Infrastructure map · Aug 2026
What compares to exe.dev?
exe.dev is a rare bundle: many cheap persistent Linux VMs, a shared CPU/RAM pool, auto HTTPS + share links, and SSH-as-API. Almost nothing matches the whole package. Peers win on one axis — including box (ascii.dev) and Alibaba AgentBay.
1 · Where each product sits
X = dedicated power / isolation. Y = exe-like DX (HTTPS share, multi-VM ease, agent CLI). AgentBay sits with E2B: high agent API, low “host my sites” DX.
2 · Monthly cost for “always-on”
Bars scaled so Latitude TOR metal ($296) = full width. AgentBay has no flat “one box” price — concurrent licenses + PAYG — so it’s marked as usage, not a peer to Personal $20.
3 · What layer each one is
Accent = layers exe.dev owns. AgentBay is its own layer: short-lived agent runtimes (with E2B), not persistent hosts.
4 · Feature grid
Grouped by job. Accent pills mark the closest peers to what you already run.
| Product | Best for | ~$/mo start | vs exe.dev |
|---|---|---|---|
| exe.dev | Many small always-on apps + agents; auto HTTPS | $20 Personal · 2c/8G pool · ≤50 VMs | baseline |
| box (ascii.dev) | Agent factory VMs; stop pauses billing; EU IPv4 | $20 min → ~555h dedicated 4c/8G | nearest peer |
| boxd | Fork-from-running; sleep-to-zero; self-host | Verify live tiers | same lane · different DX |
| AgentBay (Alibaba) | Browser / desktop / mobile / code sessions | PAYG + concurrent licenses | sandbox lane |
| E2B / Daytona | Seconds-lived coding-agent sandboxes | usage-based | sandbox lane with AgentBay |
| Hetzner + Docker | One cheap VPS packing many containers | ~$10–15 small CX | DIY multi-site · no share DX |
| Fly / Railway / Render | Deploy web apps fast | usage / hobby | URL yes · root VM no |
| Codespaces / Gitpod | Cloud IDE / dev sessions | hours-based | devbox · not hosting |
| Latitude vm.small | One steady 4c/16G worker | $69 | power ≠ DX |
| Latitude metal | Dedicated 6c+ / GPU / TOR placement | $190 c3 · $296 m4 TOR | opposite corner |
| Megaport | Private DC↔cloud circuits | hundreds once ordered | network layer only |
5 · box vs AgentBay vs exe.dev
The three that matter for API keys and fleet.
| exe.dev | box (ascii) | AgentBay | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Job | Many cheap always-on Linux + HTTPS share | Agent factory VMs (SSH, Docker, IPv4) | Disposable cloud sessions for agents |
| Lifetime | Persistent VMs, flat month | Persistent while running; stop snapshots | Create → work → delete (seconds–hours) |
| Compute | Shared pool 2c/8G | Dedicated 4c/8G per running box | Images: code / browser / desktop / mobile |
| Bill | $20 Personal flat | $20 min ≈ 555h VM-time, per-second | Concurrent licenses + bandwidth + storage |
| Public sites | Best (*.exe.xyz) |
IPv4 + hosting claimed | Not the point (sandbox, not host) |
| Region | Multi-region | EU only (DE / FI / FR) | Alibaba Cloud regions |
| API | SSH + HTTPS exec | CLI + HTTP API / SDKs | SDK (Py/TS/Go/Java) + MCP |
| Best fit | Always-on multi-site fleets | Agent factories, stop/start VMs | Browser/desktop/mobile automation sessions |
Not agentbay.io (an unrelated directory). AgentBay here means Alibaba Cloud AgentBay / Wuying — SDK: wuying-agentbay-sdk; images code_latest / browser_latest / desktop_latest.
6 · Decision rules
- Many small always-on sites + bots → stay on exe.dev (upgrade pool if starved).
- Agent sessions (browser / mobile / code), not public hosting → AgentBay or E2B/Daytona.
- Dedicated per-VM hours + EU + real IPv4 + stop-to-zero → try box (ascii).
- Fork-from-running / self-host → evaluate boxd.
- One fat always-on worker, DX optional → Hetzner DIY or Latitude vm/metal.
- Private path to AWS/Azure → Latitude Cloud Gateway or Megaport after compute exists.
- Don’t treat Latitude vm.small or AgentBay as an exe.dev replacement.
7 · Product links
| Product | Home | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| exe.dev | exe.dev | Persistent multi-VM pool · auto HTTPS |
| box (ascii.dev) | box.ascii.dev | Per-second dedicated VMs · EU |
| AgentBay | Alibaba Cloud | Session sandboxes · browser/desktop/mobile/code |
| Latitude.sh | latitude.sh | Bare metal + VMs |
| Megaport | megaport.com | Network-as-a-Service |