Skip the evening of setup. Start the agent at login
A bare VPS gives you a kernel and a prompt. A box gives you Docker, tmux tabs in the browser, four agent CLIs, preview URLs and the limits board, for less than the VPS. $5 a month.
From $5 a month · Docker and sudo included · Cancel from the dashboard any time
| Them | Bare VPS (Hetzner CX23) | detachbox |
|---|---|---|
| Price, about 2 vCPU and 4 GB | €5.49 a month, 40 GB | $5 a month, 50 GB |
| Docker | You install it | Installed, with compose |
| Terminal tabs in the browser | You build it | Up to 10 tmux tabs, ready |
| Agent CLIs | You install and update them | Preinstalled, self-updating, approvals off |
| Subscription tokens | Copied onto the server by hand | Refresh tokens stay on our server; the box gets access tokens |
| HTTPS previews with sign-in | You set up a proxy and certificates | Every port, private by default |
| All subscription limits in one view | No | Yes |
| Kernel and network | Your own VM and public IP | Shared kernel, sudo in an unprivileged container |
Vendor prices and limits from each vendor's own pages, checked 28 September 2026.
When it is the better pick
Take a VPS when you need your own kernel, a public IP, custom networking or a region outside Kazakhstan. Take a box when you want the agent working tonight.
Questions about this
Is a VPS more powerful?
At the same size, a VPS gives you a full VM and a kernel of your own. A box gives you the same CPU and memory with everything an agent needs already set up, for a lower price.
Can I install my own tools like on a VPS?
Yes. You have sudo on Ubuntu 26.04. apt install, Docker images, language toolchains: all yours.
What does a VPS need that a box already has?
Docker, tmux, a browser terminal, the agent CLIs and their updates, token handling, HTTPS previews behind a sign-in, a firewall and security updates. The box ships with all of it.
Other comparisons
- lid closedvs your laptopThe laptop stops the agent when the lid closes. The box keeps going.
- $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.
- $0 extravs cloud agentsCloud agents start fresh each task. A box remembers everything.
- 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.
Skip the evening of setup. Start the agent at login
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