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CodeSandbox vs Pulumi: Pricing Comparison 2026

Side-by-side pricing comparison of CodeSandbox and Pulumi. See all plans, features, and costs at a glance.

Bottom line: Pulumi starts at $40/mo, making it $130/mo cheaper than CodeSandbox ($170/mo). CodeSandbox offers a free plan.

Last updated: March 16, 2026

Data compiled by Arthur Jacquemin
Updated March 16, 2026

CodeSandbox vs Pulumi: Quick Pricing Facts

FeatureCodeSandboxPulumi
Starting Price$170/mo$40/mo
Number of Plans34
Free TierYesYes
Pricing Modelper-seatusage-based
Annual DiscountN/AN/A

Pulumi is the more affordable option, starting at $40/mo compared to CodeSandbox's $170/mo. Both are Dev Tools with 7 combined pricing plans and 51 features compared.

Both tools offer free plans, making them accessible for teams on a budget. CodeSandbox uses per-seat pricing while Pulumi uses usage-based pricing, which may affect your total cost at scale.

Review the detailed tier-by-tier comparison above to see exactly which features are included at each price point and find the best fit for your Dev Tools needs.

Pricing Plans
CodeSandbox
CodeSandbox
Try it free
Tier 1
Free
$0/monthCheapest
Includes
  • 5 members
  • 40 hours of monthly VM credits
  • Unlimited Browser & VM Sandboxes
  • CodeSandbox SDK lite
  • Private Sandboxes
  • VM specs up to 4 vCPUs + 8 GiB RAM
  • VS Code extension
Start with Free
Individual
$0/monthCheapest
Includes
  • IaC state management
  • Unlimited projects, stacks, and environments
  • Unlimited updates and history
  • 500 free deployments minutes
Start with Individual
Tier 2
Build
$170/month
$170 / year
Includes
  • 20 members
  • 160 hours of monthly VM credits
  • Access to on-demand VM credits priced at $0.15 per hour
  • 1,000 new Sandboxes an hour
  • 250 concurrent VMs
  • 10,000 hourly requests
  • CodeSandbox SDK
  • More VM tiers
Start with Build
Team
$40/monthCheapest
Includes
  • Up to 10 users
  • Secure collaboration and CI/CD
  • AI assistance with Pulumi Neo
  • Resource search
  • OIDC and Org Access Tokens
  • Webhooks
  • Automatic secrets rotation
  • Community support
Start with Team
Tier 3
Enterprise
Custom pricing
Includes
  • Unlimited members
  • Up to 50% off bulk VM credit packs
  • Create as many Sandboxes as you need
  • Bespoke concurrent VMs
  • Hourly request limits tailored to your requirements
  • VM specs up to 64 vCPUs + 128 GiB RAM
  • Dedicated support
  • SOC 2 Type II compliance
Start with Enterprise
Enterprise
$400/monthCheapest
Includes
  • Unlimited users
  • SAML/SSO and RBAC
  • Internal developer platform (IDP)
  • Audit logs
  • Drift detection and remediation
  • Time-to-live stacks
  • Customer Managed Keys
  • Priority feature requests
  • 12x5 Enterprise Support available
Start with Enterprise
Tier 4
Business Critical
Custom pricing
Includes
  • Self-hosting available
  • Built-in compliance (NIST, PCI, and more)
  • Automatic group & user sync (SCIM)
  • Audit logs export
  • Volume pricing and invoicing
  • Private Slack and Professional Services
  • 24x7 Enterprise Support available
Start with Business Critical

Swipe to compare plans →

CodeSandbox

Cloud development environments for rapid web prototyping

View all CodeSandbox plans

Pulumi

Infrastructure as code using real programming languages

View all Pulumi plans
Our Pick

Pulumi

Pulumi offers a free plan, starts at $130/mo lower ($40/mo vs $170/mo), offers 4 tiers vs 3.

Based on pricing data only. Review the full comparison below for your specific needs.

Best value: Pulumi

Try Pulumi free

Which Should You Choose?

Choose CodeSandbox if:

  • You prefer CodeSandbox's free tier features—5 members, 40 hours of monthly VM credits
  • CodeSandbox's 3-tier per-seat structure gives clearer cost visibility for budget planning
  • You value CodeSandbox's specific feature progression from free to advanced tier levels

Choose Pulumi if:

  • You want lower per-user costs—Pulumi starts at $40/mo, saving $130/mo compared to CodeSandbox at $170/mo
  • You prefer Pulumi's free tier features—IaC state management, Unlimited projects, stacks, and environments
  • You need 4 pricing tiers for flexible team sizing—more options mean less overpaying for features you don't need
  • You want more features built-in—Pulumi offers 5 additional features across its plans

Both CodeSandbox and Pulumi offer free plans [1], eliminating cost barriers for evaluation. This means you can test both tools thoroughly with your actual workflows before any financial commitment. The free tiers differ in scope: CodeSandbox includes 7 features, while Pulumi includes 4 features. Evaluate which free tier matches your evaluation needs before deciding to upgrade. Your best approach is to activate both free trials and evaluate which tool's workflow, integrations, and user experience align better with your team's needs before committing to paid plans.

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Frequently Asked Questions: CodeSandbox vs Pulumi

Which is cheaper, CodeSandbox or Pulumi?
As of March 2026, Pulumi starts at a lower price point. CodeSandbox starts at $170/mo while Pulumi starts at $40/mo. However, the best value depends on the features you need at each tier.
How many pricing plans does CodeSandbox have vs Pulumi?
CodeSandbox offers 3 pricing plans, while Pulumi offers 4 plans. More plans typically means more flexibility to match your exact needs and budget.
Does CodeSandbox or Pulumi offer a free plan?
Yes, both CodeSandbox and Pulumi offer free plans. Compare the feature limits of each free tier to see which better fits your use case before upgrading.
Can I save money by paying annually for CodeSandbox or Pulumi?
Both CodeSandbox and Pulumi offer annual billing options. Check each plan's yearly pricing for potential savings compared to monthly billing.
Does CodeSandbox or Pulumi offer custom enterprise pricing?
Yes, both CodeSandbox and Pulumi offer custom enterprise pricing tiers with quote-based pricing. Contact each vendor for a tailored quote.
What pricing models do CodeSandbox and Pulumi use?
CodeSandbox uses a per-seat pricing model, while Pulumi uses usage-based pricing. The right model depends on your team size and usage patterns.
How do CodeSandbox and Pulumi compare for Dev Tools?
Both CodeSandbox and Pulumi are Dev Tools. CodeSandbox offers 3 plans starting at $170/mo, while Pulumi offers 4 plans starting at $40/mo. Review the feature breakdowns above to see which better fits your Dev Tools needs.

Sources

  1. CodeSandbox Official PricingVendor pricing page
  2. Pulumi Official PricingVendor pricing page

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