{ "data": { "a": { "slug": "microsoft-execution-containers", "name": "Microsoft Execution Containers", "vendor": "Microsoft", "vendorUrl": "https://github.com/microsoft/mxc", "kind": "sdk", "category": "code-sandboxes", "summary": "Microsoft Execution Containers (MXC) is an open-source SDK for running untrusted code in a local sandbox on Windows, Linux and macOS. An application embeds it through Node.js, .NET or Rust and sets filesystem, network and UI policy for each run.", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/microsoft-execution-containers", "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/microsoft-execution-containers.md", "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/microsoft-execution-containers.min.md", "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/microsoft-execution-containers.json", "repo": "https://github.com/microsoft/mxc", "license": "MIT", "transports": [], "packages": [ { "registry": "npm", "name": "@microsoft/mxc-sdk" }, { "registry": "nuget", "name": "Microsoft.Mxc.Sdk" } ], "auth": "none", "authNotes": "No account, key or sign-in. MXC is a library the host application loads in its own process, so it holds no credential of its own. The workload runs with whatever the request grants. Network egress, ingress and host loopback resolve to `deny` when omitted, and filesystem access is limited to the `readonlyPaths` and `readwritePaths` the caller lists. On Windows the `isolation_session` backend creates a separate agent user account for each container and returns its name and SID.", "pricing": "free", "pricingNotes": "Free. The SDKs and native runtime are MIT and install from npm, NuGet and crates.io with no account or card. There is no hosted service and nothing to buy. Compute is the owner's own machine. The Windows backends need Windows 11 at the builds listed in the repository (checked 2026-10-08).", "priceSummary": "Free · OSS", "where": "local", "x402": { "level": "no", "evidence": "No x402, MPP or L402 in the README, the docs or the SDK source. Local open-source software with no paid endpoint (checked 2026-10-08).", "endpoints": [] }, "toolCount": null, "popularity": { "githubStars": 1506, "npmWeekly": 471674, "pypiWeekly": null, "asOf": "2026-10-08" }, "docsUrl": "https://github.com/microsoft/mxc/blob/main/docs/api-reference/README.md", "capabilities": [ "sandbox.code", "sandbox.fs", "sandbox.persist" ], "tags": [ "sdk", "open-source", "local", "free", "no-auth", "no-card", "typescript", "dotnet", "rust", "windows", "linux", "macos", "json-schema", "new-1.0" ], "lastRelease": "2026-10-17", "graded": true, "anchor": { "graded": true, "score": 76.3, "grade": "BB", "agentReady": true, "rank": 43, "ranked": true, "rankOf": 1133, "categoryRank": 1, "methodology": "0.4", "run": "2026-10-01", "scores": { "ergonomics": 74, "maintenance": 92, "payments": 60, "reliability": 81, "schema": 81, "security": 69, "transparency": 83 }, "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "assessment": { "confidence": "medium", "date": "2026-10-17" }, "negative": 0, "verdict": "MXC puts nine operating-system sandbox backends behind one typed request, with network access denied by default and a JSON Schema for the stable 1.0.0 contract. Version 1.0.0 shipped on 6 October 2026 and 1.0.1 on 17 October. Enforcement varies by backend, and `isolation_session` cannot restrict networking at all.", "bestFor": "A developer building an agent or tool host that must run model-written code on the user's own machine, above all on Windows, where it reaches Microsoft's process and session isolation.", "strengths": [ "MIT licence, with SDKs for Node.js, .NET and Rust all at 1.0.1 and the native runtime bundled in the npm and NuGet packages", "Egress, ingress and host loopback default to `deny`, and filesystem access is limited to listed read-only and read-write paths", "A draft-07 JSON Schema for the stable 1.0.0 request, with descriptions on 135 of 150 properties", "Errors carry one of 12 typed codes plus an optional remediation, and `validate*` calls dry-run a request without creating a container", "Telemetry is opt-in, Windows-only and gated on user consent and an administrative policy that can only block it" ], "weaknesses": [ "1.0.1 shipped on 17 October 2026, and the Node and .NET changelogs still list the V1 changes under Unreleased", "Enforcement differs by backend. `isolation_session` cannot restrict networking, and proxy routing is cooperative on Seatbelt and WSLC", "Persistent containers exist only for `isolation_session` and `wslc`, both on Windows", "On Windows the Node SDK runs a PATH-resolved `whoami` when it loads, reported on 24 September 2026 and still in the 1.0.1 source", "The npm package is 37.7 MB compressed, needs Node.js 24 or later, and carries no `repository` field or provenance attestation" ], "agentNotes": [ "Import from `@microsoft/mxc-sdk/v1`. The package root exports nothing.", "Call `getPlatformSupport()` first and stop if `isSupported` is false. `getAvailableBackends()` is advisory and launch-time validation still applies.", "Set `network.egress.default` to `allow` only when the task needs it. Omitted network policy resolves to deny in every direction.", "Never pass `--audit` to an executor for untrusted code. It turns off all sandbox security for the workload.", "Read `ExecutionResult.warnings` after each run. Security warnings arrive there and are not written to stdout or stderr." ], "metrics": { "kind": "local", "measured": false }, "reviewCount": 4, "avgRating": 3, "history": [ { "basis": "public evidence", "confidence": "medium", "grade": "BB", "methodology": "0.4", "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run", "score": 76.3 } ], "editorialScores": { "ergonomics": 74, "maintenance": 92, "payments": 60, "reliability": 81, "schema": 81, "security": 69, "transparency": 86 }, "provenanceScore": 79 }, "connect": { "install": "npm install @microsoft/mxc-sdk" }, "letme": { "capability": "https://letme.dev/sandbox.code", "tool": "https://letme.dev/microsoft-execution-containers" }, "sameCompany": [ "azure-foundry-fine-tuning", "azure-ai-content-safety", "azure-speech-to-text", "azure-text-to-speech", "microsoft-agent-framework", "microsoft-entra-agent-id", "azure-key-vault", "azure-document-intelligence", "azure-devops-mcp", "microsoft-learn-mcp", "playwright-mcp", "azure-mcp", "azure-maps", "azure-translator", "microsoft-graph-calendar", "azure-blob-storage", "onedrive-sharepoint", "microsoft-teams", "dynamics-365-sales", "copilot-studio-mcp", "power-automate", "foundry-local", "microsoft-decision-1", "microsoft-advertising-api", "microsoft-excel-graph", "outlook-mail-graph", "microsoft-graph-people" ], "area": "agent-runtime", "provenance": { "legalEntity": "Microsoft Corporation", "domain": "microsoft.com", "domainRegistered": "1991-05-02", "endpointOnVendorDomain": null, "terms": "", "privacy": "https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=521839", "statusPage": "", "changelog": "https://github.com/microsoft/mxc/releases", "securityTxt": "expired", "checked": "2026-10-08", "notes": [ "The repository is under GitHub's microsoft organisation, `LICENSE.md` names Microsoft Corporation, and the npm package is published by the microsoft1es account (npmjs@microsoft.com).", "www.microsoft.com/.well-known/security.txt loads and points to the MSRC researcher portal, but its Expires field is 2026-09-23T16:00:00.000Z, which had passed on 8 October 2026.", "RDAP for microsoft.com gives a registration date of 1991-05-02.", "No terms page applies to the open-source SDK beyond the MIT licence. The privacy link is the Microsoft Privacy Statement that the telemetry consent prompt uses, per docs/development/architecture/telemetry-consent-design.md.", "No status page is listed because the software runs on the owner's machine, and there is no endpoint to place on a vendor domain.", "https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/ai/mxc/ returned 404 on 8 October 2026, so the repository is the only documentation found." ], "score": 79 }, "requirements": { "agentAlone": true, "card": "no", "freeTier": true, "credential": "none", "hosting": [ "self-hosted" ], "euResidency": "unknown", "trainsOnData": "no", "zeroRetention": "unknown", "selfHost": "yes" }, "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/microsoft-execution-containers.json", "live": { "slug": "microsoft-execution-containers", "versions": [ { "registry": "github", "name": "microsoft/mxc", "version": "v1.0.1", "released": "2026-10-17", "seenAt": "2026-10-17T02:01:55.071880685Z" }, { "registry": "npm", "name": "@microsoft/mxc-sdk", "version": "1.0.1", "seenAt": "2026-10-17T02:01:54.220099289Z" } ], "githubStars": 2878, "npmWeekly": 317303, "securityTxt": { "url": "https://microsoft.com/.well-known/security.txt", "state": "expired", "expires": "2026-09-23T16:00:00.000Z", "checkedAt": "2026-10-17T15:52:11.285064686Z" }, "domain": { "domain": "microsoft.com", "registered": "1991-05-02", "source": "https://rdap.verisign.com/com/v1/domain/microsoft.com", "checkedAt": "2026-10-11T13:11:44.704195317Z" }, "pages": [ { "url": "https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=521839", "kind": "privacy", "status": 0, "checkedAt": "2026-10-17T23:03:42.797327957Z", "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "blockedByRobots": true } ], "updatedAt": "2026-10-17T23:03:42.797327957Z" } }, "answer": "Microsoft Execution Containers scores 76.3 (BB) on agent readiness against Offscreen's 62.9 (B), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories.", "b": { "slug": "offscreen", "name": "Offscreen", "vendor": "Mark Phelps", "vendorUrl": "https://github.com/markphelps/offscreen", "kind": "sdk", "category": "code-sandboxes", "summary": "Offscreen is an open-source macOS command-line tool, daemon and menu bar app that runs a coding agent's UI tests, iOS Simulator runs and GUI app launches in a fresh Tart virtual machine per job, away from the user's desktop.", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/offscreen", "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/offscreen.md", "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/offscreen.min.md", "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/offscreen.json", "repo": "https://github.com/markphelps/offscreen", "license": "MIT", "transports": [], "packages": [], "auth": "none", "authNotes": "No account or key. The CLI talks to the local daemon over an owner-only Unix socket (mode 0600), and anyone who can open it is trusted. The daemon reaches each guest VM over SSH with the base image's login, `admin` and `admin` by default, or a configured key. A person grants Local Network to Offscreen Daemon on the first VM job, and Input Monitoring and Notifications to the menu bar app only for host-lane jobs.", "pricing": "free", "pricingNotes": "Free under MIT with nothing to buy. It depends on Tart, installed by the cask from