No hosting
Use Codex on your current computer when it can stay available, or use rebuildable cloud work when persistent interactive shell state is not required.
▍ Free calculator · inputs stay in this tab
Codex Remote SSH VPS cost calculator.
A €5 server is not a €5 workspace if you spend hours building and maintaining it. Compare cash and time—and first check whether you need hosting at all.
Model usage excluded No provider prices assumed Can recommend no purchase
Your assumptions
Price the environment around Codex.
Change the defaults to match your provider, experience, and time horizon. No numeric input is recorded or sent to Terminalbox.
Before paying for compute
Three valid answers, in order.
DIY VPS
Choose it for root access, custom host networking, or when your own cash and time estimates make self-management the better deal.
Managed terminal
Choose Terminalbox when the valuable state is a live process or interactive shell and you do not want to own the server workflow.
What the total means
Cash is exact. Time is a scenario.
Server and backup cash, one-time setup hours, and monthly maintenance hours across your selected period.
Base at €6 per month: one persistent terminal, 2 vCPU, 4 GB RAM, and 50 GB workspace storage.
OpenAI access or API usage, taxes, migration work, incident costs, and any provider-specific discounts.
Calculator questions
Keep the assumptions visible.
Does the calculator include my OpenAI plan or API usage?
No. Codex access is separate from both a VPS and Terminalbox, so the estimate compares only the remote development environment around Codex.
Why put a value on setup and maintenance time?
A low server price is only the cash line. SSH hardening, updates, backups, runtime changes, and incident recovery consume time. Set the hourly value or time estimates to zero if you want a cash-only comparison.
Is Terminalbox a VPS?
No. Terminalbox is an isolated managed Linux container with a prepared browser terminal and persistent tmux session. It does not provide root or kernel control, so the calculator recommends a VPS when either is required.
Can the calculator recommend no hosting?
Yes. If you do not need processes or shell state to remain alive away from your own machine, use Codex locally or a rebuildable cloud task before adding an always-on infrastructure bill.
Still not a clean decision?
Bring the process that must stay alive.
We will recommend the free or DIY path when it fits, or help scope a first persistent terminal when it does not.