{ "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": "2026-10-06", "graded": true, "anchor": { "graded": true, "score": 76.3, "grade": "BB", "agentReady": true, "rank": 39, "ranked": true, "rankOf": 1098, "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": "2026-10-08" }, "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 is two days old as of 8 October 2026. 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 1.0.0 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": [ "1.0.0 shipped on 6 October 2026, and the Node changelog still lists 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` at import, reported on 24 September 2026 and still open", "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", "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": "v1.0.0", "released": "2026-10-07", "seenAt": "2026-10-16T01:03:54.059349206Z" }, { "registry": "npm", "name": "@microsoft/mxc-sdk", "version": "1.0.0", "seenAt": "2026-10-16T01:03:53.277619417Z" } ], "githubStars": 2844, "npmWeekly": 317303, "securityTxt": { "url": "https://microsoft.com/.well-known/security.txt", "state": "expired", "expires": "2026-09-23T16:00:00.000Z", "checkedAt": "2026-10-15T15:49:06.711379577Z" }, "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": "2026-10-15T21:57:55.24632877Z", "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "blockedByRobots": true } ], "updatedAt": "2026-10-16T01:03:54.059349206Z" } }, "answer": "Microsoft Execution Containers scores 76.3 (BB) on agent readiness against SPACE's 56.2 (C), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories.", "b": { "slug": "perplexity-space", "name": "SPACE", "vendor": "Perplexity", "vendorUrl": "https://space.docs.perplexity.ai/guide/index.html", "kind": "http-api", "category": "code-sandboxes", "summary": "SPACE is Perplexity's open-source, self-hosted platform for running agent code in Firecracker microVMs. An operator deploys it on Linux with KVM, and applications drive sandboxes through its HTTP and SSE API or an E2B-compatible API.", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/perplexity-space", "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/perplexity-space.md", "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/perplexity-space.min.md", "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/perplexity-space.json", "repo": "https://github.com/perplexityai/SPACE", "license": "Apache-2.0", "transports": [ "http" ], "packages": [], "auth": "mixed", "authNotes": "Nothing to sign up for with Perplexity. On a deployment, the native API takes `Authorization: Bearer` with a token from a password login at `/auth/v1/sessions` or a service token, and users hold admin or member roles. Command streams on the data plane take a separate session-scoped token, valid for 5 minutes, that the API returns with each command. The E2B Compatibility Wrapper takes an E2B-style key in `X-API-Key`, which an operator creates with scripts/seed-api-key.sh and an SQL insert. SPACE stores only its SHA-256 hash. No key scopes or revocation call were found in the reviewed documentation.", "pricing": "free", "pricingNotes": "Free under Apache-2.0, with nothing to buy from Perplexity and no hosted SPACE service. The cost is the operator's own hosts, which need Linux x86_64 with KVM (bare-metal instances in Perplexity's reference EKS deployment), plus PostgreSQL and S3-compatible object storage, with Valkey in the reference EKS deployment (checked 2026-10-16).", "priceSummary": "Free · OSS", "where": "local", "x402": { "level": "no", "evidence": "No x402, MPP or L402 in the README, the docs, the OpenAPI document or the source read on 16 October 2026. Self-hosted open-source software with no paid endpoint.", "endpoints": [] }, "toolCount": null, "popularity": { "githubStars": null, "npmWeekly": null, "pypiWeekly": null, "asOf": "2026-10-16" }, "docsUrl": "https://space.docs.perplexity.ai/guide/index.html", "openapi": "https://space.docs.perplexity.ai/api/openapi.json", "capabilities": [ "sandbox.code", "sandbox.persist", "sandbox.fs" ], "tags": [ "open-source", "self-hosted", "free", "no-card", "apache-2.0", "rust", "linux", "kubernetes", "microvm", "openapi", "e2b-compatible", "pre-1.0", "new" ], "graded": true, "anchor": { "graded": true, "score": 56.2, "grade": "C", "agentReady": false, "rank": 683, "ranked": true, "rankOf": 1098, "categoryRank": 12, "methodology": "0.4", "run": "2026-10-01", "scores": { "ergonomics": 66, "maintenance": 26, "payments": 60, "reliability": 32, "schema": 75, "security": 64, "transparency": 68 }, "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "assessment": { "confidence": "medium", "date": "2026-10-16" }, "negative": 0, "verdict": "Once deployed, SPACE's native API has a public OpenAPI 3.1 contract, stable error codes with a retryable flag and 24-hour idempotency keys, and egress and credential controls sit outside the VM. A person must first deploy it on a Linux x86_64 host with KVM and Kubernetes. Version 0.8.0 has no tagged release, changelog or public container images.", "bestFor": "Teams that want E2B-style microVM sandboxes on their own Linux and Kubernetes hosts, with egress and credential control outside the guest.", "strengths": [ "OpenAPI 3.1 for 14 supported operations, served by each deployment at `/openapi-m1.json` and published on the docs site", "Errors carry a stable `code`, a `retryable` flag and a request ID, and lifecycle calls and command creation take a 24-hour `Idempotency-Key`", "Per-sandbox egress policies with allow and deny lists, operator egress profiles and TLS interception are enforced by a gateway outside the guest", "The network gateway can add secret headers from AWS Secrets Manager for an exact host and path, so the guest never holds the value", "An E2B Compatibility Wrapper lets the E2B Python SDK, tested at e2b 2.21.1, use a SPACE deployment as its backend" ], "weaknesses": [ "A person must deploy it first, on an apt-based Linux x86_64 host with KVM, privileged Docker and Kubernetes (Kind in the guide)", "Version 0.8.0 has no git tag, GitHub release or changelog, and CI pushes container images only to a private registry", "The `network_policy` and idle-lifecycle create fields are marked incubating, outside the supported contract, and typed as open objects", "Credential injection is off by default, needs AWS Secrets Manager, and has no page of its own in the user guide", "The wrapper rejects E2B's `mcp`, `volumeMounts` and `iam` options, team template names and pause without memory, and only Python is tested" ], "agentNotes": [ "Ask your operator for the API base URL (before `/v1`, or `/api/v1` on shared hosts), the data-plane URL and a bearer token before planning any call", "Poll the returned operation until it succeeds and the sandbox is `running` before creating a command. A 202 response is not readiness", "Attach to the command's events URL with its session token to start the process, decode base64 output, and treat only `process_exited` as completion", "Send an `Idempotency-Key` on creates, lifecycle calls and commands, and retry only when `retryable` is true, after any `Retry-After`", "Save output as it arrives. Reconnecting with `Last-Event-ID` returns `resync_required`, not the missed output" ], "metrics": { "kind": "local", "measured": false }, "reviewCount": 4, "avgRating": 3, "history": [ { "basis": "public evidence", "confidence": "medium", "grade": "C", "methodology": "0.4", "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run", "score": 56.2 } ], "editorialScores": { "ergonomics": 66, "maintenance": 26, "payments": 60, "reliability": 32, "schema": 75, "security": 64, "transparency": 73 }, "provenanceScore": 63 }, "connect": { "install": "git clone https://github.com/perplexityai/SPACE.git \u0026\u0026 cd SPACE\nbash infra/space/kind/scripts/install-prereqs.sh\nexport SPACE_VENDOR_ROOT=\"$HOME/.local/share/space/vendor\"\nexport SPACE_KIND_CLUSTER=space-local\nbash infra/space/kind/scripts/install-fc-vendor.sh\nbash infra/space/kind/scripts/bootstrap.sh", "http": "curl --fail-with-body --silent --show-error \\\n --header \"Authorization: Bearer $SPACE_API_TOKEN\" \\\n \"${SPACE_API_URL%/}/v1/sandboxes\"" }, "letme": { "capability": "https://letme.dev/sandbox.code", "tool": "https://letme.dev/perplexity-space" }, "sameCompany": [ "pplx-decider" ], "area": "agent-runtime", "provenance": { "legalEntity": "Perplexity AI", "domain": "perplexity.ai", "domainRegistered": "2022-07-08", "endpointOnVendorDomain": null, "terms": "", "privacy": "", "statusPage": "", "changelog": "", "securityTxt": "valid", "checked": "2026-10-16", "notes": [ "LICENSE reads 'Copyright 2026 Perplexity AI', and the repository's Claude Code plugin manifest names Perplexity AI as owner. No fuller legal entity name was found in the repository or the docs.", "The docs site is space.docs.perplexity.ai and the repository is under GitHub's perplexityai organisation. RDAP from Identity Digital gives perplexity.ai a registration date of 8 July 2022.", "No terms or privacy policy applies to the self-hosted software beyond the Apache-2.0 licence. There is no hosted SPACE endpoint, so no status page.", "No changelog or