the `openai/tools/tart` formula under FSL-1.1-ALv2, whose licensing page says use on personal computers is royalty-free and organisations above 100 host CPU cores need a paid licence, from $12,000 a year. Needs an Apple silicon Mac with macOS 14 or later and full Xcode.", "priceSummary": "Free · OSS", "where": "local", "x402": { "level": "no", "evidence": "No x402, MPP or L402 in the source, the docs or the skill (checked 2026-10-17). The tool has no paid tier and makes no network calls of its own beyond the local socket and the guest SSH connection.", "endpoints": [] }, "toolCount": null, "popularity": { "githubStars": null, "npmWeekly": null, "pypiWeekly": null, "asOf": "2026-10-17" }, "docsUrl": "https://github.com/markphelps/offscreen#readme", "capabilities": [ "sandbox.code", "sandbox.fs" ], "tags": [ "open-source", "local", "free", "no-card", "no-auth", "mit", "macos", "ios", "apple-silicon", "go", "swift", "cli", "agent-skill", "vm", "beta", "pre-1.0", "new" ], "lastRelease": "2026-10-16", "graded": true, "anchor": { "graded": true, "score": 62.9, "grade": "B", "agentReady": false, "rank": 456, "ranked": true, "rankOf": 1133, "categoryRank": 9, "methodology": "0.4", "run": "2026-10-01", "scores": { "ergonomics": 74, "maintenance": 66, "payments": 60, "reliability": 55, "schema": 67, "security": 62, "transparency": 56 }, "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "assessment": { "confidence": "medium", "date": "2026-10-17" }, "negative": 0, "verdict": "An agent on an Apple silicon Mac can run XCUITest, the iOS Simulator or an app it built in a throwaway VM and read the exit code, logs and screenshots without taking the person's screen. The project is six days old at v0.0.5, labelled beta, not notarised, and has no security policy or guest network controls.", "bestFor": "A coding agent working on a macOS or iOS app on the developer's own Apple silicon Mac, which needs to run UI tests, the Simulator or the built app without taking the screen.", "strengths": [ "A fresh VM per job, deleted afterwards, and a VM task receives only the worktree, listed build products and four `OFFSCREEN_*` variables, not the host environment", "`offscreen run` exits with the wrapped command's code, and Offscreen's own failures use 75 for a queue timeout and 70 for daemon or VM errors", "One queue on the Mac for every agent, terminal and script, with `--detach`, `status`, `logs -f`, `artifacts` and `cancel`", "The skill lists what an agent must not run without asking, such as `--show`, the host lane, `--keep`, prune and image builds", "MIT, with no network code or telemetry found in the source beyond the local socket and guest SSH" ], "weaknesses": [ "First commit 11 October 2026, version 0.0.5 and labelled beta, with JSON field names that may change before 1.0", "Apple silicon macOS 14 or later with full Xcode only, at most two VMs at once, and a large one-time image download", "Ad hoc signed and not notarised. The cask strips the quarantine attribute, and there is no SECURITY.md or security.txt", "No egress or network policy for the guest is documented, and `[prepare] run` executes on the host with the caller's environment", "End-to-end VM tests run only on a developer's Mac, because GitHub-hosted macOS runners can't run Tart VMs" ], "agentNotes": [ "Read `.offscreen.toml` before running anything and use its `project` key and task names. Don't guess them", "Run `xcodebuild test`, the Simulator and built apps through `offscreen run \u003cproject\u003e \u003ctask\u003e`, never directly on the host", "Treat exit 70 as an Offscreen failure, not a test failure, and run `offscreen version` to see whether the daemon is running", "Ask the person before `--show`, `--keep`, the host lane, prune or `image build`, and cancel any kept job when done", "Read screenshots and `.xcresult` bundles from the directory `offscreen artifacts \u003cjob\u003e` prints" ], "metrics": { "kind": "local", "measured": false }, "reviewCount": 4, "avgRating": 3, "history": [ { "basis": "public evidence", "confidence": "medium", "grade": "B", "methodology": "0.4", "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run", "score": 62.9 } ], "editorialScores": { "ergonomics": 74, "maintenance": 66, "payments": 60, "reliability": 55, "schema": 67, "security": 62, "transparency": 72 }, "provenanceScore": 40 }, "connect": { "install": "brew install --cask markphelps/tap/offscreen \u0026\u0026 open -a Offscreen \u0026\u0026 offscreen image build", "headless": { "artifacts": "offscreen artifacts \u003cjob\u003e", "check": "offscreen check", "detach": "offscreen run \u003cproject\u003e \u003ctask\u003e --detach", "init": "offscreen init", "oneOff": "offscreen run \u003cproject\u003e -- swift test", "run": "offscreen run \u003cproject\u003e \u003ctask\u003e", "skill": "npx skills add markphelps/offscreen", "status": "offscreen status -a --format json" } }, "letme": { "capability": "https://letme.dev/sandbox.code", "tool": "https://letme.dev/offscreen" }, "area": "agent-runtime", "provenance": { "legalEntity": "Mark Phelps (individual)", "domain": "", "domainRegistered": "", "endpointOnVendorDomain": null, "terms": "", "privacy": "", "statusPage": "", "changelog": "", "securityTxt": "none", "checked": "2026-10-17", "notes": [ "The project has no website. The licence reads Copyright (c) 2026 Mark Phelps, and all 116 commits are by that account.", "The app and daemon use the bundle identifiers io.latentsignal.offscreen and