Side by side
Coasty vs Screenbox
Both stand on ai computer use agents. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan LinuxWebWindows
Choose Coasty if your automation needs to work with desktop apps or browsers and you want API access or human approval controls. Teams that need dedicated VMs, SSO, an SLA, or priority support can consider the enterprise plan, whose pricing is custom.
Visit Coasty Free plan APILinuxMac+3
Screenbox combines agent-controlled desktops with live oversight, snapshots, and reusable session knowledge. Its maker explicitly warns that Docker isolation is not a hardened sandbox, so deployment and API access require care.
Visit ScreenboxThe facts
| Coasty | Screenbox | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | Linux, Web, Windows | API, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Web, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Developer: $19 a month | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 3 | 1 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | coasty.ai | screenbox.dev |
| On ai computer use agents | #13 of 24 | #9 of 24 |
Coasty: what it does well
- Controls desktop apps on Windows and Linux.
- Includes browser control and screen understanding.
- Provides API access across Windows, Linux, web, and API.
- Pay as you go has no monthly minimum.
- Developer plan includes $25 in monthly API credit.
What to know first
- Enterprise pricing is custom.
- Developer costs $19 a month.
- Pay as you go is priced at $0.05 a month.
Screenbox: what it does well
- Includes Chromium with DevTools and extensions.
- Provides 21 MCP tools across more than 100 actions.
- Users can watch agents and take mouse and keyboard control.
- Snapshots preserve files and browser sessions.
- The maker says deployment data stays on user infrastructure.
What to know first
- Docker containers are not hardened sandboxes.
- Each desktop uses about 2 GB RAM.
- The maker advises against publicly exposing the MCP API.
Alternatives to Coasty Alternatives to Screenbox The whole list