{ "data": { "a": { "slug": "claude-agent-sdk", "name": "Claude Agent SDK", "vendor": "Anthropic", "vendorUrl": "https://www.anthropic.com", "kind": "framework", "category": "frameworks", "summary": "Runs the Claude Code agent as a library, with its loop, built-in tools, permissions, sessions, hooks and subagents.", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/claude-agent-sdk", "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/claude-agent-sdk.md", "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/claude-agent-sdk.min.md", "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/claude-agent-sdk.json", "repo": "https://github.com/anthropics/claude-agent-sdk-python", "license": "MIT (Python wrapper), proprietary (TypeScript package and the bundled Claude Code binary)", "transports": [], "packages": [ { "registry": "pypi", "name": "claude-agent-sdk" }, { "registry": "npm", "name": "@anthropic-ai/claude-agent-sdk" } ], "auth": "api-key", "authNotes": "Claude API key, or Bedrock, Google Cloud or Foundry credentials. Third-party products may not use claude.ai logins without approval.", "pricing": "free", "pricingNotes": "Free to install. You pay for the Claude model calls it makes, through the Claude API, Bedrock, Google Cloud or Foundry. Managed Agents is a separate hosted agent harness configured through the Claude API, at $0.08 a session-hour plus tokens.", "priceSummary": "Free", "where": "library", "x402": { "level": "no", "endpoints": [] }, "toolCount": null, "popularity": { "githubStars": 8170, "npmWeekly": 10056166, "pypiWeekly": 6116753, "asOf": "2026-09-26" }, "docsUrl": "https://code.claude.com/docs/en/agent-sdk/overview", "llmsTxt": "https://code.claude.com/docs/llms.txt", "capabilities": [ "agent.framework", "agent.multi-agent", "agent.mcp-client" ], "tags": [ "official", "framework", "python", "typescript", "telemetry-default-on", "claude-only" ], "lastRelease": "2026-09-30", "graded": true, "disclosure": "Anthropic makes the models this research run and the review panel run on. This listing was graded by agents running on Claude, by the same published checklist as every other listing, and the panel doesn't review it, because every reviewer runs on Claude too.", "anchor": { "graded": true, "score": 72.1, "grade": "BB", "agentReady": true, "rank": 91, "ranked": true, "rankOf": 629, "categoryRank": 8, "methodology": "0.4", "run": "2026-10-01", "scores": { "ergonomics": 94, "maintenance": 87, "payments": 40, "reliability": 70, "schema": 89, "security": 83, "transparency": 83 }, "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "assessment": { "confidence": "medium", "date": "2026-10-01" }, "negative": -6, "negativeNotes": [ "2025-11-20 to 2026-06-25. The Claude Code CLI that this SDK bundles and runs published at least ten high-severity advisories in its permission and sandbox layer, among them approval-prompt bypasses by command injection (GHSA-qgqw-h4xq-7w8w, GHSA-mhg7-666j-cqg4, GHSA-66q4-vfjg-2qhh), a domain-validation bypass (GHSA-vhw5-3g5m-8ggf) and sandbox escapes (GHSA-ff64-7w26-62rf, GHSA-vp62-r36r-9xqp, GHSA-7835-87q9-rgvv), plus a moderate exfiltration path through WebFetch (GHSA-fg94-h982-f3mm). All fixed and published, so each counts 2 points inside six months and 1 point after, and the total hits our cap of -6 for fixed advisories. Judgement call. We counted the CLI's advisories against the SDK because the SDK's permission modes are that layer, and left out the ones for interactive trust prompts, Cowork and SSH sessions. https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/security/advisories" ], "verdict": "Claude Code's file, shell, search and web tools, with six permission modes, a canUseTool callback and PreToolUse hooks. Claude models only, so a person has to set up a Claude API key or cloud account first.", "bestFor": "Agents that work on files, code and shells and want Claude Code's tool set and permission model without building them.", "disclosure": "Anthropic makes the models this research run and the review panel run on. This listing was graded by agents running on Claude, by the same published checklist as every other listing, and the panel doesn't review it, because every reviewer runs on Claude too.", "strengths": [ "Claude Code's file, shell, search and web tools, with six permission modes, a canUseTool callback and PreToolUse hooks", "MCP over stdio, SSE, streamable HTTP and in-process servers, with tool search on by default", "max_turns and max_budget_usd caps, and sessions you can resume or fork", "Typed exceptions, and a ResultError that carries the subtype and terminal reason", "About 50 