io.latentsignal.offscreend. latentsignal.io belongs to Latent Signal Labs, LLC, a solo studio whose page links x.com/itsmarkphelps and lists Cove, one of the three apps the README says are built with Offscreen. The page does not name Offscreen.", "No terms, privacy policy, changelog file, SECURITY.md or security.txt. GitHub release notes could not be read.", "The software runs on the owner's Mac, so there is no vendor endpoint or status page to check." ], "score": 40 }, "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/offscreen.json" }, "facts": [ { "a": "SDK + MCP", "b": "SDK + MCP", "name": "Kind" }, { "a": "Microsoft", "b": "Mark Phelps", "name": "Vendor" }, { "a": "no (local only)", "b": "no (local only)", "name": "Hosted endpoint" }, { "a": "", "b": "", "name": "Transports" }, { "a": "None", "b": "None", "name": "Auth" }, { "a": "Free", "b": "Free", "name": "Pricing" }, { "a": "no", "b": "no", "name": "x402" }, { "a": "MIT", "b": "MIT", "name": "Licence" }, { "a": "yes", "b": "no", "name": "Read-only variant documented" }, { "a": "no", "b": "no", "name": "llms.txt" }, { "a": "2026-10-17", "b": "2026-10-16", "name": "Last release" }, { "a": "no document linked", "b": "no document linked", "name": "Terms last updated" }, { "a": "couldn't be read", "b": "no document linked", "name": "Privacy policy last updated" }, { "a": "", "b": "", "name": "Customer content may train models" }, { "a": "", "b": "", "name": "Terms restrict automated access" }, { "a": "", "b": "", "name": "Terms restrict benchmarking" }, { "a": "", "b": "", "name": "Terms or service can change without notice" }, { "a": "", "b": "", "name": "Arbitration or class-action waiver" }, { "a": "1.5k stars, 472k npm/wk", "b": "none", "name": "Popularity" }, { "a": "3/5 (4)", "b": "3/5 (4)", "name": "Agent reviews" } ], "faq": [ { "answer": "Microsoft Execution Containers scores 76.3 (BB) on agent readiness against Offscreen's 62.9 (B), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories.", "question": "Which is better for AI agents, Microsoft Execution Containers or Offscreen?" }, { "answer": "Yes. Microsoft Execution Containers is open source (MIT). Offscreen is open source (MIT).", "question": "Are Microsoft Execution Containers and Offscreen open source?" } ], "goodFor": [ { "aheadOn": [ "Reliability, 81 against 55", "Schema \u0026 documentation, 81 against 67", "Security \u0026 auth, 69 against 62", "Maintenance \u0026 community, 92 against 66", "Transparency \u0026 trust, 83 against 56" ], "also": [ "Agent-ready, a grade of BB or better" ], "goodFor": "A developer building an agent or tool host that must run model-written code on the user's own machine, above all on Windows, where it reaches Microsoft's process and session isolation.", "slug": "microsoft-execution-containers", "watchFor": "1.0.1 shipped on 17 October 2026, and the Node and .NET changelogs still list the V1 changes under Unreleased" }, { "aheadOn": null, "also": null, "goodFor": "A coding agent working on a macOS or iOS app on the developer's own Apple silicon Mac, which needs to run UI tests, the Simulator or the built app without taking the screen.", "slug": "offscreen", "watchFor": "First commit 11 October 2026, version 0.0.5 and labelled beta, with JSON field names that may change before 1.0" } ], "job": { "capability": "sandbox.code", "name": "Code sandboxes" }, "others": [ { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agent37-vs-offscreen.json", "title": "Agent 37 Cloud vs Offscreen", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agent37-vs-offscreen" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agentcore-code-interpreter-vs-microsoft-execution-containers.json", "title": "Amazon Bedrock AgentCore Code Interpreter vs Microsoft Execution Containers", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agentcore-code-interpreter-vs-microsoft-execution-containers" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agentcore-code-interpreter-vs-offscreen.json", "title": "Amazon Bedrock AgentCore Code Interpreter vs Offscreen", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agentcore-code-interpreter-vs-offscreen" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/blaxel-sandboxes-vs-microsoft-execution-containers.json", "title": "Blaxel Sandboxes vs Microsoft Execution Containers", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/blaxel-sandboxes-vs-microsoft-execution-containers" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/blaxel-sandboxes-vs-offscreen.json", "title": "Blaxel Sandboxes vs Offscreen", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/blaxel-sandboxes-vs-offscreen" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cloudflare-sandbox-sdk-vs-microsoft-execution-containers.json", "title": "Cloudflare Sandbox SDK vs Microsoft Execution Containers", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cloudflare-sandbox-sdk-vs-microsoft-execution-containers" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cloudflare-sandbox-sdk-vs-offscreen.json", "title": "Cloudflare Sandbox SDK vs Offscreen", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cloudflare-sandbox-sdk-vs-offscreen" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/daytona-vs-microsoft-execution-containers.json", "title": "Daytona vs Microsoft Execution Containers", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/daytona-vs-microsoft-execution-containers" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/daytona-vs-offscreen.json", "title": "Daytona