# Boat

> Ubuntu VMs in the EU, billed per second, with seven coding agents preinstalled and no pause at all.

Website: https://boat.dev  
Guide page: https://botperch.com/providers/boat/  
Checked: 2026-10-28

**Short answer:** One always-on personal agent (2 vCPU / 4 GiB / 20 GiB) costs about $20.00 a month here, the 3rd cheapest of the 11 providers that run it as described. The AI model adds about $14.70 a month on top (GLM 5.3, 30 requests a day at 40k tokens each, median zero-retention price; from $6.84 at the cheapest host). Fits well: An ordinary Ubuntu server per agent: own kernel, Docker, SSH, root and a desktop for $26.28 a month always on.

Boat sells whole Ubuntu virtual machines, one per sandbox, priced per second, aimed at running coding agents and agent-generated code. Each has its own kernel, a dedicated IPv6 (sometimes IPv4), Docker, SSH, SCP and a 60 fps virtual desktop.
It is built around three audiences: people running agents on their own work, platforms giving each end user a machine, and teams that want a cheap always-available dev box.
Seven coding-agent harnesses are preinstalled on every machine and can be prompted by name through one API call. Boat also runs an AI credentials proxy so sandboxes hold placeholder model keys.

**Who it is for:** People who want a normal Ubuntu server per agent, cheap always-on capacity in the EU, and preinstalled coding agents without building an image.

**Isolation:** Full Ubuntu 24.04 KVM virtual machine with its own kernel, root, Docker and SSH. Shared vCPUs on a dedicated host. No GPU and no ARM: x86-64 only.

**Sizes and regions:** Four fixed sizes, all with 51 GB of disk except the largest: small 2 vCPU / 4 GB, default 4 / 8, large 8 / 16 (111 GB), xlarge 16 / 32 (251 GB). No custom size, no extra disk, no volumes.

## How it charges

- model: Monthly plan that is prepaid machine time plus limits, with a separate dollar wallet for overage.
- meter: Per second while the machine exists, at a flat hourly rate per size: $0.018, $0.036, $0.072 or $0.200.
- stopped: Zero machine time, and the disk is kept free for 14 days. After that the data is gone unless you saved a snapshot.
- planFee: The plan is not a fee: $20 buys $20 of VM time, but unused plan time expires monthly. Overages, extra saved snapshots and paid starts draw from the wallet.
- minimum: $20 a month, and there is no free tier. The 7-day trial needs a card and is capped at 25 hours of compute.

A flat hourly price per size, per second while the machine exists; the $20 plan is prepaid machine time.
- A stopped machine's disk is kept free for 14 days; after that it is gone unless saved as a snapshot.
- Many starts in one day can hit the start limit; paid starts draw from the wallet.
- No free tier; the 7-day trial needs a card.
- Boat says it does not bill egress.

## Monthly cost for each preset workload

- A personal agent that stays on (Hermes, OpenClaw): $20.00
- A coding agent for one developer: $20.00
- A code interpreter inside your product: $20.00
- A browser agent for a small team: $90.00
- Self-hosted n8n for a small team: $20.00
- A Discord or Slack bot for one server: $20.00
- Claude Code for a team of five: $28.80
- A scraper that runs four times a day: $20.00
- Your own remote MCP server: $20.00
- A: 1,000 short tasks: $20.00
- B: one always-on box: $26.28
- C: three hours a day: $20.00

## Fits well

- An ordinary Ubuntu server per agent: own kernel, Docker, SSH, root and a desktop for $26.28 a month always on.
- A coding agent out of the box: seven harnesses preinstalled and promptable through one API call.
- EU hosting with no egress bill and free automatic disk snapshots.

## Fits badly

- A workload that needs to resume mid-process: there is no pause, and every resume is a reboot with a new IP.
- Point-in-time recovery: snapshots are newest-only and disk-only.
- Anything that needs a custom domain, a region choice, a GPU or an ARM machine.

