Cloud Sandbox Cheat Sheet
What you'll learn
~5 min- Compare cloud sandbox options by cost, capabilities, and limitations
- Identify which sandboxes support CLI tool installation
- Understand persistence, timeouts, and gotchas for each option
- Know where to check for current pricing and quotas
A single reference for every cloud sandbox option. Bookmark this page — prices and quotas change frequently.
Recommended for beginners: Start with Claude Code Web (claude.ai/code) for zero-setup project editing, or Codespaces if you want a full terminal. Both work on any machine with a browser. Codex Cloud is available at chatgpt.com/codex.
Cloud sandbox pricing, free tiers, and quotas change regularly. Always check the provider’s official pricing page before making a decision. Links to official docs are included in each row below.
Pricing & Access
Pricing & Access
Cost, free tiers, and authentication for each cloud sandbox
| Sandbox | Provider | Cost | Free Tier | Auth Method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Code Web | Anthropic | Pro $20/mo, Max 5x $100/mo, Max 20x $200/mo | Trial credits for new accounts | Anthropic account + GitHub |
| Codex Cloud | OpenAI | Plus $20/mo, Pro $200/mo | Free trial on Free/Go plans | OpenAI account |
| GitHub Codespaces | GitHub | Free tier + paid overage | 60 hrs/mo (2-core), 15 GB storage | GitHub account + Copilot Free |
| Google Cloud Shell | Free (Gemini CLI pre-installed) | 50 hrs/week, 5 GB persistent storage | Google account | |
| ChatGPT Interpreter | OpenAI | Plus $20/mo, Pro $200/mo | Limited free access | OpenAI account |
| Gemini Web | Free tier available | Generous daily usage | Google account |
Capabilities
Capabilities
What each sandbox can and cannot do
| Capability | Claude Code Web | Codex Cloud | Codespaces | Cloud Shell | ChatGPT Interpreter | Gemini Web |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Multi-file projects | Yes (via GitHub) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Upload/download only | Upload/download only |
| Install CLI tools | No | No | Yes | Partial (session only) | No | No |
| Shell commands | Sandboxed | Sandboxed | Full | Full | Sandboxed | No |
| Persistent storage | Via GitHub | Via ChatGPT | Yes (30-day idle limit) | 5 GB home dir | No | No |
| Offline use | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Chromebook support | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Network access | Limited | Limited | Full | Full | No | No |
Persistence & Gotchas
Persistence & Gotchas
What survives between sessions and key limitations
| Sandbox | What Persists | What Doesn’t | Idle Timeout | Key Gotcha |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Code Web | Commits pushed to GitHub | Uncommitted work, environment state | Session-based | Must connect a GitHub repo — no standalone file editing |
| Codex Cloud | Task history in ChatGPT | Environment state between tasks | Task-based | Each task runs in a fresh environment |
| Codespaces | Everything in the codespace | Codespaces auto-delete after 30 days of inactivity | 30 min default | Free tier hours deplete faster on 4-core machines |
| Cloud Shell | Files in ~/ (5 GB), tools installed via nvm in ~/ | System-level packages outside ~/ | 20 min inactive, 12 hr max | Gemini CLI is pre-installed; install Node via nvm (lives in ~/) for other CLI tools. Also see the Vertex AI Express 90-day trial for additional capacity. |
| ChatGPT Interpreter | Nothing | Everything | Session-based | Upload/download only — no persistent file tree |
| Gemini Web | Nothing | Everything | Session-based | Cannot run shell commands or install packages |
This cheat sheet is your reference for specs. For help deciding which sandbox to use, see Choosing Your Cloud Sandbox. For hands-on setup, see Your First Sandbox.
🏛️In Your Field: Government / State Devclick to expand
Data sovereignty warning: All cloud sandboxes process your code and data on external servers. Do not paste sensitive, PII, CUI, or classified agency data into public cloud sandboxes without explicit authorization from your security office. Verify that your agency’s firewall allows connections to claude.ai, github.com, chatgpt.com, shell.cloud.google.com, or gemini.google.com. Codespaces and Cloud Shell often work on networks that block direct software installation, since they run entirely in the browser. Check with your IT security team for approved cloud development environments.
📊In Your Field: MIS / Businessclick to expand
University computer labs typically block software installation but allow web access. Codespaces is the strongest option for class projects — the free tier is usually sufficient for coursework, and your professor may provide a template repository through GitHub Classroom. If your lab network blocks GitHub, Cloud Shell is a fallback for terminal practice.
🧬In Your Field: Biotechclick to expand
Shared lab workstations where you cannot install software are common in research environments. For bioinformatics scripting, Codespaces provides a full Linux environment with pre-installed Node.js and Python. For quick data processing tasks (parsing CSVs, reformatting FASTA files), ChatGPT Interpreter works well — upload the file, describe the transformation, download the result.
Key Takeaways
- Codespaces is the most flexible — it is a real Linux machine where you can install any CLI tool from this course
- Claude Code Web is the closest to the terminal CLI experience — it connects to your GitHub repos and edits code directly
- Cloud Shell is the fastest zero-setup terminal — good for practicing commands, limited for full development
- Prices and quotas change frequently — always check the provider’s official page before committing
- All cloud sandboxes require internet access — none work offline