--- title: VMs, no sign up description: Run ssh railway.new and get a free Linux VM in about 1.4 seconds, with coding agents preinstalled and a preview URL. No Railway account needed. Claim it to keep it. url: https://railway.com/free-vm --- # VMs, no sign up Run one command and get a Linux VM on Railway, with no account and no card: ```bash ssh railway.new ``` Railway identifies you by your SSH key. The same key lands you in the same VM every time. If you don't have a key, run `ssh-keygen -t ed25519` and connect again. ## What you get - 2 vCPU and 2 GB of memory, ready in about 1.4 seconds, in the region nearest you. - A preview URL that serves from the first second. Run your app on `$PORT` (8080) and it takes over. - Coding agents preinstalled: the Railway Agent (`agent`), Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, Cursor CLI, Grok, and pi, with an AI budget to get started. - Node, Python, gh, mise, the Railway CLI, and Chromium with Playwright. ## Limits - 60 minutes to build, then 24 hours to claim. Unclaimed boxes are deleted with their files. - Up to 3 boxes per IP address per day, and a shared AI budget per IP per day. - The preview URL answers only the IP address that created the box until it is claimed. - IPv4 only for now. - Compute for unclaimed boxes is free. ## For agents Any agent that can run `ssh` can use this. When an agent runs commands over SSH, its first connects include a JSON manifest on stderr with the preview URL, the build deadline, and a claim link for the human. Prompt to give your agent: > Get yourself a computer with `ssh railway.new`. It's a free Linux VM on Railway, no account needed. The first connect tells you the preview URL, how long the box lasts, and the link I can use to claim it. Build there, then send me the preview and the claim link. ## Keep it Open the claim link from the welcome message, sign up, and pick a workspace. The box moves into your account with the same VM, files, and URL, and `ssh railway.new` keeps landing you in it. ## With a Railway account - `railway code`: launch a coding agent on a Railway cloud agent VM. Flags: `--claude`, `--codex`, `--opencode`, `--grok`, `--railway` (default). Local credentials are copied to the VM; Codex and OpenCode open a local client connected to it. Disconnecting leaves the VM running. - `railway ca`: manage Railway cloud agents. Bare `railway ca` opens a TUI; subcommands include `list`, `create`, `ssh`, `sleep` (keeps the disk, stops the compute bill), `wake`, and `delete`. - `railway sandbox`: manage ephemeral sandboxes, with checkpoints, forks, and public domains. `railway code` and `railway ca` need the latest Railway CLI and Cloud Agents enabled in Priority Boarding (https://railway.com/account/feature-flags). ## Common questions - **Is it really free?** Yes. While a box is unclaimed, nobody pays for its compute, and you never enter a card. Abuse protections and a shared AI budget keep it free for everyone. - **What if it says to try again later?** When demand is high, we cap how many free VMs run at once in each region. If you hit the cap, you'll see "Anonymous trials are temporarily disabled. Try again shortly, or sign up to keep building." That attempt doesn't count against your daily limit, so try again in a few minutes, or sign up to keep building right away. - **Do I need a Railway account?** No. Railway identifies you by your SSH key. If you don't have one, run ssh-keygen -t ed25519 and connect again. You only sign up if you want to keep the box. - **What happens after 60 minutes?** The build window closes. You then have 24 hours to claim the box from the link in the welcome message. Unclaimed boxes are deleted along with their files. - **Who can see my preview URL?** Only you, from the IP address that created the box, until you claim it. Claiming makes the URL shareable. - **What's installed?** The Railway Agent (run agent), Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, Cursor CLI, Grok, and pi, plus Node, Python, gh, mise, the Railway CLI, and Chromium with Playwright. - **Can my coding agent use it?** Yes, that's the point. Agents that run commands over SSH get a JSON manifest on their first connects with the preview URL, the build deadline, and the claim link, so they can build and hand the result back to you. ## Related - Try it in the browser: https://dev.new - Sandboxes: https://railway.com/sandboxes - Cloud agents docs: https://docs.railway.com/cloud-agents - Pricing: https://railway.com/pricing ## Open this page — [Open in browser](https://railway.com/free-vm)