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E2B vs Skylight

Two fact sheets from our own research, side by side — pricing, platforms, API access and status re-checked by us rather than quoted from the vendors.

The short answer

Cheaper paid plan
Skylight — $20/mo vs $150/mo for E2B
Free plan
Both have one
Public API
Both have one
Higher Trust score
E2B — 91 vs 80 for Skylight
Best fit
E2B: Teams building coding, data-analysis or computer-use agents that must run untrusted code · Skylight: Developers automating legacy Windows software without an API

From our own records as of each tool's last check. Anything we have not confirmed is left out rather than guessed. How we verify

E2BCloud sandboxes that give each AI agent its own isolated Linux microVM to run code, a browser or a desktop, via SDK and API.SkylightSpins up cloud Windows machines that an AI agent or API can control — clicking, typing, and taking screenshots.

Side by side

FactE2BSkylight
CategoryGPU Cloud & ComputeRPA & Desktop Automation
Pricing modelFreemiumFreemium
Starts at$150/mo$20/mo
Public APIYesYes
Trust score91 / 10080 / 100
PlatformsWeb, APIWeb, API
CompanyFoundryLabs, Inc. (E2B)Ledra AI Inc.
Launched2023—
Last verifiedOct 2, 2026Sep 1, 2026

What our research says

E2B

E2B is infrastructure for developers who ship agents that need to execute code or use a computer safely, and it gives a clear SDK for that single job. The open-source runtime and bring-your-own-cloud option help teams with data-residency rules. It is not a coding assistant or an agent in itself, and costs scale with sandbox runtime rather than a flat fee.

Pros

  • Apache-2.0 runtime with Python and JavaScript SDKs, plus code-interpreter and desktop packages
  • Pause, snapshot and fork lifecycle, and per-second billing while a sandbox runs
  • Egress policies and a secrets vault keep keys out of the sandbox
  • Managed cloud in US, EU and APAC or bring-your-own-cloud on AWS, GCP and Azure; SOC 2 Type II and HIPAA are claimed

Cons

  • Pro starts at $150 a month before any usage, which is steep for a hobby project
  • Free sessions are capped at one hour
  • Usage pricing needs a calculator to forecast, since CPU and memory are metered separately

Skylight

Skylight is infrastructure for people building automation on top of Windows software that has no API of its own, not a finished workflow product by itself. It requires developer effort to wire up, and the metered fees on top of the monthly plan mean actual monthly cost depends heavily on how many actions the agent performs.

Pros

  • Full Windows environment rather than a browser-only sandbox
  • API and built-in agent both available for controlling instances
  • Free tier with $5 of monthly credit for testing before paying

Cons

  • Metered per-minute and per-action fees sit on top of the monthly plan, so costs are hard to predict upfront
  • Requires developer integration work — not a plug-and-play tool for non-technical users
  • Enterprise on-premises pricing isn't published

Which one fits

Choose E2B if you need

  • Teams building coding, data-analysis or computer-use agents that must run untrusted code
  • AI labs that need thousands of short-lived environments for evaluations or reinforcement learning
  • Enterprises that want agent sandboxes inside their own cloud account

Choose Skylight if you need

  • Developers automating legacy Windows software without an API
  • Teams needing a full desktop environment rather than just a browser
  • Builders comfortable metering costs per action rather than a flat fee

E2B vs Skylight: the questions people ask

Is E2B cheaper than Skylight?

On published entry prices, Skylight starts lower — $20/mo against $150/mo for E2B. Entry price is the lowest paid plan as we last verified it; what each plan includes differs.

Does E2B or Skylight have a free tier?

Both: E2B has a free tier, and Skylight has a free tier.

Which has a public API, E2B or Skylight?

Both ship a public API, so either can be built on; the fact table above shows the platforms each one runs on.

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