coding feature that needs an isolated cloud Sandbox for generated code execution.
- Not a fit if
- Teams that need fully offline or local sandboxes
- Teams self-hosting on Azure or plain Linux machines
- Users unwilling to sign up for an E2B API key
- Source review
- 52/100 · Major gaps 2 safety controls not found
What does this agent do, and when should you use it?
E2B is open-source infrastructure for running AI-generated code in secure, isolated cloud sandboxes. Its JavaScript/TypeScript and Python SDKs create and control Sandbox instances. Applications can run commands in a sandbox and read standard output; code-execution workflows can use the separate Code Interpreter SDK and its runCode()/run_code() interface. The hosted flow uses an E2B API key, while the infrastructure can also be self-hosted with Terraform on AWS or Google Cloud.
An application installs the e2b package, configures E2B_API_KEY, and calls Sandbox.create() to create an isolated cloud sandbox. In JavaScript, it can call sandbox.commands.run('echo "Hello from E2B!"') and read result.stdout; Python uses the same commands.run() call inside a with Sandbox.create() context. With @e2b/code-interpreter or e2b-code-interpreter installed, an application can create its Sandbox, execute code with runCode()/run_code(), and read execution.text. For self-hosting, the documented E2B infrastructure is deployed with Terraform, with AWS and Google Cloud listed as supported providers.
- A team building an LLM coding feature that needs an isolated cloud Sandbox for generated code execution.
- A TypeScript service that runs commands such as echo and returns result.stdout to its caller.
- A Python backend that runs sandbox commands within a context manager and processes their output.
- A code-interpreter workflow that needs runCode() and execution.text for executed code.
- An infrastructure team that wants to deploy E2B infrastructure with Terraform on AWS or Google Cloud.
How do you install or deploy this agent?
For JavaScript/TypeScript, run npm i e2b. For Python, run pip install e2b. Sign up for E2B, obtain an API key, and set E2B_API_KEY=e2b_***. For code interpretation, install npm i @e2b/code-interpreter or pip install e2b-code-interpreter.
How do you use this agent?
In JavaScript/TypeScript, use import Sandbox from 'e2b', then run const sandbox = await Sandbox.create() and const result = await sandbox.commands.run('echo "Hello from E2B!"'); read result.stdout. In Python, use from e2b import Sandbox, run sandbox.commands.run('echo "Hello from E2B!") inside with Sandbox.create() as sandbox:, and read result.stdout. For code interpretation, use import { Sandbox } from '@e2b/code-interpreter', call await sandbox.runCode('x = 1; x += 1; x'), and read execution.text.
What are this agent's strengths and limitations?
- Offers both JavaScript/TypeScript and Python SDKs with the same Sandbox.create() and commands.run() workflow.
- Returns command output directly through result.stdout, making sandbox execution easy to integrate into application logic.
- The separate Code Interpreter SDK exposes dedicated runCode()/run_code() and execution.text interfaces.
- Self-hosted infrastructure is Terraform-based and explicitly supports AWS and Google Cloud.
- The hosted workflow requires E2B sign-up and an E2B API key.
- The documented self-hosting support is limited to AWS and Google Cloud; Azure and general Linux machines are not marked as supported.
- Code interpretation is not included in the main e2b package and requires a separate SDK installation.
- The supplied material does not specify pricing, quotas, sandbox lifecycle behavior, or failure recovery.
How does this agent compare with similar options?
Key facts side by side with the most closely related agents.
| Agent | Source review | Form / cost | Stars | Updated | Language | Full support on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E2B Sandbox This agent | 52 · Major gaps | Library / SDKFreemium | ★ 15k | today | Python | — |
| AgentQL Suite for Web Data Extraction and Automation | 42 · Major gaps | Library / SDKFreemium | ★ 1.5k | 3d ago | Python | — |
| SkillLite | 60 · Some gaps | CLIFree + model costs | ★ 152 | 8d ago | Rust | — |
| Capsule Sandbox Runtime | 52 · Major gaps | CLIFree | ★ 302 | 25d ago | Rust | — |
How does FollowAgents rate this agent?
Why each dimension lost points
Evidence shows: sandbox isolation design (least_privilege 1, isolation but not explicit least privilege); no user confirmation mechanism (0); limited data flow transparency (1, docs but not detailed); sensitive data handling with API key management (1); dependency security with overrides and lockfile (2); external effects with sandbox isolation (1); no rollback mechanism (0); source attribution with User-Agent test (1). Deductions: lack of user confirmation, rollback, and data flow transparency.
Evidence shows: good self-consistency (2, test coverage); dependency availability with lockfile (2); failure messages tested (2). Deductions: no execution verification, static review.
Evidence shows: clear audience (developers) (2); capability boundaries documented (2); trigger precision with CLI argument validation (2); environment fit with cross-platform tests (2). Deductions: no major flaws.
Evidence shows: clear information architecture (2); detailed install notes (2); stable naming (2); examples and FAQ present (2); known limitations partial (1, not explicitly listed); license complete (3); versioning with changeset (2); maintenance responsibility with GitHub Actions (2). Deductions: known limitations not explicit.
Evidence shows: output usability with JSON format (2); high marginal value (2); cost-benefit not explicit (1). Deductions: cost-benefit not quantified.
Evidence shows: claims traceable (2, docs and code correspond); cross-source corroboration limited (1, only internal tests); fact-inference separation (2). Deductions: lack of external verification.
- Not found in source: confirmation before actingTurn on (or add) a confirmation step before it acts, and try it in a sandbox or test environment before real data.
- Not found in source: rollback or recovery pathBack up first, or work on a git branch or snapshot, so its changes can be undone.
- Publisher identity unverified, supply chain risk should be considered.
- Static review without execution, security and reliability need further validation.
- Lack of user confirmation and rollback mechanisms may affect enterprise adoption.
Recent releases
Latest entries from the project's GitHub Releases. Notes are quoted from upstream as written, not rewritten or tested by FollowAgents.
-
Release notes excerpt
Minor Changes - a8155c4: Add strict to pause() (default false). With strict: true / strict=True a pause is refused with ServiceBusyError / ServiceBusyException while the sandbox's guest agent does not respond, and the sandbox keeps running. Without it the API's default applies: the memory snapshot is taken anyway and marked. Sandbox info exposes the mark as envdUnresponsiveAtPause / envd_unresponsive_at_pause, and resuming such a sandbox without onResume: 'reboot' / on_resume="reboot" now throws GuestUnresponsiveError / GuestUnresponsiveException.View on GitHub ↗ -
Release notes excerpt
Patch Changes - Updated dependencies [a8155c4] - @e2b/[email protected]View on GitHub ↗ -
Release notes excerpt
Minor Changes - a8155c4: Add strict to pause() (default false). With strict: true / strict=True a pause is refused with ServiceBusyError / ServiceBusyException while the sandbox's guest agent does not respond, and the sandbox keeps running. Without it the API's default applies: the memory snapshot is taken anyway and marked. Sandbox info exposes the mark as envdUnresponsiveAtPause / envd_unresponsive_at_pause, and resuming such a sandbox without onResume: 'reboot' / on_resume="reboot" now throws GuestUnresponsiveError / GuestUnresponsiveException.View on GitHub ↗
FAQ
Do I need an API key?
E2B_API_KEY=e2b_***.