Python releases since 3 July 2026, with Test and Lint passing on main" ], "weaknesses": [ "Claude models only, so a person has to set up a Claude API key or cloud account first", "The TypeScript package and the bundled Claude Code binary are proprietary", "Usage metrics on by default on the Claude API", "Pre-1.0 and classed as Alpha on PyPI, with a breaking change in patch release 0.2.129", "About 260 open pull requests, and a regression and two data-loss reports open since August" ], "agentNotes": [ "Set DISABLE_TELEMETRY=1 before the first run on the Claude API", "List MCP tools in allowed_tools, or the agent sees them and can't call them", "Pass permission_mode explicitly. An unset mode can start in auto mode since TypeScript 0.3.286", "Pin the version. Releases land almost daily and some get yanked", "Check the init message for MCP servers in failed or needs-auth. They don't raise" ], "metrics": { "kind": "library", "measured": false }, "reviewCount": 0, "avgRating": 0, "history": [ { "basis": "public evidence", "confidence": "medium", "grade": "BB", "methodology": "0.4", "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run", "score": 72.1 } ], "editorialScores": { "ergonomics": 94, "maintenance": 87, "payments": 40, "reliability": 70, "schema": 89, "security": 83, "transparency": 71 }, "provenanceScore": 94 }, "connect": { "install": "pip install claude-agent-sdk # or: npm i @anthropic-ai/claude-agent-sdk" }, "letme": { "capability": "https://letme.dev/agent.framework", "tool": "https://letme.dev/claude-agent-sdk" }, "sameCompany": [ "anthropic-api", "claude-code" ], "area": "frameworks", "unitPrices": [ { "item": "Managed Agents runtime (beta)", "unit": "session-hour", "usd": 0.08, "note": "plus tokens" } ], "provenance": { "legalEntity": "Anthropic, PBC", "domain": "claude.com", "domainRegistered": "1995-05-24", "domainNote": "claude.com was registered in 1995, long before Anthropic bought it.", "endpointOnVendorDomain": null, "terms": "https://www.anthropic.com/legal/commercial-terms", "privacy": "https://www.anthropic.com/legal/privacy", "statusPage": "https://status.claude.com", "changelog": "https://github.com/anthropics/claude-agent-sdk-python/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md", "securityTxt": "valid", "checked": "2026-09-26", "score": 94 }, "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/claude-agent-sdk.json", "live": { "slug": "claude-agent-sdk", "vendorStatus": { "page": "https://status.claude.com", "indicator": "minor", "summary": "Partially Degraded Service", "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T18:21:51.613206029Z" }, "versions": [ { "registry": "github", "name": "anthropics/claude-agent-sdk-python", "version": "v0.2.164", "released": "2026-10-06", "seenAt": "2026-10-08T16:05:23.147132857Z" }, { "registry": "npm", "name": "@anthropic-ai/claude-agent-sdk", "version": "0.3.293", "seenAt": "2026-10-08T16:05:19.778971783Z" }, { "registry": "pypi", "name": "claude-agent-sdk", "version": "0.2.164", "released": "2026-10-06", "seenAt": "2026-10-08T16:05:17.762342033Z" } ], "githubStars": 8224, "npmWeekly": 14050417, "pypiWeekly": 7603237, "securityTxt": { "url": "https://claude.com/.well-known/security.txt", "state": "none", "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T15:38:46.229446919Z" }, "llmsTxt": { "url": "https://code.claude.com/docs/llms.txt", "ok": true, "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T14:00:11.322255201Z" }, "domain": { "domain": "claude.com", "registered": "1995-05-24", "source": "https://rdap.verisign.com/com/v1/domain/claude.com", "checkedAt": "2026-10-04T13:04:27.501644209Z" }, "pages": [ { "url": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/anthropics/claude-agent-sdk-python/main/CHANGELOG.md", "kind": "deprecations", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T18:23:53.760040889Z", "changedAt": "2026-10-08T18:23:53.760040889Z", "fingerprint": "6718af755855" } ], "updatedAt": "2026-10-08T18:23:53.760040889Z" } }, "answer": "Docker Agent scores 76.5 (BB) on agent readiness against Claude Agent SDK's 72.1 (BB), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories. Claude Agent SDK leads on agent ergonomics and security \u0026 auth.", "b": { "slug": "docker-agent", "name": "Docker Agent", "vendor": "Docker", "vendorUrl": "https://docker.github.io/docker-agent/", "kind": "framework", "category": "frameworks", "summary": "Docker's open-source runtime for building and running AI agents from YAML or HCL files, formerly cagent. It runs as a `docker agent` CLI plugin with a terminal UI, headless mode, HTTP, MCP and A2A servers, and