release notes. docs/versioning.md says the v0.8.0 tag should mark the tested commit, and the clone had no tags on 16 October 2026.", "https://www.perplexity.ai/.well-known/security.txt and https://space.docs.perplexity.ai/.well-known/security.txt both returned Contact security@perplexity.ai, Expires 2027-12-31T00:00:00Z and Policy https://www.perplexity.ai/security on 16 October 2026. The robots.txt of www.perplexity.ai allows that path.", "WebFetch refused the docs site as outside its allowed set, so the guide index, API index, openapi.json, build.json files and security.txt were read with curl. space.docs.perplexity.ai has no robots.txt (404). WebFetch refused github.com under its robots.txt, so stars, issues and CI results were not read." ], "score": 63 }, "requirements": { "card": "no", "freeTier": true, "minutes": 120, "credential": "mixed", "hosting": [ "self-hosted" ], "euResidency": "unknown", "trainsOnData": "no", "zeroRetention": "unknown", "selfHost": "yes" }, "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/perplexity-space.json" }, "facts": [ { "a": "SDK + MCP", "b": "HTTP API", "name": "Kind" }, { "a": "Microsoft", "b": "Perplexity", "name": "Vendor" }, { "a": "no (local only)", "b": "no (local only)", "name": "Hosted endpoint" }, { "a": "", "b": "HTTP", "name": "Transports" }, { "a": "None", "b": "OAuth or key", "name": "Auth" }, { "a": "Free", "b": "Free", "name": "Pricing" }, { "a": "no", "b": "no", "name": "x402" }, { "a": "MIT", "b": "Apache-2.0", "name": "Licence" }, { "a": "yes", "b": "no", "name": "Read-only variant documented" }, { "a": "no", "b": "no", "name": "llms.txt" }, { "a": "2026-10-06", "b": "none", "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 SPACE's 56.2 (C), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories.", "question": "Which is better for AI agents, Microsoft Execution Containers or SPACE?" }, { "answer": "No hosted endpoint is listed for Microsoft Execution Containers. No hosted endpoint is listed for SPACE.", "question": "Can an agent call Microsoft Execution Containers and SPACE without installing anything?" }, { "answer": "Yes. Microsoft Execution Containers is open source (MIT). SPACE is open source (Apache-2.0).", "question": "Are Microsoft Execution Containers and SPACE open source?" } ], "goodFor": [ { "aheadOn": [ "Reliability, 81 against 32", "Schema \u0026 documentation, 81 against 75", "Agent ergonomics, 74 against 66", "Security \u0026 auth, 69 against 64", "Maintenance \u0026 community, 92 against 26", "Transparency \u0026 trust, 83 against 68" ], "also": [ "Agent-ready, a grade of BB or better", "No key needed to call it" ], "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": "1.0.0 shipped on 6 October 2026, and the Node changelog still lists the V1 changes under Unreleased" }, { "aheadOn": null, "also": null, "goodFor": "Teams that want E2B-style microVM sandboxes on their own Linux and Kubernetes hosts, with egress and credential control outside the guest.", "slug": "perplexity-space", "watchFor": "A person must deploy it first, on an apt-based Linux x86_64 host with KVM, privileged Docker and Kubernetes (Kind in the guide)" } ], "job": { "capability": "sandbox.code", "name": "Code sandboxes" }, "others": [ { "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-perplexity-space.json", "title": "Amazon Bedrock AgentCore Code Interpreter vs SPACE", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agentcore-code-interpreter-vs-perplexity-space" }, { "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-perplexity-space.json", "title": "Blaxel Sandboxes vs SPACE", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/blaxel-sandboxes-vs-perplexity-space" }, { "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-perplexity-space.json", "title": "Cloudflare Sandbox SDK vs SPACE", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cloudflare-sandbox-sdk-vs-perplexity-space" }, { "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-perplexity-space.json", "title": "Daytona vs SPACE", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/daytona-vs-perplexity-space" }, { "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-perplexity-space.json", "title": "Deno Sandbox vs SPACE", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/deno-sandbox-vs-perplexity-space" }, { "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-perplexity-space.json", "title": "E2B vs SPACE", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/e2b-vs-perplexity-space" }, { "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-perplexity-space.json", "title": "Freestyle