## Features

- **Isolation** (yes): Full VM; Docker, root. A full Ubuntu VM with its own kernel, Docker, SSH and root. The closest thing here to an ordinary server. [source](https://docs.boat.dev/quickstart) [docs](https://docs.boat.dev/security)
- **Sizes and regions** (partly): 16 vCPU / 32 GB; EU only. Four fixed sizes from 2 vCPU / 4 GB / 51 GB to 16 vCPU / 32 GB / 251 GB. No custom size, no extra disk, EU-only, no region choice. [source](https://docs.boat.dev/pricing) [docs](https://docs.boat.dev/machines)
- **Lifecycle** (no): No pause; disk only. There is no pause. Stop saves the disk, removes the machine and loses memory and hand-started processes; resume boots a new machine from the disk with a new IP. [source](https://docs.boat.dev/snapshots/stop) [docs](https://docs.boat.dev/concepts)
- **Snapshots and forks** (partly): Disk only; newest only. Snapshots are automatic, disk-only and taken every minute, but only the newest is usable: there is no point-in-time restore. Saved snapshots are named and never expire. [source](https://docs.boat.dev/snapshots/resume-and-fork) [docs](https://docs.boat.dev/snapshots/resume-and-fork)
- **Storage** (partly): 14 days after stop. The whole disk persists, with 51 GB on the smaller sizes and no volume product. A stopped sandbox's disk is kept free for 14 days, then deleted. [source](https://docs.boat.dev/faq) [docs](https://docs.boat.dev/data-retention)
- **Idle and waking** (partly): 1 h from create. No idle detection, but a hard auto-stop counts from create or resume: one hour by default, 30 days maximum, and off is allowed. A stop destroys the machine, so a URL cannot wake it. [source](https://docs.boat.dev/long-running-tasks/auto-stop) [docs](https://docs.boat.dev/long-running-tasks/auto-stop)
- **Reaching it** (partly): Token by default. An HTTPS route per port, token-gated by default and --public to remove it; SSH on port 22; raw TCP by opening the sandbox firewall, but only IPv6 is guaranteed. [source](https://docs.boat.dev/hosting) [docs](https://docs.boat.dev/hosting)
- **Custom domains** (no): Not supported. Custom domains are explicitly unsupported. A CNAME to an on.boat.dev name does not work, and certificates are issued only for on.boat.dev names. [source](https://docs.boat.dev/hosting) [docs](https://docs.boat.dev/hosting#custom-domain)
- **Outbound network** (partly): $0, no cap stated. Outbound is open by default with no API for network rules; ufw inside the sandbox is the control, and firewall rules do not survive a snapshot. Egress is not billed. [source](https://docs.boat.dev/pricing) [docs](https://docs.boat.dev/hosting/firewall)
- **Keys and secrets** (yes): No, proxy + switch. Environment variables and secret files, a safe-for-third-parties switch that withholds everything of yours, and an AI credentials proxy so sandboxes hold placeholder model keys. [source](https://docs.boat.dev/ai-credentials) [docs](https://docs.boat.dev/environments/secrets)
- **Ways to drive it** (yes): No; installer. REST, Python and TypeScript SDKs, a CLI, SSH and SCP, a 60 fps desktop and a dashboard. The MCP server is for documentation, not for managing sandboxes. [source](https://docs.boat.dev/quickstart) [docs](https://docs.boat.dev/sdks/overview)
- **Built-in agents** (yes): Seven harnesses; prompt API. Seven coding-agent harnesses preinstalled on every machine, promptable through one API call with steering, interrupts and parallel conversations. [source](https://docs.boat.dev/integrated-agents) [docs](https://docs.boat.dev/integrated-agents)
- **Teams and accounts** (partly): No dollar cap. Organisations with owner, admin and member roles, scoped keys and per-member caps. No audit log or SSO is published, and start budgets are pooled across the organisation. [source](https://docs.boat.dev/organizations/seats-and-limits) [docs](https://docs.boat.dev/organizations)
- **Billing models** (partly): $0.036/h default. A monthly plan that is prepaid machine time plus limits, with a separate dollar wallet for overage. Per second while running; stopped is zero machine time and the disk is kept 14 days. [source](https://docs.boat.dev/pricing) [docs](https://docs.boat.dev/billing)
- **Trials and free tiers** (partly): 25 h trial. A seven-day trial with a card and no free tier: 25 hours in total, two sandboxes at once, small and default sizes, a mandatory two-hour auto-stop and no new saved snapshots. [source](https://docs.boat.dev/free-trial) [docs](https://docs.boat.dev/free-trial)
- **The company** (partly): Dedale AI, Corp.; no SLA. Dedale AI, Corp., Delaware, Dover address. Founded 2026 by Anicet Nougaret (CEO) and Kirill Makarov (CTO), YC Fall 2026; no priced round published. Seven customer-facing status components range 98.83%–100% over 90 days, pooled 99.74%; Sandbox Fork is lowest and Stop + Resume covers about a third of the window. No SLA; the terms disclaim uptime. SOC 2 in progress; no ISO, HIPAA or SSO. No price-change notice; closing the account cancels immediately and forfeits prepaid value. [source](https://boat.dev/terms)