a Go library.", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/docker-agent", "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/docker-agent.md", "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/docker-agent.min.md", "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/docker-agent.json", "repo": "https://github.com/docker/docker-agent", "license": "Apache-2.0", "transports": [], "packages": [ { "registry": "oci", "name": "docker/docker-agent" }, { "registry": "go", "name": "github.com/docker/docker-agent" } ], "auth": "none", "authNotes": "No account of its own. Model keys come from provider environment variables, `--env-from-file`, an account login or Docker Model Runner for local models. The servers it starts take an optional Bearer token (`--auth-token`), which HTTP MCP requires on a non-loopback address.", "pricing": "free", "pricingNotes": "Free and Apache-2.0, with nothing to buy for the CLI. You pay your model provider, or nothing with a local model through Docker Model Runner. Cloud sandboxes need a Docker login and weren't priced in this check.", "priceSummary": "Free · OSS", "where": "library", "x402": { "level": "no", "evidence": "No x402, MPP or L402 in the docs or the README (checked 2026-10-08).", "endpoints": [] }, "toolCount": null, "popularity": { "githubStars": 4029, "npmWeekly": null, "pypiWeekly": null, "asOf": "2026-10-08" }, "docsUrl": "https://docker.github.io/docker-agent/", "llmsTxt": "https://docker.github.io/docker-agent/llms.txt", "capabilities": [ "agent.framework", "agent.multi-agent", "agent.mcp-client", "agent.durable" ], "tags": [ "framework", "open-source", "go", "local", "free", "no-card", "llms-txt", "docker" ], "lastRelease": "2026-10-07", "graded": true, "anchor": { "graded": true, "score": 76.5, "grade": "BB", "agentReady": true, "rank": 30, "ranked": true, "rankOf": 629, "categoryRank": 4, "methodology": "0.4", "run": "2026-10-01", "scores": { "ergonomics": 81, "maintenance": 96, "payments": 60, "reliability": 88, "schema": 90, "security": 70, "transparency": 80 }, "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "assessment": { "confidence": "medium", "date": "2026-10-08" }, "negative": -4, "negativeNotes": [ "2026-09-01. GHSA-8f6v-26r8-3r4h (high). `read_skill` was treated as read-only and could be auto-approved, yet it ran shell commands embedded in local skill files, so opening a repository that ships skills could run commands without a prompt. Affects 1.32.5 up to 1.130.0. Fixed in 1.130.0 and published, inside six months, -2. https://github.com/docker/docker-agent/security/advisories/GHSA-8f6v-26r8-3r4h", "2026-08-20. GHSA-f2g7-cxrq-x54m (high). `docker agent serve a2a` created unattended sessions with tool approval disabled, so a client that could reach the endpoint could run tools without approval. The listener binds to loopback by default. Affects 1.8.2 up to 1.126.0. Fixed in 1.126.0 and published, inside six months, -2. https://github.com/docker/docker-agent/security/advisories/GHSA-f2g7-cxrq-x54m" ], "verdict": "An agent with an MCP server is eight lines of YAML, and the same file runs in a terminal, headless, or as an HTTP, MCP or A2A server. Usage telemetry is on by default and can carry prompts passed as command arguments, and two high-severity approval bypasses were fixed in August and September 2026.", "bestFor": "Teams already on Docker who want agents defined in a file, shared through an OCI registry and run the same way in a terminal, in CI or behind an HTTP, MCP or A2A server.", "strengths": [ "An agent with one MCP server is eight lines of YAML, with a published JSON Schema for the config", "Four safety modes, allow, ask and deny rules, and a `--sandbox` flag that runs the agent in a Docker Sandboxes VM", "Headless `run --exec` with NDJSON events, structured output, and budgets for cost, tokens and time", "The same config runs as an HTTP API, an OpenAI-compatible chat server, an MCP server or an A2A server", "v1.149.0 on 7 October 2026, with 45 tagged releases in 90 days and a dated changelog" ], "weaknesses": [ "Usage telemetry is on by default and command events can include prompts passed as arguments", "Two high-severity advisories in 2026, each letting tools or shell commands run without approval, both fixed", "Breaking changes ship in minor releases, three of them between July and September 2026", "`max_iterations` is unlimited and no budget is set unless the config declares one", "The `--listen` control plane has no built-in authentication, and A2A support is described as early" ], "agentNotes": [ "Set `TELEMETRY_ENABLED=false` before `run` or `exec` with a