HEAD-TO-HEAD · PRICES VERIFIED 2026-08-27
Modal (Sandboxes) vs Self-host Firecracker (Hetzner)
Across 3 benchmark profiles, Modal (Sandboxes) prices lower in 2 of 3 — by up to ~92% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Modal (Sandboxes) | $0.0710 | $0.0240 | per-second | Concurrency scales with plan; Starter $30/mo credits, Team $250/mo incl. $100/mo credits, Enterprise custom. |
| Self-host Firecracker (Hetzner) | — | incl. | — | Bounded only by host capacity — the point of self-hosting. |
Fit Notes
- Modal (Sandboxes) — Skip if pure sandbox price is the decision — you pay ~40% over E2B/Daytona for the same vCPU-hour; Modal earns it back only when the rest of your stack already lives on Modal functions.
- 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.
Modal (Sandboxes)
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, Modal (Sandboxes) or Self-host Firecracker (Hetzner)?
Across 3 benchmark profiles, Modal (Sandboxes) prices lower in 2 of 3 — by up to ~92% 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 Modal (Sandboxes) 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.