How to use CodeSandbox for your startup
TL;DR
CodeSandbox is an online code editor and sandbox platform, owned by Together AI since 2024. The free Build plan covers Browser Sandboxes, and paid plans start with Pro at $12 a month, but since September 2026 the free plan no longer includes monthly VM credits. It suits developer-tool, API and front-end startups that want people to run their code in one click.
What is CodeSandbox?
CodeSandbox lets developers write, run and share code from a browser tab. A sandbox is a project with a link: anyone can open it, see the live preview and fork it. Browser Sandboxes run front-end projects inside the visitor's browser. VM Sandboxes run on CodeSandbox's servers and use paid VM credits, which suits back ends, full-stack apps and anything that needs a terminal.
The company behind it, CodeSandbox BV, calls itself "a Together AI company" in its footer. Its homepage now leads with the CodeSandbox SDK, which spins up isolated sandboxes for AI agents and code playgrounds. Together AI's documentation says CodeSandbox products are migrating to the Together platform and names a newer together-sandbox SDK as the successor for new projects. The editor, the Discover page and Sandpack, an open-source component for live code examples on your own site, are still listed.
CodeSandbox has no startup directory or submission form. People find your work through shared links, embeds and the Discover page.
Who should use CodeSandbox?
- Startups selling a JavaScript library, SDK, API or UI component kit.
- Developer-tool teams that want "try it now" demos in their docs and launch posts.
- Skip it if your product has no code that developers touch. A sandbox about a non-technical service gets no audience there.
How much does CodeSandbox cost?
The official pricing page sits behind a bot check, so these figures come from a capture of it dated 14 September 2026 and from Together AI's docs:
- Build: free, up to 5 members, unlimited Browser and VM Sandboxes. The 40 hours of monthly VM credits it used to include were removed in September 2026.
- Pro: $12 per month.
- Scale: $170 per month.
- Enterprise: price on request, with discounts on VM credits.
Extra VM credits cost $0.01486 per credit, pay as you go. Browser Sandboxes need no credits. Check codesandbox.io/pricing before you budget.
How do you share your startup on CodeSandbox?
- Create a free account at CodeSandbox under your company name, so every sandbox you share carries your brand.
- Create a sandbox from the stack your users already have (React, Vue, Node and so on) and install your package in it.
- Build one sandbox per use case, with a short README inside that explains what it does.
- Share the link in your docs, launch posts and support answers, so people fork it and start from working code.
- For live examples on your own docs pages, use Sandpack, which you embed and style yourself.
Tips to get more out of CodeSandbox
- Keep each sandbox small and name it after the problem it solves, such as "Stripe checkout with our SDK in 20 lines".
- Use Browser Sandboxes for front-end demos, since they use no VM credits.
- Recheck your important sandboxes each quarter, as the platform is moving to Together AI's infrastructure.
Our verdict
CodeSandbox is a strong place for developer-facing startups to give people runnable demos, and the users it brings arrive through the links and demos you share. Watch the move to Together AI and the September 2026 pricing change before you build your docs around it.
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