Rivet Launches Open Source Orchestrator for Agentic Workloads
Rivet provides a high-density, S3-backed actor model for scalable agent infrastructure.
1Agentic Infrastructure Challenges
Rivet addresses the inefficiency of running AI agents in heavyweight sandboxes. Traditional sandboxes are often idle, expensive, and slow to initialize. By utilizing the actor model, Rivet provides a lightweight alternative that requires only 72 KB of memory, compared to the 512 MB baseline typically needed for minimal sandbox environments in production.
2Actor Model Efficiency
The platform uses lightweight actors to manage long-lived processes, providing in-memory state for context and durable SQLite storage. This architecture allows for rapid startup times, achieving a 4.9 ms p99 latency compared to 1.7 seconds for sandboxes. These actors support multiplayer functionality via WebSocket servers and include automated hibernation when idle.
3Evolution from Gaming Roots
Founders Nathan and Nicholas developed Rivet during YC W23 to support high-throughput multiplayer games like Diep and Krunker. They initially struggled with Postgres limitations regarding high-frequency matchmaking and real-time messaging. This experience led them to build a specialized orchestrator capable of serving tens of millions of monthly active users effectively.
4Storage Architecture Strategy
Rivet optimizes performance by using a tiered storage approach backed by S3. While writes are acknowledged once SSDs in two of three availability zones confirm receipt, data is batched to S3 in the background. This ensures S3 remains off the primary write path, maintaining SSD-like speeds while significantly reducing overall storage costs.
5Performance and Latency Metrics
The system delivers low-latency operations, with durable writes reaching 1.07 ms and reads hitting 1.36 ms at p99. Even when falling back to object storage, reads maintain a p99 of 138 ms. This tiered configuration allows developers to tune SSD caches to meet specific application requirements without sacrificing speed or reliability.
6Migration and Flexibility
Companies like Amp migrated to Rivet after encountering limitations with Cloudflare Durable Objects, specifically regarding platform constraints and support responsiveness. Rivet offers greater flexibility, allowing users to deploy on-premise or within their own VPCs. The platform supports agents written in both TypeScript and Rust, ensuring compatibility with diverse developer workflows and stacks.
7Deployment and Self-Hosting
Rivet is designed for portability, requiring only a single Rust binary and S3 as a dependency for self-hosting. It runs identically in local development and production environments, simplifying the testing process. Users can deploy dedicated clusters on AWS or GCP, or utilize the Bring Your Own Cloud (BYOC) model for management.
8Future of Agent Orchestration
By moving away from expensive, idle sandboxes, Rivet provides a scalable path for complex agentic workloads. Its ability to handle large session transcripts and POSIX filesystems demonstrates a shift toward more durable, cost-effective infrastructure. As agent complexity grows, the demand for such high-density, open-source orchestration tools is expected to increase significantly.