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

# Rift vs Vercel Sandbox

Vercel Sandbox runs agent code inside your Vercel project. Rift syncs an agent's files to your own machines.

### What Vercel Sandbox is

Vercel Sandbox runs agent-written code in isolated virtual machines. CPU is billed only while it is active, the filesystem is saved automatically when a sandbox stops, and several agents can share one sandbox as separate Linux users. It has been generally available since January 2026.

### How they differ

A Vercel sandbox belongs to one Vercel project. Inside one sandbox, agents can run as separate Linux users. Rift keeps a folder in sync across every machine it runs on, and its grants reach across accounts.

- Identity
  - Vercel Sandbox: The agent has none outside the sandbox. Access uses a token tied to a Vercel team and project.
  - Rift: A key that each machine and agent makes for itself. No account.

- Smallest share
  - Vercel Sandbox: Inside a sandbox, one Linux user's directory. For anyone outside the team, the documentation describes nothing smaller than a team token.
  - Rift: A folder, a subfolder or one file, as read or write.

- Who checks access
  - Vercel Sandbox: Vercel, and the Linux kernel inside the sandbox.
  - Rift: Each machine that receives a file checks the grant itself.

- Who can read your files
  - Vercel Sandbox: Not established. Vercel's security page says data at rest is encrypted with AES-256. The Sandbox pages we read do not say who holds the keys.
  - Rift: Only the machines you shared with. Rift Cloud holds ciphertext.

- When your machines are off
  - Vercel Sandbox: A stopped sandbox is a snapshot that the next call resumes.
  - Rift: Files stored in Rift Cloud stay available.

- When a run ends
  - Vercel Sandbox: Sandboxes are persistent by default, and the filesystem is saved when one stops. Files in a sandbox created as non-persistent are discarded. Drives, in public beta, outlive any sandbox.
  - Rift: Files the run wrote to a Rift folder are already on your other machines.

### Which to choose

Choose Vercel Sandbox when

- Your application already runs on Vercel.
- You want to pay for CPU only while it is active.
- Several agents should share one machine as separate users.

Choose Rift when

- The files should also be on your own machines.
- A person or agent outside your Vercel team needs one folder.

### Using them together

Vercel Sandbox runs the code and Rift keeps the files. Rift runs on Linux, which is what the sandbox runs.

[Use Rift with Vercel Sandbox](https://rift.sh/docs/use-with/vercel-sandbox.md)

Based on Vercel's documentation, read in October 2026. Sources: [Sandbox](https://vercel.com/docs/sandbox) , [authentication](https://vercel.com/docs/sandbox/concepts/authentication) , [multiple agents](https://vercel.com/docs/sandbox/concepts/multi-agent) , [drives](https://vercel.com/docs/sandbox/concepts/drives) , [general availability](https://vercel.com/blog/vercel-sandbox-is-now-generally-available) , [security](https://vercel.com/docs/security/compliance).