Celesto vs AWS
Celesto vs AWS Bedrock AgentCore: both isolate each session in a microVM, but Celesto gives agents a persistent machine up to 8 vCPU and 32 GB with a desktop and shell for 84% less per hour, while AgentCore sessions end within 8 hours, cap at 2 vCPU and 8 GB, and add a managed browser with recording, VPC networking, and AWS-scale quotas.
Pick by how long the agent's machine lives and where your stack runs: a persistent computer at a lower hourly price favors Celesto; short sessions inside an AWS account with IAM and VPC controls favor AgentCore.
- Same 2 vCPU · 4 GB sandbox
- $0.030 vs $0.217
- Per hour with CPU busy. 84% or more less on every matched size.
- Session length
- Persistent
- Celesto sandboxes stop and start with their disk. AgentCore sessions default to 15 minutes and end by 8 hours.
- Largest sandbox
- 8 vCPU · 32 GB
- Celesto XL. AgentCore Code Interpreter caps at 2 vCPU · 8 GB, Browser at 1 vCPU · 4 GB.
Persistent machines up to 8 vCPU · 32 GB, not 8-hour sessions.
A dot marks whoever has the edge on that line.
Isolation and access
- Isolation model
- Its own KVM virtual machine and kernel
- A dedicated microVM per session
- Cold start
- Under 2 seconds
- Runtime V2: P75 of 1.9 to 2.0 seconds
- Shell access
- Browser terminal, or celesto computer ssh with no SSH keys(Celesto has the edge)
- Runtime command shell over WebSocket; Code Interpreter runs commands; no SSH
Browser and desktop
- Browser
- Built-in Chromium at a CDP URL
- AgentCore Browser: CDP, live view with takeover, recording, profiles(AWS has the edge)
- Desktop
- Live desktop on the browser templates, read-only or with control(Celesto has the edge)
- Browser only, with OS-level mouse and keyboard actions
State and storage
- Lifetime
- Persistent; stopped disks kept 30 days(Celesto has the edge)
- 15 minutes by default, 8 hours at most
- Files across sessions
- Disk and CelestoFS survive stops(Celesto has the edge)
- Bring S3 or EFS; Runtime session storage (Preview) keeps 1 GB
- Disk
- 20 to 100 GB by size, included(Celesto has the edge)
- 10 GB per Code Interpreter or Browser session
Network, tools, and price
- Egress control
- Internet on or off (TypeScript SDK)
- Sandbox, public, or VPC network modes(AWS has the edge)
- MCP
- Hosted MCP server that creates sandboxes and runs commands
- Open-source AgentCore MCP server you run
- SDKs and API
- Python, TypeScript, CLI, and a REST API
- Every AWS SDK, a Python SDK, and a CLI(AWS has the edge)
- 2 vCPU · 4 GB, per hour
- $0.030(Celesto has the edge)
- $0.217
- Sessions at once
- Up to 10
- 1,000 per tool by default, adjustable(AWS has the edge)
Celesto has the edge AWS has the edge
84% less per hour on every matched size.
Each Celesto size next to the same CPU and memory on AWS, or its nearest size, per hour.
| Hardware | AWS | Celesto |
|---|---|---|
| 1 vCPU · 2 GB | $0.108/hour | $0.015/hourMicro, 20 GB disk included |
| 2 vCPU · 4 GB | $0.217/hour | $0.030/hourStandard, 30 GB disk included |
| 2 vCPU · 8 GB | $0.255/hour | $0.040/hourMemory, 40 GB disk included |
| 4 vCPU · 16 GB | Not offeredAbove AgentCore's 2 vCPU · 8 GB session cap | $0.080/hourLarge, 60 GB disk included |
| 8 vCPU · 32 GB | Not offeredAbove AgentCore's 2 vCPU · 8 GB session cap | $0.160/hourXL, 100 GB disk included |
AWS prices are AgentCore Code Interpreter and Browser rates per hour with the CPU busy; AgentCore does not bill CPU during I/O wait, so agents that wait on models may cost less. AWS Lambda MicroVMs, a separate Firecracker sandbox, charges $0.0997 per vCPU-hour and $0.0132 per GB-hour. Celesto prices include the root disk.
Long-lived agent computers run cheaper on Celesto.
Choose Celesto if
- The agent's machine should outlive an 8-hour session and keep its disk
- You need more than 2 vCPU or 8 GB in one sandbox
- Your agent needs a full desktop, root, and an interactive shell
- You want to pay 84% less per hour with no AWS account setup
Choose AWS if
- Your agents already run on Amazon Bedrock with IAM and VPC controls
- You need a managed browser with session recording and saved profiles
- You need hundreds or thousands of sessions at once
- Your agent waits on models most of the time and I/O-wait CPU should be free
Questions.
What does AWS offer for AI agent sandboxes?
Amazon Bedrock AgentCore offers Runtime for hosting agents, Code Interpreter for running code, and Browser for web automation, each in a dedicated microVM per session. AWS Lambda MicroVMs, launched in June 2026, are general-purpose Firecracker sandboxes on ARM64 with memory suspend and resume and an 8-hour maximum life.
Is Celesto cheaper than AWS AgentCore?
On list price, yes. AgentCore Code Interpreter and Browser charge $0.0895 per vCPU-hour and $0.00945 per GB-hour, $0.217 an hour for 2 vCPU and 4 GB with the CPU busy. Celesto Standard has the same CPU and memory for $0.030 an hour with a 30 GB disk, at least 84% less on every matched size. AgentCore does not bill CPU during I/O wait, which narrows the gap for agents that mostly wait.
How long can an AgentCore session last?
AgentCore Code Interpreter, Browser, and Runtime sessions default to a 15-minute timeout and end after at most 8 hours. Celesto sandboxes are persistent: they run until you stop them and start again later with their disk, packages, and CelestoFS workspace intact.
What is a good AWS AgentCore alternative?
Celesto is an AgentCore alternative when agents need a persistent computer: each sandbox is its own virtual machine with root, a terminal, desktop view, CDP browser, public preview URLs, Docker, and a disk that survives stops, from $0.015 per hour and up to 8 vCPU and 32 GB. New accounts get a one-time $5 credit with no card.
Start with $5 in credits. No card required.
AWS details from its public pricing and documentation, as of October 17, 2026: AgentCore pricing · AgentCore quotas · AgentCore regions · Runtime V2 · Lambda MicroVMs · Lambda pricing. Celesto details come from the current sandbox catalog and feature list. Prices are list rates, not measured performance. AWS is a trademark of its owner; Celesto is not affiliated with it.