Skip the evening of setup. Start the agent at login
A bare VPS gives you a kernel and a prompt. detachbox gives you Claude Code, Codex and OpenCode ready to run, plus Docker, private previews, the limits board and tmux terminals for any browser or phone. $39 a month.
From $39 a month · Docker and sudo included · Cancel from the dashboard any time
| Them | Bare VPS (Hetzner CPX22) | detachbox |
|---|---|---|
| Price, about 2 vCPU and 4 GB | €19.99 a month, 80 GB; the €5.99 CX23 is listed “not available” | $39 a month, 50 GB |
| Docker | You install it | Installed, with compose |
| Terminal tabs in the browser | You build it | 3 to 30 tmux terminals by size, ready |
| Agent CLIs | You install and update them | Preinstalled, permission prompts off |
| Subscription tokens | Copied onto the server by hand | Refresh tokens stay on our server; your Compute gets access tokens |
| Logins between projects | One user and one home for every repo | A home folder per project, so logins never cross |
| 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 |
| A limit runs out mid-task | A script you write | The agent moves to your next subscription |
| The agent asks a question at night | Hooks you wire to a bot yourself | Push or Telegram, the answers as buttons |
| Kernel and network | Your own VM and public IP | Full Docker and sudo on a shared kernel, walled off from other customers |
Hetzner and DigitalOcean pricing, read 17 October 2026.
When it is the better pick
Take a VPS when you need your own kernel, a public IP or custom networking. Take detachbox when you want the agent working tonight.
Questions about this
Is a VPS more powerful?
No. At the same size you get the same CPU and memory. A VPS adds a kernel of its own; detachbox adds everything an agent needs, ready at login.
Can I install my own tools like on a VPS?
Yes. You have sudo on Ubuntu 26.04. Install anything: apt packages, Docker images, language toolchains.
What does a VPS need that detachbox already has?
Docker, tmux, a browser terminal that works on a phone and agent CLIs kept up to date. Then subscription tokens handled for you, HTTPS previews behind a sign-in and a network walled off from other customers. Your Compute has all of it at login.
Other comparisons
- lid closedvs your laptopThe laptop stops the agent when the lid closes. Your Compute keeps going.
- laptop appvs Orca and ConductorDesktop apps make the laptop a better place for agents. detachbox makes the laptop optional.
- $0.18 an hourvs GitHub CodespacesCodespaces bills every hour and stops at 12 hours. Your Compute stays on all month for one flat price.
- €6vs TerminalboxBoth stay on. detachbox adds Docker, three terminals and a limits board for $39.
- In your planvs cloud agentsEach cloud session or task gets a new environment. Your Compute keeps the repo, the history and a warm database for the next one.
- API ratesvs Cursor background agentsCursor meters agent runs at API rates. detachbox runs your own plan at a flat price.
- $20–$200vs DevinDevin is its own agent on its own plans. detachbox runs the agents you already use.
Skip the evening of setup. Start the agent at login
Pick a size, hand the agent the job and close the tab. Come back to finished work.
Get my ComputeYour first overnight run works, or your money back · Cancel from the dashboard; it runs to the end of the paid month