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AI · alternatives · 2026

24 alternatives to Bx – macOS native sandbox for AI and coding tools

Wrapper around Apple's macOS sandbox-exec tool, which usually sandboxes native apps. It is "allow-first" i.e. it will not overprotect everything, just crucial information and therefore allows most tools to run without issues. Limiting is done using a .gitignore like file schema. Further TOML config options available. I built it because Docker sandboxing requires config and planning. Build in sandboxing of AI tools instead is limited to the very tools themselves, instead I wanted to have a simple cage around Claude running inside VSCode. Also needed to protect files inside a folder like…

Below are 24 products that do a similar job, ranked by how close each is in meaning and then by launch-day votes. Prices are shown for the 2 we have checked on their own sites, 1 of them free or with a free tier.

  1. 1

    Instant, hardware Isolated Sandboxes for AI agents

    Jul 2026 · createos.sh · its alternatives →

  2. 2

    I'm excited to introduce Zerobox, a cross-platform, single binary process sandboxing CLI written in Rust. It uses the sandboxing crates from the OpenAI Codex repo and adds additional functionalities like secret injection, SDK, etc. Watch the demo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZiPm9BOPCg Zerobox follows the same sandboxing policy as Deno which is deny by default. The only operation that the command can run is reading files, all writes and network I/O are blocked by default. No VMs, no Docker, no remote servers. Want to block reads to /etc? zerobox…

    Mar 2026 · github.com · its alternatives →

  3. 3

    WASM sandbox for running LLM-generated code safely. Agents get a bash-like shell and can only call tools you provide, with constraints you define. No Docker, no subprocess, no SaaS — just pip install amla-sandbox

    Jan 2026 · github.com · its alternatives →

  4. 4
    Epho▲156

    Hey folks, Burak here. Epho is an API that allows running Claude Code, Codex or Opencode in a sandbox in the cloud. It abstracts away sandboxes, and allows running coding agents with a single HTTP request. Epho came out of our own struggles with building our own AI analyst: - Sandboxes give you bare machines; you need to configure them for agentic workloads. - Each agent behaves differently, and you need to build integrations with each of them. - Sandbox providers are not very reliable, which means you need to figure out a multi-provider strategy to avoid failures. - Logging, artifacts,…

    Aug 2026 · epho.io · its alternatives →

  5. 5
    Multitui▲126

    I made Multitui to control the sandbox of coding agents easily without changing my dev environment (no special container or VM). There's no configuration required in your local dev environment... just launch ClaudeCode.app instead of claude in your general terminal. Containers and VMs can be useful, but I always have a bunch of projects going and those solutions feel heavy. Multitui creates single-purpose native macOS apps for any terminal app, with optional sandbox. It uses the built-in macOS sandbox-exec along with log monitoring to give you an easy UI to manage rules, see what's being…

    Feb 2026 · multitui.com · its alternatives →

  6. 6

    Build production agents with harness and sandbox

    Apr 2026 · openai.com · its alternatives →

  7. 7
    Cai▲179

    Hi HN, Cai runs actions on your selection via ⌥C, pick an action (AI, shell, GitHub issue, Linear ticket), done. Bundled local model (MLX Community), create custom actions with prompts, scripts and more. Free, MIT. Built after my Raycast extension sat in review queue for 3+ months. Wanted no typing, no app switching, no cloud. Repo: https://github.com/cai-layer/cai Demo: https://youtu.be/LH2MYNQ_wsk

    Apr 2026 · getcai.app · its alternatives →

  8. 8
    YepCode▲157

    Hey HN, We’re excited to introduce YepCode Run, a serverless runtime and SDK for executing code in secure sandboxes. Built on top of YepCode (https://yepcode.io), it allows you to execute code without any setup or installation. Perfect for: * Running AI-generated code – Securely in a sandbox environment, enabling fully autonomous AI agents. * Package Exploration – Try npm or PyPI packages without installing them locally. * Code Sharing – Easily share runnable code examples with others. * Quick Prototyping – Test snippets and algorithms on the fly. Just write or paste your code, and…

    2022 · yepcode.io · its alternatives →

  9. 9

    Just watched this video by ThePrimeagen (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efwDZw7l2Nk) about attackers jailbreaking Claude to run cyber attacks. The core issue: AI agents need isolation. We built ERA to fix this – local microVM-based sandboxing for AI-generated code with hardware-level security. Think containers, but safer. Such attacks wouldn't touch your host if running in ERA. GitHub: https://github.com/BinSquare/ERA Quick start: https://github.com/BinSquare/ERA/tree/main/era-agent/tutoria... Would love your…

    Nov 2025 · github.com · its alternatives →

  10. 10

    Run Claude Code, Codex, AGY, and Grok Build side by side on your Mac. Every change gets reviewed by a second agent before you accept it.