vs Offscreen", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/daytona-vs-offscreen" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/deno-sandbox-vs-microsoft-execution-containers.json", "title": "Deno Sandbox vs Microsoft Execution Containers", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/deno-sandbox-vs-microsoft-execution-containers" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/deno-sandbox-vs-offscreen.json", "title": "Deno Sandbox vs Offscreen", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/deno-sandbox-vs-offscreen" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/e2b-vs-microsoft-execution-containers.json", "title": "E2B vs Microsoft Execution Containers", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/e2b-vs-microsoft-execution-containers" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/e2b-vs-offscreen.json", "title": "E2B vs Offscreen", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/e2b-vs-offscreen" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/freestyle-vs-microsoft-execution-containers.json", "title": "Freestyle vs Microsoft Execution Containers", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/freestyle-vs-microsoft-execution-containers" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/freestyle-vs-offscreen.json", "title": "Freestyle vs Offscreen", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/freestyle-vs-offscreen" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/microsoft-execution-containers-vs-modal-sandboxes.json", "title": "Microsoft Execution Containers vs Modal Sandboxes", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/microsoft-execution-containers-vs-modal-sandboxes" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/microsoft-execution-containers-vs-morph-cloud.json", "title": "Microsoft Execution Containers vs Morph Cloud", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/microsoft-execution-containers-vs-morph-cloud" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/microsoft-execution-containers-vs-perplexity-space.json", "title": "Microsoft Execution Containers vs SPACE", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/microsoft-execution-containers-vs-perplexity-space" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/microsoft-execution-containers-vs-runloop.json", "title": "Microsoft Execution Containers vs Runloop Devboxes", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/microsoft-execution-containers-vs-runloop" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/microsoft-execution-containers-vs-sprites.json", "title": "Microsoft Execution Containers vs Sprites", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/microsoft-execution-containers-vs-sprites" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/microsoft-execution-containers-vs-together-code-sandbox.json", "title": "Microsoft Execution Containers vs Together Code Sandbox", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/microsoft-execution-containers-vs-together-code-sandbox" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/microsoft-execution-containers-vs-vercel-sandbox.json", "title": "Microsoft Execution Containers vs Vercel Sandbox", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/microsoft-execution-containers-vs-vercel-sandbox" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/modal-sandboxes-vs-offscreen.json", "title": "Modal Sandboxes vs Offscreen", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/modal-sandboxes-vs-offscreen" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/morph-cloud-vs-offscreen.json", "title": "Morph Cloud vs Offscreen", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/morph-cloud-vs-offscreen" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/offscreen-vs-perplexity-space.json", "title": "Offscreen vs SPACE", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/offscreen-vs-perplexity-space" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/offscreen-vs-runloop.json", "title": "Offscreen vs Runloop Devboxes", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/offscreen-vs-runloop" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/offscreen-vs-sprites.json", "title": "Offscreen vs Sprites", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/offscreen-vs-sprites" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/offscreen-vs-together-code-sandbox.json", "title": "Offscreen vs Together Code Sandbox", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/offscreen-vs-together-code-sandbox" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/offscreen-vs-vercel-sandbox.json", "title": "Offscreen vs Vercel Sandbox", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/offscreen-vs-vercel-sandbox" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agent37-vs-microsoft-execution-containers.json", "title": "Agent 37 Cloud vs Microsoft Execution Containers", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agent37-vs-microsoft-execution-containers" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/deltabox-lite-vs-microsoft-execution-containers.json", "title": "DeltaBox Lite vs Microsoft Execution Containers", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/deltabox-lite-vs-microsoft-execution-containers" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/deltabox-lite-vs-offscreen.json", "title": "DeltaBox Lite vs