Compare
MIOSA vs boat
boat and MIOSA both give AI agents their own Linux machines. This page compares what each documents, including where boat is ahead.
MIOSA 
boat 
Every boat statement below is from boat’s own public site and documentation (boat.dev, docs.boat.dev), read on 2026-10-23. MIOSA statements link to the page that documents them.
What boat is
boat is a cloud sandbox product for AI agents: persistent Ubuntu VMs with SSH, Docker inside, a desktop, and disk-level forks from snapshots (boat.dev).
It was called Box until 2026-09-15; the old box CLI and endpoints still work until 2026-10-31 (migrating from Box).
It is a sandbox product, not a deploy platform: there is no deploy, custom domain, rollback, or managed database command (always-on services, host CLI).
boat does not appear in the ComputeSDK runs our benchmark page reports, so this page has no measured comparison.
Capabilities side by side
| Capability | MIOSA | boat | boat source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Persistent Linux machines | Yes, sandboxes and computers | Yes, Ubuntu VMs with SSH | boat.dev |
| Docker inside the machine | Yes | Yes | boat.dev |
| Full desktop | Yes, Computers | Yes | boat.dev |
| Snapshots and forks | Yes: snapshots, restore, fork, pause and resume | Yes: stop snapshots the disk, resume and fork from it | CLI reference |
| Fan-out from one snapshot | Yes, miosa batch new --count | boat new --from <snapshot> --count up to 1000 | CLI reference |
| Resize a running machine | Yes, in place while running | Stop first, then resume with a new size | CLI reference |
| Public URL for a port | Yes, previews | Yes, <sandbox>-<port>.on.boat.dev, token-gated by default | host CLI |
| Deploy to a production URL | Yes, with releases and rollback | No; always-on means a systemd unit you write | always-on services |
| Custom domains | Yes | No | host CLI |
| Managed databases | Postgres, MySQL, Redis, MongoDB, Qdrant | Not in the docs index | llms.txt |
| SDKs | TypeScript, Python, Go, Elixir, Java, Rust | Python, TypeScript | quickstart |
| CLI | Yes | Yes | CLI reference |
| Billing | Per second while running, one price per size | Per second while running; plans from $20 to $2000 a month come back as compute | pricing |
| Regions | us-east, us-west, us-mia | EU only | pricing |
Where boat leads
These are real differences, from boat’s documentation:
- Install signs you in. The install script opens sign-in and checkout in one step (quickstart); MIOSA installs the CLI, then
miosa loginis a second step. - Agent self-sign-up is a documented protocol, with a split start-then-wait login for agents (agent auth).
- Long commands.
boat exec --timeout 0runs without a limit and can detach and re-attach. - JSON output switches on when output is piped (CLI reference); MIOSA needs
--json. - Fan-out from a snapshot with
--countup to 1000, and per-sandbox variables on create (-e KEY=VALUE). - Command history with output, per sandbox (
boat history).
Where MIOSA differs
- Deploy is a product, not a recipe: deploy from a repository, a directory, or a sandbox, with releases, promote and rollback. See Services.
- Custom domains with DNS verification. See Domains.
- Managed databases with backups and connection strings. See Databases.
- Live resize of a running sandbox, and checkpoints and restore. See Sizing and Snapshots.
- One interface for everyone: MCP, a CLI, and six SDKs. See MCP, CLI, SDKs.
- US regions, and bring your own cloud on AWS and Google Cloud. See Regions and BYOC.
When to choose each
- Choose boat if you want EU-hosted sandboxes with SSH, unlimited-length commands, and a one-step agent sign-up, and you do not need deploys, domains, or databases from the same product.
- Choose MIOSA if you want sandboxes, full computers, deployments, domains, and managed data on one platform, in US regions.
Sources
- boat site and docs: https://boat.dev and https://docs.boat.dev (read on 2026-10-23).
- MIOSA capabilities, as documented on this site.