prompt on the command line. Telemetry is on by default and sends positional arguments", "For unattended runs pass `--safety restricted` with an allow-list, or `--sandbox`. Without a policy, `--exec` rejects every tool call that needs approval", "Set `max_iterations` and a `budget` block in the config. Both are unlimited by default", "Run 1.130.0 or later. Earlier versions ran shell commands embedded in local skills, and A2A sessions before 1.126.0 skipped tool approval", "Review `runtime.safety` in any config pulled from a registry or URL. An author default of `autonomous` runs every tool call unprompted" ], "metrics": { "kind": "local", "measured": false }, "reviewCount": 0, "avgRating": 0, "history": [ { "basis": "public evidence", "confidence": "medium", "grade": "BB", "methodology": "0.4", "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run", "score": 76.5 } ], "editorialScores": { "ergonomics": 81, "maintenance": 96, "payments": 60, "reliability": 88, "schema": 90, "security": 70, "transparency": 75 }, "provenanceScore": 84 }, "connect": { "install": "brew install docker-agent # bundled with Docker Desktop 4.63 and later as `docker agent`", "claudeCode": "claude mcp add --transport stdio myagent --env OPENAI_API_KEY=$OPENAI_API_KEY --env ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=$ANTHROPIC_API_KEY -- docker agent serve mcp myorg/agent:tag --working-dir $(pwd)", "headless": { "command": "docker agent run --exec --safety restricted agent.yaml --json \"$TASK\"", "env": { "OPENAI_API_KEY": "\u003ckey\u003e", "TELEMETRY_ENABLED": "false" } } }, "letme": { "capability": "https://letme.dev/agent.framework", "tool": "https://letme.dev/docker-agent" }, "sameCompany": [ "docker-model-runner" ], "area": "frameworks", "provenance": { "legalEntity": "Docker, Inc.", "domain": "docker.com", "domainRegistered": "1995-01-25", "endpointOnVendorDomain": null, "terms": "https://www.docker.com/legal/docker-terms-use/", "privacy": "https://www.docker.com/legal/privacy/", "statusPage": "", "changelog": "https://github.com/docker/docker-agent/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md", "securityTxt": "valid", "checked": "2026-10-08", "notes": [ "The repository is under GitHub's docker organisation and SECURITY.md sends reports to security@docker.com. Docker's privacy policy names Docker, Inc.", "www.docker.com/.well-known/security.txt gives security@docker.com, a policy URL and an expiry of 1 January 2030.", "Main-branch docs are on docker.github.io/docker-agent and the stable docs on docs.docker.com/ai/docker-agent. Both loaded on 8 October 2026.", "Docker's general terms and privacy policy are listed. Neither the README nor the telemetry page says which terms govern the open-source CLI.", "No status page is listed because the software runs on the owner's machine. Usage telemetry goes to api.docker.com/events/v1/track per pkg/telemetry/client.go.", "RDAP for docker.com gives a registration date of 1995-01-25." ], "score": 84 }, "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/docker-agent.json", "live": { "slug": "docker-agent", "versions": [ { "registry": "github", "name": "docker/docker-agent", "version": "v1.149.0", "released": "2026-10-07", "seenAt": "2026-10-08T16:08:47.905263699Z" } ], "githubStars": 4162, "securityTxt": { "url": "https://docker.com/.well-known/security.txt", "state": "valid", "expires": "2030-01-01T05:00:00.000Z", "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T15:38:30.592404975Z" }, "pages": [ { "url": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/docker/docker-agent/main/CHANGELOG.md", "kind": "changelog", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T18:24:07.71659514Z", "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "fingerprint": "1dc799acf63f" } ], "updatedAt": "2026-10-08T18:24:07.71659514Z" } }, "facts": [ { "a": "Agent framework", "b": "Agent framework", "name": "Kind" }, { "a": "Anthropic", "b": "Docker", "name": "Vendor" }, { "a": "no (local only)", "b": "no (local only)", "name": "Hosted endpoint" }, { "a": "", "b": "", "name": "Transports" }, { "a": "API key", "b": "None", "name": "Auth" }, { "a": "Free", "b": "Free", "name": "Pricing" }, { "a": "no", "b": "no", "name": "x402" }, { "a": "MIT (Python wrapper), proprietary (TypeScript package and the bundled Claude Code binary)", "b": "Apache-2.0", "name": "Licence" }, { "a": "no", "b": "no", "name": "Read-only variant documented" }, { "a": "yes", "b": "yes", "name": "llms.txt" }, { "a": "2026-09-30", "b": "2026-10-07", "name": "Last release" }, { "a": "no date given", "b": "2026-08-26", "name": "Terms last updated" }, { "a": "no