Phonebox vs Mobile Next: persistent Android phones for agents or isolated real-device sessions.
Phonebox publishes this page. Mobile Next facts come from its pricing, cloud documentation and mobile-mcp repository, checked October 9, 2026.
Side by side
| Phonebox | Mobile Next | |
|---|---|---|
| Devices | Cloud Android phones | Real iOS and Android devices in its cloud; local devices through mobile-mcp |
| Between sessions | Parked phones keep apps, files and sign-ins, free | Each session isolated, no shared state |
| Pricing | $0.06/min billed per second, no plan | Free 10 min/day; $29/mo for 200 min; $299/mo for 2,500; $0.15/min overage |
| Hosted MCP auth | API key (bearer header) | OAuth |
| Open source | MCP configs and examples | mobile-mcp server (Apache-2.0) |
| Other interfaces | CLI, TypeScript SDK, REST, agent skill | mobilecli, API, Mobilewright tests |
| Hand off to a person | Live view link | See Mobile Next's documentation |
Which to choose
- Choose Phonebox for agents that work inside signed-in apps day after day, for a product that gives each customer their own phone, or for CI and headless agents that authenticate with a key.
- Choose Mobile Next for QA across real iPhones and Android models, for tests that must start from a clean device, or to drive devices you already own with mobile-mcp.
See every option in the best cloud phones for AI agents.
Questions
What is the difference between Phonebox and Mobile Next?
Mobile Next runs isolated sessions on real iOS and Android devices, with no shared state between sessions, sold as monthly minute plans. Its open-source mobile-mcp server drives local devices. Phonebox gives agents cloud Android phones that persist: a parked phone keeps its apps, files and signed-in accounts and costs nothing, and running time is $0.06 a minute billed per second, with no plan.
Is mobile-mcp the same as a hosted Android MCP server?
No. mobile-mcp is an open-source server you run locally with npx. It drives the simulators, emulators or USB devices on that machine. Mobile Next also has a hosted MCP server for its device cloud, signed in with OAuth. Phonebox's hosted server at phonebox.dev/mcp uses an API key, so headless agents and CI can connect without a browser sign-in.
Which is cheaper?
For a few minutes a day, Mobile Next's free Hobby plan (10 device-minutes a day, one session) costs nothing. For bursty use above that, Phonebox has no plan: 200 minutes cost $12, against $29 for Mobile Next Starter. Mobile Next's overage is $0.15 a minute, against Phonebox's flat $0.06.