What is the key difference between MCP Server Docker and Portainer MCP?

MCP Server Docker belongs to the Cloud Platforms category with local stdio execution, while Portainer MCP belongs to the Cloud Platforms category with local stdio execution.

How do I install MCP Server Docker or Portainer MCP in Claude Desktop or Cursor?

Copy the mcpServers JSON configuration snippet provided on this page into your claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json file and restart your AI client.

Are MCP Server Docker and Portainer MCP free or paid?

MCP Server Docker operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required). Portainer MCP operates under a Free / Open Source model (API Key required).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

MCP Server Docker lists 6 tools with 3 views and 738 GitHub stars. Portainer MCP lists 5 tools with 3 views and 213 GitHub stars.

Can I use both MCP Server Docker and Portainer MCP together in the same MCP host?

Yes! MCP hosts like Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, Cline, and VS Code support configuring multiple servers under the mcpServers object simultaneously.

Side-by-Side Model Context Protocol Comparison

MCP Server Docker vs Portainer MCP

In-depth architectural comparison of the MCP Server Docker and Portainer MCP 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.

At a Glance & Executive Verdict

MCP Server Docker

Cloud Platforms · Local stdio

Quality: 48/100 (Fair) | Auth: No auth required

Portainer MCP

Cloud Platforms · Local stdio

Quality: 52/100 (Good) | Auth: API Key required

Verdict Summary: Choose MCP Server Docker if you need specialized Cloud Platforms tools running via a local process. Choose Portainer MCP if your workspace requires Cloud Platforms integration with local subprocess execution. Both servers can be configured concurrently in your client's mcpServers manifest.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose MCP Server Docker when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Cloud Platforms 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 with plan and apply loop, Container lifecycle management: create, run, start, stop, remove, Image management: list, pull, push, build, remove.

Explore MCP Server Docker Details

Choose Portainer MCP when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Cloud Platforms domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: API Key required (Free / Open Source).
You have access to required keys: PORTAINER_URL, PORTAINER_API_KEY, PORTAINER_MCP_AUTH_TOKEN, PORTAINER_MCP_ALLOWED_HOSTS, PORTAINER_MCP_TLS_CERT, PORTAINER_MCP_TLS_KEY, PORTAINER_MCP_TRUST_PROXY_TLS, PORTAINER_MCP_FORWARDED_ALLOW_IPS.

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	MCP Server Docker ckreiling Cloud Platforms	Portainer MCP portainer Cloud Platforms
Summary	Integrate with Docker to manage containers, images, volumes, and networks.	/🏠 - A powerful MCP server that enables AI assistants to seamlessly interact with Portainer instances, providing natural language access to container management, deployment operations, and infrastructure monitoring capabilities.
Category & Scope	Cloud Platforms

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

MCP Server Docker Tools (6)

Natural language container composition with plan and apply loop

Container lifecycle management: create, run, start, stop, remove

Image management: list, pull, push, build, remove

Network and volume management: list, create, remove

Access container logs and stats via resource URIs

Supports local and remote Docker daemon connections

Portainer MCP Tools (5)

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).

MCP Server Docker Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ckreiling-mcp-server-docker": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/inspector"
      ],
      "env": {
        "DOCKER_HOST": "YOUR_DOCKER_HOST_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Portainer MCP Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "portainer-portainer-mcp": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "--from"
      ],
      "env": {
        "PORTAINER_URL": "YOUR_PORTAINER_URL_HERE",
        "PORTAINER_API_KEY": "YOUR_PORTAINER_API_KEY_HERE",
        "PORTAINER_MCP_AUTH_TOKEN": "YOUR_PORTAINER_MCP_AUTH_TOKEN_HERE",
        "PORTAINER_MCP_ALLOWED_HOSTS": "YOUR_PORTAINER_MCP_ALLOWED_HOSTS_HERE",
        "PORTAINER_MCP_TLS_CERT": "YOUR_PORTAINER_MCP_TLS_CERT_HERE",
        "PORTAINER_MCP_TLS_KEY": "YOUR_PORTAINER_MCP_TLS_KEY_HERE",
        "PORTAINER_MCP_TRUST_PROXY_TLS": "YOUR_PORTAINER_MCP_TRUST_PROXY_TLS_HERE",
        "PORTAINER_MCP_FORWARDED_ALLOW_IPS": "YOUR_PORTAINER_MCP_FORWARDED_ALLOW_IPS_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

MCP Server Docker is categorized under Cloud Platforms and uses a local stdio subprocess. In contrast, Portainer MCP belongs to Cloud Platforms using local stdio subprocess. Select MCP Server Docker when you need capabilities focused on cloud platforms and Portainer MCP when you require tools for cloud platforms.

More alternatives to MCP Server Docker More alternatives to Portainer MCP Cloud Platforms category hub