date given", "b": "2026-08-26", "name": "Privacy policy last updated" }, { "a": "yes, with an opt-out", "b": "not found in the text", "name": "Customer content may train models" }, { "a": "not found in the text", "b": "yes", "name": "Terms restrict automated access" }, { "a": "yes", "b": "yes", "name": "Terms restrict benchmarking" }, { "a": "not found in the text", "b": "not found in the text", "name": "Terms or service can change without notice" }, { "a": "yes", "b": "yes", "name": "Arbitration or class-action waiver" }, { "a": "8.2k stars, 10.1M npm/wk, 6.1M PyPI/wk", "b": "4k stars", "name": "Popularity" } ], "faq": [ { "answer": "Docker Agent scores 76.5 (BB) on agent readiness against Claude Agent SDK's 72.1 (BB), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories. Claude Agent SDK leads on agent ergonomics and security \u0026 auth.", "question": "Which is better for AI agents, Claude Agent SDK or Docker Agent?" }, { "answer": "No open-source release is listed for Claude Agent SDK. Docker Agent is open source (Apache-2.0).", "question": "Are Claude Agent SDK and Docker Agent open source?" } ], "goodFor": [ { "aheadOn": [ "Agent ergonomics, 94 against 81", "Security \u0026 auth, 83 against 70" ], "also": null, "goodFor": "Agents that work on files, code and shells and want Claude Code's tool set and permission model without building them.", "slug": "claude-agent-sdk", "watchFor": "Claude models only, so a person has to set up a Claude API key or cloud account first" }, { "aheadOn": [ "Reliability, 88 against 70", "Payments \u0026 pricing, 60 against 40", "Maintenance \u0026 community, 96 against 87" ], "also": [ "No key needed to call it", "Free to start without a card", "Open source" ], "goodFor": "Teams already on Docker who want agents defined in a file, shared through an OCI registry and run the same way in a terminal, in CI or behind an HTTP, MCP or A2A server.", "slug": "docker-agent", "watchFor": "Usage telemetry is on by default and command events can include prompts passed as arguments" } ], "job": { "capability": "agent.framework", "name": "Agent frameworks" }, "others": [ { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agentos-vs-claude-agent-sdk.json", "title": "AgentOS vs Claude Agent SDK", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agentos-vs-claude-agent-sdk" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agentos-vs-docker-agent.json", "title": "AgentOS vs Docker Agent", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agentos-vs-docker-agent" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agno-vs-claude-agent-sdk.json", "title": "Agno vs Claude Agent SDK", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agno-vs-claude-agent-sdk" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agno-vs-docker-agent.json", "title": "Agno vs Docker Agent", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agno-vs-docker-agent" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-agent-sdk-vs-crewai.json", "title": "Claude Agent SDK vs CrewAI", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-agent-sdk-vs-crewai" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-agent-sdk-vs-google-adk.json", "title": "Claude Agent SDK vs Agent Development Kit (ADK)", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-agent-sdk-vs-google-adk" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-agent-sdk-vs-langgraph.json", "title": "Claude Agent SDK vs LangGraph", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-agent-sdk-vs-langgraph" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-agent-sdk-vs-microsoft-agent-framework.json", "title": "Claude Agent SDK vs Microsoft Agent Framework", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-agent-sdk-vs-microsoft-agent-framework" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-agent-sdk-vs-openai-agents-sdk.json", "title": "Claude Agent SDK vs OpenAI Agents SDK", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-agent-sdk-vs-openai-agents-sdk" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-agent-sdk-vs-pydantic-ai.json", "title": "Claude Agent SDK vs Pydantic AI", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-agent-sdk-vs-pydantic-ai" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/crewai-vs-docker-agent.json", "title": "CrewAI vs Docker Agent", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/crewai-vs-docker-agent" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/docker-agent-vs-google-adk.json", "title": "Docker Agent vs Agent Development Kit (ADK)", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/docker-agent-vs-google-adk" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/docker-agent-vs-langgraph.json", "title": "Docker Agent vs LangGraph", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/docker-agent-vs-langgraph" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/docker-agent-vs-microsoft-agent-framework.json", "title": "Docker Agent vs Microsoft Agent Framework", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/docker-agent-vs-microsoft-agent-framework" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/docker-agent-vs-openai-agents-sdk.json", "title": "Docker Agent vs OpenAI Agents SDK", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/docker-agent-vs-openai-agents-sdk" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/docker-agent-vs-pydantic-ai.json", "title": "Docker Agent vs Pydantic AI", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/docker-agent-vs-pydantic-ai" } ], "scores": [ { "by": 18, "claude-agent-sdk": 70, "docker-agent": 88, "edge": "docker-agent", "key": "reliability", "name": "Reliability", "weight": 16 }, { "key": "performance", "name": "Performance", "pending": true, "weight": 10 }, { "by": 1, "claude-agent-sdk": 89, "docker-agent": 90, "edge": "docker-agent", "key": "schema", "name": "Schema \u0026 documentation", "weight": 13 }, { "by": 13, "claude-agent-sdk": 94, "docker-agent": 81, "edge": "claude-agent-sdk", "key": "ergonomics", "name": "Agent ergonomics", "weight": 13 }, { "by": 13, "claude-agent-sdk": 83, "docker-agent": 70, "edge": "claude-agent-sdk", "key": "security", "name": "Security \u0026 auth", "weight": 14 }, { "by": 20, "claude-agent-sdk": 40, "docker-agent": 60, "edge": "docker-agent", "key": "payments", "name": "Payments \u0026 pricing", "weight": 10 }, { "key": "tasks", "name": "Task success", "pending": true, "weight": 10 }, { "by": 9, "claude-agent-sdk": 87, "docker-agent": 96, "edge": "docker-agent", "key": "maintenance", "name": "Maintenance \u0026 community", "weight": 7 }, { "by": 3, "claude-agent-sdk": 83, "docker-agent": 80, "edge": "claude-agent-sdk", "key": "transparency", "name": "Transparency \u0026 trust", "weight": 7 } ], "summary": "Docker Agent scores 76.5 (BB) on agent readiness against Claude Agent SDK's 72.1 (BB), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories. Claude Agent SDK leads on agent ergonomics and security \u0026 auth. Both do agent frameworks.", "verdicts": { "claude-agent-sdk": "Claude Code's file, shell, search and web tools, with six permission modes, a canUseTool callback and PreToolUse hooks. Claude models only, so a person has to set up a Claude API key or cloud account first.", "docker-agent": "An agent with an MCP server is eight lines of YAML, and the same file runs in a terminal, headless, or as an HTTP, MCP or A2A server. Usage telemetry is on by default and can carry prompts passed as command arguments, and two high-severity approval bypasses were fixed in August and September 2026." } }, "kind": "anchor.page", "links": { "api": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json", "html": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-agent-sdk-vs-docker-agent", "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-agent-sdk-vs-docker-agent.json", "llms": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt", "markdown": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-agent-sdk-vs-docker-agent.md", "slim": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-agent-sdk-vs-docker-agent.min.md" }, "markdown": "Docker Agent scores 76.5 (BB) on agent readiness against Claude Agent SDK's 72.1 (BB), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories. Claude Agent SDK leads on agent ergonomics and security \u0026 auth. Both do agent frameworks.\n\n- Claude Agent SDK: grade BB, 72.1/100, rank #91 of 629. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/claude-agent-sdk.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/claude-agent-sdk.json\n- Docker Agent: grade BB, 76.5/100, rank #30 of 629. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/docker-agent.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/docker-agent.json\n\n## Which one, for what\n\n### Claude Agent SDK (BB)\n\nGood for: Agents that work on files, code and shells and want Claude Code's tool set and permission model without building them.\n\nAhead on:\n- Agent ergonomics, 94 against 81\n- Security \u0026 auth, 83 against 70\n\nWatch for: Claude models only, so a person has to set up a Claude API key or cloud account first\n\n### Docker Agent (BB)\n\nGood for: Teams already on Docker who want agents defined in a file, shared through an OCI registry and run the same way in a terminal, in CI or behind an HTTP, MCP or A2A server.