In simple English
This tool lets you run untrusted code in a secure, isolated box. It starts in milliseconds and boots standard container images from Docker Hub. You can fork a running sandbox instantly to test different paths. It runs right on your computer without a heavy server setup. It is free to use under an open source licence.
What it is
Microsandbox is a local-first microVM runtime and software library written in Rust. It boots tiny virtual machines using hardware-level isolation for running untrusted scripts, AI agents, and developer environments.
What it is good for
Solo builders who need to safely run code generated by AI agents or test potentially destructive scripts without risking their main operating system.
- Boots up standard container images in under a hundred milliseconds.
- Allows you to fork a running sandbox state and branch off into independent copies.
- Includes software development kits for JavaScript, Python, Rust, Go, and Ruby.
- Requires specific hardware support such as Apple Silicon or KVM on Linux to run.
- Still in beta software stage so you may run into breaking changes and rough edges.
- Managing microVM states and networking rules adds complexity to your project architecture.
Heavy virtual machines or running raw untrusted scripts directly on your host server
Claude Code or other coding agents that need a safe place to run generated commands
- libkrun/libkrun2.8k stars
Provides the underlying virtualization library for running containers inside secure microVMs.
- orbstack/orbstack9.5k stars
Runs fast lightweight Linux machines on macOS, though focused on general development rather than programmatic sandboxing.
- smallstep/certificates9.0k stars
A certificate authority you run yourself, for machines the public internet cannot reach.
- michelp/pgsodium614 stars
A PostgreSQL extension that brings libsodium's encryption functions into SQL, with a root key the database cannot read back.
- pgaudit/pgaudit1.7k stars
A PostgreSQL extension that records what was done to the database, in the database's own log.
curl -fsSL https://install.microsandbox.dev | sh msb run python