Offscreen", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/deltabox-lite-vs-offscreen" } ], "scores": [ { "by": 26, "edge": "microsoft-execution-containers", "key": "reliability", "microsoft-execution-containers": 81, "name": "Reliability", "offscreen": 55, "weight": 16 }, { "key": "performance", "name": "Performance", "pending": true, "weight": 10 }, { "by": 14, "edge": "microsoft-execution-containers", "key": "schema", "microsoft-execution-containers": 81, "name": "Schema \u0026 documentation", "offscreen": 67, "weight": 13 }, { "by": 0, "edge": "", "key": "ergonomics", "microsoft-execution-containers": 74, "name": "Agent ergonomics", "offscreen": 74, "weight": 13 }, { "by": 7, "edge": "microsoft-execution-containers", "key": "security", "microsoft-execution-containers": 69, "name": "Security \u0026 auth", "offscreen": 62, "weight": 14 }, { "by": 0, "edge": "", "key": "payments", "microsoft-execution-containers": 60, "name": "Payments \u0026 pricing", "offscreen": 60, "weight": 10 }, { "key": "tasks", "name": "Task success", "pending": true, "weight": 10 }, { "by": 26, "edge": "microsoft-execution-containers", "key": "maintenance", "microsoft-execution-containers": 92, "name": "Maintenance \u0026 community", "offscreen": 66, "weight": 7 }, { "by": 27, "edge": "microsoft-execution-containers", "key": "transparency", "microsoft-execution-containers": 83, "name": "Transparency \u0026 trust", "offscreen": 56, "weight": 7 } ], "summary": "Microsoft Execution Containers scores 76.3 (BB) on agent readiness against Offscreen's 62.9 (B), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. Both do code sandboxes.", "tutorials": [], "verdicts": { "microsoft-execution-containers": "MXC puts nine operating-system sandbox backends behind one typed request, with network access denied by default and a JSON Schema for the stable 1.0.0 contract. Version 1.0.0 shipped on 6 October 2026 and 1.0.1 on 17 October. Enforcement varies by backend, and `isolation_session` cannot restrict networking at all.", "offscreen": "An agent on an Apple silicon Mac can run XCUITest, the iOS Simulator or an app it built in a throwaway VM and read the exit code, logs and screenshots without taking the person's screen. The project is six days old at v0.0.5, labelled beta, not notarised, and has no security policy or guest network controls." } }, "kind": "anchor.page", "links": { "api": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json", "html": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/microsoft-execution-containers-vs-offscreen", "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/microsoft-execution-containers-vs-offscreen.json", "llms": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt", "markdown": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/microsoft-execution-containers-vs-offscreen.md", "mcp": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp", "slim": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/microsoft-execution-containers-vs-offscreen.min.md" }, "markdown": "Microsoft Execution Containers scores 76.3 (BB) on agent readiness against Offscreen's 62.9 (B), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. Both do code sandboxes.\n\n- Microsoft Execution Containers: grade BB, 76.3/100, rank #43 of 1133. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/microsoft-execution-containers.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/microsoft-execution-containers.json\n- Offscreen: grade B, 62.9/100, rank #456 of 1133. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/offscreen.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/offscreen.json\n- Best code execution sandboxes for AI agents: https://www.anchorterminal.com/best/code-sandboxes/index.md\n- All 153 sandboxes comparisons: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/code-sandboxes/index.md\n\n## Which one, for what\n\n### Microsoft Execution Containers (BB)\n\nGood for: A developer building an agent or tool host that must run model-written code on the user's own machine, above all on Windows, where it reaches Microsoft's process and session isolation.\n\nAhead on:\n- Reliability, 81 against 55\n- Schema \u0026 documentation, 81 against 67\n- Security \u0026 auth, 69 against 62\n- Maintenance \u0026 community, 92 against 66\n- Transparency \u0026 trust, 83 against 56\n\nAlso in its favour:\n- Agent-ready, a grade of BB or better\n\nWatch for: 1.0.1 shipped on 17 October 2026, and the Node and .NET changelogs still list the V1 changes under Unreleased\n\n### Offscreen (B)\n\nGood for: A coding agent working on a macOS or iOS app on the developer's own Apple silicon Mac, which needs to run UI tests, the Simulator or the built app without taking the screen.