# Volcano Engine AgentKit / veFaaS sandbox

Official pricing: https://docs.volcengine.com/docs/agentkit/Billing_items?lang=zh  
Category: agent-sandbox · Isolation: vm

## Pricing regimes (raw)

- **AgentKit Sandbox tool (mainland China, cn-beijing)** (resource): $0.021727163663/vCPU-h, $0.005472026404/GiB-h
- **Agent application Runtime (hosts the agent app; mainland China, cn-beijing)** (resource): $0.052239075597/vCPU-h, $0.008291729422/GiB-h
- **Direct veFaaS sandbox tariff not verified (mainland China)** (resource): $0.021727163663/vCPU-h, $0.005472026404/GiB-h
- **AgentKit Sandbox on BytePlus (Asia Pacific, Johor ap-southeast-1), USD list** (resource): $0.0351/vCPU-h, $0.0081/GiB-h
- **Agent Runtime on BytePlus (Asia Pacific, Johor), USD list** (resource): $0.0684/vCPU-h, $0.0108/GiB-h

## Features

Yes: snapshots, pause/resume, persistent disk, volumes, ≥24 h sessions, custom image (Docker or snapshot), start from your own snapshot, your own Docker/OCI image, full VM (own kernel), browser, desktop GUI, computer-use API, code interpreter, browser + desktop control, preinstalled agents, HTTPS preview URLs, egress allowlist, Python, Node.js, wake on request, MCP server, automatic snapshots, snapshots on demand, agent harness API, hosted agent API (their own agent), gVisor or VM (no shared kernel), inbound access rules, secret proxy, extra volumes, shared volumes

No: memory snapshots, fork/clone, idle auto-stop, Docker inside, nested virtualization, anti-bot stealth, CAPTCHA solving, residential IPs, SSH, public IPv4, static egress IP, self-hosting, BYOC, open source, GPU, Windows, macOS, HTTP method/path egress rules, live resize, live fork (no pause), memory fork, EU data residency, secret proxy for any API

Unknown: everything else. Evidence (source + quote) per feature: https://battleships.dev/data/providers/volcengine-agentkit.json → feature_evidence

## Caveats

- CPU accounting described as resource usage but active CPU utilization not proven; allocation assumed conservatively.
- veFaaS direct sandbox tariff may differ from AgentKit Sandbox; separate direct rate unknown.
- Template runtime versus build storage, concurrency and maximum lifetime unverified.
- Worked example assumes resources are released between active windows unless a retained-instance scenario is explicitly discussed.
- VAT basis: Unknown: reviewed pricing source does not explicitly establish VAT/tax inclusion.
- Residency: China catalog; specific sandbox region list not captured; no EU residency guarantee established.
- Disk: the AgentKit billing page lists no disk/storage item (fees = resource usage + gateway instances), so disk is encoded as $0; the sandbox disk size limit is not published.
- Paused-sandbox / snapshot retention price not published (veFaaS documents pause/resume and volumes via the E2B-compatible API); snapshot_gib_month stays null.
- Region: documentation and examples are cn-beijing (华北2 北京) on a Chinese account; treat as mainland-China only (local account / ICP rules).
- SSH: not documented; access is via the E2B-compatible API (commands, PTY, files). Desktop: the AIO Sandbox browser tool is documented, a full desktop is not.
- Agent Runtime is an agent-app hosting runtime (not the sandbox tool); it is priced without an opt-in flag but classed as an app platform. Its gateway fee (1 CNY/h per shared gateway beyond 2 free per region) is not modelled.
- Volcano Engine (China) needs real-name verification and a prepaid balance. Usage is settled hourly from the balance. Resources are shut down 24 h after the account goes into arrears and deleted after 168 h. Creating a gateway requires a balance above 100 CNY; BytePlus requires a balance above USD 5 to buy resources.
- Billing history: AgentKit was free in public beta until 2026-05-27 (China) and 2026-08-24 (BytePlus). A metering upgrade on 2026-08-13 fixed 'missed instance states'. Aug 13-31 usage was billed at 25% as a transition, and full metered usage applies from 2026-09-01, with bills expected to rise.
- A warm pool (预热池) keeps idle ready instances billed at full sandbox rates. The 'deleting' state is also billed until the instance is fully destroyed.
- Agent Runtime with a minimum instance count bills those instances continuously, even with no traffic.
- AgentKit Harness (CLI toolchain) has been invite-only since 2026-06-19. The dedicated gateway (small_x1 7.90 CNY/h) was in internal test per the 2026-08-13 notice and is now on the price page.
- VAT: Volcano Engine (mainland China) list prices INCLUDE VAT unless stated otherwise; AgentKit is invoiced as an IT technical service at 6% VAT, so the CNY-based rates are ~5.7% above an ex-tax comparison (price / 1.06). BytePlus USD prices: tax basis not stated. Supersedes the "VAT basis: Unknown" caveat.

