Why not DIY with raw cloud VMs?
A build-vs-buy answer for "why not just create the box myself with the Hetzner / Vultr / AWS / GCP console?"
You could create VMs yourself through the Hetzner or Vultr console or API. This page is the honest answer for why Gibil exists on top of that — it's not a vendor comparison (Gibil runs on Hetzner and Vultr today), it's a build-vs-buy question about lifecycle automation.
What Gibil automates
| Step | Raw cloud | Gibil |
|---|---|---|
| Generate SSH keys | Manual | Automatic |
| Upload public key | Manual | Automatic |
| Create server | API call or console click | gibil create |
| Wait for boot | Poll or guess | Built-in polling |
| Install Node/Python | SSH in, run commands | cloud-init from .gibil.yml |
| Install Docker | SSH in, run commands | Automatic when services defined |
| Clone repo | SSH in, git clone | --repo flag |
| Start services | SSH in, docker run | .gibil.yml services |
| Run tasks | SSH in manually | gibil run |
| Clean up keys | Manual (often forgotten) | Automatic on destroy |
| Delete server | Console or API call | gibil destroy |
| Auto-destroy on TTL | Build it yourself | --ttl flag (15m to 30d) |
| Extend a running box | Manual ad-hoc | gibil extend |
| Structured output for agents | Build it yourself | --json on everything |
| MCP server for agents | Build it yourself | gibil mcp |
Time comparison
| Raw cloud | Gibil | |
|---|---|---|
| First server (including setup) | 15–30 minutes | 5 minutes |
| Subsequent servers | 5–10 minutes | 30 seconds |
| Cleanup | 2–5 minutes (if you remember) | gibil destroy |
| Forgotten servers | Surprise bill | TTL auto-destroy |
Cost comparison
Gibil passes through whatever your cloud charges — same pricing as creating the VM yourself. On Hetzner, the default cax11 box is €0.0072/hr ($0.008) at list price (snapshot: 2026-05-05). On Vultr, the equivalent $0.018/hr), but you get APAC datacenters that Hetzner doesn't reach.vc2-2c-4gb is higher (
With BYOC, you bring your own cloud token. Gibil adds automation, lifecycle management, and agent integration. You pay the cloud provider directly for compute. Today's supported providers are Hetzner and Vultr; AWS, GCP, DigitalOcean, and Fly.io are on the roadmap and slot in via the same CloudProvider interface.
Lifetime: ephemeral by default, persistent by choice
Gibil's TTL covers the full range — from a 15-minute one-shot agent run to a 30-day dev box. Set the timer at create, extend it later if needed. The default behavior is "auto-destroy when the timer expires," but you choose the timer.
If you want a server that lives forever with no automation around it, raw Hetzner or Vultr is the simpler choice — Gibil's value is in the lifecycle automation, which is wasted if there is no lifecycle.
When to skip Gibil
- You need production workloads (Gibil is for dev, test, CI, and agent sessions)
- You need custom networking (VPCs, load balancers, complex firewall rules)
- You only need one box that lives forever and never changes
Next steps
- Quick Start — see the difference in 5 minutes
- Gibil vs E2B — agent-sandbox alternative
- Gibil vs Daytona — container-sandbox alternative