Give the agent a machine that remembers yesterday
Claude Code on the web and Codex cloud spin up a fresh machine per task. A box keeps your checkouts, databases and sessions running between jobs, with a real terminal and SSH. From $5 a month.
From $5 a month · Docker and sudo included · Cancel from the dashboard any time
| Them | Claude Code on the web · Codex cloud | detachbox |
|---|---|---|
| Machine | Fresh per session or task | Your box, always on |
| State between jobs | Starts clean; Codex caches up to 12 hours | Everything stays: files, containers, caches |
| Services like Postgres | Started for each task | Running all week |
| Interface | Chat and diff view | Full terminal with tmux tabs, SSH, preview URLs |
| Agents | The vendor's own | Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, Gemini CLI |
| Price | Included in the subscription | From $5 a month, on the same subscriptions |
Vendor prices and limits from each vendor's own pages, checked 28 September 2026.
When it is the better pick
Cloud agents shine at quick, self-contained tasks launched from the vendor's app. A box takes the jobs that need your services, your tools or a session that lasts for days. Run both on one subscription: quick fixes in the vendor's app, long jobs on the box.
Questions about this
Do I pay for the model twice?
No. Claude Code and Codex on the box run on the subscriptions you already pay for. The box costs $5, $12 or $24 a month for the machine.
Why not start a fresh machine every time?
A fresh machine reinstalls dependencies, reseeds databases and rebuilds caches for every task. A box keeps them warm, so each job starts where the last one ended.
Can I watch the agent work?
Yes. It runs in a terminal tab you can open from any browser, your phone or SSH, with the full scrollback.
Other comparisons
- lid closedvs your laptopThe laptop stops the agent when the lid closes. The box keeps going.
- €5.49 + an eveningvs a DIY VPSA bare VPS is cheap until you count the evening of setup.
- $0.18 an hourvs GitHub CodespacesCodespaces stops when idle. An agent job needs a machine that stays on.
- €6vs TerminalboxBoth stay on. One runs Docker, ten tabs and a limits board for less.
- API ratesvs Cursor background agentsCursor meters agent runs at API rates. A box runs your own plan at a flat price.
- $20–$200vs DevinDevin is its own agent on its own plans. A box runs the agents you already use.
Give the agent a machine that remembers yesterday
Start a box, hand the agent the job and close the tab. Come back to finished work.
Start my boxCharged when the box starts · Cancel from the dashboard; the box runs to the end of the paid month