> Documentation index: https://rift.sh/llms.txt

# Rift vs E2B

E2B runs agent code in isolated cloud sandboxes. Rift keeps the files those runs produce on machines you own.

### What E2B is

E2B starts a Linux virtual machine for each agent run, isolated with its own kernel. A sandbox can be paused with its disk and memory saved, kept indefinitely, and resumed in about a second.

### How they differ

E2B runs code, and files live inside a sandbox. Access is by project, and every member of a project has the same permissions. Rift keeps a folder in sync across every machine it runs on and grants one folder at a time.

- Identity
  - E2B: The agent has none by default. The developer's API key covers one project.
  - Rift: A key that each machine and agent makes for itself. No account.

- Smallest share
  - E2B: A whole project for API access. An access token covers one sandbox's control API. A signed link can give out one file from a sandbox.
  - Rift: A folder, a subfolder or one file, as read or write.

- Who checks access
  - E2B: E2B.
  - Rift: Each machine that receives a file checks the grant itself.

- Who can read your files
  - E2B: E2B runs the sandbox, and its disk sits under its cloud provider's default encryption. Its security FAQ says E2B adds no encryption layer of its own and describes no customer-held keys. With the bring-your-own-cloud option, storage sits in your cloud account.
  - Rift: Only the machines you shared with. Rift Cloud holds ciphertext.

- When your machines are off
  - E2B: A paused sandbox has to be resumed before its files can be read. Volumes, in private beta, can be read through the SDK with no sandbox running.
  - Rift: Files stored in Rift Cloud stay available.

- When a run ends
  - E2B: A sandbox that times out is deleted by default. It is kept if it is set to pause.
  - Rift: Files the run wrote to a Rift folder are already on your other machines.

### Which to choose

Choose E2B when

- You need to run untrusted or agent-written code in isolation.
- You want to pause a run and resume it in about a second with its memory intact.

Choose Rift when

- Output should be on your own machines after the sandbox is gone.
- The same files should be in the sandbox and on your laptop.
- A person or agent outside your project should receive one folder and nothing else.

### Using them together

E2B runs the code and Rift keeps the files. Rift runs on Linux, which is what an E2B sandbox runs.

[Use Rift with E2B](https://rift.sh/docs/use-with/e2b.md)

Based on E2B's documentation, read in October 2026. Sources: [persistence](https://docs.e2b.dev/sandbox/persistence) , [projects](https://docs.e2b.dev/projects.md) , [workspaces](https://docs.e2b.dev/workspaces.md) , [download links](https://docs.e2b.dev/filesystem/download) , [secured access](https://docs.e2b.dev/sandbox/secured-access.md) , [security FAQ](https://docs.e2b.dev/faq/security-and-compliance.md).