CodeSandbox vs Gitpod
Compare CodeSandbox and Gitpod by workflow, pricing, privacy, model support, and best use cases.
CodeSandbox
Choose CodeSandbox when you need shareable cloud development environments, collaborative browser coding, or scalable sandbox infrastructure for AI agents and code execution. Choose StackBlitz for browser-native WebContainers, GitHub Codespaces or Gitpod for container-native repo workflows, and Replit or Bolt.new when prompt-to-app AI building is the priority.
Gitpod
Choose Gitpod/Ona when reproducible cloud environments, agent-safe execution, governance, and enterprise VPC control matter more than a simple browser sandbox. Choose GitHub Codespaces for GitHub-native dev containers, StackBlitz for browser-native WebContainers, CodeSandbox for sandbox SDK infrastructure, or Replit when prompt-to-app creation and hosting are the priority.
Key Differences
Workflow
CodeSandbox is a cloud development environment and sandbox infrastructure platform for browser coding, collaborative development, and programmatic code execution at scale.
Gitpod, now Ona, is a cloud development environment and agent runtime platform for reproducible developer workspaces, background software agents, and governed cloud execution.
BYOK
No
Yes
Feature Comparison
| Feature | CodeSandbox | Gitpod |
|---|---|---|
| Primary workflow | CodeSandbox is a cloud development environment and sandbox infrastructure platform for browser coding, collaborative development, and programmatic code execution at scale. | Gitpod, now Ona, is a cloud development environment and agent runtime platform for reproducible developer workspaces, background software agents, and governed cloud execution. |
| Type | resource | resource |
| Editor base | Browser | Browser |
| Pricing model | freemium | freemium |
| Starting price | $0 | $0 |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | No | No |
| Local models | No | No |
| BYOK | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Web browser, VS Code extension, iOS app, CodeSandbox SDK, Browser Sandboxes, VM Sandboxes, GitHub repositories, Storybook, Sandpack | Web browser, VS Code, Cursor, JetBrains IDEs, CLI, SSH, GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Linear, Jira, Notion, AWS, GCP, Ona Cloud, Self-hosted VPC deployments |
| Models | Unknown | Codex, Claude Code, AWS Bedrock, Google Vertex, private APIs |
| Enterprise features | Enterprise plan, Unlimited members, Custom VM specs up to 64 vCPUs and 128 GiB RAM, Bespoke concurrent VM limits, Custom hourly request limits, Dedicated support, SOC 2 Type II compliance, Optional SSO, Dedicated cluster option, Private projects, Private npm registry support, Live sessions, Custom deployment discussions through Together AI | Self-hosted Ona-managed VPC deployment, AWS deployment, GCP deployment, Complete network control, Custom domains, Custom load balancers, Custom certificates, HTTP proxy support, SSO, OIDC, SCIM, Fine-grained roles, Org-wide secrets, Detailed audit trails, Centralized admin controls, Command deny lists, Control over MCP usage, Centralized editor and environment-class controls, Warm pools, Custom environment sizes, Custom auto-delete policies, Programmatic API and SDK access, SLAs, Dedicated account manager, Forward deployed engineer, Premium support |
| Best for | Browser-based coding, Frontend prototypes, React, Vue, Angular, and JavaScript experiments, Runnable documentation, Teaching and workshops, Pair programming, Bug reproductions, Storybook component playgrounds, AI agent code execution, Code interpreter infrastructure, Development environments at scale, Teams that need shareable cloud workspaces | Reproducible cloud development environments, Developer onboarding, Remote development, Secure BYOD development, Standardized enterprise workspaces, Pull request review environments, Background AI agent execution, Scheduled engineering automations, Code migration workflows, CVE remediation workflows, Regulated teams needing VPC deployment, Teams that want governed development environments for humans and agents |
| Not best for | Developers who primarily need AI autocomplete, Users looking for a prompt-to-app product builder, Teams that require fully local development, Organizations that want fixed monthly IDE pricing with no usage-based VM credits, Very large production monorepos without careful VM sizing and cost planning, Workflows requiring a full AI-native code editor experience | Users who only need a lightweight browser sandbox, Developers looking primarily for AI autocomplete, Non-technical users looking for prompt-to-app builders, Small teams that want simple fixed pricing with no usage credits, Organizations that do not want to manage cloud development environment policy, Teams that require fully local development only, Users who want a product still marketed only under the old Gitpod name |
Use Case Winners
Both CodeSandbox and Gitpod have comparable signals here.