    19d ago · offrun.dev · its alternatives →

  11. 11

    Ash is a macOS sandbox that restricts AI coding agents. It limits access to files, networks, processes, IO devices, and environment variables. You can use Ash with any CLI coding agent by wrapping it in a single command: `ash run -- `. I typically use it with Claude to stay safe while avoiding repetitive prompts: `ash run -- claude --dangerously-skip-permissions`. Ash restricts resources via the Endpoint Security and Network Extension frameworks. These frameworks are significantly more powerful than the sandbox-exec tool. Each session is driven by a policy file. Any out-of-policy action is…

    Mar 2026 · ashell.dev · its alternatives →

  12. 12

    Hi HN, We are building Sanbox, a platform for running AI agents in isolated and resumable sandboxes. We use the OpenCode SDK as the harness, support reusable templates, and have a CLI that works with Codex, Claude Code, Cursor, CI, or your terminal. Each sandbox has MicroVM isolation, a persistent filesystem, and live trail of run events. Can also self-host if required for security/compliance. It's on the roadmap to add network ACL, secrets managements, LLM cost tracking & observability. We are also happy to build custom integrations or triggers for specific use cases. For example,…

    Jul 2026 · sanbox.cloud · its alternatives →

  13. 13

    Hi HN, This is a project I've been working on since the beginning of 2025 full time, without funding. Coding agents have fundamentally changed the way we write software. When you let an agent write code, pull dependencies, and run scripts, you are delegating trust while still keeping the responsibility. You shouldn't have to choose between moving fast with agents and maintaining basic control over your host machine. Normally, we just inspect the final result, treating the app like a black box. Most security tools only sandbox the app runtime and ignore the build phase. CapaKit is my attempt…

    Jun 2026 · capakit.com · its alternatives →

  14. 14

    As I've increasingly pursued orchestrated agentic coding - I needed a safe way to run Claude Code in YOLO mode on my mac. I looked at a lot of options including Docker but then came across Lima (Linux for Mac) and this great guide by Chris Hager on how create a dev sandbox for your mac using Lima. This creates an Ubuntu VM, mapped to your dev directory with RW access, port and SSH forwarding, Mise support for language installs and automatic code agent installs. https://www.metachris.dev/2025/11/sandbox-your-ai-dev-tools-... I followed his guide. Got it working on my…

    Jan 2026 · github.com · its alternatives →

  15. 15

    hi everybody, I’ve been working on this harness that is all native Swift for macOS. It’s fully featured with every feature i could find in cline, codex, and claude code. There is all swift command line too It’s taking me a long, long time, a few months to build this, and it’s fully open source Apache 2 licensed. Hoping people fork this and make many branches I’m looking for people who want to work on something that has much lower memory usage and much more potential to be just more efficient. Every other single harness has is written in using electron, so this harness is really unique in…

    Aug 2026 · github.com · its alternatives →

  16. 16
    Nexion▲9

    The AI-native workspace for macOS

    May 2026 · nexion.one · its alternatives →

  17. 17

    Mac virtual machine for secure development. Run isolated macOS workspaces for AI agents, sandboxed code, and untrusted projects. Apple Silicon native with instant clones.

    Mar 2026 · ghostvm.org · its alternatives →

  18. 18
    Skeezo▲10

    The agent-native macOS IDE that drives your installed Claude Code — parallel agent lanes, team chat, multi-repo workspaces, and automation. No API key.

    Sep 2026 · skeezo.dev · its alternatives →

  19. 19

    I built a comprehensive environment setup tool that automatically configures a complete development environment on macOS. Features include AI tools (Ollama, LM Studio), modern terminals, complete dotfiles, and intelligent parallel processing. The tool has zero ShellCheck errors/warnings and is production-ready. It's particularly useful for new Mac setups, team onboarding, or anyone wanting a modern development environment without the manual configuration hassle. Key features: - 10 preset configurations (minimal to everything) - AI tools with local LLM support - Modern terminals (Warp,…

    2025 · github.com · its alternatives →

  20. 20
    Hivelex▲13

    10 essential dev tools in one beautiful native macOS app

    2025 · hivelex.com · its alternatives →

  21. 21

    Every AI coding limit, one glance — native Mac widgets

    Aug 2026 · github.com · its alternatives →

  22. 22
    Sandockfrom $5/mo▲8

    Persistent Docker Workspaces for Coding Agents

    Apr 2026 · sandock.ai · its alternatives →

  23. 23

    Real Linux sandboxes for coding agents

    Jun 2026 · crownest.dev · its alternatives →

  24. 24

    Native GPU containers for Apple Silicon

    Jun 2026 · github.com · its alternatives →

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