\n\nAhead on:\n- Reliability, 88 against 70\n- Payments \u0026 pricing, 60 against 40\n- Maintenance \u0026 community, 96 against 87\n\nAlso in its favour:\n- No key needed to call it\n- Free to start without a card\n- Open source\n\nWatch for: Usage telemetry is on by default and command events can include prompts passed as arguments\n\n\n## Score by category\n\n| Category | Weight | Claude Agent SDK | Docker Agent | Edge |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 70 | 88 | Docker Agent +18 |\n| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Schema \u0026 documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 89 | 90 | Docker Agent +1 |\n| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 94 | 81 | Claude Agent SDK +13 |\n| Security \u0026 auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 83 | 70 | Claude Agent SDK +13 |\n| Payments \u0026 pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 40 | 60 | Docker Agent +20 |\n| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Maintenance \u0026 community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 87 | 96 | Docker Agent +9 |\n| Transparency \u0026 trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 83 | 80 | Claude Agent SDK +3 |\n| Negative events | ≤15 | -6 | -4 | |\n| **Total** | | **72.1 · BB** | **76.5 · BB** | |\n\n## Facts side by side\n\n| Fact | Claude Agent SDK | Docker Agent |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| Kind | Agent framework | Agent framework |\n| Vendor | Anthropic | Docker |\n| Hosted endpoint | no (local only) | no (local only) |\n| Transports | | |\n| Auth | API key | None |\n| Pricing | Free | Free |\n| x402 | no | no |\n| Licence | MIT (Python wrapper), proprietary (TypeScript package and the bundled Claude Code binary) | Apache-2.0 |\n| Read-only variant documented | no | no |\n| llms.txt | yes | yes |\n| Last release | 2026-09-30 | 2026-10-07 |\n| Terms last updated | no date given | 2026-08-26 |\n| Privacy policy last updated | no date given | 2026-08-26 |\n| Customer content may train models | yes, with an opt-out | not found in the text |\n| Terms restrict automated access | not found in the text | yes |\n| Terms restrict benchmarking | yes | yes |\n| Terms or service can change without notice | not found in the text | not found in the text |\n| Arbitration or class-action waiver | yes | yes |\n| Popularity | 8.2k stars, 10.1M npm/wk, 6.1M PyPI/wk | 4k stars |\n\n## Verdicts\n\n**Claude Agent SDK.** Claude Code's file, shell, search and web tools, with six permission modes, a canUseTool callback and PreToolUse hooks. Claude models only, so a person has to set up a Claude API key or cloud account first.\n\n**Docker Agent.** An agent with an MCP server is eight lines of YAML, and the same file runs in a terminal, headless, or as an HTTP, MCP or A2A server. Usage telemetry is on by default and can carry prompts passed as command arguments, and two high-severity approval bypasses were fixed in August and September 2026.\n\n## Before you call either\n\n### Claude Agent SDK\n\n1. Set DISABLE_TELEMETRY=1 before the first run on the Claude API\n2. List MCP tools in allowed_tools, or the agent sees them and can't call them\n3. Pass permission_mode explicitly. An unset mode can start in auto mode since TypeScript 0.3.286\n4. Pin the version. Releases land almost daily and some get yanked\n5. Check the init message for MCP servers in failed or needs-auth. They don't raise\n\n### Docker Agent\n\n1. Set `TELEMETRY_ENABLED=false` before `run` or `exec` with a prompt on the command line. Telemetry is on by default and sends positional arguments\n2. For unattended runs pass `--safety restricted` with an allow-list, or `--sandbox`. Without a policy, `--exec` rejects every tool call that needs approval\n3. Set `max_iterations` and a `budget` block in the config. Both are unlimited by default\n4. Run 1.130.0 or later. Earlier versions ran shell commands embedded in local skills, and A2A sessions before 1.126.0 skipped tool approval\n5. Review `runtime.safety` in any config pulled from a registry or URL. An author default of `autonomous` runs every tool call unprompted\n\n## Questions\n\n### Which is better for AI agents, Claude Agent SDK or Docker Agent?\n\nDocker Agent scores 76.5 (BB) on agent readiness against Claude Agent SDK's 72.1 (BB), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories. Claude Agent SDK leads on agent ergonomics and security \u0026 auth.\n\n### Are Claude Agent SDK and Docker Agent open source?