## Capabilities

- Its own virtual machine: yes (full VM, own kernel) [source](https://docs.boat.dev/machines)
- Root access: yes (passwordless sudo) [source](https://docs.boat.dev/machines)
- Docker inside: yes (Docker, Compose, BuildKit) [source](https://docs.boat.dev/machines)
- Nested virtualisation: yes (/dev/kvm, no flag) [source](https://docs.boat.dev/machines/virtualization)
- Your own image: no (one image for everyone). There is no way to bring your own image or build recipe; you install what you need and save a copy of the machine instead. [source](https://docs.boat.dev/faq)
- Any size you like: no (4 fixed sizes). There are four fixed sizes and no way to ask for anything between them. [source](https://docs.boat.dev/pricing)
- Large machines: yes (16 cores / 32 GB). Only on the $100-a-month plan or above. [source](https://docs.boat.dev/pricing)
- Resize while running: no (stop first). Changing the size means stopping the machine and starting it again. [source](https://docs.boat.dev/machines)
- GPUs: no (no GPU). No size has a graphics processor, at any price. [source](https://docs.boat.dev/machines)
- Choose the region: no (no region choice). Machines run in Germany, Finland or France, and you cannot say which. [source](https://docs.boat.dev/compliance)
- Runs in the EU: yes (Germany, Finland, France) [source](https://docs.boat.dev/compliance)
- Pause keeps memory: no [source](https://docs.boat.dev/snapshots/stop)
- Pre-started pools: no [source](https://docs.boat.dev/readiness)
- Starts in under a second: no (A few seconds). A resume or a new machine takes a few seconds, not under one. [source](https://docs.boat.dev/readiness)
- Snapshots of files: yes (Every minute) [source](https://docs.boat.dev/snapshots/resume-and-fork)
- Snapshots with memory: no [source](https://docs.boat.dev/snapshots/resume-and-fork)
- Copy a running machine: yes. The copy has the same files, but nothing that was running keeps running. [source](https://docs.boat.dev/snapshots/resume-and-fork)
- Pick an older snapshot: partly. You cannot roll a machine back to an older point; an older saved copy can only start a new machine. [source](https://docs.boat.dev/snapshots/resume-and-fork)
- Reusable templates: yes [source](https://docs.boat.dev/snapshots/templates)
- Automatic backups: partly (Every minute). These are automatic snapshots kept with the machine, not an off-site backup, and only the newest one is kept, so there is no history to go back through. [source](https://docs.boat.dev/snapshots/templates)
- Files survive a stop: yes (14 days). The disk is deleted 14 days after a stop unless you saved it. [source](https://docs.boat.dev/snapshots/resume-and-fork)
- Separate volumes: no [source](https://docs.boat.dev/snapshots/templates)
- One volume, several machines: no [source](https://docs.boat.dev/snapshots/templates)
- Mount outside storage: no [source](https://docs.boat.dev/machines)
- Large disk: yes (251 GB) [source](https://docs.boat.dev/machines)
- Can stay on indefinitely: yes [source](https://docs.boat.dev/snapshots/resume-and-fork)
- Choose the idle timeout: partly (1 h from start). The clock counts from when the machine started, not from when it was last used, so a busy machine is stopped too. [source](https://docs.boat.dev/long-running-tasks/auto-stop)
- Wakes on a request: no [source](https://docs.boat.dev/snapshots/stop)
- Scheduled runs: no [source](https://docs.boat.dev/snapshots/resume-and-fork)
- Public link to a port: yes (Up to 50 ports) [source](https://docs.boat.dev/hosting)
- Private link: yes (Token in link) [source](https://docs.boat.dev/hosting)
- Real SSH: yes (Port 22) [source](https://docs.boat.dev/ssh-access)
- Terminal in the browser: not-published [source](https://docs.boat.dev/ssh-access)
- Tunnel to your computer: yes (ssh -L) [source](https://docs.boat.dev/ssh-access)
- Non-web ports: yes (IPv6 only sometimes) [source](https://docs.boat.dev/hosting)
- Your own domain: no. Custom domains are explicitly unsupported; a redirect from your domain to the provider's name does not work either. [source](https://docs.boat.dev/hosting)
- Automatic HTTPS: no. There is no custom domain, so there is no certificate for the provider to manage. [source](https://docs.boat.dev/hosting)
- Outbound data included: yes ($0) [source](https://docs.boat.dev/pricing)
- Allow only some sites: partly (Firewall inside). The rules live inside the machine, where the agent has administrator rights and can undo them, and they are lost when the machine is restored. [source](https://docs.boat.dev/hosting/firewall)
