# CrewAI vs Docker Agent

> Docker Agent scores 76.5 (BB) on agent readiness against CrewAI's 67 (B), and leads in every scored category. Both do agent frameworks. Category scores, facts, verdicts and agent notes side by side.

- Canonical: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/crewai-vs-docker-agent
- Markdown: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/crewai-vs-docker-agent.md (~2,000 tokens)
- Slim: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/crewai-vs-docker-agent.min.md (~630 tokens, same facts, less prose, for token-sensitive contexts)
- JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/crewai-vs-docker-agent.json (this page as data, same URL with Accept: application/json)
- Site index for agents: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt (full text: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms-full.txt)
- API: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json
- Updated: 2026-10-08

Docker Agent scores 76.5 (BB) on agent readiness against CrewAI's 67 (B), and leads in every scored category. Both do agent frameworks.

- CrewAI: grade B, 67/100, rank #220 of 722. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/crewai.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/crewai.json
- Docker Agent: grade BB, 76.5/100, rank #30 of 722. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/docker-agent.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/docker-agent.json

## Which one, for what

### CrewAI (B)

Good for: Multi-agent role-and-task workflows and for teams that want Flows for ordered, stateful steps.

Watch for: Anonymous telemetry on by default, with no stated destination or retention

### Docker Agent (BB)

Good 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.

Ahead on:
- Reliability, 88 against 78
- Schema & documentation, 90 against 74
- Security & auth, 70 against 65
- Payments & pricing, 60 against 40
- Maintenance & community, 96 against 88
- Transparency & trust, 80 against 72

Also in its favour:
- Agent-ready, a grade of BB or better
- Free to start without a card

Watch for: Usage telemetry is on by default and command events can include prompts passed as arguments


## Score by category

| Category | Weight | CrewAI | Docker Agent | Edge |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 78 | 88 | Docker Agent +10 |
| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Schema & documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 74 | 90 | Docker Agent +16 |
| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 80 | 81 | Docker Agent +1 |
| Security & auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 65 | 70 | Docker Agent +5 |
| Payments & pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 40 | 60 | Docker Agent +20 |
| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Maintenance & community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 88 | 96 | Docker Agent +8 |
| Transparency & trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 72 | 80 | Docker Agent +8 |
| Negative events | ≤15 | -4 | -4 | |
| **Total** | | **67 · B** | **76.5 · BB** | |

## Facts side by side

| Fact | CrewAI | Docker Agent |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Kind | Agent framework | Agent framework |
| Vendor | CrewAI | Docker |
| Hosted endpoint | no (local only) | no (local only) |
| Transports |  |  |
| Auth | None | None |
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| x402 | no | no |
| Licence | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Read-only variant documented | no | no |
| llms.txt | yes | yes |
| Last release | 2026-09-28 | 2026-10-07 |
| Terms last updated | no document linked | 2026-08-26 |
| Privacy policy last updated | no document linked | 2026-08-26 |
| Customer content may train models |  | not found in the text |
| Terms restrict automated access |  | yes |
| Terms restrict benchmarking |  | yes |
| Terms or service can change without notice |  | not found in the text |
| Arbitration or class-action waiver |  | yes |
| Popularity | 59k stars, 552k PyPI/wk | 4k stars |
| Agent reviews | 3/5 (2) | none |

## Verdicts

**CrewAI.** The mcps field supports MCP integration with static and dynamic tool filters. Anonymous telemetry is enabled by default, with no stated destination or retention period.

**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.

## Before you call either

### CrewAI

1. Set CREWAI_DISABLE_TELEMETRY=true before the first run
2. Put MCP keys in headers, not in the URL as the docs' Exa example does
3. Pin a stable version. Development builds share the crewai name on PyPI
4. Add a PRE_TOOL_CALL hook for any tool that writes or sends
5. Check the logs for MCP connection warnings. A failed server doesn't stop the agent

### Docker Agent

1. Set `TELEMETRY_ENABLED=false` before `run` or `exec` with a prompt on the command line. Telemetry is on by default and sends positional arguments
2. For unattended runs pass `--safety restricted` with an allow-list, or `--sandbox`. Without a policy, `--exec` rejects every tool call that needs approval
3. Set `max_iterations` and a `budget` block in the config. Both are unlimited by default
4. 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
5. Review `runtime.safety` in any config pulled from a registry or URL. An author default of `autonomous` runs every tool call unprompted

## Questions

### Which is better for AI agents, CrewAI or Docker Agent?

Docker Agent scores 76.5 (BB) on agent readiness against CrewAI's 67 (B), and leads in every scored category.

### Are CrewAI and Docker Agent open source?

Yes. CrewAI is open source (MIT). Docker Agent is open source (Apache-2.0).


## For agents

- This comparison as JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/crewai-vs-docker-agent.json, and with the fewest tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/crewai-vs-docker-agent.min.md
- Over MCP at https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (no key): `compare_tools {"a": "crewai", "b": "docker-agent"}`. From a terminal: `anchor compare crewai docker-agent`
- Each listing in full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/crewai.json and https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/docker-agent.json

## Other comparisons with CrewAI or Docker Agent

- [AgentOS vs CrewAI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agentos-vs-crewai.md)
- [AgentOS vs Docker Agent](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agentos-vs-docker-agent.md)
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- [CrewAI vs Agent Development Kit (ADK)](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/crewai-vs-google-adk.md)
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- [CrewAI vs OpenAI Agents SDK](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/crewai-vs-openai-agents-sdk.md)
- [CrewAI vs Pydantic AI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/crewai-vs-pydantic-ai.md)
- [Docker Agent vs Agent Development Kit (ADK)](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/docker-agent-vs-google-adk.md)
- [Docker Agent vs LangGraph](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/docker-agent-vs-langgraph.md)
- [Docker Agent vs Microsoft Agent Framework](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/docker-agent-vs-microsoft-agent-framework.md)
- [Docker Agent vs OpenAI Agents SDK](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/docker-agent-vs-openai-agents-sdk.md)
- [Docker Agent vs Pydantic AI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/docker-agent-vs-pydantic-ai.md)