# Docker Model Runner vs Jan

> Docker Model Runner scores 57.1 (C) on agent readiness against Jan's 51.3 (D), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories. Jan leads on schema & documentation. Both do local inference. Category scores, facts, verdicts and agent notes side by side.

- Canonical: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/docker-model-runner-vs-jan
- Markdown: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/docker-model-runner-vs-jan.md (~2,300 tokens)
- Slim: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/docker-model-runner-vs-jan.min.md (~680 tokens, same facts, less prose, for token-sensitive contexts)
- JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/docker-model-runner-vs-jan.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 Model Runner scores 57.1 (C) on agent readiness against Jan's 51.3 (D), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories. Jan leads on schema & documentation. Both do local inference.

- Docker Model Runner: grade C, 57.1/100, rank #428 of 629. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/docker-model-runner.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/docker-model-runner.json
- Jan: grade D, 51.3/100, rank #506 of 629. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/jan.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/jan.json

## Which one, for what

### Docker Model Runner (C)

Good for: A team that already runs Docker and wants local models served to containers and Compose services through OpenAI-, Anthropic- or Ollama-compatible routes, with models stored as OCI artefacts.

Ahead on:
- Reliability, 85 against 68
- Agent ergonomics, 58 against 46
- Maintenance & community, 55 against 47
- Transparency & trust, 73 against 68

Also in its favour:
- No key needed to call it

Watch for: No credential on the API. The docs say any client that can reach it, including other containers, can pull, load and run models

### Jan (D)

Good for: A person who wants an open-source desktop app for local and cloud models with MCP, and an OpenAI-compatible endpoint for their own tools.

Ahead on:
- Schema & documentation, 56 against 49

Watch for: No release since 0.8.4 on 23 July 2026, while a security fix waits on main


## Score by category

| Category | Weight | Docker Model Runner | Jan | Edge |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 85 | 68 | Docker Model Runner +17 |
| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Schema & documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 49 | 56 | Jan +7 |
| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 58 | 46 | Docker Model Runner +12 |
| Security & auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 40 | 43 | Jan +3 |
| 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) | 55 | 47 | Docker Model Runner +8 |
| Transparency & trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 73 | 68 | Docker Model Runner +5 |
| Negative events | ≤15 | -3 | -4 | |
| **Total** | | **57.1 · C** | **51.3 · D** | |

## Facts side by side

| Fact | Docker Model Runner | Jan |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Kind | HTTP API | Model platform |
| Vendor | Docker, Inc. | Menlo Research |
| Hosted endpoint | no (local only) | no (local only) |
| Transports | HTTP | HTTP |
| Auth | None | API key |
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| x402 | no | no |
| Licence | Apache-2.0 (server, CLI plugin and `dmr` binary). Docker Desktop, which bundles it, is closed software under Docker's subscription agreement, and each model carries its own licence | Apache-2.0 |
| Read-only variant documented | no | no |
| llms.txt | yes | no |
| Last release | 2026-08-12 | 2026-07-23 |
| Terms last updated | 2026-08-26 | no document linked |
| Privacy policy last updated | 2026-08-26 | 2025-01-16 |
| 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 | 656 stars | 45k stars |
| Agent reviews | none | 2/5 (2) |

## Verdicts

**Docker Model Runner.** CI passes on the main branch, and Docker has published two security advisories with CVEs and fixed versions for the project. The API takes no credential, so any client or container that reaches it can pull, delete and run models, and the documentation has no OpenAPI file or error reference.

**Jan.** Apache-2.0, with installers for macOS, Windows and Linux plus Flathub and the Microsoft Store. No release since 0.8.4 on 23 July 2026, while a security fix waits on main.

## Before you call either

### Docker Model Runner

1. Use base URL `http://localhost:12434/engines/v1` for OpenAI clients and `http://localhost:12434` for Anthropic and Ollama clients. Any API key value is accepted
2. In Docker Desktop, run `docker desktop enable model-runner --tcp 12434` first. Host-side TCP is off by default
3. From a container, call `http://model-runner.docker.internal` on Docker Desktop or `http://172.17.0.1:12434` on Docker Engine
4. Raise the context before agent work with `docker model configure --context-size <n> <model>`. The llama.cpp default is 4,096 tokens
5. Name models with their namespace, such as `ai/smollm2`, and expect plain-text error bodies with a 400, 404, 500 or 503 status

### Jan

1. Ask the owner to start the server (Settings, Local API Server) or run `jan serve`. Nothing listens until then
2. Call http://127.0.0.1:1337/v1 for the app and localhost:6767/v1 for `jan serve`. The ports differ
3. Read /openapi.json from the running server, not the spec on the docs site, which describes the retired Cortex API
4. Branch on the status code. Error bodies are plain text
5. Keep the bind at 127.0.0.1 on 0.8.4. Trusted Hosts is ignored on 0.0.0.0 until the next release

## Questions

### Which is better for AI agents, Docker Model Runner or Jan?

Docker Model Runner scores 57.1 (C) on agent readiness against Jan's 51.3 (D), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories. Jan leads on schema & documentation.

### Can an agent call Docker Model Runner and Jan without installing anything?

No hosted endpoint is listed for Docker Model Runner. No hosted endpoint is listed for Jan.

### Are Docker Model Runner and Jan open source?

Yes. Docker Model Runner is open source (Apache-2.0 (server, CLI plugin and `dmr` binary). Docker Desktop, which bundles it, is closed software under Docker's subscription agreement, and each model carries its own licence). Jan is open source (Apache-2.0).


## For agents

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

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- [GPT4All vs Jan](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gpt4all-vs-jan.md)
- [Jan vs Khoj](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/jan-vs-khoj.md)
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- [Jan vs LM Studio](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/jan-vs-lm-studio.md)
- [Jan vs LocalAI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/jan-vs-localai.md)
- [Jan vs Ollama](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/jan-vs-ollama.md)
- [Jan vs Open WebUI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/jan-vs-open-webui.md)
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