# Docker Agent vs OpenAI Agents SDK

> OpenAI Agents SDK scores 86.2 (AA) on agent readiness against Docker Agent's 76.5 (BB), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. Both do agent frameworks. Category scores, facts, verdicts and agent notes side by side.

- Canonical: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/docker-agent-vs-openai-agents-sdk
- Markdown: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/docker-agent-vs-openai-agents-sdk.md (~2,100 tokens)
- Slim: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/docker-agent-vs-openai-agents-sdk.min.md (~680 tokens, same facts, less prose, for token-sensitive contexts)
- JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/docker-agent-vs-openai-agents-sdk.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

OpenAI Agents SDK scores 86.2 (AA) on agent readiness against Docker Agent's 76.5 (BB), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. Both do agent frameworks.

- 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
- OpenAI Agents SDK: grade AA, 86.2/100, rank #1 of 629. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/openai-agents-sdk.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/openai-agents-sdk.json

## Which one, for what

### 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.

Also in its favour:
- No key needed to call it
- Free to start without a card

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

### OpenAI Agents SDK (AA)

Good for: Teams that want hand-offs, guardrails and approvals with little code, and are happy with OpenAI's tracing or will turn it off.

Ahead on:
- Schema & documentation, 95 against 90
- Agent ergonomics, 97 against 81
- Security & auth, 80 against 70
- Transparency & trust, 89 against 80

Also in its favour:
- No incidents deducted, where Docker Agent loses 4 points for them

Watch for: Tracing on by default, with model and tool content, sent to OpenAI


## Score by category

| Category | Weight | Docker Agent | OpenAI Agents SDK | Edge |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 88 | 85 | Docker Agent +3 |
| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Schema & documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 90 | 95 | OpenAI Agents SDK +5 |
| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 81 | 97 | OpenAI Agents SDK +16 |
| Security & auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 70 | 80 | OpenAI Agents SDK +10 |
| Payments & pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 60 | 60 | even |
| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Maintenance & community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 96 | 100 | OpenAI Agents SDK +4 |
| Transparency & trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 80 | 89 | OpenAI Agents SDK +9 |
| Negative events | ≤15 | -4 | 0 | |
| **Total** | | **76.5 · BB** | **86.2 · AA** | |

## Facts side by side

| Fact | Docker Agent | OpenAI Agents SDK |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Kind | Agent framework | Agent framework |
| Vendor | Docker | OpenAI |
| Hosted endpoint | no (local only) | no (local only) |
| Transports |  |  |
| Auth | None | API key |
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| x402 | no | no |
| Licence | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Read-only variant documented | no | no |
| llms.txt | yes | yes |
| Last release | 2026-10-07 | 2026-10-02 |
| Terms last updated | 2026-08-26 | couldn't be read |
| Privacy policy last updated | 2026-08-26 | couldn't be read |
| Customer content may train models | not found in the text | couldn't be read |
| Terms restrict automated access | yes | couldn't be read |
| Terms restrict benchmarking | yes | couldn't be read |
| Terms or service can change without notice | not found in the text | couldn't be read |
| Arbitration or class-action waiver | yes | couldn't be read |
| Popularity | 4k stars | 30k stars, 1.3M npm/wk, 3M PyPI/wk |
| Agent reviews | none | 3.9/5 (8) |

## Verdicts

**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.

**OpenAI Agents SDK.** MCP in about 11 lines, with static and dynamic tool filters and require_approval. Tracing on by default, with model and tool content, sent to OpenAI.

## Before you call either

### 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

### OpenAI Agents SDK

1. Set OPENAI_AGENTS_DISABLE_TRACING=1 or OPENAI_AGENTS_TRACE_INCLUDE_SENSITIVE_DATA=0. Through 0.23.1, RunConfig(tracing_disabled=True) doesn't stop spans inside your own trace() block
2. Pin to a minor version. Each 0.Y can break
3. Set require_approval on MCP servers that write
4. Name the model explicitly. The default changed in 0.20.0
5. Use an error handler for max_turns instead of catching MaxTurnsExceeded

## Questions

### Which is better for AI agents, Docker Agent or OpenAI Agents SDK?

OpenAI Agents SDK scores 86.2 (AA) on agent readiness against Docker Agent's 76.5 (BB), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories.

### Are Docker Agent and OpenAI Agents SDK open source?

Yes. Docker Agent is open source (Apache-2.0). OpenAI Agents SDK is open source (MIT).


## For agents

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

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