Gitpod has BYOK or model-routing flexibility.
Gitpod lists more team or enterprise controls.
CodeSandbox has stronger frontend or web workflow signals.
Gitpod supports more model/provider options or BYOK-style workflows.
Neither tool shows a strong signal for this use case in the current structured data.
Pricing Comparison
CodeSandbox
- Build$0 / month
Free plan for learning and experimenting, with 5 members, monthly VM credits, private sandboxes, VS Code extension, and limited SDK usage.
- Scale$170 / workspace/month
Usage-based subscription with up to 20 members, higher monthly VM credits, on-demand VM credits, CodeSandbox SDK, more VM tiers, and higher concurrency limits.
- EnterpriseCustom
Custom deployment with unlimited members, bespoke concurrency, higher VM specs, dedicated support, SOC 2 Type II compliance, optional SSO, and dedicated cluster options.
- VM Credits$0.015 / credit
VM credits are used for VM Sandbox runtime; credit usage depends on VM size and runtime.
- Education / Open Source / Non-profitDiscounted
Special conditions and free or low-cost access for eligible education, open-source, community, and non-profit projects.
Gitpod
- Free / Starter access$0 / month
Free starting access is available for trying Ona/Gitpod-style environments; sustained team usage is centered on paid Core and Enterprise plans.
- CoreFrom $20 / month
For individuals and teams. Includes pooled Ona Compute Units, up to 100 team members, unlimited parallel environments, prebuilds, project sharing, RBAC, MCP support, and cloud-hosted compute.
- Add-on OCUsFrom $10 / 40 OCUs
Additional Ona Compute Units for environment runtime and agent conversations. Monthly credits expire monthly; add-on credits are valid for one year.
- EnterpriseCustom
Self-hosted, Ona-managed VPC deployment with custom credits, SSO/OIDC, audit trails, org-wide secrets, network control, SDK/API access, warm pools, SLAs, and dedicated support.
- Gitpod ClassicLegacy
Older Gitpod Classic workspace and credit-based documentation remains available under Ona docs for existing or historical Gitpod workflows.
Privacy & Security
CodeSandbox
CodeSandbox runs projects in browser or VM sandboxes depending on environment type. VM Sandboxes execute code in isolated environments and may involve repository content, terminals, package installs, previews, environment variables, and collaboration sessions. Teams should avoid exposing secrets in public sandboxes, configure project privacy, review GitHub and npm permissions, and evaluate Enterprise or dedicated-cluster options for sensitive or regulated workloads.
Gitpod
Ona/Gitpod environments may contain repository code, generated files, secrets, terminal output, development services, agent conversations, MCP tool results, and connected source-control or issue-tracker context. The current Ona pricing page states that customer data and code are not used to train models. Teams should still configure secrets, RBAC, audit logs, command deny lists, MCP controls, retention policies, VPC networking, and environment auto-delete settings carefully before running sensitive workloads or autonomous agents.
Choose CodeSandbox if...
- Browser-based coding
- Frontend prototypes
- React, Vue, Angular, and JavaScript experiments
- Runnable documentation
- Teaching and workshops
Choose Gitpod if...
- Reproducible cloud development environments
- Developer onboarding
- Remote development
- Secure BYOD development
- Standardized enterprise workspaces
Avoid CodeSandbox if...
- Developers who primarily need AI autocomplete
- Users looking for a prompt-to-app product builder
- Teams that require fully local development
- Organizations that want fixed monthly IDE pricing with no usage-based VM credits
- Very large production monorepos without careful VM sizing and cost planning
Avoid Gitpod if...
- Users who only need a lightweight browser sandbox
- Developers looking primarily for AI autocomplete
- Non-technical users looking for prompt-to-app builders
- Small teams that want simple fixed pricing with no usage credits
- Organizations that do not want to manage cloud development environment policy