HEAD-TO-HEAD · PRICES VERIFIED 2026-08-27
Beam (sandbox) vs Self-host Firecracker (Hetzner)
Across 3 benchmark profiles, Beam (sandbox) prices lower in 2 of 3 — by up to ~93% where the gap is widest. Both rows use identical workload inputs and USD list rates from the capture-dated catalog; verify current rates via each vendor's source link.
Monthly Cost Across Realistic Benchmarks
Rate Card Snapshot
| Vendor | $/vCPU-hr | $/GiB-hr | Billing granularity | Concurrency note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beam (sandbox) | $0.0675 | $0.0230 | per 0.001s | No self-serve concurrency cap published at capture time. |
| Self-host Firecracker (Hetzner) | — | incl. | — | Bounded only by host capacity — the point of self-hosting. |
Fit Notes
- Beam (sandbox) — Skip if you want the biggest platform — young product; fine for browser/computer-use sandboxes, thinner on compliance and regions than E2B or Modal.
- Self-host Firecracker (Hetzner) — Skip if usage is bursty or spiky — the host bills 24/7 whether sandboxes run or not; below roughly half utilization the managed providers win on total cost and you still own the pager.
Beam (sandbox)
StrengthsSelf-host Firecracker (Hetzner)
StrengthsRun your own workload through the full interactive calculator, or browse all pairs on the comparisons hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper, Beam (sandbox) or Self-host Firecracker (Hetzner)?
Across 3 benchmark profiles, Beam (sandbox) prices lower in 2 of 3 — by up to ~93% where the gap is widest. Both rows use identical workload inputs and USD list rates from the capture-dated catalog; verify current rates via each vendor's source link.
How were these Beam (sandbox) vs Self-host Firecracker (Hetzner) costs computed?
Both vendors run identical workload profiles (sandbox-hours × vCPU/RAM) through the same engine using each vendor's captured USD list rates; the full methodology is on the agent-sandbox-pricing tool page.