- Turn the internet off: partly (Firewall inside). You can block traffic with the machine's own firewall, but the agent has administrator rights there and the rules are lost on restore. [source](https://docs.boat.dev/hosting/firewall)
- Fixed outgoing IP: not-published [source](https://docs.boat.dev/pricing)
- Stored secrets: yes (Variables and files) [source](https://docs.boat.dev/environments/secrets)
- Secrets the agent cannot read: partly (Model keys only). Only model-provider keys go through the key service; other API keys are ordinary variables the agent can read. [source](https://docs.boat.dev/ai-credentials)
- Limited API keys: yes (Action sets) [source](https://docs.boat.dev/api-keys/scopes)
- Create from the website: no [source](https://docs.boat.dev/account.md)
- Command-line tool: yes [source](https://docs.boat.dev/quickstart.md)
- Python SDK: yes [source](https://docs.boat.dev/sdks/overview.md)
- TypeScript SDK: yes [source](https://docs.boat.dev/sdks/overview.md)
- Documented HTTP API: yes [source](https://docs.boat.dev/api/v1.md)
- MCP server: no. The only MCP server searches the documentation; it cannot start or drive a sandbox. [source](https://docs.boat.dev/ai-tools.md)
- Interactive terminal over the API: yes [source](https://docs.boat.dev/ssh-access.md)
- Files over the API: yes [source](https://docs.boat.dev/account.md)
- Coding agents preinstalled: yes (7 harnesses) [source](https://docs.boat.dev/integrated-agents.md)
- Send it a prompt: yes [source](https://docs.boat.dev/api/reference/agent/prompt-sandbox-agent.md)
- One-click Hermes: partly. Hermes is already installed on every machine, but you still need a terminal command to start it and prompt it. [source](https://docs.boat.dev/machines/tools.md)
- One-click OpenClaw: partly. OpenClaw is installed on every machine, but its gateway does not start by itself and you need a terminal. [source](https://docs.boat.dev/machines/tools.md)
- Browser built in: yes (Chrome 151) [source](https://docs.boat.dev/machines/tools.md)
- Desktop for computer use: yes (1080p 60 fps) [source](https://docs.boat.dev/desktop-streaming.md)
- Runs other platforms' agents: no. No page documents another platform's cloud agents using Boat as their machine. [source](https://docs.boat.dev/integrations/harbor.md)
- Team workspace: yes [source](https://docs.boat.dev/organizations.md)
- Roles and permissions: yes [source](https://docs.boat.dev/organizations.md)
- Single sign-on: not-published [source](https://docs.boat.dev/organizations.md)
- Hard spending cap: partly. A personal account has no dollar cap; organisations can cap a member's machine time, which stops their new sandboxes. [source](https://docs.boat.dev/billing.md)
- Usage alerts: not-published [source](https://docs.boat.dev/billing.md)
- Audit log: not-published [source](https://docs.boat.dev/account.md)
- Billed per second: yes (per second) [source](https://docs.boat.dev/pricing)
- CPU billed only while working: no (flat rate per size). A running machine costs the same whether it is working or waiting. [source](https://docs.boat.dev/pricing)
- Paused costs only storage: yes (nothing for 14 days) [source](https://docs.boat.dev/faq)
- No monthly fee: no ($20 minimum plan). The smallest plan is $20 a month, and unused time expires, so a light month still costs $20. [source](https://docs.boat.dev/pricing)
- Flat monthly price: yes ($26 a month for default) [source](https://docs.boat.dev/pricing)
- Ongoing free tier: no (trial only). There is no free tier; the only free usage is a seven-day trial that needs a card. [source](https://docs.boat.dev/faq)
- Free starting credit: no (none). There is no credit; the free offer is 25 hours of machine time inside a trial. [source](https://docs.boat.dev/free-trial)
- Try without a card: no (card at checkout). Checkout asks for a card before the trial starts. [source](https://docs.boat.dev/free-trial)
- Public status page: yes [source](https://docs.boat.dev/compliance.md)
- Uptime promise (SLA): no. The terms disclaim uninterrupted service and no SLA is published. [source](https://boat.dev/terms)
- SOC 2 report: no. SOC 2 is in progress, so there is no report to request yet. [source](https://docs.boat.dev/security.md)
- Data processing agreement: partly. You have to email support to get a data processing agreement. [source](https://boat.dev/terms)
- Open source or self-hostable: no. Boat runs its own machines in Germany, Finland and France; no self-hosted edition is published. [source](https://docs.boat.dev/compliance.md)

