MCP Server Docker vs MCP AST Explorer

In-depth architectural comparison of the MCP Server Docker and MCP AST Explorer MCP servers. Compare execution transports, security boundaries, tool capabilities, quality scores, and ready-to-paste client installation snippets for Claude, Cursor, Windsurf, and VS Code.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose MCP Server Docker when:

• You need dedicated capabilities in the Developer Tools domain.
• You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
• Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
• You have access to required keys: DOCKER_HOST.
• Primary tools included: Natural-language container composition prompt, Container lifecycle management, Image build, pull, push, and removal.

Explore MCP Server Docker Details

Choose MCP AST Explorer when:

• You need dedicated capabilities in the Developer Tools domain.
• You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
• Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
• Primary tools included: LibCST-based Python source indexing, Definition and signature lookup, Same-module reference search.

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	MCP Server Docker ckreiling Developer Tools	MCP AST Explorer Developer Tools
Summary	Integrate with Docker to manage containers, images, volumes, and networks.	Python symbol exploration for codebase onboarding agents.
Category & Scope	Developer Tools	Developer Tools

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

Ready-to-Paste Client Configurations

Paste either (or both) of these JSON server blocks into your client config file (e.g. claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json).

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ckreiling-mcp-server-docker": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-server-docker"
      ],
      "env": {
        "DOCKER_HOST": "YOUR_DOCKER_HOST_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-ast-explorer": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-ast-explorer"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Related MCP Server Comparisons