\n\nNo open-source release is listed for Claude Agent SDK. Docker Agent is open source (Apache-2.0).\n\n\n## For agents\n\n- This comparison as JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-agent-sdk-vs-docker-agent.json, and with the fewest tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-agent-sdk-vs-docker-agent.min.md\n- Over MCP at https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (no key): `compare_tools {\"a\": \"claude-agent-sdk\", \"b\": \"docker-agent\"}`. From a terminal: `anchor compare claude-agent-sdk docker-agent`\n- Each listing in full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/claude-agent-sdk.json and https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/docker-agent.json\n\n## Other comparisons with Claude Agent SDK or Docker Agent\n\n- [AgentOS vs Claude Agent SDK](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agentos-vs-claude-agent-sdk.md)\n- [AgentOS vs Docker Agent](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agentos-vs-docker-agent.md)\n- [Agno vs Claude Agent SDK](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agno-vs-claude-agent-sdk.md)\n- [Agno vs Docker Agent](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agno-vs-docker-agent.md)\n- [Claude Agent SDK vs CrewAI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-agent-sdk-vs-crewai.md)\n- [Claude Agent SDK vs Agent Development Kit (ADK)](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-agent-sdk-vs-google-adk.md)\n- [Claude Agent SDK vs LangGraph](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-agent-sdk-vs-langgraph.md)\n- [Claude Agent SDK vs Microsoft Agent Framework](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-agent-sdk-vs-microsoft-agent-framework.md)\n- [Claude Agent SDK vs OpenAI Agents SDK](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-agent-sdk-vs-openai-agents-sdk.md)\n- [Claude Agent SDK vs Pydantic AI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-agent-sdk-vs-pydantic-ai.md)\n- [CrewAI vs Docker Agent](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/crewai-vs-docker-agent.md)\n- [Docker Agent vs Agent Development Kit (ADK)](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/docker-agent-vs-google-adk.md)\n- [Docker Agent vs LangGraph](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/docker-agent-vs-langgraph.md)\n- [Docker Agent vs Microsoft Agent Framework](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/docker-agent-vs-microsoft-agent-framework.md)\n- [Docker Agent vs OpenAI Agents SDK](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/docker-agent-vs-openai-agents-sdk.md)\n- [Docker Agent vs Pydantic AI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/docker-agent-vs-pydantic-ai.md)\n\n## Disclosure\n\n- Anthropic makes the models this research run and the review panel run on. This listing was graded by agents running on Claude, by the same published checklist as every other listing, and the panel doesn't review it, because every reviewer runs on Claude too.\n", "meta": { "attribution": "Anchor Terminal (https://www.anchorterminal.com)", "docs": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/docs/", "generatedAt": "2026-10-08", "license": "CC-BY-4.0", "method": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/benchmark/", "methodology": "0.4", "openapi": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/openapi.json", "preview": false, "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run" }, "page": { "breadcrumbs": [ { "name": "Home", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/" }, { "name": "Compare", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/" }, { "name": "Claude Agent SDK vs Docker Agent", "url": "" } ], "description": "Docker Agent scores 76.5 (BB) on agent readiness against Claude Agent SDK's 72.1 (BB), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories. Claude Agent SDK leads on agent ergonomics and security \u0026 auth. Both do agent frameworks. Category scores, facts, verdicts and agent notes side by side.", "facts": [ "Claude Agent SDK BB 72.1", "Docker Agent BB 76.5", "scores" ], "h1": "Claude Agent SDK vs Docker Agent", "image": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/assets/og/compare-claude-agent-sdk-vs-docker-agent.png", "path": "/compare/claude-agent-sdk-vs-docker-agent", "published": "2026-10-01", "section": "tools", "title": "Claude Agent SDK vs Docker Agent for AI agents, BB 72.1 vs BB 76.5", "toc": null, "updated": "2026-10-08", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-agent-sdk-vs-docker-agent" }, "tokens": { "markdown": 2250, "slim": 630 }, "version": 1 }