vs SPACE", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/freestyle-vs-perplexity-space" }, { "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-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-perplexity-space.json", "title": "Modal Sandboxes vs SPACE", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/modal-sandboxes-vs-perplexity-space" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/morph-cloud-vs-perplexity-space.json", "title": "Morph Cloud vs SPACE", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/morph-cloud-vs-perplexity-space" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/perplexity-space-vs-runloop.json", "title": "SPACE vs Runloop Devboxes", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/perplexity-space-vs-runloop" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/perplexity-space-vs-sprites.json", "title": "SPACE vs Sprites", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/perplexity-space-vs-sprites" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/perplexity-space-vs-together-code-sandbox.json", "title": "SPACE vs Together Code Sandbox", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/perplexity-space-vs-together-code-sandbox" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/perplexity-space-vs-vercel-sandbox.json", "title": "SPACE vs Vercel Sandbox", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/perplexity-space-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/agent37-vs-perplexity-space.json", "title": "Agent 37 Cloud vs SPACE", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agent37-vs-perplexity-space" } ], "scores": [ { "by": 49, "edge": "microsoft-execution-containers", "key": "reliability", "microsoft-execution-containers": 81, "name": "Reliability", "perplexity-space": 32, "weight": 16 }, { "key": "performance", "name": "Performance", "pending": true, "weight": 10 }, { "by": 6, "edge": "microsoft-execution-containers", "key": "schema", "microsoft-execution-containers": 81, "name": "Schema \u0026 documentation", "perplexity-space": 75, "weight": 13 }, { "by": 8, "edge": "microsoft-execution-containers", "key": "ergonomics", "microsoft-execution-containers": 74, "name": "Agent ergonomics", "perplexity-space": 66, "weight": 13 }, { "by": 5, "edge": "microsoft-execution-containers", "key": "security", "microsoft-execution-containers": 69, "name": "Security \u0026 auth", "perplexity-space": 64, "weight": 14 }, { "by": 0, "edge": "", "key": "payments", "microsoft-execution-containers": 60, "name": "Payments \u0026 pricing", "perplexity-space": 60, "weight": 10 }, { "key": "tasks", "name": "Task success", "pending": true, "weight": 10 }, { "by": 66, "edge": "microsoft-execution-containers", "key": "maintenance", "microsoft-execution-containers": 92, "name": "Maintenance \u0026 community", "perplexity-space": 26, "weight": 7 }, { "by": 15, "edge": "microsoft-execution-containers", "key": "transparency", "microsoft-execution-containers": 83, "name": "Transparency \u0026 trust", "perplexity-space": 68, "weight": 7 } ], "summary": "Microsoft Execution Containers scores 76.3 (BB) on agent readiness against SPACE's 56.2 (C), and leads in 6 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 is two days old as of 8 October 2026. Enforcement varies by backend, and `isolation_session` cannot restrict networking at all.", "perplexity-space": "Once deployed, SPACE's native API has a public OpenAPI 3.1 contract, stable error codes with a retryable flag and 24-hour idempotency keys, and egress and credential controls sit outside the VM. A person must first deploy it on a Linux x86_64 host with KVM and Kubernetes. Version 0.8.0 has no tagged release, changelog or public container images." } }, "kind": "anchor.page", "links": { "api": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json", "html": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/microsoft-execution-containers-vs-perplexity-space", "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/microsoft-execution-containers-vs-perplexity-space.json", "llms": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt", "markdown": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/microsoft-execution-containers-vs-perplexity-space.md", "mcp": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp", "slim": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/microsoft-execution-containers-vs-perplexity-space.min.md" }, "markdown": "Microsoft Execution Containers scores 76.3 (BB) on agent readiness against SPACE's 56.2 (C), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. Both do code sandboxes.