E2B vs Northflank
| E2B | Northflank | |
|---|---|---|
| Isolation | Firecracker microVM | Kata / gVisor microVM (selectable) |
| Cold start | 150ms | 300ms |
| Price / vCPU-hr | $0.05 | $0.01667 |
| GPU | No | H100 ~$2.74/hr |
| Session limit | Up to 24h | Unlimited |
| Persistence | Pause/resume with memory state, snapshots | Persistent volumes |
| MCP support | — | — |
| Free tier | $100 one-time credit (Hobby) | Free trial |
| Best for | Teams that want the cleanest SDK and strong microVM isolation for agent code execution. | Cost-sensitive teams and enterprises needing BYOC and unlimited sessions. |
The verdict
Choose E2B if teams that want the cleanest sdk and strong microvm isolation for agent code execution. Choose Northflank if cost-sensitive teams and enterprises needing byoc and unlimited sessions.
Headline rates rarely equal your bill — idle time, session length, creation fees and GPU minutes dominate. Model your actual workload in the cost calculator.
FAQ
E2B vs Northflank: which is better?
It depends on your priority. E2B has the faster cold start (150ms vs 300ms), while Northflank is cheaper per vCPU-hour. E2B is best for teams that want the cleanest sdk and strong microvm isolation for agent code execution. Northflank is best for cost-sensitive teams and enterprises needing byoc and unlimited sessions.
Is E2B or Northflank cheaper?
Northflank is cheaper on the headline vCPU-hour rate ($0.01667 vs $0.05). Total cost depends on idle time, session length and creation fees — use the cost calculator to model your workload.
Get pricing for E2B or Northflank
Tell us what you're building. We'll route you to the right sandbox teams for pricing and a demo — no spam.