## Usability

- Dashboard: Yes: sandboxes with type, monthly cost and a desktop button, snapshots you can browse and download, environment settings, AI sign-ins, organisation, billing and account.
- Without code: Partly. You can watch and drive a machine, connect an AI subscription and edit what new sandboxes get, all by clicking. Creating and prompting a sandbox is boat new then boat prompt; there is no wizard and no gallery.
- Signup: A card, and a terminal for the installer. There is no free tier; the first plan starts with a 7-day trial through Stripe Checkout. Agents can sign themselves up through auth.md, but a human still claims the account and enters the card.
- Docs: About 100 Mintlify pages, each also as Markdown, plus llms.txt and a docs MCP server. Support is email and Discord, with a public status page.
- Trips people up: The first step is a shell command.
- Trips people up: The default 1-hour auto-stop kills work mid-session.
- Trips people up: Persistent means 14 days, not forever.
- Trips people up: Stop is not off: it saves the disk, destroys the machine, and changes the IP.
- Trips people up: The plan is not a cheap idle subscription: $20 buys time that expires.
- Trips people up: Money lives in two places, plan credit and wallet, with different expiry rules.

## Company

- Legal entity: Dedale AI, Corp., a Delaware corporation with a Dover mailing address. Card statements show DEDALE AI. [source](https://boat.dev/terms)
- Founders: Anicet Nougaret (CEO) and Kirill Makarov (CTO); Y Combinator Fall 2026. [source](https://www.everydev.ai/developers/ascii-dev)
- Funding: A reported $500k pre-seed from Entrepreneur First and Founders, Inc. No priced round is published. [source](https://nordic9.com/news/ascii-raised-500k-in-pre-seed-funding-from-entrepreneurs-first-ef-and-founders-inc/)
- History: Launched as box in July 2026 and renamed boat on 15 September 2026; box surfaces still answer. [source](https://docs.boat.dev/migrating-from-box)
- Status and SLA: No SLA on any plan, and the terms disclaim uptime and availability. [source](https://boat.dev/terms)
- Certification: SOC 2 in progress. No published report, ISO 27001 or HIPAA claim. [source](https://docs.boat.dev/security)

## Caveats

- **There is no pause** (open): Stop saves the disk, removes the machine, and loses memory and hand-started processes. Every resume is a reboot with a new IP, although Docker containers and enabled systemd units come back.
- **Snapshots are disk-only and newest-only** (open): Boat snapshots the disk every minute while a sandbox runs, but only the newest snapshot can be resumed or forked. There is no point-in-time restore.
- **The disk expires 14 days after a stop** (contradiction): Docs and FAQ say 14 days; the Terms say up to about 30 days. A box untouched for two weeks returns 409 snapshot_data_expired.
- **Its docs and marketing disagree on stop and on the number of sizes** (contradiction): The homepage still says three sizes and pause billing; the docs list four sizes and state there is no pause.
- **battleships.dev's Boat record has drifted** (open): battleships.dev is built by the Boat team, but its Boat entry is dated 2026-09-30 and disagrees with today's docs on disk sizes, egress caps, snapshot retention and whether xlarge needs an operator.

## Sources

- [Docs: quickstart](https://docs.boat.dev/quickstart)
- [Docs: concepts and states](https://docs.boat.dev/concepts)
- [Docs: stop and snapshots](https://docs.boat.dev/snapshots/stop)
- [Docs: auto-stop](https://docs.boat.dev/long-running-tasks/auto-stop)
- [Docs: hosting](https://docs.boat.dev/hosting)
- [Docs: AI credentials](https://docs.boat.dev/ai-credentials)
- [Pricing](https://docs.boat.dev/pricing)