\n\n- Microsoft Execution Containers: grade BB, 76.3/100, rank #39 of 1098. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/microsoft-execution-containers.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/microsoft-execution-containers.json\n- SPACE: grade C, 56.2/100, rank #683 of 1098. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/perplexity-space.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/perplexity-space.json\n- Best code execution sandboxes for AI agents: https://www.anchorterminal.com/best/code-sandboxes/index.md\n- All 120 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 32\n- Schema \u0026 documentation, 81 against 75\n- Agent ergonomics, 74 against 66\n- Security \u0026 auth, 69 against 64\n- Maintenance \u0026 community, 92 against 26\n- Transparency \u0026 trust, 83 against 68\n\nAlso in its favour:\n- Agent-ready, a grade of BB or better\n- No key needed to call it\n\nWatch for: 1.0.0 shipped on 6 October 2026, and the Node changelog still lists the V1 changes under Unreleased\n\n### SPACE (C)\n\nGood for: Teams that want E2B-style microVM sandboxes on their own Linux and Kubernetes hosts, with egress and credential control outside the guest.\n\nWatch for: A person must deploy it first, on an apt-based Linux x86_64 host with KVM, privileged Docker and Kubernetes (Kind in the guide)\n\n\n## Score by category\n\n| Category | Weight | Microsoft Execution Containers | SPACE | Edge |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 81 | 32 | Microsoft Execution Containers +49 |\n| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Schema \u0026 documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 81 | 75 | Microsoft Execution Containers +6 |\n| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 74 | 66 | Microsoft Execution Containers +8 |\n| Security \u0026 auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 69 | 64 | Microsoft Execution Containers +5 |\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 | 26 | Microsoft Execution Containers +66 |\n| Transparency \u0026 trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 83 | 68 | Microsoft Execution Containers +15 |\n| Negative events | ≤15 | 0 | 0 | |\n| **Total** | | **76.3 · BB** | **56.2 · C** | |\n\n## Facts side by side\n\n| Fact | Microsoft Execution Containers | SPACE |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| Kind | SDK + MCP | HTTP API |\n| Vendor | Microsoft | Perplexity |\n| Hosted endpoint | no (local only) | no (local only) |\n| Transports | | HTTP |\n| Auth | None | OAuth or key |\n| Pricing | Free | Free |\n| x402 | no | no |\n| Licence | MIT | Apache-2.0 |\n| Read-only variant documented | yes | no |\n| llms.txt | no | no |\n| Last release | 2026-10-06 | none |\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 is two days old as of 8 October 2026. Enforcement varies by backend, and `isolation_session` cannot restrict networking at all.\n\n**SPACE.** Once deployed, SPACE's native API has a public OpenAPI 3.1 contract, stable error codes with a retryable flag and 24-hour idempotency keys, and egress and credential controls sit outside the VM. A person must first deploy it on a Linux x86_64 host with KVM and Kubernetes. Version 0.8.0 has no tagged release, changelog or public container images.\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### SPACE\n\n1. Ask your operator for the API base URL (before `/v1`, or `/api/v1` on shared hosts), the data-plane URL and a bearer token before planning any call\n2. Poll the returned operation until it succeeds and the sandbox is `running` before creating a command. A 202 response is not readiness\n3. Attach to the command's events URL with its session token to start the process, decode base64 output, and treat only `process_exited` as completion\n4. Send an `Idempotency-Key` on creates, lifecycle calls and commands, and retry only when `retryable` is true, after any `Retry-After`\n5. Save output as it arrives. Reconnecting with `Last-Event-ID` returns `resync_required`, not the missed output\n\n## Questions\n\n### Which is better for AI agents, Microsoft Execution Containers or SPACE?\n\nMicrosoft Execution Containers scores 76.3 (BB) on agent readiness against SPACE's 56.2 (C), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories.\n\n### Can an agent call Microsoft Execution Containers and SPACE without installing anything?\n\nNo hosted endpoint is listed for Microsoft Execution Containers. No hosted endpoint is listed for SPACE.\n\n### Are Microsoft Execution Containers and SPACE open source?