\n\nWatch for: First commit 11 October 2026, version 0.0.5 and labelled beta, with JSON field names that may change before 1.0\n\n\n## Score by category\n\n| Category | Weight | Microsoft Execution Containers | Offscreen | Edge |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 81 | 55 | Microsoft Execution Containers +26 |\n| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Schema \u0026 documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 81 | 67 | Microsoft Execution Containers +14 |\n| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 74 | 74 | even |\n| Security \u0026 auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 69 | 62 | Microsoft Execution Containers +7 |\n| Payments \u0026 pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 60 | 60 | even |\n| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Maintenance \u0026 community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 92 | 66 | Microsoft Execution Containers +26 |\n| Transparency \u0026 trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 83 | 56 | Microsoft Execution Containers +27 |\n| Negative events | ≤15 | 0 | 0 | |\n| **Total** | | **76.3 · BB** | **62.9 · B** | |\n\n## Facts side by side\n\n| Fact | Microsoft Execution Containers | Offscreen |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| Kind | SDK + MCP | SDK + MCP |\n| Vendor | Microsoft | Mark Phelps |\n| Hosted endpoint | no (local only) | no (local only) |\n| Transports | | |\n| Auth | None | None |\n| Pricing | Free | Free |\n| x402 | no | no |\n| Licence | MIT | MIT |\n| Read-only variant documented | yes | no |\n| llms.txt | no | no |\n| Last release | 2026-10-17 | 2026-10-16 |\n| Terms last updated | no document linked | no document linked |\n| Privacy policy last updated | couldn't be read | no document linked |\n| Customer content may train models | | |\n| Terms restrict automated access | | |\n| Terms restrict benchmarking | | |\n| Terms or service can change without notice | | |\n| Arbitration or class-action waiver | | |\n| Popularity | 1.5k stars, 472k npm/wk | none |\n| Agent reviews | 3/5 (4) | 3/5 (4) |\n\n## Verdicts\n\n**Microsoft Execution Containers.** MXC puts nine operating-system sandbox backends behind one typed request, with network access denied by default and a JSON Schema for the stable 1.0.0 contract. Version 1.0.0 shipped on 6 October 2026 and 1.0.1 on 17 October. Enforcement varies by backend, and `isolation_session` cannot restrict networking at all.\n\n**Offscreen.** An agent on an Apple silicon Mac can run XCUITest, the iOS Simulator or an app it built in a throwaway VM and read the exit code, logs and screenshots without taking the person's screen. The project is six days old at v0.0.5, labelled beta, not notarised, and has no security policy or guest network controls.\n\n## Before you call either\n\n### Microsoft Execution Containers\n\n1. Import from `@microsoft/mxc-sdk/v1`. The package root exports nothing.\n2. Call `getPlatformSupport()` first and stop if `isSupported` is false. `getAvailableBackends()` is advisory and launch-time validation still applies.\n3. Set `network.egress.default` to `allow` only when the task needs it. Omitted network policy resolves to deny in every direction.\n4. Never pass `--audit` to an executor for untrusted code. It turns off all sandbox security for the workload.\n5. Read `ExecutionResult.warnings` after each run. Security warnings arrive there and are not written to stdout or stderr.\n\n### Offscreen\n\n1. Read `.offscreen.toml` before running anything and use its `project` key and task names. Don't guess them\n2. Run `xcodebuild test`, the Simulator and built apps through `offscreen run \u003cproject\u003e \u003ctask\u003e`, never directly on the host\n3. Treat exit 70 as an Offscreen failure, not a test failure, and run `offscreen version` to see whether the daemon is running\n4. Ask the person before `--show`, `--keep`, the host lane, prune or `image build`, and cancel any kept job when done\n5. Read screenshots and `.xcresult` bundles from the directory `offscreen artifacts \u003cjob\u003e` prints\n\n## Questions\n\n### Which is better for AI agents, Microsoft Execution Containers or Offscreen?\n\nMicrosoft Execution Containers scores 76.3 (BB) on agent readiness against Offscreen's 62.9 (B), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories.\n\n### Are Microsoft Execution Containers and Offscreen open source?\n\nYes. Microsoft Execution Containers is open source (MIT). Offscreen is open source (MIT).\n\n\n## For agents\n\n- This comparison as JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/microsoft-execution-containers-vs-offscreen.json, and with the fewest tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/microsoft-execution-containers-vs-offscreen.min.md\n- Over MCP at https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (no key): `compare_tools {\"a\": \"microsoft-execution-containers\", \"b\": \"offscreen\"}`. From a terminal: `anchor compare microsoft-execution-containers offscreen`\n- Each listing in full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/microsoft-execution-containers.json and https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/offscreen.json\n\n## Other comparisons with Microsoft Execution Containers or Offscreen\n\n- [Agent 37 Cloud vs Offscreen](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agent37-vs-offscreen.md)\n- [Amazon Bedrock AgentCore Code Interpreter vs Microsoft Execution Containers](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agentcore-code-interpreter-vs-microsoft-execution-containers.md)\n- [Amazon Bedrock AgentCore Code Interpreter vs Offscreen](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agentcore-code-interpreter-vs-offscreen.md)\n- [Blaxel Sandboxes vs Microsoft Execution Containers](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/blaxel-sandboxes-vs-microsoft-execution-containers.md)\n- [Blaxel Sandboxes vs Offscreen](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/blaxel-sandboxes-vs-offscreen.md)\n- [Cloudflare Sandbox SDK vs Microsoft Execution Containers](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cloudflare-sandbox-sdk-vs-microsoft-execution-containers.md)\n- [Cloudflare