Academy
6. Cost and Sovereignty
Understand that OupiBox usage is billed as compute-time credits plus tokens, and that sandboxes run in OUPI-controlled isolated environments with no external provider keys.
OupiBox usage has a clear cost structure: you pay compute-time credits for the sandbox session itself, plus the usual token cost of the AI model that drives the work. Both charges appear alongside the message or mission that triggered them. A quick data cleanup will consume very little; rendering a long, illustrated Word report with charts will naturally cost more because the sandbox runs longer and processes more data. There are no hidden fees or surprise provider charges — the cost is always visible where the work happens.
Why does compute time vary? Because OupiBox performs real execution: installing dependencies a script needs, reading and transforming your files, running calculations, rendering documents. The conversation shows live progress so you can see exactly what the sandbox is doing. If the AI hits an error it retries automatically, which may add a few seconds. Heavier tasks — processing very large files in parts, building multi-page slide decks — simply require more compute. Think of it like a workshop: a quick repair costs less than building a full piece of furniture.
Sovereignty is built into OupiBox by design. Every sandbox runs in an isolated environment controlled entirely by OUPI — no external AI-provider API keys exist inside the sandbox. Your files never leave your OUPI file space: they are uploaded into the sandbox for the task, and everything the AI produces is materialized back into your file space. The sandbox itself is then discarded. There is no access to other users, no access to your local machine, and restricted outbound connectivity. Your files — not the sandbox — are the permanent source of truth.
Want to verify costs before committing to a heavy task? Start with a small sample — ask the AI to process just the first page or a few rows. Check the credits consumed on that message, then extrapolate before launching the full job.
For organizations that need even stronger data residency guarantees, OUPI offers Nexus One for persistent, local execution on your own infrastructure. OupiBox handles on-demand, disposable tasks in OUPI's sovereign cloud; Nexus One extends that to fully on-premises scenarios. The two are complementary: OupiBox for everyday convenience, Nexus One when compliance demands that nothing leaves your walls.
Open a chat, attach a small spreadsheet, and ask the AI to clean and chart it. When the result appears, look at the cost indicator next to the message — you'll see both the token cost and the compute-time credits OupiBox consumed. Notice the "Materialized by OupiBox" label on the output file card.
OupiBox billing is transparent: compute-time credits (proportional to how long and hard the sandbox works) plus token costs (the AI model's usage). Both are shown per message or mission. On the sovereignty side, sandboxes are isolated, disposable, and controlled by OUPI with no external provider keys inside. Your files stay in your OUPI file space — the sandbox is never the source of truth. For fully on-premises needs, pair OupiBox with Nexus One.