\n\nYes. Microsoft Execution Containers is open source (MIT). SPACE is open source (Apache-2.0).\n\n\n## For agents\n\n- This comparison as JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/microsoft-execution-containers-vs-perplexity-space.json, and with the fewest tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/microsoft-execution-containers-vs-perplexity-space.min.md\n- Over MCP at https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (no key): `compare_tools {\"a\": \"microsoft-execution-containers\", \"b\": \"perplexity-space\"}`. From a terminal: `anchor compare microsoft-execution-containers perplexity-space`\n- Each listing in full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/microsoft-execution-containers.json and https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/perplexity-space.json\n\n## Other comparisons with Microsoft Execution Containers or SPACE\n\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 SPACE](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agentcore-code-interpreter-vs-perplexity-space.md)\n- [Blaxel Sandboxes vs Microsoft Execution Containers](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/blaxel-sandboxes-vs-microsoft-execution-containers.md)\n- [Blaxel Sandboxes vs SPACE](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/blaxel-sandboxes-vs-perplexity-space.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 SPACE](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cloudflare-sandbox-sdk-vs-perplexity-space.md)\n- [Daytona vs Microsoft Execution Containers](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/daytona-vs-microsoft-execution-containers.md)\n- [Daytona vs SPACE](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/daytona-vs-perplexity-space.md)\n- [Deno Sandbox vs Microsoft Execution Containers](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/deno-sandbox-vs-microsoft-execution-containers.md)\n- [Deno Sandbox vs SPACE](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/deno-sandbox-vs-perplexity-space.md)\n- [E2B vs Microsoft Execution Containers](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/e2b-vs-microsoft-execution-containers.md)\n- [E2B vs SPACE](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/e2b-vs-perplexity-space.md)\n- [Freestyle vs Microsoft Execution Containers](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/freestyle-vs-microsoft-execution-containers.md)\n- [Freestyle vs SPACE](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/freestyle-vs-perplexity-space.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 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 SPACE](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/modal-sandboxes-vs-perplexity-space.md)\n- [Morph Cloud vs SPACE](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/morph-cloud-vs-perplexity-space.md)\n- [SPACE vs Runloop Devboxes](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/perplexity-space-vs-runloop.md)\n- [SPACE vs Sprites](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/perplexity-space-vs-sprites.md)\n- [SPACE vs Together Code Sandbox](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/perplexity-space-vs-together-code-sandbox.md)\n- [SPACE vs Vercel Sandbox](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/perplexity-space-vs-vercel-sandbox.md)\n- [Agent 37 Cloud vs Microsoft Execution Containers](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agent37-vs-microsoft-execution-containers.md)\n- [Agent 37 Cloud vs SPACE](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agent37-vs-perplexity-space.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": "2026-10-16", "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 SPACE", "url": "" } ], "description": "Microsoft Execution Containers scores 76.3 (BB) to SPACE's 56.2 (C) for code sandboxes. Prices, MCP, x402, uptime and agent notes side by side.", "facts": [ "Microsoft Execution Containers BB 76.3", "SPACE C 56.2", "scores" ], "h1": "Microsoft Execution Containers vs SPACE", "image": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/assets/og/compare-microsoft-execution-containers-vs-perplexity-space.png", "path": "/compare/microsoft-execution-containers-vs-perplexity-space", "published": "2026-10-01", "section": "tools", "title": "Microsoft Execution Containers vs SPACE for AI agents (2026)", "toc": null, "updated": "2026-10-16", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/microsoft-execution-containers-vs-perplexity-space" }, "tokens": { "markdown": 2800, "slim": 580 }, "version": 1 }