ComputeSDK

Executive Summary

ComputeSDK provides a unified abstraction layer for AI agent sandbox providers. Instead of learning multiple APIs (E2B, Daytona, Modal, Vercel, CodeSandbox), developers use one consistent interface and hot-swap providers based on requirements. Think "Terraform for running other people's code."

Attribute	Value
Company	ComputeSDK
Founded	July 2025
Funding	Bootstrapped
GitHub Stars	94
License	Open Source

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Product Overview

Running untrusted or AI-generated code safely is harder than it looks. Teams building AI agents often switch sandbox providers multiple times, each migration requiring significant engineering effort — rewriting integrations, updating authentication, ensuring feature parity.

ComputeSDK solves this by abstracting provider differences behind a unified interface:

import { compute } from 'computesdk';
import { e2b } from '@computesdk/e2b';

// Set default provider
compute.setConfig({
  defaultProvider: e2b({ apiKey: process.env.E2B_API_KEY })
});

// Create a sandbox
const sandbox = await compute.sandbox.create();

// Execute code
const result = await sandbox.runCode('print("Hello World!")');
console.log(result.stdout); // "Hello World!"

// Clean up
await sandbox.destroy();

Switching providers is a config change, not a rewrite.

Supported Providers

Provider	Package	Strengths
E2B	@computesdk/e2b	Firecracker microVMs, enterprise security
Daytona	@computesdk/daytona	Full dev workspaces, Computer Use
Modal	@computesdk/modal	GPU support, serverless Python
Vercel	@computesdk/vercel	Global serverless, Node.js/Python
CodeSandbox	@computesdk/codesandbox	Forking, web dev focus

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Key Capabilities

Capability	Description
Hot-swappable providers	Change providers without code changes
Real-time terminal	WebSocket-based interactive sessions
File system control	Full CRUD with real-time watching
Process management	Start, stop, monitor with port forwarding
JWT authentication	Token-based access control
TypeScript-native	Full type safety and error handling

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Technical Architecture

ComputeSDK operates as a thin abstraction layer:

Your Agent Code
    ↓ unified API
ComputeSDK
    ↓ provider adapter
E2B / Daytona / Modal / Vercel / CodeSandbox

Each provider adapter handles the translation from ComputeSDK's unified interface to provider-specific APIs.

Aspect	Detail
Language	TypeScript (Python SDK in development)
Architecture	Adapter pattern per provider
Open Source	Yes (GitHub: computesdk/computesdk)
Self-hosted	Premium Kubernetes solution planned

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Strengths

• Vendor neutrality — No lock-in; switch providers based on cost, features, or availability
• Operational resilience — Scale across multiple providers during demand spikes
• Development velocity — One API to learn instead of five
• Open source — Inspect, modify, contribute; no hidden costs
• TypeScript-first — Type safety catches errors at compile time

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Cautions

• Early stage — 94 GitHub stars; smaller community than established providers
• Abstraction overhead — Some provider-specific features may not be exposed
• Provider costs pass through — ComputeSDK is free but you still pay E2B, Modal, etc.
• Python SDK in development — TypeScript only for now
• No direct execution — Requires underlying provider account

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Pricing

ComputeSDK itself: Free and open source.

Provider costs: You pay providers directly at their standard rates:

• E2B: Usage-based (sub-second billing)
• Modal: $30/mo credits, per-second billing
• Daytona: Free tier, usage-based
• Vercel: Serverless pricing
• CodeSandbox: Free tier, usage-based

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Use Cases

Use Case	Why ComputeSDK
Multi-provider resilience	Failover between E2B and Daytona during outages
Cost optimization	Route to cheapest provider based on workload
Avoiding lock-in	Evaluate providers without rewriting code
Hybrid requirements	GPU on Modal, CPU on E2B, Computer Use on Daytona

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Competitive Positioning

ComputeSDK doesn't compete with sandbox providers — it abstracts them.

Approach	Examples	Tradeoff
Direct provider	E2B, Daytona, Modal	Maximum features, vendor lock-in
Abstraction layer	ComputeSDK	Vendor flexibility, some features hidden

When to Use ComputeSDK

• Use ComputeSDK when: You need multi-provider flexibility or want to avoid lock-in
• Use providers directly when: You need provider-specific features or have standardized on one vendor

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Roadmap

Per the announcement blog:

• Premium Kubernetes-based self-hosted environment
• Additional primitives (git, databases, blob storage)
• More provider support (Neon, Supabase, Turso)
• Enhanced monitoring and observability
• Python SDK

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Bottom Line

ComputeSDK is the abstraction layer for teams who don't want to bet on a single sandbox provider. It's early (94 stars) but solves a real problem — the pain of rewriting integrations when switching providers.

Recommended for: Teams evaluating multiple sandbox providers, or those wanting operational resilience across providers.

Not recommended for: Teams committed to a single provider who need every provider-specific feature.

Outlook: If the AI agent sandbox market fragments across multiple providers (likely), abstraction layers like ComputeSDK become valuable. Early but well-positioned.

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Research by Ry Walker Research • methodology