A Nodebox alternative with a whole Linux machine behind Node
Current Node and Bun, addons and child processes, because a real kernel is underneath.
Try it in your browser
npm i @uncontained/sdk yarn add @uncontained/sdk pnpm add @uncontained/sdk bun add @uncontained/sdk deno add npm:@uncontained/sdk Uncontained vs Nodebox, side by side
Nodebox, from CodeSandbox, is a Node.js-compatible runtime for Sandpack. Its README lists N-API modules, external sockets and synchronous spawn as limits.
| Capability | Uncontained | Nodebox |
|---|---|---|
| Real Linux kernel | Yes, Linux 6.18 | No |
| Node.js | 26.13.0 | Aims at Node 18 |
| Bun | 1.4.4 | Not documented |
| N-API modules | Yes | No |
| Sockets to external IPs | Yes | No |
| Synchronous exec and spawn | Yes | No |
| Native binaries | Yes, unmodified arm64 | No |
| Latest release | 2026 | 0.1.9, 29 November 2023 |
| Licence for commercial use | Ask Neutrium | Sustainable Use License: internal or non-commercial |
Nodebox facts are from CodeSandbox’s own pages, read on 10 November 2026.
When Nodebox is the better fit
Nodebox is small and wired into Sandpack. For a quick in-page Node sandbox inside Sandpack, it needs no machine at all.
Questions about switching from Nodebox
Is Uncontained a Sandpack replacement?
- Uncontained is an npm package, @uncontained/sdk. Sandbox.boot() starts a Linux machine in the visitor’s tab; spawn, fs and port events drive it from your own front end.
Which Node version runs?
- Node 26.13.0, on the browser’s own JavaScript engine. Node’s own test suite passes 5,035 of 5,402 files in Chrome.