What is the key difference between Container Use and SandboxAPI?

Container Use belongs to the Code Execution category with cloud HTTP/SSE execution, while SandboxAPI belongs to the Code Execution category with cloud HTTP/SSE execution.

How do I install Container Use or SandboxAPI in Claude Desktop or Cursor?

Copy the mcpServers JSON configuration snippet provided on this page into your claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json file and restart your AI client.

Are Container Use and SandboxAPI free or paid?

Container Use operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required). SandboxAPI operates under a BYOK (Pay Provider Direct) model (API Key required).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

Container Use lists 6 tools with 2 views and 4,015 GitHub stars. SandboxAPI lists 3 tools with 3 views and 2 GitHub stars.

Can I use both Container Use and SandboxAPI together in the same MCP host?

Yes! MCP hosts like Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, Cline, and VS Code support configuring multiple servers under the mcpServers object simultaneously.

Side-by-Side Model Context Protocol Comparison

Container Use vs SandboxAPI

In-depth architectural comparison of the Container Use and SandboxAPI MCP servers. Compare execution transports, security boundaries, tool capabilities, quality scores, and ready-to-paste client installation snippets for Claude, Cursor, Windsurf, and VS Code.

At a Glance & Executive Verdict

Container Use

Code Execution · Remote HTTP/SSE

Quality: 60/100 (Good) | Auth: No auth required

SandboxAPI

Code Execution · Remote HTTP/SSE

Quality: 51/100 (Good) | Auth: API Key required

Verdict Summary: Choose Container Use if you need specialized Code Execution tools running via a hosted cloud SSE transport. Choose SandboxAPI if your workspace requires Code Execution integration with remote web transport. Both servers can be configured concurrently in your client's mcpServers manifest.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose Container Use when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Code Execution domain.
You prefer remote streaming HTTP/SSE transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
Primary tools included: Isolated container environments per agent with separate git branches, Real-time visibility into commands and logs executed by agents, Terminal access to agent environments for manual intervention.

Explore Container Use Details

Choose SandboxAPI when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Code Execution domain.
You prefer remote streaming HTTP/SSE transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: API Key required (BYOK (Pay Provider Direct)).
You have access to required keys: SANDBOXAPI_API_KEY.
Primary tools included: execute_code, execute_batch, list_languages.

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	Container Use dagger Code Execution	SandboxAPI Code Execution
Summary	Containerized environments for coding agents. Multiple agents can work independently, isolated in fresh containers and git branches. No conflicts, many experiments. Full execution history, terminal access to agent environments, git workflow. Any agent/model/infra stack.	Execute code in 8 languages (Python, JS, TS, Go, Java, C++, C, Bash) in gVisor sandboxes.
Category & Scope	Code Execution

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

Container Use Tools (6)

Isolated container environments per agent with separate git branches

Real-time visibility into commands and logs executed by agents

Terminal access to agent environments for manual intervention

Standard git workflow integration for environment control

Compatible with any MCP-compatible agent or model

Open-source CLI tool powered by Dagger

SandboxAPI Tools (3)

Ready-to-Paste Client Configurations

Paste either (or both) of these JSON server blocks into your client config file (e.g. claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json).

Container Use Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "dagger-container-use": {
      "url": "https://img.shields.io/badge/stability-experimental-orange.svg"
    }
  }
}

SandboxAPI Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "sandboxapi": {
      "url": "https://img.shields.io/badge/MCP-1.0-blue)](https://modelcontextprotocol.io"
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

Container Use is categorized under Code Execution and uses a remote streaming HTTP/SSE transport. In contrast, SandboxAPI belongs to Code Execution using remote streaming HTTP/SSE transport. Select Container Use when you need capabilities focused on code execution and SandboxAPI when you require tools for code execution.

More alternatives to Container Use More alternatives to SandboxAPI Code Execution category hub