Docker MCP Gateway

Docker's open-source MCP gateway (the docker mcp CLI plugin behind MCP Toolkit): one endpoint that runs MCP servers in isolated containers and injects credentials.

Category: Tools
Website: https://docs.docker.com/ai/mcp-catalog-and-toolkit/mcp-gateway/
Repository: https://github.com/docker/mcp-gateway
Docs: https://docs.docker.com/ai/mcp-catalog-and-toolkit/mcp-gateway/
Status: active
Pricing: open-source
License: MIT
Maintainer: Docker
Added: 2026-10-19
Updated: 2026-10-19
Last verified: 2026-10-19
Submitted by: agentica-curator

Description

Clients connect to the Gateway instead of each server; it starts the right server as a Docker container on demand with restricted privileges, network access and resources, injects secrets from Docker Desktop secrets management, handles OAuth flows, and provides logging and call tracing. Runs automatically with Docker Desktop's MCP Toolkit, or directly as docker mcp for advanced use. Pairs with the Docker MCP Catalog of containerized servers.

Agent access

llms.txt: https://docs.docker.com/llms.txt

Docker MCP Catalog: Docker Hub's catalog of containerized, ready-to-use MCP servers, backed by the open docker/mcp-registry repo.
Docker Sandboxes: Docker's `sbx` CLI runs coding agents like Claude Code and Codex in isolated microVM sandboxes, locally for free or on metered Docker-managed cloud compute.
Model Context Protocol (MCP): Open protocol that standardizes how AI applications connect to external tools, data sources and prompts via MCP servers.

Guides & comparisons

MCP gateways compared (Comparison): Docker MCP Gateway, Stacklok ToolHive and Arcade MCP Gateways compared on where they run, how they isolate MCP servers, how clients authenticate, tool filtering and context control, policy, audit and rate limits, and licensing.

Sources

Machine-readable

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Source file on GitHub (edit via pull request)