Docker Sandboxes: Run Claude Code and More Safely

Secure, minimal container images for every team, free with enterprise features, if needed.
We introduced Docker Sandboxes in experimental preview a few months ago. Today, we’re launching the next evolution with microVM isolation, available now for macOS and Windows.
We started Docker Sandboxes to answer the question:
Sandboxes provide disposable, isolated environments purpose-built for coding agents. Each agent runs in an isolated version of your development environment, so when it installs packages, modifies configurations, deletes files, or runs Docker containers, your host machine remains untouched.
This isolation lets you run agents like Claude Code, Codex CLI, Copilot CLI, Gemini CLI, and Kiro with autonomy. Since they can’t harm your computer, let them run free.
Since our first preview, Docker Sandboxes have evolved. They’re now more secure, easier to use, and more powerful.
Claude Code and other coding agents fundamentally change how developers write and maintain code. But a practical question remains: how do you let an agent run unattended (without constant permission prompts), while still protecting your machine and data?
Most developers quickly run into the same set of problems trying to solve this:
We started building Docker Sandboxes specifically to fill this gap.
Defense-in-depth, isolation by default
A real development environment
Safe Docker access for coding agents
One sandbox, many coding agents
Fast reset, no cleanup
The experimental preview validated the core idea: coding agents need an execution environment with clear isolation boundaries, not a stream of permission prompts. The early focus was developer experience, making it easy to spin up an environment that felt natural and productive for real workflows.
As Matt Pocock put it, “Docker Sandboxes have the best DX of any local AI coding sandbox I’ve tried.”
With this release, we’re making Sandboxes more powerful and secure with no compromise on developer experience.
We’re continuing to expand Docker Sandboxes based on developer feedback:
Docker Sandboxes were made for developers who want to run coding agents unattended, experiment freely, and recover instantly when something goes wrong. They extend the usability of containers’ isolation principles but with hard boundaries.
If you’ve been holding back on using agents because of permission prompts, system risk, or Docker-in-Docker limitations, Docker Sandboxes are built to remove those constraints.
We’re iterating quickly, and feedback from real-world usage will directly shape what comes next.
Principal Product Marketing Manager for AI, Docker
Srini Sekaran is Principal PMM for AI at Docker, focused on Docker AI Governance, Docker Sandboxes, and the future of agent infrastructure and developer workflows.
Staff Product Manager, Docker
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