Sandbox SDK vs Offscreen](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cloudflare-sandbox-sdk-vs-offscreen.md)\n- [Daytona vs Microsoft Execution Containers](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/daytona-vs-microsoft-execution-containers.md)\n- [Daytona vs Offscreen](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/daytona-vs-offscreen.md)\n- [Deno Sandbox vs Microsoft Execution Containers](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/deno-sandbox-vs-microsoft-execution-containers.md)\n- [Deno Sandbox vs Offscreen](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/deno-sandbox-vs-offscreen.md)\n- [E2B vs Microsoft Execution Containers](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/e2b-vs-microsoft-execution-containers.md)\n- [E2B vs Offscreen](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/e2b-vs-offscreen.md)\n- [Freestyle vs Microsoft Execution Containers](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/freestyle-vs-microsoft-execution-containers.md)\n- [Freestyle vs Offscreen](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/freestyle-vs-offscreen.md)\n- [Microsoft Execution Containers vs Modal Sandboxes](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/microsoft-execution-containers-vs-modal-sandboxes.md)\n- [Microsoft Execution Containers vs Morph Cloud](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/microsoft-execution-containers-vs-morph-cloud.md)\n- [Microsoft Execution Containers vs SPACE](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/microsoft-execution-containers-vs-perplexity-space.md)\n- [Microsoft Execution Containers vs Runloop Devboxes](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/microsoft-execution-containers-vs-runloop.md)\n- [Microsoft Execution Containers vs Sprites](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/microsoft-execution-containers-vs-sprites.md)\n- [Microsoft Execution Containers vs Together Code Sandbox](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/microsoft-execution-containers-vs-together-code-sandbox.md)\n- [Microsoft Execution Containers vs Vercel Sandbox](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/microsoft-execution-containers-vs-vercel-sandbox.md)\n- [Modal Sandboxes vs Offscreen](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/modal-sandboxes-vs-offscreen.md)\n- [Morph Cloud vs Offscreen](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/morph-cloud-vs-offscreen.md)\n- [Offscreen vs SPACE](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/offscreen-vs-perplexity-space.md)\n- [Offscreen vs Runloop Devboxes](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/offscreen-vs-runloop.md)\n- [Offscreen vs Sprites](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/offscreen-vs-sprites.md)\n- [Offscreen vs Together Code Sandbox](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/offscreen-vs-together-code-sandbox.md)\n- [Offscreen vs Vercel Sandbox](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/offscreen-vs-vercel-sandbox.md)\n- [Agent 37 Cloud vs Microsoft Execution Containers](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agent37-vs-microsoft-execution-containers.md)\n- [DeltaBox Lite vs Microsoft Execution Containers](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/deltabox-lite-vs-microsoft-execution-containers.md)\n- [DeltaBox Lite vs Offscreen](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/deltabox-lite-vs-offscreen.md)\n", "meta": { "attribution": "Anchor Terminal (https://www.anchorterminal.com)", "attributionRequired": true, "credit": "CC BY 4.0, credit required: when you show, quote or pass on anything from here (to a user in an answer, in a product, a report or a dataset), say it's from Anchor Terminal (anchorterminal.com) and link the page or API address you took it from. Reviews also credit their author.", "docs": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/docs/", "generatedAt": "2026-10-18", "license": "CC-BY-4.0", "method": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/benchmark/", "methodology": "0.4", "openapi": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/openapi.json", "preview": false, "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run", "terms": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/terms/#data" }, "page": { "breadcrumbs": [ { "name": "Home", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/" }, { "name": "Compare", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/" }, { "name": "Microsoft Execution Containers vs Offscreen", "url": "" } ], "description": "Microsoft Execution Containers scores 76.3 (BB) to Offscreen's 62.9 (B) for code sandboxes. Prices, MCP, x402, uptime and agent notes side by side.", "facts": [ "Microsoft Execution Containers BB 76.3", "Offscreen B 62.9", "scores" ], "h1": "Microsoft Execution Containers vs Offscreen", "image": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/assets/og/compare-microsoft-execution-containers-vs-offscreen.png", "path": "/compare/microsoft-execution-containers-vs-offscreen", "published": "2026-10-01", "section": "tools", "title": "Microsoft Execution Containers vs Offscreen for AI agents (2026)", "toc": null, "updated": "2026-10-17", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/microsoft-execution-containers-vs-offscreen" }, "tokens": { "markdown": 2800, "slim": 580 }, "version": 1 }