## How this provider charges


As of 2026-09-28. Price basis: public list/reference unless labeled historical, illustrative, promo or unpriced.

ByteDance Volcano Engine sandbox is distinct from AgentKit Runtime and gateways. E2B API compatibility uses injected envd in arbitrary sandbox images. Use official docs, not user-written volcengine /article pages: those conflict materially with the rate table. Billing changed 2026-08-31.

## Currency, VAT and residency
- Native catalog: CNY. FX: 1 CNY = 0.149020326907 USD, ECB 2026-09-28 ([source](https://www.ecb.europa.eu/stats/policy_and_exchange_rates/euro_reference_exchange_rates/html/index.cs.html)). USD-listed catalogs remain independent quotes.
- Tax: Unknown: reviewed pricing source does not explicitly establish VAT/tax inclusion.
- Residency/restrictions: China catalog; specific sandbox region list not captured; no EU residency guarantee established.

## Regimes
| Regime | When it applies | How billed | Native / USD numbers | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| sandbox | AgentKit Sandbox | allocated wall time; 1 second increment | CNY 0.1458/vCPU-h + 0.03672/GiB-h → USD 0.021727163663 + 0.005472026404; null means unknown | https://docs.volcengine.com/docs/agentkit/Billing_items?lang=zh |
| agent-runtime | Agent application Runtime | allocated wall time; 1 second increment | CNY 0.35055/vCPU-h + 0.0556416/GiB-h → USD 0.052239075597 + 0.008291729422; null means unknown | https://docs.volcengine.com/docs/agentkit/Billing_items?lang=zh |
| vefaas-direct | Direct veFaaS sandbox tariff not verified | allocated wall time; 1 second increment | CNY None/vCPU-h + None/GiB-h → USD None + None; null means unknown | https://docs.volcengine.com/docs/agentkit/Billing_items?lang=zh |
| gateway | Runtime/MCP gateways | See rule | Shared/dedicated gateway charges are additive; separate Runtime and MCP instances. Minimum balance CNY 100 to buy gateway; not monthly subscription. See raw full price table. | https://docs.volcengine.com/docs/agentkit/Billing_items?lang=zh |

## Gotchas
- CPU accounting described as resource usage but active CPU utilization not proven; allocation assumed conservatively.
- veFaaS direct sandbox tariff may differ from AgentKit Sandbox; separate direct rate unknown.
- Template runtime versus build storage, concurrency and maximum lifetime unverified.
- Unknowns remain null, not free; generic infrastructure modes are opt-in alt.
- Worked example assumes resources are released between active windows unless a retained-instance scenario is explicitly discussed.
- VAT basis: Unknown: reviewed pricing source does not explicitly establish VAT/tax inclusion.
- Residency: China catalog; specific sandbox region list not captured; no EU residency guarantee established.

## Required worked example
4 vCPU / 8 GiB requested; 50 simultaneous workers × 8 hours/day × 22 days = **8,800 instance-hours**, 1,100 daily sessions. CPU utilization 30% does not reduce allocated-resource charges. Snapshot retention is **50 GiB total for 730 hours**, not 50 GiB per worker; egress is **100 GiB total**. Root disk size was not specified, so root/volume costs are not silently assigned zero.
- sandbox: USD 0.130684866/allocated hour × 8,800 = **USD 1150.03 compute** (before quotas, fees, free buckets, storage and tax).
- agent-runtime: USD 0.275290138/allocated hour × 8,800 = **USD 2422.55 compute** (before quotas, fees, free buckets, storage and tax).
- vefaas-direct: compute **unknown**; cannot produce a comparable quote.
- 50 GiB retained snapshots: **unknown/unverified feature or price**, not USD 0.
- 100 GiB egress: **USD 11.92** using captured marginal tariff and 0 GiB verified free allowance (if unspecified, none assumed for this component calculation).
- Full all-in bill: **null** where any required storage/network/fee or eligibility fact is unresolved. Quota raises may be necessary for 200 aggregate vCPU / 400 GiB RAM.

## Sources
- https://docs.volcengine.com/docs/agentkit/Billing_items?lang=zh
- https://docs.volcengine.com/docs/vefaas/E2Bcompatibilityinstructions?lang=en