Sandboxie Plus

ApplicationDavid Xanatos / Uwe Sieber lineage

Also called sandboxie, sandman, sandboxie classic

David Xanatos / Uwe Sieber lineageSecurity

An app sandbox. The UI is SandMan.exe. Classic Sandboxie became Plus after Sophos open-sourced it. It is not Windows Sandbox.

What you need to know

SandMan.exe is Sandboxie Plus. Windows Sandbox is a Microsoft VM feature.

Sandboxie Plus is the open-source continuation after Sophos released Sandboxie. SandMan.exe is the Plus UI. Windows Sandbox is not this install. Comodo has its own containment. This is not Defender.

What is it?: App sandbox. SandMan.exe is Plus
Same as Windows Sandbox?: No. That is a Microsoft VM feature
Antivirus?: No. Isolation, not MsMpEng.exe

Feex says

If you wanted Windows Sandbox, I would turn on that Windows feature, not SandMan.exe. Sandboxie boxes a process on your real Windows. The VM feature is a different isolation story. I would not treat this as a second antivirus.

What is Sandboxie Plus?

Sandboxie Plus isolates apps in sandboxes. SandMan.exe is the Plus window. Windows Sandbox is a different Microsoft VM feature.

If you have never used it

If you want to run an app in a disposable box, this is Sandboxie Plus, not Windows Sandbox. Download it from sandboxie-plus.com. SandMan.exe is the Plus UI. Windows Sandbox is a Windows Pro feature that boots a throwaway VM. Classic Sandboxie used SbieCtrl.exe. Sophos open-sourced the old product in 2020. David Xanatos continues Plus. This is not an antivirus and not Defender.

What is it used for?

Run an untrusted installer in a box

The app writes inside the sandbox. That is not Windows Sandbox's full VM, and not Defender scanning alone.

Plus versus Classic UI

SandMan.exe is Plus. SbieCtrl.exe is Classic. Same core, different window. New features target Plus.

Forced programs and boxes

You can force a path into a box. Comodo containment is a different vendor's sandbox.

Who is it for?

People who used classic Sandboxie before Sophos open-sourced it
Users who should not enable Windows Sandbox expecting SandMan.exe
Anyone isolating a browser without treating this as an AV

Current status

Actively developed as Sandboxie Plus. Classic builds still exist. This article is the Windows Plus UI.

How old is it?

Ronen Tzur shipped Sandboxie in 2004. Invincea and then Sophos owned it. Sophos released the source in 2020. Sandboxie Plus is the Qt continuation. Windows Sandbox is a separate Microsoft feature from 2019.

Versions

Major channels first. Exact build numbers are not all verified here.

Sandboxie Plus

Sandboxie Classic

Windows Sandbox (other Microsoft feature)

System requirements

Values follow the publisher's public guidance. Workload still changes the real need.

Minimum

Minimum system requirements
Operating system	Windows 10 or Windows 11, per current Plus releases. Older Classic notes mention Windows 7
RAM	Light for the UI. Each busy sandbox adds RAM. Windows Sandbox wants more because it is a VM

Resource profile

CPU demand: Follows the sandboxed app
RAM demand: Per box plus the host app

Installed processes

These executables belong to this product when it is installed.

Installed processes
SandMan.exe	Sandboxie Plus Qt UI. Not Windows Sandbox
SbieCtrl.exe	Classic UI if you installed that flavor
SbieSvc.exe	Sandboxie service

Startup components

SbieSvc.exe starts with Windows. SandMan.exe is the UI you open. Windows Sandbox is off until you enable the feature.

File locations

Common Sandboxie Plus locations
Typical install	C:\Program Files\Sandboxie-Plus\

Common problems

People enable Windows Sandbox and look for SandMan

Wrong product. Windows Sandbox is optional Windows. Sandboxie is sandboxie-plus.com.

Sandboxed browser still wrote outside the box

A bad box config or an unsandboxed helper. Check the Plus box options. This is not proof Defender failed.

Getting unstuck

Install from sandboxie-plus.com

The GitHub releases are the project. A "Sandboxie 4.20 Sophos" stale exe is the old closed line.

Confirm SandMan.exe for Plus

SbieCtrl.exe means you installed Classic. Features docs for Plus assume SandMan.

Do not treat a sandbox as a replacement antivirus

Keep Windows Security or one resident AV. Sandboxie is isolation, not MsMpEng.exe.

Alternatives

Windows Sandbox if you want Microsoft's VM feature on a supported Windows edition. Comodo containment if you already live in that suite. Neither replaces a single resident AV.

Official help and downloads

Start with the vendor. Random exe sites are not a support channel.

Official contacts
Download	sandboxie-plus.com/ Official installer or vendor page
Help	sandboxie-website-archive.github.io/sandboxie-docs/ Vendor support
Official site	sandboxie-plus.com/ Start here, not a random exe host
GitHub	github.com/sandboxie-plus/Sandboxie Plus and Classic sources

Related hardware

Boxes add RAM per sandboxed app. Windows Sandbox wants virtualization and more RAM because it is a VM.

Technical details

Vendor version numbers change. This article does not pin a build.

Sources and verification

Reviewed by Feex editorial. Last verified August 2026 Status: Feex Reviewed. How we research.

Sandboxie Plus official site · Vendor product page
Sandboxie Plus help · Vendor support
Foxhole process map · First-party samples on Windows PCs. Not a lab benchmark.

Was this article useful?

A yes or no is enough. Pick a reason if you want, or add a short note.